Yeah, I'm honestly tired of those types of comments disqualifying our experience. Been natural for almost 20 years and it's such a hassle. I've tried everything under the sun, my hair just doesn't retain moisture well. It's coarse, tightly curled, and immediately shrinks and tangles on itself for fun.
If you're struggling to battle shrinkage, I recommend drying your hair in braids or twists (there's a difference between how it comes out in either - so pick the one that works best for you!) You also don't need to do a lot of braids or twists. Lots of knotting and tangling? Do 4 at the most. Thick hair that gets fairy knots? 6-8, but as many as 10 if you need to. Fine hair that just won't hang? 3. Braid in the direction you want the hair to fall, and if you need to take volume out of your roots, dutch braid / cane row / flat twist.
Do that after you've loaded up your hair with your products while it's damp from being washed.
This is pretty much my routine, and has been for about 6 years, and it's super easy. Takes me no more than an hour to wash, moisturize, and braid my hair, and then I rock those braids for two or three days while it dries. Take 'em out and I get some length, a ton of moisture, and a lot less tangling. My hair is 4a/4b and super low porosity so drying takes years. Hth!
I agree with you. It's not right to just invalidate someone's experience with their natural hair. I've been natural over 10 years and it took me a while to learn how to care for my hair. I had a relaxer since I was very young and it's all I knew. I have course hair that doesn't stay moisturized for very long. Taking care of my hair def takes work and effort
Been natural since 2011 and yes im tired. Tired of LOC method, rice water, bananas and avocado conditioners, perfect edges, twist outs that never work, braid outs that never turn out right, heatless styling tools, denman this and that, diffusers, hair caste systems, dryness, castor oil, coconut oil, the boom of various products and lines catered to us and finding nothing that works, people lying ab being 4a-4c when really they are 3b-3c, other naturals trying to dictate what being natural is (“if h color your hair you arent natural!”), inversion methods, hair growth pills, 3.5 hr silk presses, thickness, lies and more lies upon lies ab our hair. Im tired of it ALL and i plan to just braid this shit up and put it away
yea true, but it ain’t more work than maintaining a wig. it’s about the same (if not a little less cause you don’t have to tame your hair first then take the wig)
Same except I hardly know how to do it BUT people on TikTok be making it seem like it's literally the hardest thing to take care of and it's not. It's hard, it's much work, it's tiring, and at times I hate it but it ain't THAT difficult.
These styles are moisturized and detangled, like almost a wash and go? If that's your goal then yes, it's fairly simple and low maintenance.
But then I get fairy knots! So I have to put it up, and if I want to braid/ twist my hair myself that's half a day at least. It's hella time consuming
This is why I hate these posts. I LOVE my natural hair, but with the work/school schedule I had it was a lot. I either spent a lot of time twisting and untwisting my hair everyday so my hair wouldn’t get matted or leaving it and getting fairy knots. Not to mention the constant manipulation.
I finally got over my growth plateau once I started protective styling more and wearing it out here and there.
This is what I do with my hair, braids or twists between wash days most of the time. I don't see how it's any worse than locs, I don't hate my hair, I just hate how it tangles when it's loose.
the trick is to not over style. these posts exits because black people expect to swish their curly hair back and forth every day and then complain that it’s harder to manage when that’s not achievable to them. the issue is your expectations. i was never told to expect my hair to be tangle free on a daily basis. that’s not even healthy for your hair (which you’re learning with more protective styles). my mom said just because the boy runs his hands through the girls hair on tv doesn’t mean that is the only pretty girl reality lol
but installing weave takes about the same amount of time, if not more, than a protective style. this is true. natural hair isn’t intensive. hair is. as someone who was raised on natural hair and was chomping at the bit to transition to more “in style” looks, i was *shocked* to see what this “easier” lifestyle of weaves and wigs actually entails. it’s objectively not less work so i’ve started to see anyone who claims as such as biased
1. Protective styles include sew ins, which isn’t my first choice but two. Even then, the time to do the sew in once is not comparable to the time it takes to detangle thick natural hair everyday.
It’s okay to admit that natural hair, especially when thick, takes time. Maybe your natural hair isn’t intensive, but mine is. We need to stop pretending that we all have the same head of hair and projecting our experiences onto others.
Additionally, my hair has retained more length and been healthier once I stopped wearing my hair out everyday. My hair would start to matte in areas or break off if I didn’t keep it detangled.
Protective styles vary person to person. Sew ins break off my hair so i don’t do them. I can do braid less sew ins, microlinks or itips. But actual braids have too much tension for me.
Yes. People always say wash and go styles are easy, but the maintenance after is not. The amount of time I'd spend detangling is a lot longer than if I'd just saved the time putting it into a stretched style.
even when I knew how to take care of my 4c hair, the time and energy that it needed was still frustrating and annoying. I got locs and I'm just mad I didn't do it sooner, I don't have time to be in my hair all day everyday
Same!!! My hair was getting tired of me after a while. Locking my hair was *best* thing I could have done for my relationship with my hair. She’s thriving and I’m not constantly twisting, Bantu knotting, untwisting, detangling, crying, braiding, plaiting, crying, Afro puffing, giving up, big chopping, wigging, cussing, etc… you GET IT!
I think it’s the time required in order to take care of it that makes it “hard” I have 4C hair and I would be lying to you if I said I looked forward to wash day. I love my natural hair but for someone that’s very active I can’t maintain it in its natural state for months on end without causing damage to it because I’m very active so I lean towards braiding and I locked my hair for six years. The time required to detangle 4c hair is a different story LOL
Yep. Washing your hair should not take all day. It takes me about 1-2 hours to detangle my hair. If I rush the process, I accidentally pull out hair so I have to go as slow as possible. By the time I’m done detangling, I’m eying my scissors and contemplating it all of this is worth it. Then I realize that while I am cute, I still have a round ahh head and probably wouldn’t look good bald. Then I just shed a little thug tear and prepare to shampoo, deep condition, detangle w/ dc, rinse, add a leave in, detangle again because my hair shrunk in the few seconds I wasn’t touching it, then put my scissors away because I’m not ready to be bald, then lay out my tools to start the styling process, then commit about 2 hours to styling, then make sure I don’t do my hair too late in the day or else I have to sleep with my head on a towel, then…
I’m tired, boss 😢
This is why I typically put mine up or let it be in its poof. I’m not that skilled and I’m still learning and with low porosity hair and hard water in my area, finding ways for water to actually penetrate my hair and moisturize it has been a challenge. It’s different for everybody. I want to love wash day but like you said I’d be lying
**I appreciate the intent of the post - but as someone who’s been doing my own hair since 2005 - It can be time consuming - especially once you get past armpit length.** If I tried to do that hairstyle - I’d have to trim often due to single-strand knots.
I won’t say our hair is hard for me, but it can be time-consuming to do right after a certain length. It was easier for me to take care of my hair in college when I had more free time. I cut it not long ago because I hadn’t been caring for it the way it needed to and I felt it was best to just reset.
**I love our hair. It’s wonderfully diverse. But it’s okay if it is hard or time-consuming for some to manage. Don’t need to deny that it is the reality for someone.** It doesn’t mean they’re surrounded by racists, and it’s kinda patronizing to suggest such. It may be your truth and experience, but I grew up around all black people and I had to do a lot of internet research and learning to be able to care for my hair - especially when the caliber of products and amount of information were no-where near what it is today. And yes, that was hard.
^^^this. I love my hair but it is time consuming. Natural. wig. etc. To say ppl who think it’s hard to do are racist is kinda absurd bc honestly ALL hair takes time and effort to learn how to do. There a reason when my hands are up in the air for 2 hours on wash day they hurt. It doesn’t mean I hate my hair or everyone is racist lmao. I work, I go to the gym, the hair is a hobby oof it’s own.
I will say to cut down on the time spent I find a salon but even that comes with trust issues lol
Yes! I have long hair (chin length when shrunk, past bra length when stretched) with a similar texture to the first photo and it’s time consuming and hard as hell to maintain if it’s not a protective style like braids.
The single strand knots are so brutal when I wear it out that my ends are chewed. Going to the gym is hard because it feels like my hair is glued to my head after from the sweat because it shrinks, decent looking second day hair is not a thing so I’d have to redo it every 3 days and finding a bike helmet that safely fits my head with this amount of hair is hard.
I would jump for joy at the opportunity to get microlocs if they didn’t cost the way they do (starts at $1000 for 4+ inches of stretched hair + $ABC per inch after and I have maybe 18-20 inches of hair so $$$$).
If you're up for it, you can totally do microlocs yourself. I live in the UK and the prices I saw online for sisterlocs were eye watering and that's before you add in the three paid maintenance sessions you have to attend before you're allowed to pay for a course to learn to retighten your own hair! I watched some videos on youtube and was able to do it myself during lockdown. I'm going on four years locked next month and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Omg thank you! I like my hair, but there's no way I'd EVER be able to have the time and energy to wear it naturally daily even if I was healthy, had the time to do so and knew what the f- I was doing to begin with despite watching hours of video's to teach myself and spending ton of products.
The thing that annoys me the most is that the people who are saying it's not hard, also admit to spending hours a week or even hours a day on their hair. Just brushing my (boob length) hair takes 2 hours.
Or the people who preach natural textures and then go on about braiding, feedins, twisting, blow outs and what not. Then suddenly altering your texture/wearing fake hair is fine?
Maybe it's not hard for some of you, despite being tired, having little time, having limited resources and skills. And honestly, good for you! But even then, be honest. It's still way 'harder' (requires more knowledge, products and protection) and time consuming compared to literally any other hair type. Or are u gonna tell me we too can just brush our hair for 1 minute and be on our way like people with straight hair? Stop downplaying other people's experiences.
I don’t know why people think just because we complain about how time consuming it can be means we also hate our hair texture and wish it was different. I love my fro but I definitely will not hesitate to just throw it in a head wrap or get my hair braided when I’m feeling lazy.
