Discouraged
Afrocan
Posts: 3Registered Users
in Hair Type 4
I'm a 4c and lately I've been trying to go natural but every time i get online to look up protective hairstyles or hair care tips all I see are things geared towards 4as,4bs, or people with transitioning hair. Is the battle really worth it to stay natural:sad11:?
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it really depends on what your long-term goals and needs are. but, old habits die hard and the important thing is to not beat yourself up for any decision you make that you feel is best for you... although wigs can be a fun way of providing variety also (no-glue-or-lace-front, though)...
hth!
or Liquid African Black Soap (only 4-ingredients ; awesome!)
Co-Wash: Aubrey Organics or Suave Condish
Condish: Aubrey Organics or Onion Mask or Yogurt
DT: Honey + Olive Oil + AO Condish or Yogurt mix
---
Best Gel Combo, Ever!: Elasta Qp Feels Like Silk Liquid Gel +/under Eco Styler [Krystal, Brown] Gel (or under Wetline Extreme Styling Gel)- awesome!!
If you're looking for some YouTubers with a pattern similar to yours maybe try NaturalMe4C, JenellBStewart, AnnisaLiMara, Jessica Pettway, LoveLayefa and Jouellzy.
Modified Curly Girl Method
Current Staples
Cowash/Rinse-Out: Not Your Mother’s Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Conditioner
Shampoo: NYM Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower Shampoo
DC: Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea & Cupuacu, Fruit Fusion, Superfruit Complex or Manuka Honey lines
Leave-In: Maui Moisture's Curl Milk or Shea Butter Hair Mask
Stylers/Creams: Maui Moisture's Curl Smoothie or Camille Rose Naturals’ Sweet Buttercream (kids line)
Sealants: Maui Moisture's Coconut Milk Weightless Oil Mist
Scalp Treatment: Alikay Naturals Hair & Scalp Balm; Essential 17 Growth Oil
Though, with that said, how long have you actually been taking care of your hair in its natural state vs. non-natural state? There is a learning curve either way.
I am not really good at hair or styling in general--I can barely braid, and I couldn't really do too much cool stuff with a curling iron/flat iron when my hair was straightened.
That said, I'm still learning how to style my hair with the plethora of products available. Just keep trying. The longer and healthier it gets, the more you don't need to rely on anyone else for any advice.
The most basic thing is moisture/protein balance. I went natural (i.e. stopped relaxing/cut off relaxed hair) several times before I figured out that a lot of the habits I had were counterintuitive or were not meant for my hair in its natural state. It took me trial and error to learn what moisturizes my hair thoroughly--I also stopped reading magazines and listening to salon stylists who hadn't a clue. You can get great info from other 4c bloggers/vloggers, but you also must realize it may not even work because of your hair's porosity.
I urge you to just keep trying to give it a chance for at least a year or two. Your great--natural--hair is waiting to make its debut! I'm approaching year 2 and wish I hadn't given up so soon the many other times.
Last Relaxer: 12/24/2012
Weekly Products I'm Using:
Pantene Relaxed & Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner
Blue Magic Hairdress
Grapeseed Oil
my hair is normal-ish porosity / dense / fine+medium strands
If your hair is short before you get totally frustrated and go back to the perm, you may want to try Marley twists or braids with Marley hair just until your hair gets longer.
Sisters with type 4 hair seem to enjoy being natural more once their hair is longer.
My daughter braided my granddaughter's hair with Marley hair and it looked so good! Her hair has grown out a great deal however she still wears the braids because she just started high school and feels better with more length, but wants to stay natural.
I hope this helps...
3B/C - Easy to straighten, [no heat ever/no protect. styling].
Low Porosity/Medium Density
Mid Width/BSL-stretched/BC - 12/2012
I am a "Co-Wash/Finger Comb Lady!
Scalp Cleanser - SM ABS Purification Hair Masque
Co-wash - Tresemme Naturals
Hydration - SM CH Curl & Style Milk
LOC - Organic Coconut Oil
Styler - SM CH Curl Smoothie
Deep Cond. - SM Yucca & Plantain Masque
Hey Afrocan, I'm a 4a-c but my son is a 4c with low porosity, so I have familiarity with the issues you may be facing. He styles his hair in a Mohawk, which is not a protective style :profileright:, but nonetheless means he has enough hair on his head for me to tell what works and doesn't.
