Do you have 4c hair and struggle with finding women with your hair type that you can relate to? We know that when it comes to hair types seen on tv or on the street and the hairstyles we see in media, that there is a group of women who remain underrepresented, type 4c. There are bloggers with 4C hair that are on YouTube and Instagram who are showing that representation and making a difference. They are creating content for type 4 that you can relate to. We’ve rounded up some amazing 4c Hair Bloggers who are redefining natural hair.
@Iknowleee
Tell us about your natural hair journey
I have been natural for almost 10 years now and have done everything thing under the sun to my hair other than locs. I guess you can say I’ve actually done those also if faux locs count. I’ve colored, cut and styled my hair in endless ways. I love the diversity of being natural because there is not that I can or can not do with my hair. It’s definitely been a journey.
What are some misconceptions about 4c hair?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about 4c hair is that it isn’t soft or manageable. We know that’s a lie. My fiance’ actually enjoys laying in my hair, oiling my scalp and parting it for me. I have even had strangers (which is weird”> touch my hair and be completely mesmerized by the texture. I guess looks can be deceiving. I’ve even had people charge me more or turn down appointments in the past because of my hair texture, stating it was too much work. If only others knew the beauty of 4c hair. Shame on them.
What are some growth tips you have for your hair type?
Hair grows. Just like anything else, we have to take care of it and that looks different for all of us. We have to consider our climate, lifestyle, eating habits, water intake, genetics, etc. My best advice to anyone would be to find a routine that fits you, be patient, and put in the work. Results will come. Keep it moisturized, trimmed and try to do as many low maintenance styles as possible.
Tips for moisture?
Try different methods. My personal favorite is the LOC method where I apply a leave-in, oil and cream butter. My hair is dense so I prefer a detangling light leave-in that can resemble a cream, a light oil such as Melanin hair care, and heavy cream butter. It took me a while to get that combination down but I’ve been using it now for over 5 years with great success. Another popular method is the LCO method which includes using a leave-in, cream and then oil to seal in the moisture. Whatever method you choose will depend on your environment, hair texture, hair density and hair type. Try out a few and see how they turn out. This might take weeks to figure out but you will be happy once you do.
Holy grail products
My holy grail products change all of the time because I alter my hair so often and the porosity will fluctuate. If I had to choose just one product that has worked well for me throughout these 10 years being natural, I would have to choose Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade. This is one of those underrated brands that still make their products in house and only uses natural kitchen approved ingredients. You would literally probably eat it, although it’s not recommended. The formula or results haven’t changed from the beginning. I order 2-3 jars of this stuff every year to make sure that I stay stocked up. It’s that amazing.
How do you feel about the importance of representation when it comes to type 4 hair?
I think that Type 4 hair is somewhat frowned upon and not highlighted at all. Every single time I see someone with 4c hair in media have a short Lupita cut. That’s beautiful, however 4c hair comes in so many forms that are never shown. Moving forward, I want to see a 4c movement because it’s the most versatile hair texture there is. People need to see that and I think it will break so many societal barriers of beauty and what we should or shouldn’t look like. People view 4c hair as untamed, unpolished, and unacceptable, when in fact it’s the way my hair grows. Why is there anything wrong with that? We (as a society”> are quick to accept morning hair from those who have loose or no curls, but not tightly coiled hair. It’s absurd and wrong. So we, the 4c community, will continue to rock our hair in its natural state with the hopes of it becoming more acceptable and a national standard of beauty.
@Westafricanbaby
Tell us about your natural hair journey
I made the decision to go natural in 2012, my second year in college. I had always loved the look of afro hair and big kinky/curly hair. Before 2012, I was relaxed (been relaxed since I was a child”> so I always bought the curly or afro-textured wigs. Then I stumbled unto the natural hair community on youtube and I was simply fascinated. At that time, the natural hair movement was really strong and growing on social media, although there wasn’t much 4c representation yet. The only 4c YouTuber I religiously watched was Joulezy and she really helped me on my journey. Fusions of Cultures is another type 4 YouTuber I loved.
