If you have 4b – 4c Hair texture and wondering If going natural is right you. I am sure you have come across your own internal questions wondering what is really good about having a 4b, 4c hair texture. When you see so many others with a looser curl patterns that seem to do a lot more with their hair and that has you asking well what really can I do with my own.
I knew that when I was younger the flowing hair in the wind was something that I wanted, and so that is why I kept my hair relaxed for periods off and on to ease the time it took for my mom to do my hair, thinking that it was low maintenance. When I look back on it, it really was not. The constant trips to the salon for touch ups and styles just so I could have that simple look, yeah I say simple because I really am a simple girl but to go back and forth being natural back to relaxed for years was something I had to stop doing.
Now I am here, I did the big chop in late April and almost 5 months since I decided to do this. But many have questioned why I with a strong 4b – 4c hair textured decided to do it this way with out letting it grow it more first.
Well here are some benefits of having a 4b hair texture and why you should love what you have even if many others feel indifferent towards it.
•Our Hair texture is low maintenance, requires nothing but moisture and the less you touch it the more it grows.
•Soft as cotton and spongy to the touch
•Defies gravity by growing upwards and then down
•The versatility of styling options is endless and the ways the twists come out are awesome!
•Breathtaking fros in all shapes and sizes
•Great for locking and thickness that does not fade over the years.
•Provides protection for scalp from the sun.
•Gives us a unique Personality for our hair alone!
So if you are still wondering if there are any benefits to your natural 4b, 4bc hair texture than let me tell you it is surely not lacking in anything at all.
P.S. Luv what you got and show it off!
Read my post here on Why Going Natural Was the Best thing I ever Did!
Would love to hear your thoughts, why do you love your hair texture?
photo courtesy of fyeahcurls
I loved this post!!!! I have been natural my entire life and I have 4b-4c hair and I didn’t know how to treat it at all when I was younger.
I have locs at the moment but I combing them out because I want a change and I want to get to know my hair again. Thank you for writing this 🙂
Thank you, so much for the warm comments.
Thank you so much, for the lovely comment:)
Thankyou for those encouraging words. I went natural because my daughter are. I couldn’t tell them that their hair was beautiful while rocking a perm. Best move i ever made!!!
Your Welcome, that was one of the motivating factors for me also, when it came to finally going naturally. Having biracial kids, my oldest son struggled with his hair texture, wanting a straighter look. So I wanted to show him how beautiful 4b/4c texture is.
OMG, I totally dig where you are coming frm. I have a 10mnth old that will not be getting relaxers and i am currently transitioning b/c i feel that i cnt teach her to love her hair when my own is relaxed.
Your Welcome!
I’m constantly looking and searching through blogs to find people with a similar hair texture to mine but all I’ve seen are articles geared towards 3a/3b hair textures. I even thought about going back to perms again because I found it so hard to care for my 4b/4c texture (It is rather hard when you don’t know anyone with your hair type to relate to). Reading your post has convinced me to stay natural (which I have been for a year and a half now) and embrace my beautiful hair texture! My hair is great without the perms, and I wouldn’t not trade it for the world!
Love this post! That is exactly why a couple of days ago I started a YouTube channel to help dispel the myths of 4b hair and to turn it from the ugly step sister of hair textures to the beautiful princess.
http://www.youtube.com/thelmarrie
I am so glad that people like you provide information and positive advice for people like me. I am 39 years old with 4C hair and in an effort to have healthy hair, did the big chop in May 2010. I still had a little length but I felt totally out of my comfort zone, and still do. I am trying to get used to it but it’s very hard. Thanks for posting your opinion on the benefits of having 4C hair. I agree so maybe i’ll give this natural thing a little more time to grow on me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. One thing I can say is that don’t get discouraged, having 4c hair especially in our society can be hard. Not to mention that sometimes you feel like giving up on your hair. I have come to realize that the more my hair has grown the more I have grown to love it and truly appreciate the beauty of it.