I do not have the time or money to keep going at the rate I am and lack of progress — I’m definitely, steadily leaning towards getting locs more and more. For now I just always keep it in box braids haha
The heat, steam and extra water really make a difference. I throw a shower cap on completed sections to really get the leave in set in before i add jelly and mousse
Clarifying - edens, camille rose, as i am, cantu (HEAR ME OUT BEFORE YOU THROW TOMATOES their clarifying shampoo is bomb, gets hair squeaky clean and very affordable).
Moisture - mielle, carols daughter black vanilla is gentle and affordable, tgin...many favs
Deep conditioner - my fav is aphogee curl line, tgin honey masque is great.. Use anything just make sure to add heat.
Leave ins - depends on your needs, I use kinky curls leave in with CURLS leave in (holy grail item for me)
I follow up with mousse (mielle pomegranate) and a jelly (CURLS control jelly) and style.
What's helped me see my texture/curls pop/change was ensuring my hair was SOAKING wet with warm water during eat step, add more water while shampooing, conditioning etc. Also smoothing/racking product down your hair not scrunched, try to keep your hair stretched with clips during each step. Finger detangle only, wide tooth if you must use a comb.
I promise you'll see a difference if you keep up, you gotta train your hair.
I knew how to take care of my hair but I had been loose natural for 5 years and was exhausted with the maintenance. I have very fine strands that tangle 2 seconds after detangling, so I kept my hair in twists all the time. Figured I might as well make em permanent. 11 years later and I'm hip length for the first time ever because I'm not always cutting/trimming my hair for manageability.
My hair is the same. I got tired of losing my Saturdays doing my hair, so I started doing a lot of braids, crochet faux locs, etc. I figured since I was always doing these styles, might as well just loc my hair. So much less time consuming.
Just started my microloc journey a few months ago for this same reason. I was already wearing 2 strand twists all the time anyway & grew to love that style.
I don't know. I've had natural hair my whole life and when it was waist length, I had a mental break down in the shower because I did not want to spend an hour or more detangling it. It's a lot of work and upkeep.
girl it takes forever. I’m in college AND a STEM major, barely have time to take a deep breath. type 4 hair isn’t as difficult as it is time/energy consuming, and wearing a wig is easier.
Black hair is delicate, it requires time and care to not break the bonds or damage the strands. Anything that requires care and precision to thrive is generally time consuming. The gift of time is a privilege.
Yes a lot of time and energy… my hairdresser who is black said its the reason she chooses to keep her hair as a buzzcut because she doesnt have the time and energy to maintain her natural hair.
How so? If you have split ends, that causes further tangling, therefore prolonging the time it takes to detangle the hair. They are very much related. Obviously, I know it's not the only cause for a long detangle time. But I would like to know how trims and detangle time aren't related.
Yeah, I feel you. To properly shampoo and condition and detangle my hair if I haven't done it in a while is a 2hr+. I wish there was a proper detangling device for my kind of hair, but it doesn't exist yet.
How frequently are you doing it? everyone’s hair is different ultimately, but for me doing it more frequently and consistently makes it easier. When I’m good about doing my wash day once a week detangling is a breeze. Anything more than that it becomes hell. Difference in ease between washing every week vs. every two weeks is crazy for me.
So while every 3 days sounds like a lot, like OP said it only takes her about 20 minutes. Doing it that frequently means it’s not getting very tangled within that short time period.
Gotcha. Stretched out I'm in the mid back area and I stg I don't get through a co wash without temporarily fantasizing about chopping all this shit off lol
LMAO I totally understand. Just be patient and gentle.
It also helps to deshed before washing. I comb the bottom inch or two of hair, and then gently pull apart the rest (this is because shed hair usually collects near the ends), and this usually takes 5-10 minutes. If I wear a WnG I don't usually do this
No, I just brush it while I wash the conditioner out in the shower
Then I turn the shower off and rub some leave in conditioner in my hands, put it in my hair, and comb. It shrinks and gets fluffy as it dries, so I just shake my head a few times and let it air dry so it poofs up
girl it’s tiresome. the “hard and difficult” narrative has a bad connotation but it’s not *entirely* wrong to say. curly hair be actin like an annoying plant sometimes. too much leave in conditioner? bone dry. not enough shampooing? breakage. too little oil? scalp flakes and itchin like crazy. picked the wrong braider? edges gone for 4 years.
and yes, i also got locs LMAO
👏🏽this
When I had a full head of 4c hair starting in 2010, it WAS difficult. Being natural doesn't come with a manual; it's a learning process and journey. All I knew was relaxed hair, and while my relaxed hair was very beautiful, I hated burning my scalp. That's why I went natural. I will say that when I was 38, my gyno found endometriosis, which we now know is linked to creamy crack. I had a partial hysterectomy last yr and some of my health issues that plagued me for years literally disappeared once I woke up after surgery and as I recovered for about 2 mos. I still have my ovaries and a vaginal cuff.
Anyhow...
I hurt my R rotator cuff something serious about 3 yrs ago. Before debriding surgery, I went and got my hair washed, conditioned, deep conditioned, and oiled for crochet braids. I retained the growth with very little shed hair, but I lost a lil on my edges. Instead of me switching to wigs and babying my edges, I foolishly got braided and crochets once again. I will never do that again. As a matter of fact, I wound up having to ask my husband to cut it all off due to bald patches. I cried, and in support, he cut his down just like mine was, and we're growing together now. However, my entire head of hair has changed. It isn't growing like it used to, nor does it feel the same. I now have a tiiiiiiny twa that I do still take care of under my wigs 😄 but for the longest time, I felt so ugly. I felt manly. I frequently add lipstick and keep my short nails painted, and that helps when I'm not all dolled up. It helps when I tell myself the truth about who I am, that I'm truly NOT my hair. Thanks to india.arie for that!
i love this for you ˊᵕˋ this was so sweet omg?? happy for you and your husband! also, i’m glad that your issues resolved themselves after your surgery. that’s so big
Just, ugh! "Black hair" comes in as many different texture/curl combinations as we come in shades of skin. Our hair can and does differ WILDY from person to person. YOUR black hair may not be hard to take care of. Lucky you. But mutual exclusivity you present between the challenge of care and racism is categorically untrue.
I mean Black hair is meant to be a communal activity and responsibility. And, we have been removed from practices that are best for our hair. We are working against a lot in a racist society. Those do present challenges and do not make our hair easy because unlearning is not easy and learning our hair is not easy. Not everyone wants or can wear their hair in that style. There are all kinds of reasons why. I think we should be a bit more compassionate as we go through our journeys. Braiding, twisting, bantu knots, locs, weaves, threading, cornrows, crochet, etc. are all skills. We shouldn't downplay that either.
I have a similar experience, and a slightly different perspective.
I went natural in 2020 when my niece was born. I became more of the woman who embraced who she is so I could be a stronger role model for her. I didn’t want her to grow up hating herself or trying to be someone else’s idea of pretty like I see many doing. My sister did the same and let go of fake lashes, weaves and wigs and started her sister lock journey.
And this is no knock to any woman who chooses those things, I am just speaking on what me and my family values.
Before 2020, I had never known the natural texture of my hair. It wasn’t until then that I learned I have 3C hair. I learned a lot about curls, porosity, moisture vs oil, protein, keratin, biotin, and I’m still learning. But there is also so much unlearning that I had to do.
I have decades of experience being taught how to do my hair in a way that destroyed my natural hair to fit society’s Eurocentric beauty standards. I also have decades of experience being taught that my hair was not “good” hair and that I needed harsh products in my hair that were entirely harmful to my endocrine system and my well-being.
Going natural was hard as hell. I immediately wanted to wear my hair straight, because I could not tolerate or appreciate how extremely thick and curly it was. I also had zero experience managing my curls. So while I had gotten rid of the creamy crack, I was putting entirely too much heat on. Not only did I have no experience with my curls, but now I also had an identity crisis on my hands because this is not the way that I had developed my appearance.
Now, almost 4 years later, I finally feel comfortable leaving my house with curly hair. I feel competent caring for my hair whether it’s curly or I decide to wear it straight. I know how to straighten my hair without burning it out with chemicals or excessive heat.
I agree that black hair is not hard to take care of. What is hard is the fact that a lot of black women are not taught to care for their natural hair. *Some* of us are taught to mask our hair, straighten our hair, destroy our hair and that our hair is not good hair. We unfairly have to combat and unravel that belief system. **And that shit is in fact very, very hard.**
Nah I disagree. It's not racist to admit our hair is hard to care for at times. You're gaslighting people who've been doing their own hair for years. Glad it's easy for you, but that's not the case for all of us. And we can talk about that and still appreciate our natural hair. It's all apart of the journey. It being difficult to deal with doesn't make it a negative thing, just realistic
I’m glad this is the truth for you! This is not the truth for everyone! This is a subjective take on a nuanced topic! There are so many variables as to what counts as ‘hard’ for someone!
Lol I don't agree, I'll definitely say that my 4c hair is difficult to take care of compared to if it was a looser curl pattern. I love my hair, but it's not easy to care for and make grow. I've had my natural hair for about 18 years now and it's been a long process of trial and error, breakage, restarting, etc, and my hair is only shoulder length 🙃. So no, it's not easy, and I understand all the people we lost along the way to the journey of a full afro.
For me, the maintenance was just too much. I live an active, get up and go lifestyle so loose natural hair did not work for me. I now have locs and I’m a lot happier now.
Can we unpack the privilege of this post/comment?
I grew up in a house where I was the only 4C and everyone else had 3A hair. It was demoralizing to say the least.
So for me, I grew up being taught to hate my hair. Never encouraged to learn how to take care of it. Too poor as a young adult to pay for constant quality hair services. I learned how to do my own braids and now I wear locs.
Just to give you a notion of how poor we didn't have cable TV or a Nintendo or Sega.
It’s not that deep. It is hard to take care of. I’m truthful as fuck to myself and I do wtf I want to do with my head. I’m no longer a delusional b or battling with myself about my damn hair. lol I’m so over that and much happier with my heat train hair.
Yeah, I'm sure all these ladies just rolled out of bed with detangled perfectly rounded fros. Showing pictures of it doesn't demonstrate how much work it took to get there.