It's funny with reading some blogs and watching youtubers. I do find there are things 3c's seem to be able to do with their hair--for example, leaving on rinse-out conditioners --that I can not. But then every product recommended by a 4 natural hair type doesn't necessarily work for me or my son's hair. What I have looked for is consistency in terms of what seems to work regardless of who is recommending it. But I also will add that sometimes 2b's or 3c's are doing regimen's and using products that they learned about through 4's, hence why there is a lot of overlap i.e.- L.O.C. method on 2b hair. Yes I have heard of that. So yes, you may be able to learn something from a 2b-3c, but most likely it's something they picked up from our camp that's working on their hair or it was something designed for a kinkier/coilier hair texture that seems to work well for them. My son and I can not take cheapie conditioners (other than for co-washing) or runny creams seriously. Our hair laughs at it.
My regimen and product usage is in my siggie. But I'll share what I'm using for my son. And I would say his regimen is the bomb and better than mine. My regimen is still a work in progress due to more complexity.
Shampoo day
Co-wash
These are just products and suggestions. Obviously there are probably a ton of things that you can use, but these are affordable and easier to find then most.
In terms of protective styling, if your hair is very fragile and snaps very easily then first you should consider using a product to balance the protein levels in your hair. Because Cantu natural hair has olefin sulfonate in it (the shampoo is still very gentle), you can pre-poo with something like Aphogee curlific texture treatment or occasionally use Aphogee two step treatment (the sample packets cost around $3.50 at Sally's) to make sure your moisture/protein levels are balanced. That should keep your hair from getting damaged easily. Other than that, I would do like adthomas suggested and throw your hair back in a bun if it's long enough. But as long as your hair is strong and healthy and you keep styling to a minimum, you should be fine.
Then review and renew your commitment. Why do you want to wear your hair natural? What is the alternative? Do you consider either one (wearing your hair natural / or not wearing your hair natural) a must or a 'no no'?
Depending on the level of commitment you have, you will need more or less outside reinforcement and validation in order to move forward.
Essentially, due to the widespread and systematic changing of our hair, which is itself due to Black people's adaptative and assimilative responses to white supremacy, Black women as a global presence have not evolved a network and manner of passing down, and passing along information about how to care for our natural hair (including how to love our hair). There exist pockets of exceptions. But the global norm for Black women as far as the assimilated areas go (the assimilated areas being most places in the world at this point in time), has been to systematically alter our hair (with heat or chemicals), or cover it with manufactured synthetic hair, or other people's hair.
As such, going natural becomes a journey of self discovery. Journeys of self discovery involve walking on paths unbeaten (or at least seemingly unbeaten). That is to say that you will learn about YOUR hair as it grows out of your head through the magic of nature, and how it best suits YOU to deal with it while remaining true to and respectful of what nature has given you.
There exist YouTube ladies who have 4C hair and make hair videos. But there are also 4C-4Z ladies who have gone natural before YouTube, and before the internet. The strength of their commitment to embrace their hair, the strength to allow their hair to be as it is, the ability to let go of notions of hair beauty that we have been socialized into accepting as truth, the wherewithal to see as beautiful the image of their unadulterated self in the mirror, and the ability to stand strong in themselves even when their hair is not conforming to those socialized notions of beauty, all help to make the journey an enduring one.
Big chopping is an option.
Twists are an option.
Cutting off the altered ends of your hair and doing twists, bantu knots, afros... is an option
I wish you the best in your decision. And if it must take a turn back to the UNnatural side to solidify your stance for a later date n+1 try with natural hair, then go on and do what you do.
Check out this video on Black Women's Hair: Illusion of Willful Choice in Black Hair
In the end, regardless of our differences, we always stand strongest together.
I realize that this post is from December 2014, but for anyone else reading this now:
It most definitely is worth it, for the sole reason that no matter what you end up deciding, that's still the same hair growing from your head and you ought to really know what you were born with that no one can take away from you. Learn to work what you've got. Give it an honest, patient, sensible, and practical go one good time. Then talk about it from the side of experience if you don't like it after.
Since I started this natural journey, I've permed once, texturized a handful of times, and I've cut it all off many times over. I have rode every trend and bandwagon, tried every product, and just about every method and trick in the book. And I am a '4c' too. So I can relate to you. You're gonna be alright with a load of patience, the right tips and a sensible outlook on your hair.
"Don't look back and ask why, look forward and ask why not!?" - Unk.