It does take time because remember it is not only a physical change but a mental one, and takes time. Many people go natural so they can have a short style and not have to worry about their hair anymore, others for many reason like growing out healthy hair. We have awesome hair, trust me many people with straight hair have a hard time just trying to get their hair to do all the things that we can do with ours.
Trust me, give it a little more time and it will grow on you:)
xoxo
I love my texture, however, it is extreme difficult to comb through at the ends. What would you recommend? I don’t want to press out my ends;/ HELP!
I don’t comb my hair through with a regular comb. I use a wide tooth comb on the tips sometimes a very small fine tooth comb gently however. I rarely do that. If you do make sure your hair is a little moist first.
Try separating with your fingers instead of utilizing a comb on tough ends. Make sure your ends are fully moisturized. That’ll go a long way.
Use Abysimian Oil for 4c hair. It softens, protect, and shine Use after washing and conditioning. Be sure to use sulfate free shampoo, it wI’ll strip your hair.
Theresa
I am soooo glad that I am beginning to find some literature and information on 4b/4c hair textures. Thank you! I been natural for 5 1/2 years…5 of those years I rocked locs and loved them. I kind of miss them because I loved the maintenance and lifestyle. Now that I have combed them out and am rocking a fro, I’m intimidated by my own hair. What’s a comb? Lol! I’ve been wearing free hair since July and I must admit that I’ve become discouraged at times, wanting to loc my hair back up, but I do enjoy being able to run my fingers through my scalp and rock twist outs. I love my hair being out and all over my head sometimes and I do know that I will stay natural until I leave this earth. I especially love how my other half loves my hair too as thick, coarse, nappy and kinky as it is and how I’ve blessed our little princess with the same texture. She’ll touch her hair and say, “Pretty hair mommy.” 🙂 Thanks again!
Thank you Too!
OMG, that is absolutely right on the money! event though it is all what you said it is, I don’t like locks, don’t like fro (wore it in the 70’s) and don’t want to do braids all the time. But when I do do braids, it really, really grows alot!
I have 4b-4c hair as well. U forgot to add that our hair very dry and porous and impossible, will never have hang, must spend large amount of money on products that will halfway tame it
Yes, our hair can be very dry and will never hang as straight hair would. Only when straight but that just comes with the nature of our hair.. I have learned that our hair can do just about anything with time and effort. We can also have great looking hair with out spending a ton of money because I make all my hair care products except the shampoo.
A little love and patience will go a long way.
Hi Candy. 4b-4c hair will definitely hang when it’s locked! Love my locs!
I have no guess on my hair type i want to go natural but , idk if its right for me .
This is a great question and one that gets asked a lot . Look for me to answer your question in a blog post this coming week.
I know many people in the end come to realize that natural hair really is beautiful.
Thank you for your words of encouragement to all the sistahs! I love my 4c hair too! Most of the time my hair is braided and I’m sportin a weave net with coils of hair, but on weekends I love to experiment and try different styles with my 4c hair. I like to rinse my hair with club soda to remove the harsh chemicals from the hard water in my environment. Sometimes I blow my hair out and sport a fro with a hairband. I like to use the Keracare edger to give it a polish look. Last week, I attended my cousin’s wedding and flat ironed my hair before I twisted and rod curled it. It was beautiful with a head full of healthy curls. Most people like to touch my hair because of the soft bold look… I’m okay with it because I love touching it too. For the first time, I love my beautiful thick healthy lucious 4c hair. Thank you again for encouraging our beautiful black women to embrace their gorgeous hair.
Does anyone have really long 4c hair? I never see them 🙁
My best friend has really long 4C hair. With shrinkage it can reach mid back, and when combed out it can reach her lower back.
yea lovely advice…..right now i’m on my journey to going back natural.i’m tired of the relaxer!..i know i have a whiiiile before my hair grows out to a desriable lenght,seeing that i just started. but my hair when it grows out…cannot coooomb!!..it is ridiculously thick and hard!really course.i think i have 4f hair!lolol..no but it really is…i hope it’s worth it.what advice you think you have for me though?
