by
The Natural Haven
By Jc of The Natural Haven Bloom
One of the most important lessons that I now know is that my hair will always behave in a fixed and reproducible manner depending on how wet or how dry it is. My epiphany came during a PhD seminar on smart materials (i.e materials that give you a  set response depending on heat, light, pH etc  and if you change the environment they revert back to the original state).  I would hazard a guess that I had been natural for at least 8 years at the time and the most frustrating time for me was wash day when my hair had to move from wet to dry. I finally realised that the reason for my struggle was that I was expecting my hair to behave differently without really doing anything differently. I thought that products could spring my hair into curls or slow down shrinkage but in reality my hair (emphasis on MY), did not and still does not care for products. I finally grasped that my hair is a smart material, it has a fixed behaviour when wet, when damp or when completely dry. These are my rules for the first stage – handling completely wet hair.
-Very high level of elasticity
-Very easy to section through with hands or a widetooth comb
-Very high level of shrinkage (my hair wants to be 1 inch long even when it is actually 1 foot long)
-My hair will not form clumped curls even with product
-My hair will not stay tangle free unless I force it to
-Attempting to start styling hair on soaking wet hair is futile
When my hair is wet it, it can be stretched very easily especially if there is conditioner on it. This stretching happens with finger detangling or combing with a widetooth comb. It is really easy to manipulate but as the hair stretches, it is very easy to move from the elastic stage (where hair is like a rubber band and can easily stretch in and out ) to the snapping stage. The difference is that on wet hair the snapping is totally silent and nearly painless (unlike if you yank on a strand of dry hair).
The remedy: If my hair is wet, it will only be handled once it has been loaded up with conditioner. This helps to soften the hair and reduce friction. I generally will avoid wet detangling, it does not work that well for my hair, but if I have to, I will always take care never to rake through with a comb. I would always work in sections and always look at the shed hair to see if it has a bulb or not, this is the measure of success for me
The high level of shrinkage when hair is wet comes with the high potential for tangling. This is especially true if I do not take the time to stretch out the strands and keep them separated and detangled by either twisting or braiding. I imagine my hair like a box full of little copper wire coils. Wetting my hair is like shaking this box and causing the coils to mingle. Separating the wires back into individual coils would take a lot of time, effort and undoubtedly damage to some coils.
The remedy: Prevention is better than cure. I choose to always wash my hair in braided sections. Prior to fully wetting my hair, it will normally already be detangled and all the braided into 10 or so sections. During the wash, the hair will shrink but as the strands are compact, they retain the detangled alignment and do not intertwine. Going back to that box full of coils analogy, it is essentially like tying a few coils together with a string and then shaking the box – it will be much easier to separate the coils which are contained together with a string compared to those that are free.
With the exception of coconut oil, my hair in general does not care for products. For wet hair, I am looking to wash and condition my hair. Pretty much any random shampoo will work and I generally pick hair conditioners based on slip (some type of silicone, usually water soluble) and softness (generally the magic ingredient is behentrimonium chloride). Any conditioner with these two ingredients will generally work well with my hair and to be fair, even conditioners without these ingredients will work for my hair, I will just notice that the product is harder to apply and my hair has less softness. I believe the reason why my hair does not respond to products is because it is not that damaged (no colour, no heat use , generally finger combed and mostly protectively styled). Conditioners as a product will make a great deal of difference to people with damaged hair and those whose hair can clump into curls. Shampoos will make a great deal of a difference to people with sensitive skin which is easily irritated.
How does your hair behave when it is wet? What can you do with it and what would you avoid? Do products matter to you
87 Responses
I have 4c hair and one thing i absolutely hate is the shrinkage. Braids and twists don’t help much either. Every day after twisting my hair, the twists shrink to like 2-3 inches. (My hair is 4″ in short areas and 6″ in the longer areas). Even when i wear extensions (braids in Jamaica) the strands do nothing but laugh at my efforts. And my hair breaks really easily due to the mass of tangles. I still love my hair but i don’t know what else to do to stop the shrinkage. Not to mention it needs to be moisturized daily (which encourages shrinkage) and sealed with heavy oils cuz i have high porosity hair. I’m just working with it for now, have no choice. I just try to moisturize heavily when i am taking down the style to minimize breakage
hermes wallet
Frustated newbie natural chiming in:
Hi, Sisie,
I’m about to ask a very naive question. What are plastic clips? Could u post a link with a picture? I’m serious.