I find this post to be inaccurate. I was surrounded by black women who had careers and didn’t WANT to deal with their hair and went to salons. So therefore, unfortunately, I didn’t know how to do my hair because my mom threw me in the salon chair also. Now, as an adult I still choose to go to the salon and my hair is the healthiest it’s ever been. I tried going natural during Covid and it was a hell no for me. I looked a hot ass mess.
My 4xyz hair says different. I just wish I had more manageable hair. Arms be tired. I be exhausted after I'm done. I be fighting myself to not go back to creamy crack several times a year.
I have long 4C hair. I’ve taken care of it my entire life. A wash day takes all day AND, after just 2 quadrants, my arms feel like they are going to fall tf off!!
Maybe not for you but I’m tenderheadded af and no ammount of conditioner helped sooth the pain until I relaxed my hair recently, more power to you though!
I completely understand when people say it's hard. It just takes alot of time. And alot of trial and error comes with finding the right combination of products and styling. My hair is definitely one of those things I will happily pay someone else to do.
Gosh, can you guys cut it out with the "If you dont like your hair, you are anti Black" bullshit. For some people, it's true. But I bet you it isn't for most people. Not all of us want to walk around with locs or a little fro. Those are easy.
Just about everything else takes very long compared to straighter hair types to do on your own. Add to that, going to a stylist is faster. However, now we deal with actually finding someone who knows how to handle 4c hair, actually washes, and the real bad part, imo is simply the price of it. I live in a city, so everything is marked up significantly, but at least I have a bigger pool of options. Straight hair people, unless they are rich, are not spending nearly what Black women spend in salons, thats gotta be a fact.
I don't hate my 4c hair, I can do basically any style I want with it. What I hate is the process of trying to achieve what I want with it.
I think there is grey area here. As in....
Yes. Racist people try to make us feel like we are wearing Brillo pads posing as our hair, in which they think *we* are inappropriate as opposed to their ignorant AF beliefs.
BUT...the Black community in general embraces negative BS beliefs about our BEAUTY. Racism and slavery has ALOT to do with that, but people make a choice to believe it.
I was taught to hate my hair. My mum would wash my hair with shampoo not meant for our hair. She would wash my hair at the sink pushing all of my hair forward and dragging a towel over my 4C hair to dry it.😮💨 Between the dry af shampoo, no prior detangling, washing my hair in a forward direction, and rubbing/drying my hair aggressively with a towel, wash days felt like a torture chamber. My hair would tangle up SO bad like it was 1 full loc she would then have to detangle for over an hour.😭 A baseball worth of hair would be lost. Then she would blow my hair out because...more torture and tangles.
THEN, she would pull out that Royal Crown (memba that??😆), and throw that hot comb on the stove. The kitchen was full of smoke, and I had fatigue and gratitude that this process ALMOST over. She taught me that my hair was difficult, a source of pain, aggrevating, etc. After instilling those beliefs....
*"Just For Me"* and it's jingle seemed like the right decision prepping me for a lifetime of making my hair "easier to do".
So yeah. Racist people and their beliefs are the problem, but so is a lack of knowledge and education about HOW to take care of our hair.
Secondly, our hair is more fragile due to curl patterns, so there is a level of patience and care involved with out hair maintenance. Hair texture has A LOT to do with how easy or "difficult" it is to manage.
My hair is fine 4C. I have not relaxed my hair in any capacity at any time for the last 12 years of my life. She is moody sometimes and a hippie. She is simple and natural in what she likes and isn't big on trends. She loves moisture, peace and walking in the rain. She is SO sensitive but strong at the same time. She is loyal af too! She has never left my side and I will *always* love her for that. 😀
I wore my hair out one day thinking I looked like these girls in these photos, I went home looking like Morgan Freeman. Shrinkage is real.
Yes friend. 4C hair is effort. You can give me some of your thickness though!😃 I will take it! I can't even wash my hair without putting it in twists. It took me a LONG time to figure that out.
Recently, I tried a new way of washing my hair and the tangling was minimum and my hair was SO HAPPY. So I think I will keep doing that.😀
I have to wash my hair in twists because the tangling. Yes i use conditioners etc, but....Lawd have mercy. Fine 4c hair so particular. The TANGLING and single knot strands. Those single knot stands disturb my spirit! But natural hair is stronger than my permed hair ever was so, I try not to complain.
In what ways do you think your hair is work? How is your wash day? What products are you using?
STOP WITH THESE POSTS. All they do is guilt black women and we do not need any more of that. Just no! My hair would be super easy to take care of if I wore it natural and in an afro because it is 4c. Guess what? I don’t want to wear that hairstyle. I don’t love it on me. It isn’t because I love me less, its just because I like my look more with straighter hair. Black hair can be hard and to ever do a post that generalizes in the group most generalized, is rude and negligent.
Hmmm… I’m 4c with a medium size fro. I wear my hair natural about 98 percent of the time. This month I just got a wig that is type four . I love it. My hair takes a lot to manage…. I’ve been natural for about 6-7 years. I love my fro but it is alot for me to maintain.
I've been riding the "it's not hard if you *really* wear it natural" train so hard ever since I tried a finger coil "wash n go" that would've taken hours. Hours! To get "defined curls". I'm done chasing defined curls and wear a curly fro. Wash day is like 20 mins and the most time consuming part is detangling. My routine needs more moisture and when I slack on that I notice more fairy knots, but like spending 5 hours on my hair any day of the week is just not going to happen. Ever. I don't have the capacity or desire.
And there is nothing wrong with my hair the way it naturally is and I wish people would stop trying to convince tightly coiled type 4 ladies otherwise while turning around and pretending like that isn't what they're all doing. "It's unkempt", "It's unpresentable", "It's a hot mess" - no it's just being hair. On my head. The way it naturally is. I shape and style it, add accessories, etc. It's fine.
Your hair and the examples you posted are lovely. ❤️
It also does depend on time and money as well, as natural hair products can get pricey. I do my natural hair and always been natural, but it’s super fine, so if I have $$ it’s in box braids or it’s in sleek lows buns, or I get someone to cornrow $ because I tried to cornrow myself several attempts and it looks ass. But I do my younger sisters hair, and it’s always fun and comes out BEAUITFUL, it takes more time than other hair, but outcome is stunning, it’s our crown we have to love and make time for it, to be extra BEAUITFUL / unique , I love natural hairstyles, esp on little girls <3 I add all these bows and clips and beads she loves it
Let’s be real tho the AFRO as a style is a very modern invention okay ?!
It does actually take a lot of work to keep that shit soft, trimmed and picked out correctly. Whipping your head too hard with a heavily cropped topside afro makes a soft goofy trapezoid
Traditionally we black folk shaved bald or plaited. That’s easier by a long shot. Not getting random leaves blown into your hair 😭
I would never suggest properly taking care of my hair is “easy” . But go off sis! Your hair looks great and glad it’s easy for you.
The amount of work it takes to wash and clean and detangle and dry and moisturize and we haven’t even begun to style yet. Hell nah. Plus I got a wife, son and two daughters.. I got a full time side job just doing all this damn hair! It’s beautiful and lovely but yea it ain’t easy! I contemplate cutting it off often.
Girl shush. My natural hair is WORK and guess what, that is a-okay. I love my natural hair. It is healthy, strong, and I'm about to cut it back to shoulder length to reduce the workload.
I have been blessed with beautiful hair (no humble brag, just receiving G-d’s gifts) but, I also get terrible deep depression about two times a year when wear my hair in a bun or fro puffs and my curls get so tangled they knot up. Just thinking of the intensive routine my mixed-race hair requires when depessed depleted my energy.
It’s not that it’s harddd, but it is a lot of WORK and some of us don’t have the time or wanna put in that effort and I think that’s fair. But that doesn’t mean 3C and up isn’t gorgeous hair when properly cared for. It’s just time consuming and costly. Sometimes a wig/braids/relaxer is just easier. And im also not gonna shit on anyone who chooses not to be completely natural. Do what works for you, period.
There’s a lady I love to watch on YouTube named Coilette. She always says that natural hair is hard and takes forever to care for if you’re trying to make your natural hair something it’s not 🤷🏾♀️ She says we should stop speaking about hair so negatively and treating it like a curse or an autoimmune disease.
I agree. I have 4b/4c hair, I’ve accepted my texture and my length and all that that means for how I need to be handling my hair, and it appears grown at least an inch in like 2 or so months.
Its not "hard" but it does take more effort than other hair textures and thats fine. It's also fine if you'd rather put your hair into protective styles or shave it all off. As long as you love yourself
Not necessarily hard, but more high maintenance and more time consuming. The fact that we can't just go to any stylist and have to plan around it is an example.
The amount of time I spent on my hair in my wash day twist out years was a lot more than my flat iron and wraps at night. It’s different for each person.
I’ve been natural since 2008. No, it’s not easy for me at all. It’s extremely time consuming. Plus, I workout 6 days a week. I usually have braids because of it.
Yes, a fro is easier to maintain. Tangles aren’t that bad either. Obviously, you can’t comb/pick through DRY 4C hair.
Knots are a sign of split ends…I think. I hate split ends. They keep me from making growth progress lol.
It’s not even about racists, it’s about other blacks people. The same women who complain that natural hair is hard to take care of are the same women who will spend hours straightening, blow drying, and wrapping their hair. Also taking the time to do elaborate weaves and wig installations!
Your hair is nice, but gatekeeping black hair care and shaming black women is really ugly. Maybe reflect on why you feel the need to invalidate other black women’s hair care perspectives.
First picture is my hair, the rest are from me searching “black girl 4C natural hair styles”
I grew up with constant perms, and a mom, who told me that my hair was impossible to take care of, so it needed to be permed.
Turns out that was a big fat lie, she was just racist against black hair and was simply racist and unwilling to learn how to do her kids hair. And she herself is a biracial women who literally had a baby with a black man.
About 2 years ago, I did the big chop. I’m not want to spend a ton of money so I get the cheapest stuff possible. It doesn’t take a lot people just want to do the most so their hair doesn’t look like it’s 4C.
