What Barbers Need to Know About Twist Outs and Coil Styles

Twist outs and coil styles are popular among clients with natural, coily, and tightly curled hair. For barbers who primarily work with clipper fades and straight textures, these styles represent an expanding part of the market and a skill set worth understanding.

This is not a complete styling guide. It is the foundational knowledge a barber needs to consult with clients requesting these styles, execute the fade component correctly, and understand what the rest of the style is doing so the haircut supports rather than undermines it.

What a Twist Out Is

A twist out is a styling technique applied to natural hair. Two-strand twists are created throughout the hair when it is wet or damp, then allowed to dry. When the twists are unraveled, the hair holds a defined, wavy-to-coil pattern. The result is a textured, voluminous style that shows the hair's natural curl pattern in a defined way.

The technique is done by the client at home, at a loctician or natural hair stylist, or occasionally in a barbershop that has expanded its service menu. It is not typically part of a standard barbershop service in Canada, but the client's existing twist out pattern is often something the barber interacts with when doing a fade or shape-up.

How the Fade and the Twist Out Work Together

The most common service combination: the client has a twist out or defined coil pattern on top, and wants the sides faded and the line cleaned up by the barber.

Key considerations for the barber:

Do not wet the top if the client has a defined style. Wetting natural hair in a twist out pattern will release the curl definition the client worked to create. Ask the client explicitly before applying any water or product to the top section of the hair. If you need to work on the top section, clarify what they want done and whether the current pattern should be preserved.

Clipper work on natural hair textures requires different pressure and angle. Coily and kinky hair textures require the barber to adapt their technique. Pressing too hard with the clipper flattens the hair rather than lifting and cutting it. Work with lighter pressure and allow the clipper to do more of the work.

The fade line on natural hair can lift higher on some textures. Natural hair, especially type 4 textures, may have different density at different parts of the head. Check for patchiness and density variation before setting the fade height.

Understanding Hair Texture Types in the Context of Barbering

Barbers commonly encounter three broad texture categories:

Wavy to curly (type 2-3): Responds well to most clipper fade techniques with minimal adjustment. The curl may spring up more than expected after cutting, so account for that when setting the length.

Coily (type 4a-4b): Dense, tight curl pattern. Fades well with proper clipper technique. Shrinkage is significant on this texture: the hair may appear much shorter after drying than while wet or freshly cut. Factor this into length discussions with the client.

Kinky/zig-zag (type 4c): Highest shrinkage, densest texture. May require a wider-tooth comb or pick to detangle before fade work. Clipper work requires lighter pressure. Discuss shrinkage expectations with clients explicitly, especially newer clients unfamiliar with how their hair will look after their first fade.

Services to Understand Even If You Do Not Offer Them

Clients with natural hair will sometimes ask about these services. Knowing what they are and whether to refer out is part of serving this market well:

Loc maintenance: Retwisting and maintaining starter locs or mature locs. Some barbershops offer this; many do not. If you do not, refer clients to a loctician.

Coil setting: Using a styling product and a small comb or fingers to define individual coils. Usually done in conjunction with a wash. This is a more detailed service than a standard fade visit and requires additional products and time.

Taper fade on locs: Fading the sides on a client who has locs on top. The same fade technique applies, but the transition from the locs to the fade requires care at the perimeter to avoid cutting locs that should not be cut.

Building Natural Hair Technique

Barbers who want to serve natural hair clients well should seek out live reps on these textures specifically. The clipper mechanics translate, but the pressure, speed, and product knowledge are different enough that targeted practice is worthwhile.

CADMEN's fade classes work on the range of hair textures that come through the shop. The fundamentals of pressure, comb angle, and blending apply across textures. If you are training to improve your fade on all client types, the live-client rep model at CADMEN covers textured hair as part of the standard session.

Fade class: $1,750 + HST (small group) or $1,950 + HST (1-on-1). Book at academy.cadmen.ca/in-person-training.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a twist out haircut?

A twist out is not a haircut but a styling technique. Two-strand twists are created in wet or damp natural hair, allowed to dry, and then unraveled to reveal a defined curl pattern. The "haircut" a client with a twist out typically wants from a barber is a fade on the sides and a shape-up, with the top twist out pattern preserved.

Can barbers do twist outs?

Some barbers include coil setting and twist out services as part of an expanded menu. Most traditional barbershops do not. A barber should at minimum know not to disturb a client's existing twist out pattern without asking, and know how to fade the sides without compromising the defined top section.

How do you fade coily or kinky hair?

Use lighter clipper pressure than you would on straighter textures. Allow the clipper to do the work rather than pressing it against the scalp. Use a pick or wide-tooth comb to lift the hair before and during cutting if needed. Discuss shrinkage expectations with the client, as type 4 textures can shrink 50% to 70% from their elongated length.

What hair type does a twist out work best on?

Twist outs work on a range of natural textures but produce the most defined results on type 3 and type 4 hair. Straighter hair types (type 1-2) do not hold the pattern as well without heat styling.

How should barbers handle clients with locs?

For taper fades on clients with locs, the same fade technique applies on the sides. The key is at the perimeter where the locs meet the fade: be careful not to cut locs that should not be cut. When in doubt, clarify with the client before cutting anywhere near the locs. If the client needs loc maintenance (retwisting, parting), refer them to a loctician unless you have specific training in this service.