Like others, my hair is about 4 inches…i could post pics but i don’t want you folks to have nightmares…lol! While i wait for pics of plastic clips….what to do with my shrub???
lol sure, no problem! I posted pics of two types, the smaller one is good if you think your hair is too short for the regular size clips. You can find them at ANY hair supply store for real cheap.
As for tips, the more you join hair care communities and pages on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll see so many cute styles for any length of hair and you’ll learn to embrace your hair while it grows. Love your hair and it will love you back! Just moisturize, protect it and have a healthy dose of PATIENCE.
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What is a 4c natural to do when her hair is only about 5-6 inches long? I cant twist it to wash it because that takes too long. How do i wash my hair and keep it tangle-free?
Another good alternative for people with short hair (or even for the lazy naturals among us lol) is PLASTIC CLIPS! The metal ones will rust with water, but the plastic clips will allow you to keep your hair separated without having to twist/braid them.
Braid or twist at night and pick it out into an afro in the morning. Afros do look good. We don’t all have curls nor can we all get them from products so an afro may have to be our mainstay until it grows longer. Mine is about that long too. You could try flat twists they hold better than two strand twists on my hair. If its humid I can forget it all, my hair does what its supposed to do – fro out! I’m hoping to grow a huge fro.
I have an African American daughter, I am white. From what I gather her hair is 4c. It is very dry, as is her scalp and breaks off very easily. I recently starting washing it in twists on a whim and found it does help so so much. When she came to me at the age of 5, her previous home had shaved her head, so her hair was still very short. She wanted to grow it out and by keeping it braided a lot we have finally gotten it long enough to pull it all back into a ponytail in the back. Our routine right now is to basically keep it in twist. She likes twists because I can do them much faster than braids. I twist her hair, we wash it about once a week and then condition it, she showers every 2 to 3 days so on those days I just condition it. I take out about half the twists afterwards each time, comb them out and redo them so it stays pretty neat. She likes this cause she hates sitting for long. So my question: her hair gets frizzy very quickly, I put a lot of leave in conditioner on it when I twist it, is there something better that you might recommend to help the frizzy ness? I spray leave in conditioner on it on the days she doesn’t get it wet.
I have very very fine strands of 4c hair. The only way I have been able to grow my hair long is by using henna. After several times using it, frizz has greatly reduced and my curl pattern has loosened a lot, my hair shrinkage has reduced. Detangling has become so much easier. Sometimes I think my strands are as fine as spider webs.
Hello..What henna do you use? And where do you buy it at?
I too have 4c hair and have experienced the same benefits of henna as Mne. I purchase my henna (BAQ) from http://www.hennasooq.com. (great customer service!)
FYI: You can obtain the same benefits of henna, minus the color, by using cassia instead. 🙂
Hey Laura! Kudos to you for learning how to work with your daughter’s hair. Try some of the Shea Moisture products–to be specific, the Curl Enhancing Smoothie and the Curl & Style Milk. I LOVE using them on my natural hair! Shea butter can also help to smooth the hair and combat frizz. 🙂
Use products that are not water based. Such as Shea butters and oils. I have 4c hair that that is mid back length. Takes me 7-8 hours to do every 2 weeks. When i have twists, To maintain during those two weeks frizz free, I use shea butter every night or organic olive oil to moisturize and then I TIE MY HAIR DOWN with a scarf every night and cover with a bonnet so the scarf does not slip off. My hair lays down like silk. Now if the hair is really dry I use a spray bottle and LIGHTLY mist my hair with distilled water before tying it down. Hope this helps.