I’ve had a similar experience. I think the key is to make sure your hair is ultra moisturized before combing. Make sure you triangle your hair either under running water or while you have it saturated with conditioner. That makes it easy enough to run a fine tooth comb through it if you want–as long as you’re gentle and work your way up from the tip.
That’s what I’ve learned so far with my 4b hair. It can’t get enough moisture. It combs easiest while wet or very well moisturized. And if you make sure to put it in braids every night, it makes it easier to style while dry when you wake up in the morning.
You know even though I have been natural off and on since high school. It is only when I truly decided to wear it out that I thought I had type 4f hair and beyond. But what I have realized is that my hair loves wide tooth combs, no brushing, lots of water. I spritz and condition every day with non sulfate and paraben shampoos and conditioners. I use a vegetable and glycerin mixture also with some oil, for a daily leave in. Sealed in with shea butter mixture and basically just leave the hair alone. Type 4 hair is the most fragile and does not like to be touched a lot.
I hope that helps.
I haven’t seen my natural hair since I was about eight. Now I have three girls and, although I do know how to style and take care of hair, I didn’t know what was best for their hair. I recently cut the perm out of my hair and am learning how to take better care of all of our hair. I think this is important for our culture to know ourselves naturally first before we start making changes.
Yes, total truth you just spoke.
Naturalism and contentment was the best thing why your 4b hair was good. It was beautiful and artistic on my eyes and I’m proud to tell the world how proud I am on your hair.
Kudos’s to You Rebekah. Your beautiful no matter what they say.
Just began my natural journey, what products can you reccomend to hydrate and define the coils!?
That’s a really good question, I love Jane carters nourish and shine, for styling but for conditioning I would have to say Giovanni Direct leave in Conditioner.
I got a weave done and I wash my real hair on top but it hasn’t gone back it natural state, can any one help me get it back to the way it used to be? P.S I didn’t staighten it daily and when I did I used a heat protection and had my heat protection to protect my hair with a low heat to straighten it..
Just wanted to say I love the encouragement on how to work with “type 4 hair”. Sometimes this texture can look matted and dry and it may not flow in the wind unless it’s straightened, but this texture is what some of us have inherited, so we can’t throw it away… we have to maintain it, care for it, and give it lots of TLC, so kudos for addressing this particular hair type, I wish to find more websites that address this hair texture.
Thank you for the kinds words, I really appreciate that. I had no idea this post would take off as it did.
Hi everybody!
I am wearing dreads for now and I have been doing so for 6 years. I absolutely love them (they are more demanding than my boyfriend so we have a close relationship) but I am very tempted to cut them to touch my hair again…in their freedom. Anyway I feel kind of discouraged because I don’t see a huge variety of hairstyles for 4B/4C…it s either afro or twists or braid . Afro is ok but isn’t it tiring ? Twists , up to me fit young ladies and don’t look very professionnal and for the braiding …what s the point to go natural if it is to hide it under a series of protective styles….I am looking for sophisticated hairstyles because I work in a corporate outfit environnement, sometimes I have to attend cocktails and I am looking forward to see 4C hair girls with coordinated suits and a nice hairstyle. Thanks for your help.
Hello!, I can understand your frustrations. I too had locs at once and wanted to touch my real hair, except I ended up relaxing again. Before going back natural. Even though your natural you don’t have to wear a fro, or even do protective style. Their just a precaution to avoid a lot of tangles, and help to retain length a lot faster. The fun part about it is you can wear a protective style for a couple of days of work, switch it up the last two or vice versa. It also saves time in the morning when getting ready for work. With so much stuff now on the market you do a ton of styles. You should check out http://www.youtube.com/user/160Days2Lose2 she is always updating her vlog with new styles you could try out. It might surprise you how many people will love your natural hair no matter which state it is in.
I hope this helps.
Thank you!!! I appreciate the positive, healthy self-image phrases from this cheerful post. It gives me a whole new way to look at my 4c-z hair texture and great phrases to say to the young ladies I mentor who may feel “less then beautiful” for having what some people consider “bad hair”.
Your welcome, the times are changing now and more people including ourselves are realizing that we do have good hair. Everything God made he made beautiful.
