Since time immemorial African children and Africans in general have been made to believe that straight hair is the definition of good and beautiful hair. It has been told us as we grow up, and indeed we have believed as Africans, that that our natural God given hair is` bad hair’, hair that is just too tangled to comb, too kinky to grow, just a little water and it shrivels etcetera. This situation can take a worse turn when you find yourself being compared to a cousin who has permed hair while yours look shrunk and mangled up, almost in a frozen state!
But what if we have not yet discovered the secrets of the 4c hair. What if all this while we were doing it all wrong. What if indeed it can grow to unimaginable lengths. What if there was no need for parents to cut their children’s hair all because they were tired of the cries of too much pain when combing, too much pulling when blow drying. And What if the parents never got tired of yells and complains because they hacked the code of this very interesting type of hair, beautiful in its own design.
The answer lies in this very article. The aim is to give very simple, daily easy to-do activities, to ensure healthy 4c hair for your daughter and even yourself if you have felt stuck. We shall disclose very valuable secrets for the future of upcoming parents and children with the privilege of owning 4c hair.
1.Heat is not the Solution
Most parents with daughters coming from an African set up highly relied upon heat styling methods as a way of maintenance for this kind of hair. We can all agree that the system of plaiting, wash and blow-dry was the way to go. If next Sunday, you were going over to your aunt’s house you had to go for blow dry or the week after that when you were needed at a family function. In order to maintain a healthy 4c hair, then your blow drier deserves a place in the junk box. Too much heat in this case would be the enemy of progress. The more you avoid heat styling the better.
2. Let the Curls Be
A very important knowledge to hold on to is the secret of the curls. Parents, the beauty is in the curls! Without the curl pattern then the 4c hair wouldn’t be called 4c. Just like the 1’s, the 2’s and the 3’s of the hair profiles, the 4c hair has certain advantages that the rest do not have.4c hair being the kinkiest of them all tends to have good volume. Volume is always a plus when it comes to styling hair whether its African, American or even Asian hair. understanding and appreciating the curl pattern is the first step to tackling the previous complexities that made this hair type seem impossible.
3.Hydration/Moisturizing
Due to its nature of having close intertwined strands, 4c hair has a high affinity for breakage. Hydration should be both from the inside and outside. Encourage your daughters to drink plenty of water about 2liters in a day inclusive of the water in the stews and teas. Water might seem like a very minute detail, but did you know spraying water on the 4c hair every single day has the ability to grow healthy hair? Even without the oils water is the number one ingredient to maintain healthy hair.
4. The Weapon
It is unheard of that a very successful farmer has no tools to till his land. Likewise, for your daughter’s 4c hair, invest in the right tools. Get the right combs; those with wide teeth reduce breakage while combing. Then, the spray bottle goes without saying; you want to make this your best friend. Remember the point on hydration? Yes, it is key. Get the right oils for the scalp and the hair as some of the oils clog the pores which would lead to no progress.
5.Protective Hairstyles
With all tools at hand, you want to put the hair in a state that is easy to handle, considering the busy and crazy that a day can have. Protective hairstyles like twist outs and braid outs always do the trick. If we were to be honest with ourselves it’s not every day you feel motivated and ready to do, undo, style and restyle the 4c hair. Planning to go on an impromptu travel? No problem. You only need your oil, and a few simple style ideas up your sleeve.
6. Oil and Water Method
Let’s now talk about the oil water method. Twist out… check! Oil … check! Spray bottle… check! The 4c hair requires a daily hydration routine. Without fail! First you want to spray your water on either your braid outs or twist outs, then you want to lock in the water with oil. As simple as that. Depending on the weather, you will decide how often you need to spray water on the 4c hair. Cold weather tends to Make the hair more dry, hence more hydration is required. The end of the strands is also very important if you want a healthy 4c hair for your young one. The reason would be because the hair tips are more exposed to the environment and will hence dry and break easily. High concentration, although not too high to cause overload, of oil in this particular area is highly encouraged.
7. Must Haves
Apart from oil and water there are very important products that need not be left behind in this 4c hair journey. Shampoo and hair treatment. It’s been said before cheap is always expensive. Go for the best products in the market check reviews and try it yourself until you find the best shampoo, treatment and conditioner that are agreeable with your hair and scalp. As we talk about shampooing, the hair should be shampooed once in two weeks and as for treatment, once a month will do. Another good way to ensure less breakage would be the use of conditioners to detangle the hair for easy combing or check for detangling products in the market that are meant for children.
8. The Wash
Washing hair should be done twice a month but not doing in the correct way makes the whole process useless. When washing the hair, first take the spray bottle hydrate the 4c hair then give it a good comb. Next wet the hair entirely then go in with your shampoo, gently massaging the scalp. Too much force will cause scalp wounds and damage. Rinse the hair then go for a second round of shampoo. Rinse it off, then put your conditioner leave it in for five minutes then give the hair a good comb again. Rinse off the conditioner then dry the hair, though not completely. Do a few braid outs to stretch the hair in preparation for the next day when you will get the hair done with a lasting protective hairstyle. Then the daily hair routine, without fail, as discussed earlier begins.
9. Keep the Discipline
Just like you purposefully wake up on a Friday morning and go to work despite not being in the mood, this is the same discipline the 4c hair requires. In order to enjoy the fruits, there needs to be consistency. With that said the 4c hair is beautiful and needs just a little love, care and attention.