Some will say that hair typing isn’t worth it. Often that’s people with looser curl patterns who have seen plenty of representations throughout the natural hair scene of their hair texture or just a person who has longed figured out how to work with their hair and jumped over the hurdles that would leave others flatlined and frustrated. But for those who are thinking that they are doing something wrong because their hair doesn’t curl like hers, doesn’t shine like that YouTube guru, their twist out doesn’t cascade into waves, bantu knot outs are a wiry mess, hair typing might help them figure out that there’s nothing wrong with their hair, it’s just different from what is most often shown.

Realizing that there’s nothing wrong with your hair, it just requires a bit more patience and a lot more moisture is the starting foundation to healthy hair. More importantly realizing that there is NO MAGIC PRODUCT that will define a looser curl, give you the ultimate shine or magically cause your hair to grow overnight, will save your bank account a good bit of money. It might even provoke a woman to take pride in hair and move from “I’m natural under my weave” category, as feel so many women with my hair texture are. We don’t see it as much, because we’re still hiding, with no direction, so we stick to are normal comforts. There’s nothing wrong with relaxers, wigs or weaves, but everyone should have the flexibility and know how to properly deal with their natural hair.

Hair typing is not the bible to hair care, it’s simply a starting point, especially for those who don’t know where to start. It’s easier to find hair care tips and tutorials when searching for 4C natural hair. I certainly can’t brand my hair tutorials as videos for “extra nappy/kinky hair”, 4C is a much easier identifier. 4C is not just a section of your hair that you can’t figure out. All hair won’t look the same because there are many more variables that impact an individual’s hair. 4C natural hair is a tightly coiled and often zig zag hair pattern that shrinks up to almost nothing no matter the length. 4C natural hair is often characterized as low porosity and extremely dry hair. But 4C natural hair can be manageable and manipulated into a bevy of hair styles. 

Once you come to an understanding of your 4C natural hair, don’t become the hair typing police, leave it at the base of your personal hair care routine. You can still learn hair care tips and techniques from others who don’t necessarily have your hair type, you just have to modify it to your needs. Here’s to healthy 4C hair!

Published by BlackHairKitchen

BlackHairKitchen covers all things Black hair care, from the kitchen sink to the hair salon.

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7 Comments

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  1. Thank you for the videos!!! As a fellow 4c your videos make me feel heard and understood! I now look forward to to fun I can have with my hair. This is probably the 5th time I’ve gone natural because I have felt styles havailable to me look “childish” as you said. BTW that statement hit the nail on the head for me. But your many versatile looks are so beautiful as are you. I’m looking forward to Lear how I can achieve those looks. One hurdle for me is in a fitness instructor and constantly sweating out my hair 🙁

  2. Awesome advice! I got to check your channel out. I go by DivaNaturalWuan on Youtube. I also got 4c hair. Its definitely a working progress. Starting off I didn’t know anything about oils, deep conditioners, etc. and now it seems I take half the kitchen with to the bathroom on wash day LOL. Been busy as I am I don’t really focus on styles too tough but I keep my hair moisturize with a variety of natural and organic products. Far as product lines my top two brands would be Shea Moisture and Nubian Heritage.

  3. I’m all sorts of 4’s. In the center of my head is 4a. I have little Curly Q’s and stuff then randomly through my hair I have 4b and 4c. Its funny cause I can’t do the whole wash and go, lol its a no, no. But I have been able to do protective styles for a week and keep them relatively moisturized and sometimes I have epic fails.

    I am guilty of blow drying and straight ironing cause I have so much shrinkage that I don’t like how it sits on my head. No joke one side shrinks more then the other side, so my head looks lopsided. Even if I try to finger detangle it just returns to lopsided. So I have no movement what so ever right now to my hair, so when girls in other videos say shake it out, I’m like I can’t it doesn’t move. lol

    Well thanks for your videos, their helpful.

  4. I definitely have 4c hair. It’s shrink like crazy, no definition of no kind. Styling is a most to achieve an kind of look. I haven’t gotten that down yet but it’s work in progress. I normally don’t like my doing my h hair but I’m going to stick with this routine for awhile to see how much I can grow my own hair. Like they say Rome wasn’t build in a day.

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