I am glad to see you are figuring her hair out but I have a question. She showers every 2-3 days? I hope she is bathing the other 4-5. Please everyone don’t take offense, it just sounds really strange to bathe twice a week unless a doctor has said you have skin problems and can’t do it any more than that.
2-3 days? I was thinking the same thing!!!! @Laura, I applaud you for learning your daughters hair. I don’t comb my hair every day, miss Jessie’s butter cream is awesome but expensive as all get out, and olive oil mixed with a tad bit of water in a spray bottle works. The water is to help oil get out so u don’t need much. I wash mine once every 2 weeks but beeswax attract dirt so u might need to do it more often. Start at ends to detangle and work ur way to the roots. 2 strand Twists helps but watch out for comb twist (starter locs)!! Our hair naturally locs with little to no effort so I would only wear comb twist for 4-5 days and then I would finger separate for a different effect. Oil and moisture is key with 4c. Find a reputable natural hair salon (for african Americans and have them help U find a protective style for her hair but be sure to emphasize NO pulling/stress on her edges!!! God Bless
Sorry, I forgot to answer the frizz question. I use Frizz Ease by John Frieda and a little castor oil. My twists hold, are very defined and shine.
As a southern femlae born and raised in South Carolina, I find this situation especially appalling, but I am not surprised. Yes, this is a prime example of why beauty is not everything, but it is also evidence of a serious problem within our school systems. For children coming from poor families, the problems are detrimental.
When I wash my hair in twists or braid the dirt ( dandruff) doesn’t go it gets trapped in the twist/ braid what do you think I should do
U get in the shower with your hair braided or twisted, and then you wet the hair. Then you undo one twist/braid at a time and shampoo once or twice, massaging your scalp to remove dandruff and dirt. Finger comb hair in this stage. After you are satisfied your hair is clean, rinse out the poo and retwist the hair and move on to the next braid or twist. Do this until the entire head is cleaned. Dirt will only be trapped in the hair if you attempt to wash your hair with braids intact.
I would suggest sectioning your hair into 4-6 large twists and wash your hair section by section and with each section unravel the twist and wash and detangle the re-twist it.
I learned the hard way. I seen a lot of breakage from my hair when I detangle it wet. So now I detangle on dry hair and see a big difference. Dry detangling isn’t as bad as I thought, it’s alot better than wet detangling. I also wash my hair in braids or twists. It takes waaay too long and it’s just a mess to wash my hair without braids/twists. My hair is 4c and bra strap length so you can imagine.
same here my hair generally does not respond to what most people find useful to them! I have no trouble washing my hair with sulfates or dry detangling.
This is a good website and full of accurate information. I have a lot of shrinkage too and must keep it separated when wet. If I let my hair dry after shampooing, I would never be able to comb it. It locks if I don’t detangle it wet and plat it up, or blow dry it and plat it up. Sometimes I get frustrated with my hair because it will not hold any style. I have been natural for about 2 1/2 years and my length is past my shoulders. I wear wigs to work. Braids and twists pull my hair out. I don’t know what else to do with my hair.
I just came across your website and am so happy to read this information! I believe my youngest daughter has 4c hair and I have been having so much fun doing braids, twists and yarn extensions but so struggle with detangling and am in need of ideas for getting wax build up out of her hair. I make my own sheabutter/olive oil/coconut oil/beeswax braiding paste which holds so nicely but is causing buildup. Caring for her beautiful hair is still new to me as we’ve only been together for two years and my oldest daughter has straight blond hair… I so want my baby to grow up loving her natural hair. I’m looking forward to learning lots of helpful ideas from everyone on here!
You know what the problem is? Our branis are so white-washed that it gets us to think that everything should be done in a certain way. The white way. So, if your hair doesn’t flow like the girls in commercials, or if you can’t get this comb through your hair, you have bad hair.Switching from relaxed to natural made me realize that if our hair doesn’t look the same, then it surely doesn’t require the same treatments. You don’t wash silk as you wash cotton. You don’t take care of an orchid the same way you take care of a rose. It’s as simple as that. Step back and see that the haircare regimen is not harder, just different. Too bad most people can’t look at the big picture.I see our hair as a poppy in a wheatfield. It stands out, it’s different, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.