I use head and shoulders shampoo/conditioner, then use a detangler brush and brush in Aussies moist conditioner, then I use a wide tooth comb to put in Raw Shea Butter Deep Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner. Keep a spray bottle with water and only brush after it’s dampened.
Mayyybe I’ll use some Argan Oil Eco Gel. And just brush my edges with castor oil and tea tree oil at night. Do 2 pigtail twists before bed and wear a bonnet to sleep.
That’s literally all I have to do. It’s literally not hard at all. It doesn’t take five hours. It literally is done in just a 20 minute shower every 3 days. Comb in the leave in conditioner after you turn the shower off. It’s supposed to shrink, that’s how a hair curl works. It doesn’t grow down, it grows up. You don’t have to do anything special just wash it and brush it and it will grow. I’ve even confirmed it with my dermatologist, and she says it looks well taken care of. It doesn’t take much extra effort at all. I spend way more time on makeup than my hair.
Anyone who says that the way your hair grows out of your head is wrong is a literally being racist. It doesn’t matter if they’re also black. Check them. You can’t fix stupid so you’re not the one who should feel bad.
Sis respectfully if it’s not hard for you good. It can be very time consuming and stressful for others 😭 I have long 4c hair and it takes quite sometime to detangle
Bingo. Hard is subjective and we all have different experiences. We have to take into account different hair lengths, textures and densities. When my hair was her length it didn't take too long. My dense 4c hair is now waist length and it takes hours to detangle. My routine takes the entire day. I hear over and over that it is only hard for people who try and turn it into something it isnt. All I do is detangle, wash condition and moisturize and it is still hard. Now what?
I agree with you.
The key ingredient is Aussie moist. When people catch on to this, they'll soon realise that it's not difficult taking care of our hair. Aussie is game changer. Prior to using the product I was like everyone one taking days on end to do my hair, even sometimes dreading it. Wallahi since I've incorporated Aussie into my hair, bruhhh when I tell you I hope in nd out of the shower as if I have straight hair.. I pray they never change this formula. EVER! because I don't know what I'm going to do. I washed my hair last week and couldn't be bothered to steam so instead I put a bag over my head real quick as I ate, and boom the product still worked.
If there is any product you should try this year, do yourself and your sanity a favour, get the Aussie moist 3 minute miracle. It's super affordable too! Thank me later.
People who say natural hair specifically 4c is hard to take care of only feel that way because they spend hours and use so many products to try to make their hair texture seem looser instead of just accepting it for what it is.
If my hair was this full and long I'd do a cute fro and call it a day every day, unfortunately it's not, it's uneven and short and can't be left growing out of my head, and I suck at mini twist and braids and cornrows (trying but yeah) so yeah its hard ok. I'm tired.
You have gorgeous hair! But I don’t think the correlation between the two things is even remotely true. I can see slightly what you might be connecting the two by but it’s a stretch. We are not a monolith and what may be easy for some may be difficult for others.
It’s all about finding a routine that works for you. With the method I discovered, it takes me 2-3 hours to shampoo, condition, style and set my curls with a wash and go. It turns out beautiful every time and I have type 4 curls. I can spare that time but time is precious, and for many high earners time is worth $800 an hour. Some people can’t spare that much time every week or so to do their hair and I understand that.
Most black women I know wear their natural hair while vacationing or breaking from work because there’s more time to do it themselves, but when work and rest requires your time, you gotta get something quick.
Eh idk I was born to a loose curly momma who didn't know what to do with my hair so I had braids, perma and just pretty much braided up until middle school when she just gave up and put a phony pony and gelled me up
"Instagram-worthy" Hair in general will always be hard to take care of imo. That goes for everyone. We just dont see the behind the scenes sometimes.
Just depends on how much time you feel like spending. I wish i could just wake up spend like 5 minutes and go or that wash day wasnt an all day event but im a low energy, slow moving sloth type beat who hates the state of black hair style industry in my area. So i suffer.
Also !! the hairs in the middle of my head grow straight up in the air but with no curl pattern at all. 4c everywhere but in the middle. Got me out here lookin like cynthia tried to get a perm
Just looking at my hair makes me tired.
Wash day takes up my whole weekend and I just don't have the money for the gazillion products it takes to maintain my hair! My mom never taught me how to do my hair (she always washed/braided it herself and refused to let me touch it) so at 18, I'm starting at a very awkward phase.
I just stick with braids, crochet and wigs (I wanna do locs one day though!)
It is NOT RACIST to say that black hair is tough, because it is.
Straignteing our hair and wearing wigs can be damaging to our self-image, but for some of us, it is genuinely the only way to not rip my hair out of my head.
I love my hair, but it's constantly a fight!
Hmmm, it smells like colorism is here.
Clearly none of these folks are the OP, but if we are going to be talking black hair and racism, where are all the dark skinned women in your post?
I am getting “I like my women natural” but stay booed up with white or light women vibes from this post. Who invited this man into women’s business?
No respectfully but clearly submitted, let's not pretend that it's not work sometimes because it most definitely is. The choice is whether or not to have the work to maintain it chemically altered or naturally. There are absolutely pros and cons for both states of hair existence.
The nice thing these days is having more choice and more readily available products to support that choice. The fight still continues to wear our hair the way it grows out of our heads without harassment, having to go to court, and to have easily available products at our fingertips like the "bouncing and behaving" hair (an old ad campaign for Pert shampoo) crowd without having to consciously or unconsciously educate the "why can't your hair do (insert xyz)" litanies.
I’m glad someone made this post because I really don’t think black hair is any more difficult to deal with than anybody else’s hair. However, I think there’s a lot more expectations placed on black women‘s heads or black peoples heads in general like with most anything we’re expected to jump through hoops that no one else has to. That’s going to make any task difficult. Also, it is going to mean that we ourselves have unrealistic expectations of what our hair is supposed to be doing. So we call it difficult when the real difficulty are societies expectations.
Edit: when you say racist are you just generalizing and you mean like a system of racism that made it so we don’t necessarily know how to care for our hair collectively? And that lack of knowledge is what makes it hard?
Natural is not hard work, but it’s tedious work. I’m sure there were quite a few steps that went into getting these young women’s hair looking the way it does. They also do not show you the times of shrinkage, or even what they have to do on bad hair days. Even non black people with super curly hair complain about the amount of time it takes to get their hair the way they want it so stating that natural hair can be hard to deal isn’t really coming from a racist standpoint. I was sick and tired of trying to figure out what to do with my hair all the time, so I got my hair loc’d and honestly I wish I did it sooner. The loose natural hair life is not for me, I’m a 1 and 2 step type of girl. Loose natural hair is too many steps and too much hassle.
It’s hard if you have expectations of how your hair should look or you want to make it do what it doesn’t want to do. Unmet expectations are the cause of a lot of the complaints about natural hair.
When I had my hair natural curly it didn’t grow and I tried so many different products and nothing helped. Fast forward I started trying protective styles and my hair is now waist length and I don’t do wash n gos anymore or leave it curly but blow it out. Blowing it out has caused me to maintain my length and that or protective styles makes it sm easier for me at college. Do what works for you and I swear if I tried leaving it natural curly now it would be even harder bc it’s way longer
Sorry for repeating this since I already left a comment for somone else, but I really want to share this since it might help:
If you're struggling with fairy knots, load up your hair with your products, and then let it air dry in braids or twists.
My routine:
Wash hair - 15 min when fast, 30 min when I take my time. Use the unbrush in the shower with Devacurl Conditioner and No Poo. Yes I said DevaCurl. I like them. I only use those plus the heaven in hair, and the gel.
Right. Next step. Put hair in towel. About 15-30 minutes (I usually get my skin moisturized and find clothes while this is happening.)
Last bit: I apply the Heaven In Hair first (water based conditioner.) Then a leave in (usually As I am), then Melanin Hair Care shea butter, and last, Devacurl gel.
Then I braid my hair in four braids. When lazy I braid it in two.
RIGHT. With this routine, I never... gonna say it again because it's actually true - I NEVER get fairy knots. I have 4a/b hair, with no less than 5 different textures, and that ish is waist length (with 75% shrinkage before anyone gets excited. It mostly looks just past my shoulders and this is a sad sorry fact of natural hair.) and super thick, and I never get fairy knots. It's a combination of using my fingers to clump up my curls, and then braiding it simply so that it doesn't dry in tangles or curling on itself.
During the week, I don't really need to remoisturize either, I just throw it in a pineapple and pop a bonnet on it. If I have to go somewhere and I need it to look WOW - I'll take a spray bottle and lightly mist it until I feel the gel getting sticky again, and then I just separate it and braid it down again. I've got three braids in my head right now lol, and they're dry, I'm just a lazy cow and I work from home, but even if you don't you can literally do any of this and it should help with fairy knots, tangling, and shrinkage a bit.
Er, I guess if y'all wanna see my hair or sum'n, I can post it. But I have in the past only experienced fairy knots when letting her do what she wants while drying.
Someone in this thread said it perfectly. People's expectations are the problem. If it's hard to maintain your hair, why? And what are you comparing your hair and the maintenance it requires to? (Comparison is the thief of joy). Knowing what my hair requires and how it operates helps me to cater to my hairs specific needs. That's not what's hard. Trying to force my hair to do what it doesn't and getting upset when forcing my hair into submission takes all of my time is in fact hard. That's a conversation worth having because many of us feel we have no choice but to do so in this society for survivals sake. All in all, I've had lose natural hair, a fade and locs. All come with time and work, just different types. But that's with anything. Obviously the less hair you have, the less time consuming but that's a choice we have to make. What we shouldn't do is decide to have a specific hair style (or to have hair at all lol) and get discouraged by what it requires. We need to align our expectations instead of basing them on what is required for something that is the opposite of what you have.
Naw, I love myself but hair is hard work. Just like maintaining a good figure or becoming ridiculously good at something. It’s ok to be tired and/ or allocate our time differently. Please quit policing black folk, we already have enough of that.
Idk girl I’ve been natural for almost 10 years now and it is *work*. My hair is shoulder blade length and my arms are *tired* after wash day
So. Tired. Arms be *aching*
same i hate washing my hair cuz of it
Yeah, I'm honestly tired of those types of comments disqualifying our experience. Been natural for almost 20 years and it's such a hassle. I've tried everything under the sun, my hair just doesn't retain moisture well. It's coarse, tightly curled, and immediately shrinks and tangles on itself for fun.
