4C natural hair has always had a negative connotation, shockingly, within the Black community itself. 4C hair, the hair type with such tight curls that they’re considered coils, has always been seen as “unmanageable” and “un-wearable.”
With the advice in this article, I intend to change that! As a person who has 4C hair and truly loves her hair, here are my best practices for what to do if you want to wear out your 4C hair but just don’t know where to start.
1. Recognize that no hair is without challenge
Something I’ve noticed is that many Black women who talk about their hair are grieved by the time it takes to do a full wash routine. By the time we’re done with the wash, detangling, and optional special treatment, the whole day can feel practically over.
However, what I’ve come to realize is that all hair routines take effort. Even completely straight hair requires work and care. Having a very diverse group of friends, I see that even though other girls may not have to take quite the same amount of time to complete a wash routine, no girl simply wakes up and that’s just it. For example, some girls have to frequently bleach and dye their hair; some girls have to wash and flat iron their hair daily. When I realized that hair care is just a part of life, especially the lives of women, it made me feel less like the “other.” Suddenly, hair care was just a part of my self-care.
Also, most people don’t have “perfect hair,” whatever that means. Some people have long hair that’s thin, and others’ hair is thick and shorter than they’d like. Some girls wish their hair was straighter, others wish their hair could hold a curl, and some girls wish their hair was a different color. My advice is to lean into what you like best about your hair and work with that. I enjoy that my hair is puffy, for example, so I blow dry it to capture the volume.
2. Learn a couple hairstyles
I think it’s good to have three hairstyles: the daily look, the “I’m bored with my daily look” look, and the special occasion look.
The daily look, no shocker here, is the look you go for daily. It’s the hairstyle that’s a part of your routine and also a hairstyle that you think generally goes well with your style. For me, the daily look is the “low puff.” Using a large hair tie or scrunchie, I just pull my hair back so that it’s nice and fluffy. It’s also low maintenance, which is great for the college student on the go.
Original photo by Anaya White
The second look is for the girls who find themselves bored with their natural hair. There’s nothing wrong with protective styles; in fact, they’re very beneficial for our hair, but if you hate your natural hair and only know how to do one look, that’s probably why. For me, whenever I get bored with my low puff, I do a half-up, half-down look.
Original photo by Anaya White
The special occasion look is the one you do when you’re trying to look a little extra nice. The best way I can describe it is that moment in stories and rom-coms, when the main girl wears her hair down for the big moment, and it becomes, like, a whole thing. Yes, you can achieve this moment by getting your hair done, and sometimes I do, but when I go through seasons where I really want to love my natural hair, I make sure to have one of these for my hair as well.
Original photo by Anaya White
My special occasion look is the blown-out afro. Blow drying my hair allows me to capture a little more of the length, as opposed to when my hair is curly, while also retaining its volume, as opposed to fully straightening it. In a sense, it is me wearing my hair “down,” but with the way black hair grows, it’s more me wearing my hair out. I think the blown-out afro looks really cute with dresses and professional clothing, so I wear it for business presentations, holiday parties, and going out with the girls.
3. accessorize
When you’re a natural hair girlie, accessories are your best friend!
Hair accessories can include:
- Bows
- Scarves
- Wool headbands
- Hats
But then I think it helps to remember your everyday accessories are a part of the look too!
Mine include:
- My signature cross necklace
- Hoop earrings
- Shades — I’m growing a collection
- Lip gloss (yes, I think my lips are an accessory)
4. Hair inspo is essential
Last but not least, find inspiration for your hair. The obvious tip is to have a natural hair Pinterest board. If you don’t have one of these, seriously what are you doing? Save your favorite hairstyles and try them out in your free time!
It also helps to find influencers with similar hair to you; they can have a similar hair type to you, but I also found that similar hair adjectives in general works. For example, Gracie Abrams is my short-hair queen. Yes, our hair has totally different curl patterns, but her short hair inspired me to like my short hair too. I’ve even tried some of her looks on my own hair!
See, natural hair isn’t so hard, right? With these tips and tricks, you’re going to look so effortlessly gorgeous wearing out your natural hair!