What??
a) Where did she say caring for her Black daughter’s hair is harder??
b) If you’ve only ever worn cotton, you either need instructions or trial and error to learn how do deal with silk. That would be why she’s asking.
c) She already said her daughter’s hair is beautiful, so…
Ramona,
Thank you for your post! Curly hair can be a challenge, but you seem up for the task and to truly embrace and love on your daughter´s hair! Here is a website that has been very helpful for me. Good luck!
http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare.com/
I always dtangle my hair when its filled with conditoner and after going through my full head brushing each section before twisting i only have a few strands or a dime sized hair bal in my denman brush when I’m done. I know I’m not pulling out my hair by wet detanglin but could i be damaging it some other way and not know it. How do i tell if wet or dry detanging is lessdamaging for me?
I have 4c hair, and I must say, I HATE IT. My hair is about 10inches long when flat ironed, but its barely THREE inches high with the shrinkage! I cant wear that out anywhere! No matter where I go I feel confined to wigs and sew in styles. Even when I have protective styles in, the shrink seems to “rule”. I know this is the proper forum to voice these types of opinions so this is why I am being so vocal. I’ve been natural for a few years, but Im just recently starting to experiment (WITH THE IDEA) of wearing it out. Ugh, to no avail though.
ANYWAY, GREAT POST! DEFINITELY BOOKMARKED, &GOING TO USE AS A REFERENCE.
also, <333333333 this site.
You have grown your natural hair out for up to 10 inches (two years?) and you still haven’t learned to embrace it?
I’m in the same boat with my 4c hair. No curls + Lots of Shrinkage= No styling options.
I hate it. I’d tired of wearing wigs & sew-ins but wouldn’t dare go outside with this bush on my head.
So some good youtube channels that will give you tons of styling and product options specifically for 4c hair are:
Jouelzy
NaturalMe4c
GlamFun
My neighbor had a pool when I was a kid. It seeemd like she never wanted to swim and I ~always~ did. I loved going in that with her. It’s funny that I remember how much I loved to swim as a kid and yet now I almost never get in. It’s such a big deal to wash, dry, and style my hair. I feel silly admitting that. LOL
I can relate to this article & also to you comment. I’ve been natural for almost 7 years & my hair hasn’t grown past 10 cm. I’ve only recently (last 4 months) started following natural hair blogs & vlogs with similar hair types. I’m hoping to learn to embrace it, because to be quite honest I hate my 4c hair.
That’s a no-no Kabo! You have to love your hair FIRST and then it will show you love you back! Dissatisfaction and frustration with your hair is what causes us to mishandle our hair, leading to breakage. With 4C hair, you MUST be extra attentive, patient and (most of all) LOVING with your hair because it has a temper. Hair of all types grow, but its up to you to keep it on your head with your particular techniques.
When my hair is dry:
– It is hard and brittle.
– I try to do very little to my hair when it is dry or there will be split ends and short hairs all over the my shoulders.
When my hair is wet:
– It is at its happiest. It’s the only time my hair is pliable enough to manipulate.
– My hair only clumps if I wet it while already clumped from a twist-out. But after I detangle, it will not clump again. I have a very tightly coiled curl pattern.
– I can only style my hair when it is soaking wet, or my hair won’t move anywhere and will break. My hair is very course (not at all fine), but also very brittle when dry.
My hair tangles very easily whether it is dry or wet. It tangles more when it’s dry. I find that when it’s wet, it doesn’t tangle as much just as long as I don’t shampoo it. Shampooing gives my hair the most tangles. I use to detangle my hair with conditioner. Since I started using bentonite clay to wash my hair instead of shampoo, I find that it provides enough slip to detangle with.
Good article. I have black hair —
– Clumps when wet
– I have a whole bunch of Curls, kinks and coils on my head
– I love condish — there are only certain ones my hair loves and I spice them up with oils to get the most slip.