I realized, instead of spending money on kinky curly wigs, I could just grow my own hair out and that’s exactly what I did. I made the decision to go natural for me, I wanted to do it because I wanted my 4c natural hair. So many people tried to discourage me, telling me I didn’t have the hair for it, saying I wouldn’t last more than a few months or it wouldn’t look good because my hair isn’t curly. If I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to, I would have probably listened to them and kept relaxing my hair, but I knew what I wanted and nothing was going to change my mind. I initially wanted to transition for 2 years, but I was so eager to see my natural hair so I did my own big chop at 8 months post relaxer and became fully natural in 2013. I haven’t looked back since then and I’ve been loving and learning about my hair year after year. My journey has also involved helping my fellow 4c people see the beauty in their hair. No journey is a straight path. There will be ups and downs, but one thing I know for a fact is, if you’re on that journey because you want to be there, you’ll be committed and you will get through the downtimes. Going natural wasn’t a phase for me, the thought of getting a relaxer hasn’t even crossed my mind since I did my big chop in 2013. I am going to be natural for life. Nothing looks better to me than my hair.
What are some misconceptions about 4c hair?
Oh my God, where do I start? There are so many lol!
A lot of people assume 4c hair rarely grows long or can’t look professional. So much so that when your hair starts getting to a certain length, people begin to question if your hair is really 4c. They assume it’s dry even when it’s very moisturized because 4c hair in it’s natural shrunken state doesn’t fit their image of what moisturized natural hair should look like…which is usually small curls with shine. People also assume 4c hair doesn’t have versatility. These misconceptions are what I aim to destroy every day with my platform. I try my best to come up with the most creative and versatile styles that are appropriate for any occasion and highlight the beauty of my 4c texture.
What are some growth tips you have for your hair type?
Moisture; keep your hair moisturized and conditioned because dry hair becomes brittle and brittle hair breaks. Low Manipulation hairstyles; the more we touch and manipulate our hair, the more we cause breakage, split ends and single strand knots. Whenever I do styles like roller sets or rod sets which require a lot of manipulation, I notice I need to trim my hair more often because I get split ends more frequently. Personally, I love leaving my hair in twists, midi twists, loose twists(my fave!”>, twisted styles in general. I have numerous tutorials on YouTube and Instagram. When my hair is properly moisturized and in a twisted style ( I do the twists with my own hair”>, my hair thrives because it’s fully protected. All my ends are sealed and protected in the twists, my hair retains a lot of moisture because it’s twisted up and I don’t have to worry about restyling my hair every day. Leaving my hair in twists is definitely one of the reasons my hair has retained so much length. Just figure out a signature hairstyle that works for you.
Tips for moisture?
The first and most important tip is figuring out your porosity level. When you figure that out, you’ll be able to know what products and ingredients work better for your hair and how to layer your products. I usually use the L(liquid-water & leave-in”> O(Oil-light oil or serum”> C(cream”> method to moisturize my hair. Your curl pattern is not nearly as important as your porosity level when it comes to moisture, not even close. I have low porosity hair and I found that out from paying attention to my hair over the years and seeing how it reacted to different things. If you have low porosity hair, steaming your hair while deep conditioning helps a lot for the products and moisture to penetrate your strands since the steam helps open up your cuticles a bit. Also, spraying warm water on your hair before you apply your leave-ins and moisturizers also helps. Cotton tends to dry out our hair so switching to a satin pillowcase or using a satin scarf or bonnet is very beneficial.
Holy grail products
I recently just tried some new products from QhemetBiologics and I don’t know why those products just entered my life. I LOVE all the products I’ve tried from them and they are amazing for moisturizing my 4c hair, most especially the Burdock root buttercream, Heavy cream, and the Moringa tree Leave-in conditioner. I also love TGIN’s entire RepairRX line. It helps with split ends and breakage and it really leaves my hair feeling strong and healthy. Another set of my favorites are UncleFunkys daughter Super Curl and Extra butter which I love for moisture and hair strength and then, Defunk which is perfect for keeping my scalp fresh and clean. These are my top products right now, I would honestly cry if they were discontinued.