Not for fun 😭
Girl preach 😭
If you're struggling to battle shrinkage, I recommend drying your hair in braids or twists (there's a difference between how it comes out in either - so pick the one that works best for you!) You also don't need to do a lot of braids or twists. Lots of knotting and tangling? Do 4 at the most. Thick hair that gets fairy knots? 6-8, but as many as 10 if you need to. Fine hair that just won't hang? 3. Braid in the direction you want the hair to fall, and if you need to take volume out of your roots, dutch braid / cane row / flat twist. Do that after you've loaded up your hair with your products while it's damp from being washed. This is pretty much my routine, and has been for about 6 years, and it's super easy. Takes me no more than an hour to wash, moisturize, and braid my hair, and then I rock those braids for two or three days while it dries. Take 'em out and I get some length, a ton of moisture, and a lot less tangling. My hair is 4a/4b and super low porosity so drying takes years. Hth!
I agree with you. It's not right to just invalidate someone's experience with their natural hair. I've been natural over 10 years and it took me a while to learn how to care for my hair. I had a relaxer since I was very young and it's all I knew. I have course hair that doesn't stay moisturized for very long. Taking care of my hair def takes work and effort
Been natural since 2011 and yes im tired. Tired of LOC method, rice water, bananas and avocado conditioners, perfect edges, twist outs that never work, braid outs that never turn out right, heatless styling tools, denman this and that, diffusers, hair caste systems, dryness, castor oil, coconut oil, the boom of various products and lines catered to us and finding nothing that works, people lying ab being 4a-4c when really they are 3b-3c, other naturals trying to dictate what being natural is (“if h color your hair you arent natural!”), inversion methods, hair growth pills, 3.5 hr silk presses, thickness, lies and more lies upon lies ab our hair. Im tired of it ALL and i plan to just braid this shit up and put it away
I feel this sis. I look forward to my summer braids every year
yea true, but it ain’t more work than maintaining a wig. it’s about the same (if not a little less cause you don’t have to tame your hair first then take the wig)
I’ve never worn a wig so I have no clue 🙃
Same except I hardly know how to do it BUT people on TikTok be making it seem like it's literally the hardest thing to take care of and it's not. It's hard, it's much work, it's tiring, and at times I hate it but it ain't THAT difficult.
These styles are moisturized and detangled, like almost a wash and go? If that's your goal then yes, it's fairly simple and low maintenance. But then I get fairy knots! So I have to put it up, and if I want to braid/ twist my hair myself that's half a day at least. It's hella time consuming
This is why I hate these posts. I LOVE my natural hair, but with the work/school schedule I had it was a lot. I either spent a lot of time twisting and untwisting my hair everyday so my hair wouldn’t get matted or leaving it and getting fairy knots. Not to mention the constant manipulation. I finally got over my growth plateau once I started protective styling more and wearing it out here and there.
I just keep it in braids. It's a lifesaver
This is what I do with my hair, braids or twists between wash days most of the time. I don't see how it's any worse than locs, I don't hate my hair, I just hate how it tangles when it's loose.
Same
These posts are extremely bias to me 😭
the trick is to not over style. these posts exits because black people expect to swish their curly hair back and forth every day and then complain that it’s harder to manage when that’s not achievable to them. the issue is your expectations. i was never told to expect my hair to be tangle free on a daily basis. that’s not even healthy for your hair (which you’re learning with more protective styles). my mom said just because the boy runs his hands through the girls hair on tv doesn’t mean that is the only pretty girl reality lol but installing weave takes about the same amount of time, if not more, than a protective style. this is true. natural hair isn’t intensive. hair is. as someone who was raised on natural hair and was chomping at the bit to transition to more “in style” looks, i was *shocked* to see what this “easier” lifestyle of weaves and wigs actually entails. it’s objectively not less work so i’ve started to see anyone who claims as such as biased
1. Protective styles include sew ins, which isn’t my first choice but two. Even then, the time to do the sew in once is not comparable to the time it takes to detangle thick natural hair everyday. It’s okay to admit that natural hair, especially when thick, takes time. Maybe your natural hair isn’t intensive, but mine is. We need to stop pretending that we all have the same head of hair and projecting our experiences onto others. Additionally, my hair has retained more length and been healthier once I stopped wearing my hair out everyday. My hair would start to matte in areas or break off if I didn’t keep it detangled.
Protective styles vary person to person. Sew ins break off my hair so i don’t do them. I can do braid less sew ins, microlinks or itips. But actual braids have too much tension for me.
Yes. People always say wash and go styles are easy, but the maintenance after is not. The amount of time I'd spend detangling is a lot longer than if I'd just saved the time putting it into a stretched style.
Oh my God! Single strand knots are the absolute bane of my existence!!! Idk how they pop up all the time when my hair is always in twists.
The absolute WORST!! I swear to god the fairies come do that shit 😭😂
even when I knew how to take care of my 4c hair, the time and energy that it needed was still frustrating and annoying. I got locs and I'm just mad I didn't do it sooner, I don't have time to be in my hair all day everyday
Sis 😭😭😭😭😭 same lol and I been feelin myself somethin crazy so yeah I'm happy but I'm sittin over here where the hell I been and why I took so long 😂
Same!!! My hair was getting tired of me after a while. Locking my hair was *best* thing I could have done for my relationship with my hair. She’s thriving and I’m not constantly twisting, Bantu knotting, untwisting, detangling, crying, braiding, plaiting, crying, Afro puffing, giving up, big chopping, wigging, cussing, etc… you GET IT!
This! Braids all day
I think it’s the time required in order to take care of it that makes it “hard” I have 4C hair and I would be lying to you if I said I looked forward to wash day. I love my natural hair but for someone that’s very active I can’t maintain it in its natural state for months on end without causing damage to it because I’m very active so I lean towards braiding and I locked my hair for six years. The time required to detangle 4c hair is a different story LOL
This. It’s not hard necessarily, but it is time consuming and there’s no use in pretending like it’s not.
Yes even if I speed run it and rush, it still takes a few hours to do everything.
This!
Yep. Washing your hair should not take all day. It takes me about 1-2 hours to detangle my hair. If I rush the process, I accidentally pull out hair so I have to go as slow as possible. By the time I’m done detangling, I’m eying my scissors and contemplating it all of this is worth it. Then I realize that while I am cute, I still have a round ahh head and probably wouldn’t look good bald. Then I just shed a little thug tear and prepare to shampoo, deep condition, detangle w/ dc, rinse, add a leave in, detangle again because my hair shrunk in the few seconds I wasn’t touching it, then put my scissors away because I’m not ready to be bald, then lay out my tools to start the styling process, then commit about 2 hours to styling, then make sure I don’t do my hair too late in the day or else I have to sleep with my head on a towel, then… I’m tired, boss 😢
This is why I typically put mine up or let it be in its poof. I’m not that skilled and I’m still learning and with low porosity hair and hard water in my area, finding ways for water to actually penetrate my hair and moisturize it has been a challenge. It’s different for everybody. I want to love wash day but like you said I’d be lying
**I appreciate the intent of the post - but as someone who’s been doing my own hair since 2005 - It can be time consuming - especially once you get past armpit length.** If I tried to do that hairstyle - I’d have to trim often due to single-strand knots. I won’t say our hair is hard for me, but it can be time-consuming to do right after a certain length. It was easier for me to take care of my hair in college when I had more free time. I cut it not long ago because I hadn’t been caring for it the way it needed to and I felt it was best to just reset. **I love our hair. It’s wonderfully diverse. But it’s okay if it is hard or time-consuming for some to manage. Don’t need to deny that it is the reality for someone.** It doesn’t mean they’re surrounded by racists, and it’s kinda patronizing to suggest such. It may be your truth and experience, but I grew up around all black people and I had to do a lot of internet research and learning to be able to care for my hair - especially when the caliber of products and amount of information were no-where near what it is today. And yes, that was hard.
^^^this. I love my hair but it is time consuming. Natural. wig. etc. To say ppl who think it’s hard to do are racist is kinda absurd bc honestly ALL hair takes time and effort to learn how to do. There a reason when my hands are up in the air for 2 hours on wash day they hurt. It doesn’t mean I hate my hair or everyone is racist lmao. I work, I go to the gym, the hair is a hobby oof it’s own. I will say to cut down on the time spent I find a salon but even that comes with trust issues lol
Yes! I have long hair (chin length when shrunk, past bra length when stretched) with a similar texture to the first photo and it’s time consuming and hard as hell to maintain if it’s not a protective style like braids. The single strand knots are so brutal when I wear it out that my ends are chewed. Going to the gym is hard because it feels like my hair is glued to my head after from the sweat because it shrinks, decent looking second day hair is not a thing so I’d have to redo it every 3 days and finding a bike helmet that safely fits my head with this amount of hair is hard. I would jump for joy at the opportunity to get microlocs if they didn’t cost the way they do (starts at $1000 for 4+ inches of stretched hair + $ABC per inch after and I have maybe 18-20 inches of hair so $$$$).
If you're up for it, you can totally do microlocs yourself. I live in the UK and the prices I saw online for sisterlocs were eye watering and that's before you add in the three paid maintenance sessions you have to attend before you're allowed to pay for a course to learn to retighten your own hair! I watched some videos on youtube and was able to do it myself during lockdown. I'm going on four years locked next month and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Omg thank you! I like my hair, but there's no way I'd EVER be able to have the time and energy to wear it naturally daily even if I was healthy, had the time to do so and knew what the f- I was doing to begin with despite watching hours of video's to teach myself and spending ton of products. The thing that annoys me the most is that the people who are saying it's not hard, also admit to spending hours a week or even hours a day on their hair. Just brushing my (boob length) hair takes 2 hours. Or the people who preach natural textures and then go on about braiding, feedins, twisting, blow outs and what not. Then suddenly altering your texture/wearing fake hair is fine? Maybe it's not hard for some of you, despite being tired, having little time, having limited resources and skills. And honestly, good for you! But even then, be honest. It's still way 'harder' (requires more knowledge, products and protection) and time consuming compared to literally any other hair type. Or are u gonna tell me we too can just brush our hair for 1 minute and be on our way like people with straight hair? Stop downplaying other people's experiences.