– Poo is ok — only poo when I think my hair really needs it
– I love gel — my go to style is a bun – so to slick those curlyceues down I use gel
– I have to really focus on how I detangle — because when my hair is ‘naked’, I see short fuzzy curls — so, obviously “Breakage” — so, need to slow down.
– Interesting thing is that my curly hair is the hardest to detangle. (curl diameter about the size of a sharpie, or highlighter)
The smaller curls are the easiest to detangle.
I style my hair when it’s damp… cowash in sections – DC in sections and dry about 40% then style…
Don’t care for braidouts or twistouts —
My hair tangles if you just look at and it breaks so easily I don’t no what to do anymore I’m trimming my hair every time I twist it I get balls of hair at the end when I wash it I was detangling with the conditioner and it breaks like crazy Finger detangling helps a little but I still have to put a comb thru it which I hate because it breaks so bad what should I try next
This sound familiar (from my prior experience)
A few questions:
How do you style your hair prior to detangling/
How long do you normally keep the style in?
when you detangle is your hair wet, damp or dry?
When detangling doe this balls com from the ends of hair, I assuming you detangle from end down to the root of course, If not let me know.
When your hair is wet is it very stretchy?
The diameter of your average strand would you can fine little thicker than spider web, thin, medium or thick?
how long is the breakage around 6-8 mm (approx. 0.25 inch) or are we talking about 3 inches or longer?
Do note I do get balls after twisting still, but I started checking them and realized they were shed hairs I find I tend to get them if I go beyond a week with twist and I only get the balls when washing my hair and because lightly finger comb through the hair while washing and conditioning to reduce tangles and prevent new onces from forming.
The original title for this piece was ‘my rule book’. This is because everyone should have rules that they follow that allow their hair to be in the best condition possible.
Kalda I have to ask – Why do you have to put a comb through your hair if it breaks so badly? My hair also detests combs and brushes so I avoid them to stop my hair snapping. Do you really really really have to use a comb? If you do, during what state does your hair break less – gentle dry combing, gentle damp combing, gentle conditioner combing? Make up your own rule book for your hair.
i try not to touch my hair when it’s damp or soaking wet, its too weak to be stretched and manipulated and means i get these splits midshaft which eventually propagate to one mahooosive split,or a light sprinkling of circles of hair all around the house resulting in a heavy trim of 1-1.5″. i wash condition dry moisturise and seal it whilst my hair’s in whatever style it was in before. once’s its dry i loosen the plaits or twists and re-style. minimum breakage and effort because its still detangled and stretched already. this only changes when i wear loose styles like twist outs, then i retwist. when i loosen its important not to be stingy with the products, just whap um on until its got enough slip.
I have this type of hair, and i find that one of the best ways to minimize breakage is to detangle my hair carefully with fingers, comb and conditioner and twist it into sections before washing it.I try my best to not disturb the twists as i shampoo and rinse with warm water, paying close attention to my scalp, condition(still without disturbing the twists)and then apple cider rinse. I blot my hair with a T-shirt, spritz with an oil or leave=in conditioner and then let air dry 90% before attempting to do a style. Using this method i have clean hair and hardly any shedding.
I think I do have 4c hair, I am wondering what the best way to trim it is and I also noticed I have a substantial amount of hair shedding going on, its pretty annoying and I don’t know how to stop it! I use Yes to Carrots Shampoo and Conditioner, sometimes Giovanni Tea Tree shampoo for clarifying, and i use Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing smoothie, I have defined curls when my hair is wet but it ultimately frizzes out into a fro…. I’ll attach a picture, i wonder how anyone with similar hair treats their hair any advice or suggestions would be greatly greatly appreciated!
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Actually I trim by twisting hair and clipping the ends.
I collected some videos here http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2011/05/how-to-self-trim-hair.html
my hair detangles best in water alone. i tried to section it prior to washing, to see if that made any difference, but if anything it only made my hair matt up top. my hair washes best free flowing. i think i’m in the 3’s range somewhere. when it’s wet, i get clumpy curls/waves that stay that way even when dry until i run a comb through it. but that doesn’t mean that detangling is not a chore for me, still. it is, and that’s the part that i have to attack in sections. so i allow my hair to air dry in plaits, sometimes twists. and it comes out soft and heavenly. yum.
