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Your 4C strands have a coarse texture, so each strand is thicker than a thread. This coarseness may make your strands feel a little rough or wiry to the touch, but it also provides extra damage protection naturally. Instead, your strands stand apart and create a dense mat of texture that is the perfect base for afro styles and just about any protective style you can think of. Hairstylists explain how to select products, assess your hair's health, and structure your haircare routine when you have 4C hair. Kenneth Byrd, with a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has over 15 years of experience and is a recognized authority in hair care. Co-founder of Curl Centric® and Natural Hair Box, Kenneth has dedicated himself to promoting ethical and scientifically-backed hair care practices.
How to Care for and Style Your 4C Hair
Finding a haircare routine that focuses on hydrating and defining your 4c curls is what will make or break your hairstyle. I’m just a girl who transformed her severely damaged hair into healthy hair. I adore the simplicity of a simple hair care routine, the richness of diverse textures, and the joy of sharing my journey from the comfort of my space. Protective styles will only protect your hair if done without applying strain or too much manipulation on your hair. So as you wear your bantu knots, twists, or braids, ensure they are loosely done, hair extensions are not too heavy and not tightly styled to avoid causing permanent damage to your hair and hair follicles.
How to Do a Press and Curl for Natural Hair Step-By-Step
Protective styles are any hairstyles that keep your strands in a state where they are kept safe from the harms of environmental damage and daily styling. Although shampooing your hair is necessary for maintaining a healthy scalp, be careful not to overdo it. Unlike other hair textures, 4C hair isn’t prone to becoming oily or greasy.
TRESemmé, Curl Hydrate, Leave-In Curl Cream
To keep 4B or 4C hair looking great in its natural state, use protective braiding styles, scarves, and even wigs, and always sleep with a satin cap or a satin pillowcase. This protective French braided style can be worn for days without having to manipulate it. Just make sure to adequately moisturize before putting the braids in, and sleep with a silk covering of some kind to keep it from getting frizzy prematurely. If you're looking to stretch your hair a little more and avoid shrinkage, you can always opt to braid it in small sections while it's still damp. Just be aware that braid outs tend to take longer to dry than twist outs—so make sure you have a decent amount of time on your hands before you install them.
Your Complete Guide to Hair Care and Styling for 3B Hair Type
It’s a nourishing, moisturizing product that detangles and adds shine to your curls. Think of it as a spa day for your 4c hair, where hair butter and sealing oils join forces to transform your mane from brittle to bountiful. By deciphering your hair’s porosity, you can discern the optimal shampoo to bolster hair growth and restoration.
Washing Your Hair 101: A Step-by-Step Salon Approved Guide
Always apply products to moist hair, not drenched, to prevent breakage. Bear in mind that preserving length is vital for sustaining healthy hair. 4c hair is known for its texture variations, low porosity, and the influence of genetics and appearance on its styling versatility and definition methods. It requires more maintenance than other curl types, is prone to tangles and single strand knots, and is the weakest curl type.
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To determine your hair type, wash it and let it air-dry without adding any products. Next, compare your hair’s natural pattern and texture to hair typing charts or descriptions. While not necessary, many people find hair typing extremely helpful for understanding their hair texture and choosing hair care products. Some view it as limiting and choose not to use it, while others find it useful.
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What Is the Best Blow Dryer for 4C Hair?

Being a curly girl is a trip — through the best and worst of times, it requires a commitment to caring for your curls and keeping them healthy. In just two minutes, this concentrated treatment helps reverse heat and chemical damage. It contains a signature blend of proteins, oils, and botanicals that fill in microscopic holes along the surface of your hair. It’s recommended to consult with a professional stylist, as texturizers can be extremely damaging to 4C hair. Some popular texturizers for coarse curls are the African Pride Olive Oil Texturizer Kit and Luster’s Pink Shortlooks Texturizer Curl Softener. If you have a sensitive scalp, you can try the Soft & Beautiful Botanicals No-Lye No Mix Texturizer.
Ideal Hair Type for Protective Styles
Instead, you get sky-high lift and texture that can “fill out” any afro style, braid, twist, or loc for a healthy, full look. "Give me all the natural oils to help moisturize 4C hair," says Durham. "I love argan oil, almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil, to name a few," she says. "Using oils on your hair can actually dry it out because it blocks the hydration," says Moore. Durham agrees, and suggests applying natural oils directly to your scalp, once or twice a week. As you've probably gathered by now, caring for your 4C curls requires a bit of effort and patience.
So the end goal is not creating spiral coils that stand apart from the rest of your hair. If you stick to these products in this order, you’ll be amazed at how moisturized and healthy your hair looks when it dries. Apply your products to soaking wet hair right after you exit the shower.
Additionally, being gentle with 4c hair means reducing manipulation, such as pulling and tugging your strands when detangling and styling natural 4c hair. You can do this by using 4c hair moisturizers or conditioners formulated for daily use every day. These should be lightweight to ensure they won’t weigh down your curls. However, shampooing your hair is just one of the steps for a proper wash day routine.

Let it air dry naturally after patting it with paper towels to absorb excess water, and don’t use any gels, mousses, or other styling products. "Hair porosity describes how the hair's cuticle absorbs and holds on to moisture in its pores—hence, the term porosity," says Branch. High porosity means the cuticles are more open, so hair absorbs water easily. This means the hair has a harder time absorbing water, product, or even your scalp's natural oils, and you'll see buildup faster. It also takes longer to dry after getting wet as it's holding all that water in. Then you can fall somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum, which is considered medium porosity.
In this example, your hair would contain primarily a combination of “O” shaped spiral curls and “S” shaped curly waves with defined hills and valleys. It's a lot to think about, sure, but we tapped three industry curl experts to break down some of the finer points of the typing categories. Whether you've got soft bends cascading down your back or tight coils blossoming towards the heavens, there's an easy way to identify exactly what's going on up top. Follow our easy tip sheet below (complete with recommendations for the best products for your curl type) so you can be well on your way to becoming a curl-typing pro. When you have 4c hair, softness and moisture are two things you can never get enough of. But hair damage over time — especially from coloring and chemical processing — can make it harder for your hair to hold onto hydration.
Some women with curly hair often describe their 4C hair as hair that doesn’t curl at all. Prep your hair with some heat protectants like Dove Style + Care Smooth and Shine Heat Protection Spray. Focus the barrel toward the top of your sections, leaving the bottom out for a more natural look. You don’t have to curl every section, leaving some out will make this style look like it’s your real texture, no styling required. Girls with smaller and tighter curls can achieve larger and looser curls, too!
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