The basics
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Previously we scratched the surface of What 4c hair looks like. Today, I would love to give a few tips on what to consider when caring for our tresses. Now, this is a combination of personal experience and borrowed ideas. I will try to keep it as simple as possible and hopefully educational.
First, we must understand the structure of the hair shaft. I believe in visual aids, therefore, expect many of those.
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This image shows how a single strand of hair looks like and the various layers it has. The cuticle being the outermost layer is the one that interacts with most of the products we use. Depending on your hair porosity the cuticle actually differs from one head of hair to another. Let me show you what I mean,
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In a nutshell, hair porosity affects the uptake of moisture from the products we use. Sometimes, high porosity may result from damage to the hair's cuticle and can improve with some TLC. There are several tests out there on how to determine hair porosity. To learn more click here
Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the practical steps to take:
Moisturizing
I believe this is one of the fundamental things anyone who loves their hair should pay attention to. My focus is on moisturizing 4c hair in its natural state, all coily and beautiful. I have heard of two major methods of moisturizing; LOC and LCO. Now, these two methods aren't worlds apart in terms of the products to use but they differ in the layering of the products. In LOC you basically sprinkle the hair with a liquid that ranges from water to leave-in-conditioners to specially formulated mixtures (All DIY) depending on what your hair loves. Next comes Oil which gives you free rein to experiment with every oil you can find until you find the one that works for you. Last, is conditioner/cream where you can use a cream, leave-in conditioner, or butter. Apply them in the order they appear. For LCO, it's basically liquid, conditioner/cream/butter, and finish with oil. I recommend trying both methods and sticking with the one that shows evident results.
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Cleansing/ Wash day
From what I've read and personal experience, I advise those who are beginning their natural hair journey to wash their hair once a week. This is a bid to restore hair moisture balance. After some time, the hair requires to be washed less and you can take longer periods between washes. Regular washes clean the hair shaft and enhance the effectiveness of moisturizing products.
The process involves shampooing and conditioning. Other treatments that are done less occasionally include deep conditioning which is done once a month.
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Shampooing is quite familiar to all of us and is when dirt and grime are removed from the scalp and hair shaft. It can be quite refreshing and cathartic to have clean hair. Trust me, your hair says thank you by holding styles for longer and responding to products.
Conditioning
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This step of hair care is quite essential and offers your hair a fighting chance to remedy any damage. Its premise is that after shampooing, the hair loses moisture, then comes the conditioner; to smooth and soften the hair cuticle which improves the hair's manageability. The aim is to ensure the product is distributed all over the hair shaft. This can be done using fingers, a wide-toothed comb, etc. This is another area that requires a bit of experimenting with product selection. By this, I mean using a product consistently for 1-3 months and switching to another if there are no results. Mastering your hair takes time and bucket-loads of patience.
After these two steps depending on the length of your hair, you can seal the moisture from washing with the methods discussed above. Wash day doesn't have to be dreadful and painstaking; It can be quite enjoyable, just keep it simple and follow product instructions. One thing I find to be true when dealing with natural hair is that less is more, and it goes a long way in the health of your hair.
Till next time, stay safe and care for your coils💗💙💚💛💜
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