You probably are in the 3 range or your hair is a 4 and not very kinky. Water alone can be very difficult for people with super shrinkage. It is very effective however for straight, wavy or looser curls.
I like your answer because you described your hair and it is something that all women have to do – stick to what their hair does best.
My hair hates being naked and is quite choosy. However, I definitely agree washing in sections is a life-saver!
My hair is short, so doesn’t stay in large twist or braids (espeially as I like to leave the base loose for access to my scalp), so I loosely band each twist. I wash with the hair still in sections and still banded, but I condition in unravelled sections.
I have to t-shirt dry my hair before applying leave-in products such as conditioners and stylers due to being low porosity. I simply wrap my hair in a t-shirt.
Detangling I still haven’t got down. I’m going to hold my hand up and say even though I know detangling with a pre-poo with my fingers only is the best method for my hair, I take the lazy route and usually do my first detangling in sections in the shower using the rinse-out and using a wide-tooth comb. I further detangle when styling. This is 10-20 minutes total with a small hairball vs an hour+ with a few strands of shed hair. Right now, time is winning.
Henna-ing is the thing that really messes me up because sectioning, pre-pooing, detangling are all different or impossible when henna-ing, for me.
My hair is coarse, and while it is at its weakest in wet handling, it copes quite well with it.
see i always thought i was 4c, but my hair does have clumped curls. but when it dries it has a very afro-like appearance. i can manipulate it into twistouts and bantu knots that will last for days. i have very thin hair. i always had people tell me i have that proper: “nigger hair” even in salons. So i always assumed i was 4c? i dont think it matters. i love my hair (most days) and others, eh i just deal with it! thanks for the article bglh.
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Well it wasn’t really necessary to use that term here. We would have understood what you meant otherwise.
Anyway, your hair looks beautiful, but it’s difficult to determine curl type when it is styled.
Country people usually say stuff like that; country as in ignorant. I wish somebody would, that’s not a compliment by the way…
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“I dream of healthy long thick strong beautiful manageable full of bounce sheen shiny rich lustrous hair…growing from my scape!
I do the SAME exact thing mangomadness does! woo! hehe 😀
Except I use Yes To Carrots to detangle/pre-poo, CURLS creamy curl cleanser to shampoo, and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie to style.
Products do matter for me. Now I can style my hair when wet by ONLY using Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. This product totally surpassed my expectations. It makes my (4b-4c) hair super soft and managable! Plus it smells good, lol. Before, I used the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Mask to twist my hair, but I’d wait until my hair was almost dry in order to use it.
Right now I re-doing my yarn braids (3rd set this year) and the Curl Enhancing Smoothie is making my process & hair much smoother, lol. This is a really great article. Wish this was posted when I first went natural, lol but anywhoo it’s here for those who need it most 🙂
my hair won’t hold most shapes for very long when soaking wet especially when it pre twist it. I tried clips but it seems once I add water the hair expands and the clips can’t properly hold the hair sections that it could when dry, I either have to increase the number of clips or try braiding it and leaving it that way (if the hair will submit) while doing the washing process.
Down side with my clips is if I deep condion they don’t fit under the plastic cap. If do braids they don’t tend to hold especially when recently trimmed (within three weeks from last trim).
JC, this post is awesomesauce. I’ll have to bookmark it to help explain these things to others in the future.
lol I like that – awesomesauce
Thanks so much for this JC! Could elaborate more on your washing process? how do you apply shampoo? How are you able to rinse it out thoroughly? I know washing in braids or twist will really help. I just need to find the best way to go about it.
