4C Hair: Care Routine, Products and Protective Styles

4C hair has the tightest coil of any hair type, and caring for it comes down to two things: keeping moisture in, and touching the hair as little as possible while it is dry. Most breakage, dryness and slow length retention in 4C hair traces back to one of those two. The hair is usually growing fine; it is snapping off at the ends before anyone sees the length.

Shrinkage

4C hair can shrink to a quarter of its stretched length or less, so hair that reaches the shoulders when stretched may look like a few inches in its natural state. That is normal. If you want to show length without heat, braid-outs, twist-outs, banding and African threading all work by letting the hair dry in a stretched position.

Wash day

Wash in sections rather than all at once. Twist or clip the hair into four to eight sections first, then shampoo each one while it stays separated, which stops the whole head from matting together under the water. A sulfate-free shampoo, or a co-wash between regular washes, is gentler. Follow with a deep conditioner under a plastic cap for twenty to thirty minutes; gentle warmth from a hooded dryer or a warm towel helps it absorb.

Detangling without breakage

Only detangle hair that is wet and full of conditioner, never dry. Separate the big knots with your fingers first, then use a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush, working from the ends up to the roots in small sections. Single strand knots are common on 4C hair because coils loop around themselves, and snipping one off does less harm than pulling it apart.

Moisture and sealing

Put a water-based leave-in conditioner on damp hair, then seal it. Heavier butters such as shea tend to suit 4C hair, especially in a Michigan winter when indoor heating dries hair out fast. Low-porosity hair resists water and lets product sit on top, so it does better with lighter products and a little warmth; high-porosity hair absorbs quickly and loses moisture just as fast, so it needs the heavier seal.

Low-manipulation styles

The less the ends get handled, the more length you keep. Two-strand twists, flat twists, Bantu knots, puffs with a soft scrunchie, and protective styles such as box braids, knotless braids, crochet or a wig all cut down daily handling. Keep braids and ponytails loose at the hairline, since the edges on 4C hair are the finest and the first to thin from tension.

At night

Cotton pillowcases pull moisture out of the hair and create friction that breaks the ends. Cover the hair with a satin bonnet or scarf, or sleep on a satin pillowcase, and pineapple or loosely twist the hair first so it keeps its stretch.

What to buy

Sulfate-free shampoo or co-wash, deep conditioner, a water-based leave-in, an oil plus a butter or cream for sealing, a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush, sectioning clips, a satin bonnet, and braiding hair or a wig if you plan a protective style. Kelly Beauty stocks natural hair care in all four stores, Detroit, Eastpointe, Warren and Roseville, and online at kellybeautyonline.com.

More from Kelly Beauty

• Hair Type Charts: Useful or Not?
• Hair Porosity and Why It Matters
• How to Detangle Without Breakage
• Building a Wash Day Routine
• Leave-In Conditioner: Choosing One
• Shea Butter and African Black Soap
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