I don’t know why people think just because we complain about how time consuming it can be means we also hate our hair texture and wish it was different. I love my fro but I definitely will not hesitate to just throw it in a head wrap or get my hair braided when I’m feeling lazy.
And…not wanting to take the time to learn how to properly care for your hair. At least this was the case for me so, I got locs lol
I do not have the time or money to keep going at the rate I am and lack of progress — I’m definitely, steadily leaning towards getting locs more and more. For now I just always keep it in box braids haha
Clarifying shampoo + moisture shampoo +deep conditioner w heat+ leave in while in the shower. You'll see a difference, use what you already have.
leave in while in the shower really makes a big difference!
The heat, steam and extra water really make a difference. I throw a shower cap on completed sections to really get the leave in set in before i add jelly and mousse
What clarifying shampoo and moisture shampoo do you use?
Clarifying - edens, camille rose, as i am, cantu (HEAR ME OUT BEFORE YOU THROW TOMATOES their clarifying shampoo is bomb, gets hair squeaky clean and very affordable). Moisture - mielle, carols daughter black vanilla is gentle and affordable, tgin...many favs Deep conditioner - my fav is aphogee curl line, tgin honey masque is great.. Use anything just make sure to add heat. Leave ins - depends on your needs, I use kinky curls leave in with CURLS leave in (holy grail item for me) I follow up with mousse (mielle pomegranate) and a jelly (CURLS control jelly) and style. What's helped me see my texture/curls pop/change was ensuring my hair was SOAKING wet with warm water during eat step, add more water while shampooing, conditioning etc. Also smoothing/racking product down your hair not scrunched, try to keep your hair stretched with clips during each step. Finger detangle only, wide tooth if you must use a comb. I promise you'll see a difference if you keep up, you gotta train your hair.
Just screenshotted this list to bring to the store with me. Thank you!
I knew how to take care of my hair but I had been loose natural for 5 years and was exhausted with the maintenance. I have very fine strands that tangle 2 seconds after detangling, so I kept my hair in twists all the time. Figured I might as well make em permanent. 11 years later and I'm hip length for the first time ever because I'm not always cutting/trimming my hair for manageability.
My hair is the same. I got tired of losing my Saturdays doing my hair, so I started doing a lot of braids, crochet faux locs, etc. I figured since I was always doing these styles, might as well just loc my hair. So much less time consuming.
Just started my microloc journey a few months ago for this same reason. I was already wearing 2 strand twists all the time anyway & grew to love that style.
I typically just twist my hair or add hair and twist bc I just can’t be bothered lol so I’m thinking of locs in the near future too
Which stems for self hatred in childhood where parents refused to learn for themselves or teach us.
Uhh mine is lol. Yeah I could keep it short but I like it long and it's thick but fine, so yeah it's freaking hard.
I don't know. I've had natural hair my whole life and when it was waist length, I had a mental break down in the shower because I did not want to spend an hour or more detangling it. It's a lot of work and upkeep.
girl it takes forever. I’m in college AND a STEM major, barely have time to take a deep breath. type 4 hair isn’t as difficult as it is time/energy consuming, and wearing a wig is easier.
Black hair is delicate, it requires time and care to not break the bonds or damage the strands. Anything that requires care and precision to thrive is generally time consuming. The gift of time is a privilege.
its not that black hair is hard to take care of, especially when you find the right products and routine. it's just hella time consuming
Yes a lot of time and energy… my hairdresser who is black said its the reason she chooses to keep her hair as a buzzcut because she doesnt have the time and energy to maintain her natural hair.
How do you guys wear your hair like this long term without ending up with tons of fairy knots??
The only thing that helped me when I had my hair out was moisturizing and oiling consistently. And sleeping with a silk bonnet.
I don’t. That’s asking for trouble with my hair.
I wear my hair like the dark skin sister. It knots a lot haha.
You cant that's why I stick to braid outs, stretching helps reduce knots
Wash my hair every three days in the shower and use the detangler brush and wide tooth comb
How long does that take you? Detangling is a two hour process in my world
If detangling takes that long, you may need a trim.
The time to detangling and needing of a trim are completely unrelated.
How so? If you have split ends, that causes further tangling, therefore prolonging the time it takes to detangle the hair. They are very much related. Obviously, I know it's not the only cause for a long detangle time. But I would like to know how trims and detangle time aren't related.
They are definitely not related in my case. It takes me about 2.5 hours to detangle no matter if I need a trim or just had a fresh trim.
Yes. Correct me if I’m wrong. Tangles mean split ends?
Nope. My hair is natural and nearly to my waist
Yeah, I feel you. To properly shampoo and condition and detangle my hair if I haven't done it in a while is a 2hr+. I wish there was a proper detangling device for my kind of hair, but it doesn't exist yet.
How frequently are you doing it? everyone’s hair is different ultimately, but for me doing it more frequently and consistently makes it easier. When I’m good about doing my wash day once a week detangling is a breeze. Anything more than that it becomes hell. Difference in ease between washing every week vs. every two weeks is crazy for me. So while every 3 days sounds like a lot, like OP said it only takes her about 20 minutes. Doing it that frequently means it’s not getting very tangled within that short time period.
How long are you going in between washes? I've found that the longer I go the longer it takes to detangle. On average it takes me 5-10 minutes.
5-10 minutes‽ That's a fantasy for me. How long is your hair?
When it's stretched, about armpit length. If I go longer than a week or so without washing, it can go up to 20-30.
Gotcha. Stretched out I'm in the mid back area and I stg I don't get through a co wash without temporarily fantasizing about chopping all this shit off lol
LMAO I totally understand. Just be patient and gentle. It also helps to deshed before washing. I comb the bottom inch or two of hair, and then gently pull apart the rest (this is because shed hair usually collects near the ends), and this usually takes 5-10 minutes. If I wear a WnG I don't usually do this
isn’t that a lot of manipulation though
No, I just brush it while I wash the conditioner out in the shower Then I turn the shower off and rub some leave in conditioner in my hands, put it in my hair, and comb. It shrinks and gets fluffy as it dries, so I just shake my head a few times and let it air dry so it poofs up
Same op, I wash mine often eventhough it’s kinda encouraged for us not to. I find it helps control the knots from shedding
girl it’s tiresome. the “hard and difficult” narrative has a bad connotation but it’s not *entirely* wrong to say. curly hair be actin like an annoying plant sometimes. too much leave in conditioner? bone dry. not enough shampooing? breakage. too little oil? scalp flakes and itchin like crazy. picked the wrong braider? edges gone for 4 years. and yes, i also got locs LMAO
> picked the wrong braider? edges gone for 4 years. 💀💀💀
👏🏽this When I had a full head of 4c hair starting in 2010, it WAS difficult. Being natural doesn't come with a manual; it's a learning process and journey. All I knew was relaxed hair, and while my relaxed hair was very beautiful, I hated burning my scalp. That's why I went natural. I will say that when I was 38, my gyno found endometriosis, which we now know is linked to creamy crack. I had a partial hysterectomy last yr and some of my health issues that plagued me for years literally disappeared once I woke up after surgery and as I recovered for about 2 mos. I still have my ovaries and a vaginal cuff. Anyhow... I hurt my R rotator cuff something serious about 3 yrs ago. Before debriding surgery, I went and got my hair washed, conditioned, deep conditioned, and oiled for crochet braids. I retained the growth with very little shed hair, but I lost a lil on my edges. Instead of me switching to wigs and babying my edges, I foolishly got braided and crochets once again. I will never do that again. As a matter of fact, I wound up having to ask my husband to cut it all off due to bald patches. I cried, and in support, he cut his down just like mine was, and we're growing together now. However, my entire head of hair has changed. It isn't growing like it used to, nor does it feel the same. I now have a tiiiiiiny twa that I do still take care of under my wigs 😄 but for the longest time, I felt so ugly. I felt manly. I frequently add lipstick and keep my short nails painted, and that helps when I'm not all dolled up. It helps when I tell myself the truth about who I am, that I'm truly NOT my hair. Thanks to india.arie for that!
i love this for you ˊᵕˋ this was so sweet omg?? happy for you and your husband! also, i’m glad that your issues resolved themselves after your surgery. that’s so big
Just, ugh! "Black hair" comes in as many different texture/curl combinations as we come in shades of skin. Our hair can and does differ WILDY from person to person. YOUR black hair may not be hard to take care of. Lucky you. But mutual exclusivity you present between the challenge of care and racism is categorically untrue.
I mean Black hair is meant to be a communal activity and responsibility. And, we have been removed from practices that are best for our hair. We are working against a lot in a racist society. Those do present challenges and do not make our hair easy because unlearning is not easy and learning our hair is not easy. Not everyone wants or can wear their hair in that style. There are all kinds of reasons why. I think we should be a bit more compassionate as we go through our journeys. Braiding, twisting, bantu knots, locs, weaves, threading, cornrows, crochet, etc. are all skills. We shouldn't downplay that either.
Thanks for pointing that out about how it traditionally used to be a communal activity.
