What Is 4C Hair? – Tips To Care For Your 4C Hair

For black women, I think that the conception of 4C hair is familiar with you all. However, for people who want to learn about hair type, maybe 4C hair is a little bit unknown. Therefore, this post can give you some information you are searching for about 4C hair and others. So, what is 4C hair? Let’s find the answer!

What is 4C hair? The way to tell 4C apart other types of kinky hair

First of all, just take a look at the following picture to see what 4 hair type you have as well as distinguish type 4C hair with type 4A hair and type 4B hair.

What is 4C Afro hair?

4 hair type is the type that mostly black women own. It is kinky, extremely wiry and tightly coiled and very fragile. Type 4 usually looks coarse but actually, it is fine. The disadvantage of type 4 hair is that it is considered the driest type of hair, and that why you will find that it is easy to be breakable. If you are wondering what Afro hair is, I will say “type 4 hair”.

The difference between 4C and 4A, 4B

Now, I think you are really wanting to know “ What is 4C hair ?, right? As you can see at the picture, type 4C natural hair is the most curled among other types of hair. It has no defined curl pattern. Also, 4C hair strands do not clump effortless, so that if you want to do so, you need to use styling technique. When not being stretched out, this hair type can shrink over 70 percent, so that makes hair look shorter than it really is. 4C hair textures are diverse, from soft, fine, thin to coarse. This hair type is firmly packed and has less definition.

Differently, type 4A hair is so easy to define, thanks to its “S” shaped pattern when stretched. 4A hair shapes a visible curl pattern with spirals which have the nearly same circumference of a regular crochet needle. People who have this hair type will have some regular breakage because it has very few cuticle layers that means its natural protection is so poor. However, the density of type 4A hair is pretty hair and that why it looks very dark in spite of breakage. Type 4A hair has 2 textures, fine or wiry.

Type 4B hair has a fluffy cotton like appearance. It has “Z” shaped hair strands. Moreover, like type 4C hair, it does not have a clearly defined curl pattern. Also, it is wiry and tightly coiled. Owning to the sharp bends which the Z shape is formed by, type 4A hair is drier and break more easily.

Now, I believed that all of you have already know what is 4C hair and the features to characterize 4C with other types. So, if you can distinguish hair types, you should learn about how to take care of 4C hair in order to own beautiful 4C hair.

Tips to care for 4C hair

There is a myth that type 4 hair does not grow. However, as you know, myth is just myth, it cannot be a truth. The fact is that type 4 hair can grow long, but you need to pay more attention to take care of it because it can be damaged easily. And to keep your 4C hair healthy, now I am going to share some tips to take care of your 4C hair. You can also apply these step in your routine of care for 4A and 4B hair.

Washing and Moisturizing

After having the answer for the questions What is 4C hair ?, now you should pay attention to the method of caring for your 4C hair, by firstly noticing the way to wash and moisturize your hair correctly

– Use special moisturizing cleansers: Selecting moisturizing products that contain nutritive oil to wash and moisturizing your hair. As you know, most of hair products nowadays contain harsh ingredients because the manufacturers aim to clear out all the dust and excess oil and your hair. However, these chemicals can make your hair brittle and dry it out. Therefore, you should avoid these goods and find some goods including botanical oils extracted from fruits and other natural sources like avocado or coconut oil when moisturizing your hair, and pairing it up a deep conditioner for better result. if you can follow the right way of washing and moisturizing, I think that you will be able to have shiny hair, and that can serve you well to give your 4C hairstyles better looks.

Oils like jojoba, castor or olive oil can deeply nourish your hair strands. Moreover, remember to shampoo your hair completely. Besides, you should use conditioner after rinsing. Keep the conditioner in your hair from 5 to 8 minutes so that it can have enough time to penetrate to the roots. Rinse it all, and let a small amount of conditioner left in your hair to protect it.

– Applying deep conditioning oils or creams: Type 4C hair as well as two other 4 type hair can lose its natural oil easily just by washing hair out. Therefore, taking additional moisturizing plays an important role in your hair care routine. Just spread a little bit conditioning cream or oil into your hair after showering. These products are “leave-in” ones so that it is allowed you to let them soak into hair strands to refill lost moisture. Hair products that contain argan, jojoba and grapeseed are the best choices because they can help to strengthen you hair, thanks to biological compounds in their ingredients.

Furthermore, there are a lot of alternative hair care products, such as masks, pomades and leave-in conditioners, have abilities to moisturize as well as style your hair. The last thing you should notice is that you need to use moisturizing products in moderation. It means that you should not use too much because it can make your curls look so wet and sticky.

– Do not wash your hair everyday: If you think that daily washing hair can remove all of dust and excess oil and make your hair looks more shiny and healthier, you are wrong. I agree that washing your hair everyday can keep your hair clean and clear out unwanted things on your head. However, it is going to clear out your natural oil, too. Natural oil plays a major part in keeping your hair scalp from dying out and making your hair look gorgeous. Therefore, you just alter your routine, by shampooing your hair just 3 to 4 times a week instead of daily washing. Also, remember to use warm water, not too hot or too cold to wash your hair.

Protecting hair from damage

“What is 4C natural hair?” Forget that question. Let’s focus on how to protect your hair from damage.

– Change out your pillowcase: Trade your coarse cotton pillowcase into a soft satin one because satin does not soak up too much oils from your hair. Or just use some non-absorbing fabric with a high thread count. It is so essential because rough fabrics can damage your hair through friction when you sleep. Moreover, they also soak up an amount of your hair natural oils.

– Cover your hair when going out: Wear a hat or headscarf if you can to prevent your hair from weather effects because they can make your hair frizzy and unmanageable. Make sure you always have a protective layer on your hair, please.

Gently brush: They way you brush your hair is really important. Pick the wide and soft teeth combs in order to make less hair damaging and painful.

– Avoid excessive styling: Along with rain, heat is one of the enemy for kinky hair one that cause frizz. If you need to dry or straighten or curl your hair, just do it sparingly because your hair already naturally dry, your 4C hair is inclined to have a coarse texture when damaged by heat.

• Braid your hair before sleeping: Braiding your hair before going to bed is considered as a method to lock in moisture overnight. By doing so, the strands will be held closely together, sharing their moisture and keeping the hair natural oils from being absorbed by the pillowcase. Just make sure you plait your hair not too.

Maintaining healthy hair

• Trim split ends regularly: Split ends are the clearest symptom of hair damage. Therefore, it is so necessary to test your hair for split ends every 2 weeks and ask hairstylist to trim them yourself. You can also give your hair a “feel test” by running your fingers along the length hair strands to see if there is any breakage or not.
• Have a nutritious diet: Enjoy a balanced diet including protein, fiber and good fats. Unprocessed foods such as salmon, green vegetable and whole grains can provide your body with the nutritive boost that is essential for keeping your hair as well as skin or nails healthy.
• Get enough sleep: The most effective way to heal the healthy issues is sleeping. Maybe you do not know that people getting sleep deprivation often experience hair loss. Make sure you get enough sleep, around 8 hours a day. If you can do it, not only does your health enhance but your hair can also retain its strength and luster. If you want to grow your 4C hair long, just get enough repose.

After reading this post, I am sure that you not only attain more information about 4C hair, What is 4C hair ?, “What is 4C Afro hair?”, but also know how to help your 4C hair look pretty. Hopefully, all of the knowledge I give you in this post will be helpful. Thanks for reading!

Source: Wholesale Hair Vendors – Virgin Hair Distributors/ Manufacturer – Hair Extensions Supplier