Hi! I really enjoyed this post. My daughter is mixed(black and white) and ive had a hard time trying to do it because i never really knew what “type” of hair she had but reading this really enlightened me and this is her hair type. The problem is that she wants long “white” girl hair and really hasn’t accepted her beautiful hair that shes been blessed with. Do you have any tips to help her embrace being natural or any other resources? Also any tips on moisturizing her hair? Its really dry but i dont know the best product that isnt all chemicals for her hair ,i currently just use olive oil. Any tips or suggestions would be really appreciatd. Thanls
I totally understand what you are going through, all my four sons are biracial and my oldest has the kinkiest hair. For the longest time he struggled with wanting his hair straighter like his brothers and cousins. The best thing I did for him was showing him by embracing my own natural hair that his is beautiful also. Start by getting her lots of magazines showing and emabracing natural hair. The more she sees of it the more she will come to love it.
My oldest son washes his hair once to twice a week, we use a variety of products from shea moisutre with http://www.luvnaturals.com being the favorite on his hair. His hair has responded the best to her hair line. I urge you to watch her videos too on you tube on taking care of kinky textured hair. You can find those videos here. http://www.youtube.com/user/kimmaytube Use wide tooth combs, not small ones which will hurt and pull her hair out. When you learn to help her see that taking care of her hair is easy and teach her from a young age. She will eventually grow to love her hair. .
Another person to watch is http://www.naptural85.com/
I hope this helps you.
I have 4c hair and I love my hair! My mom gave me my first perm at age 2 so I didn’t see ny natural hair until I went natural at 15 (5.5 years ago) in the beginning if my journey I didn’t know how to take care of my hair so I experienced allot of breakage but this year I finally found my perfect routine and I’ve been retaining length! No more heat either, I love my kinks and coils and my hair!
Hey thanks for this! i just BC three days ago after being relaxed for 22 years and 7 months of transitioning. Just meeting my hair for the first time. Did not realise how DENSE my mane was! Interesting journey! But as you said the twist outs will be awesome ( that was what made me cut in the first place…. the bantu knot out i had last week, was coolest on my natural hair!!)
I’m sorry you feel that way Alexia, I struggled for a long time too, more so because I’m a really laid back person and I can not braid or really ever get a great twist out. Because lets face it, 4c hair is really tightly coiled and will always have some sort of frizz to it. The one thing I have found to combat it some is to watch the Ph levels of the products I use, not to go over 7. Since that would be way to high and damaging on the hair. I use leaves in with a mixture of aloe Vera juice and pre-poo with oils overnight for more shine and protection against shedding. I only finger detangle now and use the steamer at least once a week. Sometimes even in protective styles. Have you ever considered locking your hair for awhile? I don’t use perm rods either since I am not one for doing extravagant styles. Try to make sure you are not using products with sulfates, these can build up on the hair and not let the conditioners do their job. I have found that Mud based shampoos like Tercentennials do very well on type 4 hair and even on mine followed by a apple cider vinegar rinse , leave in with aloe juice and oil and than a sealant of castor oil or jojoba oil . I try to let my hair dry naturally by putting it in protective styles for a week. While re-twisting some about every two days and spritzing with alikay natural lemongrass leave in. Than after about two days I seal again with Shea moisture or Jane Carters Nourish and Shine. The main thing is to leave the hair alone. Our hair does not like a lot of manipulation. Wash, Clarify, Condition, Seal…..Let it be. I hope this helps.
nice read. Listing those hair benefits made me appreciate my hair more. Thanks for posting this article. Have a great day!
Don’t give up on your hair. I’ve been natural for 1 year now and love my 4b hair. I had to find the right products for me. My 4b hair looooooooves all “As I am” products and also the shine/spritz spray from Cantu; which brings out my curls more and allows me to rock the best fros ever. Why don’t you try those products and see how they work for your hair. STAY AWAY FROM THE CREAMY CRACK. I REPEAT; STAY AWAY FROM THE CREAMY CRACK. LOL!