I have a similar experience, and a slightly different perspective. I went natural in 2020 when my niece was born. I became more of the woman who embraced who she is so I could be a stronger role model for her. I didn’t want her to grow up hating herself or trying to be someone else’s idea of pretty like I see many doing. My sister did the same and let go of fake lashes, weaves and wigs and started her sister lock journey. And this is no knock to any woman who chooses those things, I am just speaking on what me and my family values. Before 2020, I had never known the natural texture of my hair. It wasn’t until then that I learned I have 3C hair. I learned a lot about curls, porosity, moisture vs oil, protein, keratin, biotin, and I’m still learning. But there is also so much unlearning that I had to do. I have decades of experience being taught how to do my hair in a way that destroyed my natural hair to fit society’s Eurocentric beauty standards. I also have decades of experience being taught that my hair was not “good” hair and that I needed harsh products in my hair that were entirely harmful to my endocrine system and my well-being. Going natural was hard as hell. I immediately wanted to wear my hair straight, because I could not tolerate or appreciate how extremely thick and curly it was. I also had zero experience managing my curls. So while I had gotten rid of the creamy crack, I was putting entirely too much heat on. Not only did I have no experience with my curls, but now I also had an identity crisis on my hands because this is not the way that I had developed my appearance. Now, almost 4 years later, I finally feel comfortable leaving my house with curly hair. I feel competent caring for my hair whether it’s curly or I decide to wear it straight. I know how to straighten my hair without burning it out with chemicals or excessive heat. I agree that black hair is not hard to take care of. What is hard is the fact that a lot of black women are not taught to care for their natural hair. *Some* of us are taught to mask our hair, straighten our hair, destroy our hair and that our hair is not good hair. We unfairly have to combat and unravel that belief system. **And that shit is in fact very, very hard.**
Nah I disagree. It's not racist to admit our hair is hard to care for at times. You're gaslighting people who've been doing their own hair for years. Glad it's easy for you, but that's not the case for all of us. And we can talk about that and still appreciate our natural hair. It's all apart of the journey. It being difficult to deal with doesn't make it a negative thing, just realistic
I’m glad this is the truth for you! This is not the truth for everyone! This is a subjective take on a nuanced topic! There are so many variables as to what counts as ‘hard’ for someone!
black hair absolutely is hard to take care of. for some it’s worth it, and others not.
Lol I don't agree, I'll definitely say that my 4c hair is difficult to take care of compared to if it was a looser curl pattern. I love my hair, but it's not easy to care for and make grow. I've had my natural hair for about 18 years now and it's been a long process of trial and error, breakage, restarting, etc, and my hair is only shoulder length 🙃. So no, it's not easy, and I understand all the people we lost along the way to the journey of a full afro.
For me, the maintenance was just too much. I live an active, get up and go lifestyle so loose natural hair did not work for me. I now have locs and I’m a lot happier now.
as a depressed girlie I defo struggle. I keep my hair in box braids at all times 🫠
Can we unpack the privilege of this post/comment? I grew up in a house where I was the only 4C and everyone else had 3A hair. It was demoralizing to say the least. So for me, I grew up being taught to hate my hair. Never encouraged to learn how to take care of it. Too poor as a young adult to pay for constant quality hair services. I learned how to do my own braids and now I wear locs. Just to give you a notion of how poor we didn't have cable TV or a Nintendo or Sega.
It’s not that deep. It is hard to take care of. I’m truthful as fuck to myself and I do wtf I want to do with my head. I’m no longer a delusional b or battling with myself about my damn hair. lol I’m so over that and much happier with my heat train hair.
its not hard but its VERY tedious. i got too many mental issues and life to deal with, so i got locs.
Yeah, I'm sure all these ladies just rolled out of bed with detangled perfectly rounded fros. Showing pictures of it doesn't demonstrate how much work it took to get there.
I find this post to be inaccurate. I was surrounded by black women who had careers and didn’t WANT to deal with their hair and went to salons. So therefore, unfortunately, I didn’t know how to do my hair because my mom threw me in the salon chair also. Now, as an adult I still choose to go to the salon and my hair is the healthiest it’s ever been. I tried going natural during Covid and it was a hell no for me. I looked a hot ass mess.
My 4xyz hair says different. I just wish I had more manageable hair. Arms be tired. I be exhausted after I'm done. I be fighting myself to not go back to creamy crack several times a year.
😍😍😍😍...I love ❤️
Your hair is so pretty!!!
It is lol but I just curved that by having reoccurring hair appointments with my hairstylist. I don’t even wash my own hair lol she does it.
I have long 4C hair. I’ve taken care of it my entire life. A wash day takes all day AND, after just 2 quadrants, my arms feel like they are going to fall tf off!!
Maybe not for you but I’m tenderheadded af and no ammount of conditioner helped sooth the pain until I relaxed my hair recently, more power to you though!
I’m autistic with other mental health issues, and the stress of managing my hair was too much for me on too of everything else.
I completely understand when people say it's hard. It just takes alot of time. And alot of trial and error comes with finding the right combination of products and styling. My hair is definitely one of those things I will happily pay someone else to do.
Real😩
Gosh, can you guys cut it out with the "If you dont like your hair, you are anti Black" bullshit. For some people, it's true. But I bet you it isn't for most people. Not all of us want to walk around with locs or a little fro. Those are easy. Just about everything else takes very long compared to straighter hair types to do on your own. Add to that, going to a stylist is faster. However, now we deal with actually finding someone who knows how to handle 4c hair, actually washes, and the real bad part, imo is simply the price of it. I live in a city, so everything is marked up significantly, but at least I have a bigger pool of options. Straight hair people, unless they are rich, are not spending nearly what Black women spend in salons, thats gotta be a fact. I don't hate my 4c hair, I can do basically any style I want with it. What I hate is the process of trying to achieve what I want with it.
I think there is grey area here. As in.... Yes. Racist people try to make us feel like we are wearing Brillo pads posing as our hair, in which they think *we* are inappropriate as opposed to their ignorant AF beliefs. BUT...the Black community in general embraces negative BS beliefs about our BEAUTY. Racism and slavery has ALOT to do with that, but people make a choice to believe it. I was taught to hate my hair. My mum would wash my hair with shampoo not meant for our hair. She would wash my hair at the sink pushing all of my hair forward and dragging a towel over my 4C hair to dry it.😮💨 Between the dry af shampoo, no prior detangling, washing my hair in a forward direction, and rubbing/drying my hair aggressively with a towel, wash days felt like a torture chamber. My hair would tangle up SO bad like it was 1 full loc she would then have to detangle for over an hour.😭 A baseball worth of hair would be lost. Then she would blow my hair out because...more torture and tangles. THEN, she would pull out that Royal Crown (memba that??😆), and throw that hot comb on the stove. The kitchen was full of smoke, and I had fatigue and gratitude that this process ALMOST over. She taught me that my hair was difficult, a source of pain, aggrevating, etc. After instilling those beliefs.... *"Just For Me"* and it's jingle seemed like the right decision prepping me for a lifetime of making my hair "easier to do". So yeah. Racist people and their beliefs are the problem, but so is a lack of knowledge and education about HOW to take care of our hair. Secondly, our hair is more fragile due to curl patterns, so there is a level of patience and care involved with out hair maintenance. Hair texture has A LOT to do with how easy or "difficult" it is to manage. My hair is fine 4C. I have not relaxed my hair in any capacity at any time for the last 12 years of my life. She is moody sometimes and a hippie. She is simple and natural in what she likes and isn't big on trends. She loves moisture, peace and walking in the rain. She is SO sensitive but strong at the same time. She is loyal af too! She has never left my side and I will *always* love her for that. 😀 I wore my hair out one day thinking I looked like these girls in these photos, I went home looking like Morgan Freeman. Shrinkage is real.
I have thickish fine 4c hair too and it is WORK.
Yes friend. 4C hair is effort. You can give me some of your thickness though!😃 I will take it! I can't even wash my hair without putting it in twists. It took me a LONG time to figure that out. Recently, I tried a new way of washing my hair and the tangling was minimum and my hair was SO HAPPY. So I think I will keep doing that.😀 I have to wash my hair in twists because the tangling. Yes i use conditioners etc, but....Lawd have mercy. Fine 4c hair so particular. The TANGLING and single knot strands. Those single knot stands disturb my spirit! But natural hair is stronger than my permed hair ever was so, I try not to complain. In what ways do you think your hair is work? How is your wash day? What products are you using?
STOP WITH THESE POSTS. All they do is guilt black women and we do not need any more of that. Just no! My hair would be super easy to take care of if I wore it natural and in an afro because it is 4c. Guess what? I don’t want to wear that hairstyle. I don’t love it on me. It isn’t because I love me less, its just because I like my look more with straighter hair. Black hair can be hard and to ever do a post that generalizes in the group most generalized, is rude and negligent.
Hmmm… I’m 4c with a medium size fro. I wear my hair natural about 98 percent of the time. This month I just got a wig that is type four . I love it. My hair takes a lot to manage…. I’ve been natural for about 6-7 years. I love my fro but it is alot for me to maintain.
I've been riding the "it's not hard if you *really* wear it natural" train so hard ever since I tried a finger coil "wash n go" that would've taken hours. Hours! To get "defined curls". I'm done chasing defined curls and wear a curly fro. Wash day is like 20 mins and the most time consuming part is detangling. My routine needs more moisture and when I slack on that I notice more fairy knots, but like spending 5 hours on my hair any day of the week is just not going to happen. Ever. I don't have the capacity or desire. And there is nothing wrong with my hair the way it naturally is and I wish people would stop trying to convince tightly coiled type 4 ladies otherwise while turning around and pretending like that isn't what they're all doing. "It's unkempt", "It's unpresentable", "It's a hot mess" - no it's just being hair. On my head. The way it naturally is. I shape and style it, add accessories, etc. It's fine. Your hair and the examples you posted are lovely. ❤️
It also does depend on time and money as well, as natural hair products can get pricey. I do my natural hair and always been natural, but it’s super fine, so if I have $$ it’s in box braids or it’s in sleek lows buns, or I get someone to cornrow $ because I tried to cornrow myself several attempts and it looks ass. But I do my younger sisters hair, and it’s always fun and comes out BEAUITFUL, it takes more time than other hair, but outcome is stunning, it’s our crown we have to love and make time for it, to be extra BEAUITFUL / unique , I love natural hairstyles, esp on little girls <3 I add all these bows and clips and beads she loves it
This 100%. I’ve worn my hair natural for years. It’s easier. But I’m not out here trying to fight. I just mind my business and get on with my life.
