KING REIDYZ
ALLAH IS BLACK 😎
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1. Stay hydrated
If you are not well hydrated, it will reflect on your skin and hair. So, drink water and stay hydrated all the times.2. Use water
Water is the best moisturizer your hair will ever need.Maintain a simple routine of spraying water on a your hair whenever you feel it’s dry. You can do this every other day, twice a week or daily depending on what you prefer.
One of the best things I learnt recently about my 4C hair is that it loves water, this is contrary to what we were told growing up.
3. Use a good moisturizer
A good moisturizer for 4C hair must always have water as the first or second ingredient. It should have the ability to bring back dry and damaged curls back to life.Always check the ingredient list before settling on a moisturizing product.
4. Deep Condition
One of the most important ways to moisturize natural hair is a consistent deep conditioning routine.Deep conditioners sit in your hair long enough to penetrate the strands by packing your hair with the moisture and nutrients it needs to thrive.
A good deep conditioner should contain deep penetrating ingredients. This is one of the factors that makes deep conditioning different from regular conditioning.
5. Minimize heat exposure
To keep your 4C hair moisturized and healthy, minimize exposure to heat. Using flat irons and blow dryers too frequently will strip the moisture out of your hair, leaving it dry and brittle.Once you lose the moisture, it takes a while for natural oils to re-moisturize your hair thereby leaving it at a higher risk of damage
6. Sleep in a satin bonnet
Cover your hair with a satin bonnet or scarf to retain moisture while you sleep. This will ensure that moisture is not lost.Silk is an animal protein fiber, while satin is a fiber weave. There are differences between the two, but either one will prevent moisture loss overnight, along with normal snags and split ends from friction.
7. Wear protective styles
Wearing your hair in protective hairstyles works to protect your hair from over exposure to the drying elements.The styles keep your hair and especially the brittle ends well tacked in. When wearing the protective style always remember to keep re-moisturizing.
8. Lock moisture using LOC Method
LOC method is hands down one of the best methods to keep natural 4C hair moisturized.It consists of hydrating the hair with water or a water-based product which is your liquid, sealing in the moisture with an oil and then applying a creamto close the hair cuticles to prevents moisture loss and hair damage through breakage.
How to lock moisture using the LOC method
Step 1- Liquid
L in the LOC Method stands for leave-in or liquid, as both are used by curlies to provide the moisture that will be sealed in. I would recommend applying a true moisturizer.The liquid opens up the hair cuticles to allow the moisture to enter your hair strands.
Once your cuticles are open, the oil is able to penetrate your hair shafts. This enables hair to become softer and shinier while aiding in moisture retention which helps to reduce damage through hair breakage.
Step 2: Oil
The O step in the LOC method requires you to choose an oil to seal in the moisture you just added to your hair.Good oils to use in the LOC method are those that can penetrate the shaft and seal in/ lock moisture to be retained for a few days which in turn keeps the hair healthy. These oils include: olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil
Step 3: Cream
Lastly, the cream locks in the moisture of the oil so your hair will be moisturized for a longer period of time and this means you won’t have to do the LOC method every day.Applying cream to your hair further locks/seals in the already retained moisture by the oil. Most styling creams will help define your curls and keep them from falling throughout the day.
Some people may need additional holding products to help hold and define their curls like curling cream, twist and define cream; moisturizing cream .This is depending on personal preference for instance some may need fewer products to keep their curls from being weighed down.
Many people with 4C hair choose to prepare their hair for the LOC method by co-washing their hair to avoid losing moisture and to keep their hair manageable.
Benefits of locking moisture
Moisture retention is the top benefit of using the LOC method. Moisturized hair leads to less breakage meaning less damaged hair because the hair is more pliable for manipulation, which in return also means less sheddingApplying products through the LOC method allows your hair to remain moisturized for longer periods of time without the need to refresh the style. When it seems like your hair dries out after one day, the LOC method can provide up to 2-3 days of hydrated hair if applied correctly.
9. Keep your hands off
Sometimes you may want to feel your curls every time they are in perfect shape or when they are fresh. Touching your hair too frequently will make it dry out faster.10. Consider you hair porosity
You might be wondering why your hair doesn’t retain moisture even after using all the recommended moisturizing hair products. Well, your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture which is also known as hair porosity, might be where the problem lies.Knowing your hair’s porosity can help you choose the right products to keep your hair well-moisturized, supple, strong and shiny.
Your hair can either be:
- High porosity
- Normal porosity
- Low porosity
