Archie Madekwe: Two Strand Twists With Low Fade
Another breakout star from Saltburn, Archie Madekwe – alongside co-stars Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi – is setting the red carpet alight with great sartorial choices, while also giving great hair via his two-strand twists and that subtle fade.
Why We Love It:
Archie Madekwe’s two-strand twists not only look fantastic, but this technique is also a great protective hairstyle for Afro hair.
The main benefit of having twists? It’s less time-consuming to do than cornrows or box braids.
Versatility is also another bonus – you can have twists on short, medium, and long Afro hair.
And the technique can be paired with a fade, like Archie, or you can also have an undercut, ponytail, man bun, and loads more.
It protects the hair, it’s versatile and it looks great – the triple hair threat.
So if you’ve been thinking about it, now might be the right time to do the twist..
What To Ask Your Barber:
- Creating two-strand twists like Archie’s is not necessarily something you need to go to the barber for.
- But if you’re lacking in confidence to do it DIY, then these are steps your barber or hairstylist will probably take.
- Obviously make sure you go to someone who specialises in Afro hair.
- They’ll wash and condition the hair with a natural shampoo with no added nasties like sulfates or parabens.
- Then the hair will be gently towel-dried.
- On damp hair, they’ll apply a styling product such as a twisting cream, gel, or butter.
- This will add moisture and hold.
- It will be applied evenly throughout the hair, focusing on roots and ends.
- The hair will then be divided into small sections using a comb.
- The size of those sections will depend on how thick your hair is – but smaller sections will give tighter twists, and larger sections will be looser twists.
- The hairstylist will then take one section of hair, divide it into two equal parts, then will twist one part over the other to the end of the hair.
- This will be done all over the head, with each twisted section secured with kirby grips to stop any unravelling.
- You can let the twists dry naturally, or your stylist might use a hairdryer with a diffuser to speed the drying process up.
- When the twists are dry, the stylist might add a little extra heat to each twist for a few seconds to help them set a bit more.
Get The Look
- Looking after short Afro hair with two-strand
- twists is all about the TLC.
- Afro-textured hair tends to be dry, so it’s essential to keep it moisturised.
- Use a water-based leave-in conditioner or moisturiser daily or as needed to keep your hair hydrated.
- You can also seal in the moisture by rubbing a natural oil – like coconut oil, jojoba oil, or shea butter – into the hair.
- Make sure you protect the hair at night to not only stop your twists unravelling, but also to look after the condition of your hair.
- Invest in a du-rag, and/or sleep on a silk pillowcase.
- Avoid constantly touching and playing with your hair, too.
- While wearing twists, it’s essential to keep your scalp clean to prevent product buildup, dandruff, and other scalp issues.
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo or co-wash to cleanse your scalp as needed, focusing on massaging the product in gently to avoid disturbing the twists.
- As your hair grows, you may need to re-twist your hair to maintain the style and keep your twists looking neat.
- Depending on how fast your hair grows, you might need to do this every 1-2 weeks.
- Make sure you get regular trims, too – every 6-8 weeks, ideally – to remove split ends and promote healthy growth.