I wash in loose braids leaving enough space to access my scalp. I also just spend extra time on rinsing and use the scientific rule of 3. First rinse to loosen the soap, Second rinse to get rid of the soap and third rinse to make sure. Try using a two minute timer for each rinse. You would be surprised about how long 2 actual minutes are compared to 2 estimated minutes
I think we are hair twins – I have that thick tight and coily or as my west indian relatives referred to it hard african hair. Water is the enemy of my hair it shrinks from 10 inches to 1/4 inch if I let it, and it also creates knots and impossibe tangles that no-one can remove. I tackle it by trying to section it -this doesn’t always work as it unravels easily when wet. Then I have to use either Hello Hydration (I love that stuff it has actually saved me from cutting all my hair off – it melted a terrible tangle) or any Aubrey Organics conditioner and get it dry as quick as possible. Then I am on the home run, plaits to fully stretch it then twists. Ahhhh…..big sigh of relief!
Hard african hair? Really??? ~swallows comment about crass and ignorant generalisations…~
OK, ladies,this may be a dumb question, but I am so confused by the washing of the hair in sections. So do you braid/twist hair in sections then unloose, wash, rinse, rebraid/retwist one section at a time OR do you keep all sections braided/twisted then just wash and rinse?
thx
It depends. I keep all sections twisted then just wash and rinse. Some ladies braid/twist hair in sections then unloose, wash, rinse, re-braid/re-twist one section at a time. Experiment to see what works for you.
Thanks, appreciate it.
Good question!
I usually do sections (twists or even just sectioned off with ouchless bands) and keep the sections in as I wash, concentrating on the scalp for shampoo and hair for conditioner.
Lately I’ve noticed buildup on my strands even after washing. I use VERY few (if any) products but I have a sensitive/flaky scalp. I wash once a week. I’ve been better served unraveling each large section as I wash and getting everything out of my hair. This worked well last time: To conserve water, I wet my hair, then smoosh shampoo into each section before showering. I then unravel each section and work the shampoo into it then rinse COMPLETELY before going to the next section. I used Kiss My Face shampoo and it didn’t seem to strip my hair.
lovely.
Thanks! This helps so much.
I have to do what mangomadness say – my hair is very thick yes, so when i wash them in the twists they get really tangled because it’s very very curly and I lose hair in the process. so i have to twist them in 3 or 4 sections, then undo them wash and retwist. It’s just easier that way and I do not lose as much hair.
THANK YOU for this because I have 4c hair and I need these tips! So thank you for this post!!! I love this site!! 🙂
When soaking wet, my hair coils up super tightly. My hair is ~11-12 inches long so I cannot afford to let it shrink up (too much breakage). I also cannot detangle when it is soaking wet (too much breakage).
Here’s what I can do to cleanse, moisturize and style while minimizing breakage and tangling…
Dentangling
-section my dry, stretched hair into 12 parts
-apply conditioner, finger-detangle and put each detangled section in a twist
Shampooing
-rinse in twists while massaging scalp, shampoo scalp w/ diluted shampoo in an applicator bottle
Moisturizing & Styling
-squeeze excess water out of twists with a black cotton t-shirt
-unravel each section, smooth my leave-in conditioner into my hair, style (16 braids), seal (ends and edges) with castor oil and air-dry
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As for products, slip is important. My conditioner needs fatty alcohols (cetyl, stearyl, etc) and oils (in the formulation or added by hand) for slip. It’s also good for my leave-in conditioner to have slip–Alba Botanica Leave-In Conditioner has awesome slip.
My hair seems to like behentrimonium chloride (Shea Moisture Purification Masque, Garnier Fructics Triple Nutrition conditioner [old formula]) and behentrimonium methosulfate (Alba Botanica Leave-In Conditioner).
The BEST breakdown EVER! I will be trying these steps on my upcoming wash day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I just read your response after I posted my question. haha. Thanks for the breakdown.
+1 Awesome regimen for us 4c’s – I use a similar regimen and my hair responds well. Great breakdown!
God bless you for this reply Mango! You da best!
+1
My life got easier when I started shampooing using an application bottle. I definitely have to detangle my hair first. What happens in the shower is just a ‘refresher’, and unless I want trouble twisting braiding after my hair has been washed is a must.
