How to grow natural curly hair can be achieved with a Supreme Wash Day Kit. The maintenance system that I have found has made a difference in the texture and manageability of my Type 4B hair. The Wash day is no longer a chore.
Hair Types for Women of Color
When determining the right hair type for your hair take into account several factors that are used to consider. The three main ones are curly, straight, and wavy. The other factors to decode will be the texture, density, porosity along with the moisture retention capacity of the coil.
A notable mention, when you are looking for the best products to keep your hair healthy and moisturized those things mentioned about has to be taken into account.
There are 4 types of hair
Before getting started with the search, learn the category that your grade of hair falls under.
- Type 1 hair is characterized as straight hair with no natural curls
- With type 2 hair you will see wavy hair with no full curls and are characterized by bumps and waves.
- Type 3 looks curly and has an “S” shaped curl pattern
- Type 4 feels more coarse in texture and has a “Z” shaped patter
Types of Hair Textures for Black Women
More importantly, now is time to find out what your hair texture is. For African American women our grade is usually kinky, so we are graded as a type 4.
4A Hair Type
4A type hair is easily identifiable with its S-shaped curl pattern with spirals and has a fine or wiry texture. This type also tends to break easily because of low cuticle layers.
When looking for products to maintain this time hair, you should look for products with moisture retention such as 100% Virgin Coconut Oil along with shampoos containing Jojoba oil. It is also recommended that wash-and-go hairstyles should be utilized with curling creams, butter, and leave-in-moisturizers.
4B Hair Type
This hair type is tightly coiled and has a Z-shaped pattern. Instead of the hair strand forming a curve it has sharp bends. The texture can be fine or coarse and the curl pattern is not easily noticeable. Hair strands can be tightly coiled and densely packed.
The hair is drier than the other African American hair types and also breaks a lot easier. The shrinkage noted is 70% of its true length which makes the hair look shorter than it is.
To maintain this curl type you must use heat when you are going to do a deep condition. The reason being is on low porosity strands of hair the products sit on top of the hair because it is wound up too tight.
The heat lifts the hair cuticles and opens up space for product absorption. The most effective moisturizer should have a water-based leave-in conditioner as well as a formulation for focusing on hydration. Look for ingredients like aloe vera, Cetearyl alcohol, honey, panthenol.
The last step for this hair type is moisture and seal. Find an oil-based cream product that creates a barrier to protect the leave-in-conditioner. Also, for the last step use gels that have plant-based ingredients like flaxseeds, ginger, aloe vera, and okra and avoid tension to lessen the breakage.
4C hair type
This type of hair is more tightly coiled than 4B type hair. There is no curl pattern and tends to be more fragile. The length shrinks to 75% when not stretched out. However, the 4B style mimics this as well and the only thing that separates them is that 4C has tightly packed strands.
To prevent damage this hair type requires a lot of care. I.E. protective hairstyles.
What Products To Use for 4b type hair
Regardless of what your hair type is moisture is the key.
- Moisturize– Use castor or coconut oil before you wash your hair to give it an extra dose of moisture.
- Condition–Don’t shampoo your hair every time you shower. Just rinsing with a conditioner might be all you need. Experiment with leave-in conditioners for long-lasting hydration. So once in a while, skip the shampooing—but feel free to keep in the shower karaoke session!
- Finger-Comb–Instead of struggling with a brush, try finger combing your hair. This will minimize breakage and frizz and keep your hair soft and supple. Additionally, you can stretch your hair out while it’s still wet to minimize shrinkage. Pop on a face mask while you’re at it for a full self-care routine!
- Style–Use protective styles like box braids and twists to keep hair secure and tangle-free.
Hair Care for 4c Hair Types
Like 4b hair, a 4c hair type needs a healthy helping of moisture to stay healthy and tangle-free.
- Moisturize Before Styling –Wet your hair with water or mild moisturizing spray before you put it in an updo. This keeps strands pliant and decreases breakage.
- Condition –Try the LOC method (liquid, oil, cream) for prolonged moisturization. After you shower, use coconut or almond oil, followed by a natural curl cream like cocoa or Shea butter. You could also try leave in conditioner for curly hair if you don’t have time to style your hair before you leave the house.
- Wash and Condition in Sections –Instead of tackling your whole head at once, section off small areas to wash individually. This keeps tangles to a minimum and guarantees full cleansing and moisturizing.
Maintenance System that is Affordable
- Continuous Spray Bottle– The bottle is designed to moisture your hair quickly. Most spray bottles you have to pump a million types to get the desired effect.
- Scalp Messaging Shampoo Brush– For whatever shampoo products that you decide to use, this brush stimulates the base of your scalp allowing the shampoo to clean and stimulate new growth. It will have you feeling like you just left the washbowl at your favorite hair salon.
- Honeycomb Detangling Brush – There is a technique to use this brush. It bends, stretches and twist while you are detangling. So, part your hair in sections. To detangle use the brush in a vertical motion, but to define your curls brush in a horizontal motion.
- Microwaveable Deep Condition Cap – This is the million dollar step. This will moisturize and soften your curls, the cap is made from flaxseeds. After you have microwaved place this cap on top of a plastic cap for deep heat conditioning.
- Microfiber Towel Turban – last but not least the towel. You will be amazed that a towel makes a difference in the care of your hair. Regular cotton towels pull the ends of the hair and cause breakage (split ends) and slows the growth of your hair. In contrast to that, the microfiber towel hugs the curls instead of destroying them.
New beginnings
We all know that where change is there are new beginnings. We as we women can empower ourselves by providing self-care in every aspect of the world. This Wash day kit is just one of the ways to start. Providing love to ourselves boosts our self-esteem and confidence because after all we are vain.