Dealing With Type 4 Hair

Disclaimer: This post has been in the works for a month now. I have honestly been trying to figure out the best way to express myself on this topic! Especially since I know that it is a very touchy subject for many type four natural.

Type for hair consist of Kinks and coils. Type 4 hair, is the driest, most brittle hair type there is. It is also the most delicate (contrary to popular belief).

Taking care of type four hair is a tad bit more work. If it isn’t taken care of correctly, you could have extreme shedding and breakage. BUT if you start a regime that YOU are willing to keep up, you will definitely be able to tame and keep your mane moisturized.

This post will include a few keys tips that I have learned when it comes to taking care of my hair (I’m a type four kinky curly haired beauty myself lol).

Let’s start with tip 1:

Pay attention to YOUR hair.

Yes many naturals are going to have your hair type. BUT the way that they care for theirs, the products they use, and the way they wear their hair may not work for you. And that’s perfectly fine. That does not mean that what you are doing is wrong.  Every head of hair needs different care. So paying attention to YOUR hair will make a huge difference. Here’s an example of what I mean.  Any time that you add a product to your regimen, keep in mind HOW you are using that product and HOW your hair responds to it. Just because it has a popular brand name doesn’t mean that you will get the results you’re looking for. Some products may dry your hair out, make it greasy, make your scalp itch (that could also be a sign of an allergic reaction)., etc.That is where YOU come in. If a product is giving your hair hell, look at the label.  You can give a product a second go round, if you’re interested and just keep notes of how your hair is doing.

Using expensive products DO NOT mean that it will work the best

Us type four curlies, have a super hard time finding products. I can definitely admit that. Not all products are kinks and coils friendly. Even when the label says that it is. What I can tell you is this. You don’t have to shell out half your rent to pay for hair products. A lot of the lines I use in my EVERYDAY and WEEKLY regimen are actually very affordable.  A few of the product lines I use are available at almost any and every store you can think of. I use Organix, Shea Moisture, Herbal Essence, Taliah Waajid, and Original Moxie.  Some affordable homemade products that can be purchased online are , Loving Culture, Mahogony Queen and a few others. Expensive doesn’t mean better. Palmer’s makes one of my favorite deep conditioning protein treatments. I use Suave Naturals conditioner for my prepoo. You would never know that all of the products I use are under 20 bucks a piece, just by looking at my hair.

Protective Styling

I honestly can’t stress this part enough. Do your hair when it is wet. Seal the moisture in with your products. Preferably using , unless another method works best for you. And twist, braid, flat twist your hair up for a few days if possible. Instead of re-doing your hair nightly, give your hair a few days to just sit in the style before you take it out. I definitely recommend this for several reasons. The less you play with, pull, tug, braid, and comb your hair, the less likely you are to experience breakage and you’re more likely to retain length and moisture. I flat twist my hair on wash days. Most of the time I’ll leave them in for a 3-4 days, maybe even though entire week and I’ll rock my fro on weekends. I have definitely learned the art of the turban. lol But how you choose to protective style, is up to you.

HAVE PATIENCE

This is by far the BEST advice I can give you. You have to be patient. You won’t learn how to perfectly take care of your hair over night. It took me a very long time, and I still don’t consider myself the perfect natural. BUT based on experience (I also keep detailed notes in my journal), I have learned what works for me, so far, and what doesn’t. I have spent a lot of money on products that didn’t work for me all because of the built up hype. I also have products that I have yet to to touch and use. smh I am a product junkie at heart, but I am definitely on the no buy diet. lol Having patience is definitely key to the natural haired girl’s success. Rushing your hair to grown and just your life period won’t get you the true results you desire. Paying attention, loving what God gave you, is the best way you can start.

Any more questions? Feel free to leave them below!! I will make a follow up post with what I missed on a later date =)

Keep it cute naturalistas.

 

7 comments

  • I have a mixture head. My hair ranges from 4b to 3c. I have a hard time with styling and products because of it. My regimen right now is washing or cowashing weekly, HOC(I like to use Jojaba oil, cocoanut oil & Olive oil as my sealer) and I do mostly protective styles. My twistouts, braid outs, and wash n’ gos are always funny shaped or weird looking because of the in consistent hair textures. I haven’t found a product that helps my 4b/4a hair not look so dry and shrunken. So I’ve been avoiding lose styles because by the end of the day I a hot mess. My twistouts never last a few days no matter how I tie it up at night. Fourth and fifth day hair is unknown to me. Any suggestions?

    • When it comes to dealing with mixed textures it could be a little trickier. You may honestly need a hair butter instead of a mixture of oils to seal the mixture in. You can definitely email me naturalhairjunkies@GMAIL.com or fill out the contact form, which ever is easier for you. And we can definitely tweak your regimen just a tad to make sure that you are getting the most out of it.

    • I would definitely recommend using the same strategy. You probably just can’t flat twist or twist it (that would take a lot of time). But you would still use the same methods of retaining moisture. You could actually cowash more often so that you always start with wet hair.

    • If you go to google, you can see the different curl types and you can pretty much find your mix of curls. You determine your hair type by looking at your hair wet. So freshly washed hair, is perfect to look at.
      The reason why I said google instead giving you an actual site, is because everyone learns things differently and I honestly don’t know what type of visual you would prefer.

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