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How Often Should You Wash 4c Hair?

4C hair is generally dry and brittle. It is advised that you wash your 4C hair as little as possible so as to not allow it to dry out. There is a concept of co-washing 4C hair this is when you use a co-wash or a conditioner wash to clean your hair but avoid stripping

Cosmetize

5 min read

4c hair is generally dry and brittle. It is advised that you wash your 4c hair as little as possible so as to not allow it to dry out. There is a concept of co-washing 4c hair. This is when you use a co-wash or a conditioner wash to clean your natural hair every week but avoid stripping it off its natural oils. A good co-wash to begin your routine is Creme Of Nature Pure-Licious Co-wash Cleansing Conditioner it has aqua aka water as its first ingredient and coconut oil as its third, thus ensuring that your hair won’t dry out but will still clean scalp & hair to out the dirt. Also, too much product build-up can lead to dryness and a nagging itchy scalp so at the time you should wash your 4c hair to maintain a healthy scalp.

Shampooing 4c Hair: The frequency of washing 4c hair can depend from person to person, and their lifestyle. That being said, using a shampoo that has no sulphates and parabens is absolutely advised and recommended. African Pride Moisture Miracle Honey & Coconut Oil Shampoo is one such shampoo that has no sulphates and still as the name suggests restores the moisture in your hair.

Why Should 4c Hair Be Washed Less Frequently?

4c hair has a tightly packed curl pattern which comes out in the shape of Z. This causes about 70% shrinkage and also makes the sebum from your scalp travel to the ends more difficult. This type of hair is known to be highly prone to breakage, dryness and brittleness than other hair types. This is the sole reason why 4c hair should be washed as little as possible on a weekly basis and put in protective styles for both women & men to avoid any further damage. Straight hair gets very oily very fast because oil travels quickly through straight hair so it should be washed constantly.

How To Wash 4c Hair?

Pre-poo

Pre-poo is basically pre shampooing. 4c hair needs all the nourishment it can get. Pre-poo is where you apply an oil or a conditioner on wet hair before you shampoo your hair. This is because it ensures that your hair gets the required nourishment and doesn’t end up being dry after a wash. Pre-poo makes sure your hair gets extra nourishment and helps maintain the pH balance after the hair wash.

4c hair tends to strip hair of its natural oils very quickly when you wash your hair, so a good oil like Mamado Macadamia Oil is great for a pre-poo routine. You can even detangle your hair better once you have applied an oil, avoiding more breakage than usual.

How to pre-poo 4c hair?

  • Dampen and divide hair into sections, small sections using your fingers
  • Apply oil in each section of damp hair
  • Braid or twist each section to lock in the goodness
  • Cover with a shower cap and leave for a 1hr or more or overnight. The most preferable would be a heat cap or a plastic cover before you put on a bonnet.
  • Wash hair as per usual, but make sure you wash it thoroughly so as to avoid any fungal or bacterial infection.

Finger Detangling

Finger detangling when you have conditioner in your 4c hair is a must, this ensures that your hair doesn’t break or have extra tension than needed from a comb. It helps your hair be manipulated without breaking or tugging too much.

You can use this part as a pre-poo as well because a conditioner will do what oil does. Buy Wild Growth Hair Oil And Light Oil Moisturizer is one such moisturizer that will help your hair be moisturized and also give it the much-needed elasticity it needs when it has to be finger detangled.

The steps to finger detangle your hair are:

  • Spray hair with water, the best moisturizer for your hair. Dampen it, do not make it soaking wet. Dampening it with warm water will be even better, that will cause your hair cuticles to open up and allow the essential goodness of all the oils or conditioner to seep in.
  • Divide hair into smaller sections, apply the oil/conditioner. As you apply, slowly detangle that section. Always make sure you have taken a small section and work on it slowly and gently.
  • As you detangle, do so from the ends of your hair towards the root. While doing so, if you encounter any knots or tangles, gently separate them with your fingers, until the knot is free, or it cannot be untangled further. Once you have done that, take scissors and cut away the knot. You will find a lot of hair in your hand during this process, do not worry, this is dead hair that is stuck inside your curly hair. This wasn’t combed so often in between washes.
Wash 4c Hair
Sulphate Free Shampoo

Use Shampoos That Are Sulphate Free

Shampoos that are sulfate-free are what you need for your 4c hair growth because that will ensure your hair isn’t dried out nor is it frail because sulphates are extremely bad for your 4c hair. A good company for your curly hair is Shea moisture and their Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal Shampoo & Conditioner Duo Pack is a great sulphate free shampoo.

Try Our Below Sulphate Free Shampoo to Wash 4C Hair:

Wash Section-wise

If you have type 4c hair, wash hair section-wise, because if you wash in a hurry and go, you will leave behind some pre-poo product which in turn will cause your skin to be irritated and have fungal, bacterial growths.

Conditioning

Always make sure you condition your hair after washing it with shampoo. Again, sectioning and applying is always the best method. Ideally, after you have done conditioner washing, you should put a shower cap on for 5 minutes because this will help your hair absorb all the conditioner and help your hair be elastic and soft.

Once done, wash your hair with cold water, never hot or warm, because that will seal your cuticles and make sure your hair doesn’t lose all the nourishment from the conditioner.

How To Cowash 4c Hair?

Co-washing means washing your hair using a conditioner. It will restore the health, moisture, strength, and elasticity of 4c hair. You should read how you can keep your hair moisturized.

Conditioners have milder surfactants as compared to shampoos & alternative cleansers, but they do clean your hair. 4c hair is notorious for being too dry, a wash will help your hair beat all that. If your hair isn’t in a protective style, co-wash in between shampoo washes is a must.

All you need to do is follow the steps of shampooing your hair, but do not condition after you co-wash. It will cause your hair to be saturated with conditioners, making it limp.

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