How do you feel about the importance of representation when it comes to type 4 hair?
Representation matters a lot when it comes to battling misconceptions about type 4 hair. The more people get used to seeing type 4 hair, especially 4b/4c hair in its natural state or styled beautifully in different hairstyles, the more likely it will be for their mindset to change to a more positive one. I believe so much in representation when it comes to my hair and that’s why I put in the effort to come up with all the styles I do on my platforms. You can’t come on my Youtube or Instagram page and still think that 4c hair can’t grow, isn’t beautiful or can’t be styled, it’s impossible. I can’t even begin to describe how happy I feel when I get a message from one of my supporters telling me they’re getting more comfortable with their type 4 hair from seeing what I do with mine. I always love seeing the videos and pictures they send me when they recreate some of the styles I do. It is really a blessing. I feel some progress has been made when it comes to representation and people’s acceptance of type 4 hair but there is still a lot of progress that is yet to be made, especially when it comes to shorter or thinner type 4 hair. As a community, we really need to make more progress in that area. Type 4 hair doesn’t have to be thick and long for it to be considered beautiful.
@typicalblaqueen
Tell us about your natural hair journey
I started my natural hair journey by being forced into the lifestyle in late 2015. I had an allergic reaction to the recent relaxer I had put in my hair. I broke out into hives wherever the processed hair touched. I really didn’t have a choice but to start my journey. In June 3rd of 2016, I had all processed ends of my hair cut and started rocking my hair fully natural. I really couldn’t find too many resources on maintaining 4C Hair on the internet so I decided to learn everything about my hair on my own. As I became better with product knowledge and styling, I created my own resource, Typical BlaQueen, a natural hair vlog on Youtube and Instagram.
What are some misconceptions about 4c hair?
A major misconception about 4C hair is people thinking that because their hair is dry, brittle & matted that’s it’s 4C lol! That’s far from the case. Healthy 4C hair is soft to the touch, can hold moisture and have luster and shine. Another misconception is the 4C hair isn’t manageable. I’m here to tell you that it is! The first step of getting your desired look is to understand your hair. What does it respond well to and what ingredients doesn’t it like. This takes time though because once you transition your hair, in the beginning, is still in a traumatized state from chemicals. Really getting to know your hare will leave you with less frustration when maintaining it.
What are some growth tips you have for your hair type?
I have 3 go-to growth tips that I love to share!
- Hair growth starts with your scalp. Keep your scalp clean and healthy.
- What you put into your body determines what comes out. Living a healthy lifestyle and making better food choices will increase your hair growth
- Protect your hair at all costs! Whether you’re out in the elements, home sleep, at work or on vacation. Protecting your hair will keep it from damage and ultimately breaking off. Your hair may be growing but you just won’t notice because it’s breaking off.
Tips for moisture?
The first thing you need to know about your hair and retaining moisture is finding out your hair porosity. This is top tier knowledge to get the best out of your hair. Deep condition twice a month. Your hair needs to be uplifted and deep conditioning does just that. Invest in a hair steamer. Hair steamers like the Q-Redew help prevent damage like breaking and tangling that is caused by dry hair. The #1 organic moisturizer is water. The steamer puts that back into your hair without having to saturate with water.
Holy Grail Products
My holy grails are sacred to me but I do not mind sharing! Creme of Nature Argan Oil from Morocco edge control EXTRA hold, Eco Styler Black Castor and Flaxseed oil, The Doux Mousse Def styling mousse, & Miche Quenched Hydrating & Twisting Butter.
How do you feel about the importance of representation when it comes to type 4 hair?
4C hair representation is extremely important. We have this false sense of what manageable natural hair is and it’s not just loose curls. Seeing 4C hair without edge control, without manipulation and stretching should be something that is normalized and seen everywhere.