Hey, mangomadness great response. I may have to adopt some of your methods. Thanks hun!
this looks like a great regimen!
just to be clear though – you only use conditioner in the first step *then* you shampoo?
do you add conditioner afterward or is that just where the product/leave-in comes in?
do you ever deep condition? or is that based on how long you leave the conditioner in that you detangle and twist with.
hope this makes sense! just wanted to get this as clear as possible so I can try it! thanks!
My regimen is almost identical to yours Mangomadness except that I sometimes use a comb after finger detangling. My hair is now up to 17 inches in some areas so that’s plenty of proof to me that it works.
Thanks!
Yes. I only use conditioner in the first step then I shampoo.
No. I do not add conditioner after shampooing because I find it to be unnecessary. Shampooing while focusing on my scalp (via a applicator bottle) doesn’t strip the length or ends of my hair so I do not need conditioner to correct for that. After shampooing and blotting out excess water I apply leave-in conditioner, style and seal.
I do not deep condition. I usually let the conditioner I used to detangle sit under a plastic cap for 10-15 minutes.
The best way to find the best products for your hair is to try them all. That would be pttery expensive but go over to a friends house and use some of her stuff. See how it works, and just keep trying new things. Hair may work with products from this company and not that company .it’s all trial and error. If I can suggest something, I would suggest you try a hot oil treatment .for a cheaper way to have great soft and silky hair with less frizzies, warm up some olive oil (regular cooking stuff) in the microwave and massage it into your hair while it is dry. Wrap it up in a warm towel from the drier and sit for an hour or so. Maybe give yourself a facial at the same time. Then get in the shower, and shampoo out all the oil (because water won’t get the oil out oil and water don’t mix) and then condition your hair. Viola! Beautiful silky hair. The most key thing to protecting your locks is to stay away from all heat. Yep, that means no hairdrier, no straightner, no curling iron either .It’s very hard not to advert to these products but just try it for a week. Don’t blow dry your hair for a week .try it. I know it’s hard not to but if you stay away from things with heat such as blow driers, curling irons, straightners, etc .you will notice a HUGE change in the feel and look of your hair. It will be so much more healthy.
Mangomadness, how you get in my bathroom? this is my routine too, LOL =) Took me several years to figure it out, but works like a dream!!!
This step-by-step process is SOOO helpful. Thanks! I will definitely be trying something like this during my upcoming wash and detangle session.
OMGEEEE!! This makes such complete sense to me. I had Locs for 15 years. I cut half last August and combed the rest out. I’m now 8 months natural and there is sooooooo much shedding. I haven’t colored my hair since July 2011 and I really want one but I gonna tame the mane, if possible.
I DREAD when I have to wash my hair because of breakage and shedding. TONSSSSS of products on the market and it doesn’t really matter. I believe it is my hair. When I had Locs I could go two months without washing my hair. I had trained it that way. I was hoping I could still do the same now but apparently NOT!!
The detaingling and braiding before I wash is BRILLANT!! I believe this is for me, too. I have 4c or 4b. I hate to comb, especially while wet. I knew there was a better way!!
This article has be so helpful to me.and I can’t wait to try it this week.
Thanks I’m going to try this. I loose 2 twists, detangle retwist condish&-comb, but it caused hair to began to wrap & tangle this last time can’t do that anymore. Last thing I started was deep condish for moisture. After about 6+ hr detangle before I started this process and a lot of praying for patience I need a solution. I heard pre-poo is not good I hope that’s not true I got to find another way. Now need solution when I use clay mixture think I will wash in section.
I know 1 product work great on tangles, but I abused (LOL-impatient used too much & its a leave in w/protein now causes hair to harden protein over load, but cut detangle time by 1/2). I use knot today but not as effective, but does help.
Love being natural just got to find a better way. Minimize Shrinkage because it will help with tangles. Wet- ear length plat- to neck & stretched – (I don’t blow out), but lil past bsl. Any miracle product suggestions natural for years, but only wear hair without extensions 6 months.
Sounds a lot like my hair.
Thanks for this JC! I am still working out the best way to work with my hair when it comes to the washing period. So then may I ask then before your fully drenching your hair for the shampoo, you are using a dry-detangling method? Is this with an oil or a pre-poo mix? And are you finger detangling?