Twist of any kind have been popular for years, but recently marley twist have become a hit summer style. Starting around 2012, natural looking extensions like marley twist became an everyday look.
Alongside the growing natural hair movement, marley twist, sengalese twist and havana became an easy and natural looking protective style for naturals.
We love this style because it’s easy to maintain, very simple to install and generally very affordable.
Marley twist are part of the two strand twist family, and use marley or kinky hair extensions. The kinky extensions look just like natural hair and mimic popular African American hair types, such as 4c and 4b. We typically search for “kinky” braiding hair, when looking online.
Marley extensions can be installed more than one way, but most begin by braiding the hair at the root. Once securing the hair at the root, you can begin to two strand twist all the way to the tip. At the tip you can choose to just twist the hair or braid it to help seal the hair.
We personally don’t dip our hair in hot water, but because most marley hair is made of kanekalon hair fibers, that is an option. Check out youtube videos, for some excellent install techniques, and find your personal preference.
As you two strand twist it is important to twist the hair as you wrap it around. If the hair is not twisted as you twirl the two strands, it will cause the hair to come apart later down the road. With proper care and wrapping your twist up at night, marley twist can last about 2 months or longer. Once you have learned this technique, you can easily refresh your twist, around your hairline for a new install look.
Marley twist are installed using kinky marley hair usually purchased at your local beauty supply store or online for about $2.00 a pack. This price can range, depending on how many packs you are purchasing and the density of the packs. Although a pack of hair might be cheaper, it may have less hair thus it really doesn’t matter which brand you purchase. As long as it says “kinky”, it should be great for marley twist.
We installed our Marley Twist using this brand we found on Amazon, browse here. It had pretty decent reviews and we liked that is didn’t tangle much at all. The hair had no smell and came in 8 individual packages with accessories and crochet hook.
If you’re looking for shorter hair, we suggest heading over to elevatestyles.com or hairsisters.com. There you can find braiding hair according to length. Marley hair can also be used for crochet, and there are pre-twisted styles for those who prefer that install method.
How Long to Install and Price
Marley Twist take about 4-6 hours to install. Install time can vary depending on the length of your hair and the marley extensions. Time doesn’t usually change that much based off the size, but large marley twist will take alot less time than small/medium styles.
The stylist fees vary a lot, but for a 4 hour style you are looking at between $70 -$150 dollars. With the combined price of the hair, which is about $2 a pack. You are looking at about $30 – $50 dollars for 8 packs of Marley Extensions. For a total of $100 – $200 dollars for a Marlet Twist Install.
We paid around $35 for this hair on Amazon
Good Protective Style ?
Yes! Marley twist is an awesome protective style, when done safely. By safe we mean, not attacking those edges. No style is worth losing or causing unnecessary tension to your hairline. When getting your marley braids installed, make sure you are comfortable with the install method and tightness of the style. Its ok to tell your stylist, ahead of time what your hair goals so you both are on the same page before the install.
Marley Braids can be a great protective style as well, because the hair is so light weight. The hair is very light and “fluffy”, it almost feels like we are wearing on own hair. Your scalp is able to breath in hotter months, and its a simple lightweight style.
There are a number of leave in conditioners, you can use to help your strand retain moisture. But we usually, try to hold off on over doing the spray to avoid build up. The last thing we want to see is flakes, or grease build up on our braids. Less is more when it comes to braid in styles, but thats just from our experience.
Should You Wash Them?
Well, we wouldn’t tell you not to wash your hair. But, we can give you some info to make an informed decision. We personally, try to stay away from getting our marley twist soaking wet. We have gotten them wet in the past and the water tends to weigh them down ALOT. If you have added some accessories like cowrie shells or cute clips, it can be touch and go if they will stay.
Whether you’re headed on vacation or just looking for a versatile new look. We definitely recommend marley twist! We like the natural look and light weight feel of marley twist. Let us know what your favorite twists are and why below 🙂
