A Simple 4C Hair Regimen For Beginners

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If you have 4c natural hair, it comes as no surprise the amount of patience and time it takes to care for our hair. I have been natural for 4 years, so I understand the struggle!

Our hair type can be very dry and brittle, and it is no stranger to shrinkage. So frustrating! Especially when you don’t have hours to waste on Saturday morning washing your hair.

The perfect way to combat hair struggles and get your Saturday’s back is by following a simple 4c hair regimen.

WHAT IS A HAIR CARE REGIMEN?

A hair care regimen is a routine that you follow daily, weekly, and monthly to maintain the health of your hair. Following a natural hair care routine keeps your hair clean, moisturized, and growing healthily.

HAIR PRODUCTS FOR YOUR 4C HAIR

Taking care of your 4c natural hair is more about the routine than the actual products. Using a popular name brand shampoo doesn’t automatically equal hair care. Especially if it’s drying your hair out.

You can use all the products your heart desires, but if you’re not properly detangling or skipping your deep conditioning sessions, then you’re going to suffer from breakage and dull hair.

So stick to a regimen AND use decent hair products.

For your 4c natural hair care regimen, you will need these basic products:

  • A moisturizing shampoo
  • Deep conditioner
  • Leave-in conditioner
  • A detangling brush or comb
  • Moisturizer
  • Hair scissors
  • Oil

4 STEPS TO FOLLOW IN A 4C NATURAL HAIR REGIMEN

1. WASH AND DEEP CONDITION BI-WEEKLY

Washing and deep conditioning your hair is the most important part of your hair care routine. Washing your hair keeps your scalp clean and healthy. This promotes hair growth.

Deep conditioning your hair helps retain moisture to reduce the chances of breakage.

A SIMPLE WASH DAY ROUTINE

1. PRE-POO

When you’re ready to wash your hair, do a pre-poo beforehand. A pre-poo preps and protects your hair prior to the shampoo.

Part your hair into 8 sections and spray each section with water to dampen it. Then apply a mixture of conditioner and oil to each section while detangling with your fingers.

Loosely twist each section and apply a shower cap after you’re finished. Leave it on for a couple of hours then move on to shampooing your hair.

I leave my pre-poo in overnight, then shampoo the next morning as this works best for me and my schedule.

2. SHAMPOO

If you already did a pre-poo, then shampooing your hair should be a breeze. I recommend shampooing your hair in the shower to cut down on tangles that can be created by flipping your head forward to wash your hair in the sink.

Using warm water, start rinsing the pre-poo from each section. Be careful to keep your hair in sections during this whole process. It will make detangling later on a lot easier.

After the pre-poo has been rinsed, shampoo and rinse each section of hair and loosely retwist again.

Now it’s time to deep condition.

3. DEEP CONDITION

You will have to step out of the shower for this part!

Since your hair is already in sections, start applying your deep conditioner from root to ends. Pay special attention to your ends! Twist when done. After you have gone through all the sections, apply a shower cap, and sit under heat for 45 minutes to an hour.

4. DETANGLE

After deep conditioning, you should be ready to return to the shower for detangling. Untwist one section of hair under running water while finger detangling.

Keeping that section of hair underwater, take a detangling comb or brush and detangle your hair starting at the ends and working your way to the roots.

Please work from the ends to the roots to avoid ripping out your hair.

5. AIR DRY

Your hair should be in clean, twisted sections now.

Take each section and apply a leave-in conditioner. Detangle if necessary, and then braid. You want the braid to be tight enough so that your roots lay flat, but not so tight that your hair is being pulled at the scalp.

Allowing your hair to dry in braids greatly reduces shrinkage and allows for easier styling.

an assortment of hair care products like combs and oils

2. MOISTURIZE 4C HAIR FREQUENTLY

Due to the very tight curl in 4c hair, it tends to be drier. So it’s important to keep our hair moisturized.

Part your hair into 4 sections. Take each of those sections and split it into 4 sections to moisturize. Moisturizing your hair in sections ensures that all of your strands are getting adequate moisture.

Go over each section with oil to seal in the moisturizer.

Repeat the moisturizing process every 2-3 days or as often as needed.

3. TRIM AS NEEDED

Don’t trim your hair just for the sake of trimming it. There are several factors that play a role in how often your hair needs to be trimmed.

Do you use heat frequently? Is your hair dyed? Has your hair been dry and breaking lately? Do you wear your hair out often?

If your hair is always in protective styles and dye-free, you probably only need to trim 2-4 times a year.

Most people trim on freshly flat-ironed hair, but I trim my hair in its natural state. I don’t use direct heat on my hair.

4. PROTECTIVE STYLE

Incorporating protective styling into your 4c natural hair regimen can help you maintain the health and length of your natural hair.

Protective styles are styles that reduce the frequency of you manipulating your hair. Less manipulation means less breakage.

Some popular protective styles include braids, twists, faux locs, crochet hairstyles, and wigs. My favorite protective styles are wigs. They’re easy to install, versatile, and super affordable.

Please be mindful of protective styles as some can wreak havoc on your natural hair. Especially styles like lace wigs that can bald your edges or braided styles that can pull your hair out at the root if braided too tight.

WHAT’S YOUR HAIR REGIMEN LIKE?

Do you follow a hair care regimen? What does your routine look like? What are your favorite products?

Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

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