Afro hair usually isn’t easy to handle but finding the right tools and methods for caring for your natural kink, will set you on the path to embracing your natural curls.
Caring for afro hair can be tricky when you’re not sure where to start. This is a guide to taking care of your beautiful crown irrespective of its texture.
The first is to know what kind of curls you’ve got.
All Afros are not the same. These beautiful crowns have various characteristics that can make hair care difficult, especially if you don’t know where you belong.
The uniqueness in the curl patterns of type 4 hair can be sectioned into three main subcategories differentiated by the alphabets A, B, and C.
4A Hair:
If your kinky curls form S-shaped spirals, you may fall under the 4a hair category. The spirals form a visible curl pattern akin to the circumference of a crochet needle. However, type 4a curls aren’t interlocked like other hair types. The curls are well defined, with each strand independently curling away from neighbouring strands, creating loosely packed medium-sized and springy curls.
How to care?
The loose curls reduce the type 4a hair category’s risk of breakage. Also, this curl pattern makes it easier to style and handle, giving wearers a slight advantage. Just a quick wash-and-go method can suffice on any day. Another key indicator of Type 4a hair is the texture. Type 4a hair texture can be fine or wiry, with its few cuticle layers breaking easily due to its low natural protection.
Type 4a hair demands a lot of moisturizing to prevent hair breakage or hair damage. There are several ways and products to help you moisturize your hair. Water can be a great alternative if you’re lost for choice. You can keep a sufficient amount of clean water in a spray bottle. Spritz the water into your scalp, massaging it and your favourite oil into your hair to entrench the juicy moisture.
4B Hair:
The curls in the type 4b hair category are densely packed and are similar to type 4a hair. Its middle position between 4a and 4c is because type 4b curls are tighter than 4a, yet can’t compare to 4c when it comes to hair compactness.
Type 4b curls have zigzag pattern. The strands form a curly Z shape when you grab and gently pull one down. However, ensure not to stretch your hair when it’s dry, as it can lead to brittleness and breakages.
How to care?
Type 4b hair can be hard to manage. Studies show this hair category is 70 per cent prone to breakage and shrinkage. Often, it can form single-strand knots, tangling into a bird’s nest. For this reason, you need a lot of moisturizing oil to keep your hair shiny nature. Argan, coconut, and grapeseed can all be good oil examples for your hair.
4C Hair:
Among all thick and bold Afros, the 4c hair type stands tall as the ultimately thick lock. If your hair is of the 4c type, you may see small springs or coils instead of dense curls like 4a and 4b hair types.
Type 4c hair doesn’t have a defined pattern, and the hair strands do not clump easily. To clump the strands, you’ll need to resort to styling. Braiding, twisting, or shingling through the type 4c hair strands can suffice.
How to care?
The strands of the 4C hair are tightly wound around each other, making the hair susceptible to snap or break without care. It’s not surprising that many hair experts deem the 4c hair type as the most fragile in the hair typing system. Experts advise type 4c hair wearers to use silk and sating caps when sleeping due to the hair’s breakage rate.
Your hair type affects many things, including your hair’s health and how the best routines for its maintenance. Sometimes, it’s tempting to brush off little things like the type of comb you use for your hair since they may not result in immediate damaging effects, but the eventualities almost always happen.
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