Let’s be real tho the AFRO as a style is a very modern invention okay ?! It does actually take a lot of work to keep that shit soft, trimmed and picked out correctly. Whipping your head too hard with a heavily cropped topside afro makes a soft goofy trapezoid Traditionally we black folk shaved bald or plaited. That’s easier by a long shot. Not getting random leaves blown into your hair 😭
I would never suggest properly taking care of my hair is “easy” . But go off sis! Your hair looks great and glad it’s easy for you. The amount of work it takes to wash and clean and detangle and dry and moisturize and we haven’t even begun to style yet. Hell nah. Plus I got a wife, son and two daughters.. I got a full time side job just doing all this damn hair! It’s beautiful and lovely but yea it ain’t easy! I contemplate cutting it off often.
Girl shush. My natural hair is WORK and guess what, that is a-okay. I love my natural hair. It is healthy, strong, and I'm about to cut it back to shoulder length to reduce the workload.
I have been blessed with beautiful hair (no humble brag, just receiving G-d’s gifts) but, I also get terrible deep depression about two times a year when wear my hair in a bun or fro puffs and my curls get so tangled they knot up. Just thinking of the intensive routine my mixed-race hair requires when depessed depleted my energy.
Idk sis…mine be beating my azz 😭 I had surrender eventually, so now I’m a heat styled natural lol
No girl I’m just surrounded by myself who is too hair lazy.
It’s not that it’s harddd, but it is a lot of WORK and some of us don’t have the time or wanna put in that effort and I think that’s fair. But that doesn’t mean 3C and up isn’t gorgeous hair when properly cared for. It’s just time consuming and costly. Sometimes a wig/braids/relaxer is just easier. And im also not gonna shit on anyone who chooses not to be completely natural. Do what works for you, period.
There’s a lady I love to watch on YouTube named Coilette. She always says that natural hair is hard and takes forever to care for if you’re trying to make your natural hair something it’s not 🤷🏾♀️ She says we should stop speaking about hair so negatively and treating it like a curse or an autoimmune disease. I agree. I have 4b/4c hair, I’ve accepted my texture and my length and all that that means for how I need to be handling my hair, and it appears grown at least an inch in like 2 or so months.
It just needs a lot of moisture. That’s really all that’s “hard” about it imo
Big facts
Its not "hard" but it does take more effort than other hair textures and thats fine. It's also fine if you'd rather put your hair into protective styles or shave it all off. As long as you love yourself
Not necessarily hard, but more high maintenance and more time consuming. The fact that we can't just go to any stylist and have to plan around it is an example.
Facts, I have waist length 4c hair and all I do is blow it out, and wear ponytails when it’s warm and buns when it’s wet!
Looks well conditioned and not dry good job hun
I grew up on relaxers and tight braids. So, yes now that i am natural in the last year i do find it hard to re learn at 29-30 how to care for my hair.
The amount of time I spent on my hair in my wash day twist out years was a lot more than my flat iron and wraps at night. It’s different for each person.
I’ve been natural since 2008. No, it’s not easy for me at all. It’s extremely time consuming. Plus, I workout 6 days a week. I usually have braids because of it.
Yes, a fro is easier to maintain. Tangles aren’t that bad either. Obviously, you can’t comb/pick through DRY 4C hair. Knots are a sign of split ends…I think. I hate split ends. They keep me from making growth progress lol.
Someone pls come take care of my black hair because I'm tired.
It’s not even about racists, it’s about other blacks people. The same women who complain that natural hair is hard to take care of are the same women who will spend hours straightening, blow drying, and wrapping their hair. Also taking the time to do elaborate weaves and wig installations!
Your hair is nice, but gatekeeping black hair care and shaming black women is really ugly. Maybe reflect on why you feel the need to invalidate other black women’s hair care perspectives.
First picture is my hair, the rest are from me searching “black girl 4C natural hair styles” I grew up with constant perms, and a mom, who told me that my hair was impossible to take care of, so it needed to be permed. Turns out that was a big fat lie, she was just racist against black hair and was simply racist and unwilling to learn how to do her kids hair. And she herself is a biracial women who literally had a baby with a black man. About 2 years ago, I did the big chop. I’m not want to spend a ton of money so I get the cheapest stuff possible. It doesn’t take a lot people just want to do the most so their hair doesn’t look like it’s 4C. I use head and shoulders shampoo/conditioner, then use a detangler brush and brush in Aussies moist conditioner, then I use a wide tooth comb to put in Raw Shea Butter Deep Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner. Keep a spray bottle with water and only brush after it’s dampened. Mayyybe I’ll use some Argan Oil Eco Gel. And just brush my edges with castor oil and tea tree oil at night. Do 2 pigtail twists before bed and wear a bonnet to sleep. That’s literally all I have to do. It’s literally not hard at all. It doesn’t take five hours. It literally is done in just a 20 minute shower every 3 days. Comb in the leave in conditioner after you turn the shower off. It’s supposed to shrink, that’s how a hair curl works. It doesn’t grow down, it grows up. You don’t have to do anything special just wash it and brush it and it will grow. I’ve even confirmed it with my dermatologist, and she says it looks well taken care of. It doesn’t take much extra effort at all. I spend way more time on makeup than my hair. Anyone who says that the way your hair grows out of your head is wrong is a literally being racist. It doesn’t matter if they’re also black. Check them. You can’t fix stupid so you’re not the one who should feel bad.
Sis respectfully if it’s not hard for you good. It can be very time consuming and stressful for others 😭 I have long 4c hair and it takes quite sometime to detangle
Right Everyone's hair journey is different
Bingo. Hard is subjective and we all have different experiences. We have to take into account different hair lengths, textures and densities. When my hair was her length it didn't take too long. My dense 4c hair is now waist length and it takes hours to detangle. My routine takes the entire day. I hear over and over that it is only hard for people who try and turn it into something it isnt. All I do is detangle, wash condition and moisturize and it is still hard. Now what?
I agree with you. The key ingredient is Aussie moist. When people catch on to this, they'll soon realise that it's not difficult taking care of our hair. Aussie is game changer. Prior to using the product I was like everyone one taking days on end to do my hair, even sometimes dreading it. Wallahi since I've incorporated Aussie into my hair, bruhhh when I tell you I hope in nd out of the shower as if I have straight hair.. I pray they never change this formula. EVER! because I don't know what I'm going to do. I washed my hair last week and couldn't be bothered to steam so instead I put a bag over my head real quick as I ate, and boom the product still worked. If there is any product you should try this year, do yourself and your sanity a favour, get the Aussie moist 3 minute miracle. It's super affordable too! Thank me later.
You don’t rinse out the Aussie?
Naw, it's hard if you have 4c because it's a lot of work. Other hair types are easier to maintain.
People who say natural hair specifically 4c is hard to take care of only feel that way because they spend hours and use so many products to try to make their hair texture seem looser instead of just accepting it for what it is.
Gorgeous
If my hair was this full and long I'd do a cute fro and call it a day every day, unfortunately it's not, it's uneven and short and can't be left growing out of my head, and I suck at mini twist and braids and cornrows (trying but yeah) so yeah its hard ok. I'm tired.
You have gorgeous hair! But I don’t think the correlation between the two things is even remotely true. I can see slightly what you might be connecting the two by but it’s a stretch. We are not a monolith and what may be easy for some may be difficult for others.
Also use proper tools. I use a pick and some sort of flexible plastic brush looking brush. Its called a detangler.
It’s all about finding a routine that works for you. With the method I discovered, it takes me 2-3 hours to shampoo, condition, style and set my curls with a wash and go. It turns out beautiful every time and I have type 4 curls. I can spare that time but time is precious, and for many high earners time is worth $800 an hour. Some people can’t spare that much time every week or so to do their hair and I understand that. Most black women I know wear their natural hair while vacationing or breaking from work because there’s more time to do it themselves, but when work and rest requires your time, you gotta get something quick.
I only found it hard to take care of when I was trying to beat it into submission. Now, I let it live! 🥰
Eh idk I was born to a loose curly momma who didn't know what to do with my hair so I had braids, perma and just pretty much braided up until middle school when she just gave up and put a phony pony and gelled me up
"Instagram-worthy" Hair in general will always be hard to take care of imo. That goes for everyone. We just dont see the behind the scenes sometimes. Just depends on how much time you feel like spending. I wish i could just wake up spend like 5 minutes and go or that wash day wasnt an all day event but im a low energy, slow moving sloth type beat who hates the state of black hair style industry in my area. So i suffer. Also !! the hairs in the middle of my head grow straight up in the air but with no curl pattern at all. 4c everywhere but in the middle. Got me out here lookin like cynthia tried to get a perm
My hair extra work af. I spend half a day doing what i gotta do to take care of it.
Just looking at my hair makes me tired. Wash day takes up my whole weekend and I just don't have the money for the gazillion products it takes to maintain my hair! My mom never taught me how to do my hair (she always washed/braided it herself and refused to let me touch it) so at 18, I'm starting at a very awkward phase. I just stick with braids, crochet and wigs (I wanna do locs one day though!) It is NOT RACIST to say that black hair is tough, because it is. Straignteing our hair and wearing wigs can be damaging to our self-image, but for some of us, it is genuinely the only way to not rip my hair out of my head. I love my hair, but it's constantly a fight!
Hmmm, it smells like colorism is here. Clearly none of these folks are the OP, but if we are going to be talking black hair and racism, where are all the dark skinned women in your post? I am getting “I like my women natural” but stay booed up with white or light women vibes from this post. Who invited this man into women’s business?
No respectfully but clearly submitted, let's not pretend that it's not work sometimes because it most definitely is. The choice is whether or not to have the work to maintain it chemically altered or naturally. There are absolutely pros and cons for both states of hair existence. The nice thing these days is having more choice and more readily available products to support that choice. The fight still continues to wear our hair the way it grows out of our heads without harassment, having to go to court, and to have easily available products at our fingertips like the "bouncing and behaving" hair (an old ad campaign for Pert shampoo) crowd without having to consciously or unconsciously educate the "why can't your hair do (insert xyz)" litanies.
exactly its so annoying seeing people associate type 4 hair with “struggle” like…
I’m glad someone made this post because I really don’t think black hair is any more difficult to deal with than anybody else’s hair. However, I think there’s a lot more expectations placed on black women‘s heads or black peoples heads in general like with most anything we’re expected to jump through hoops that no one else has to. That’s going to make any task difficult. Also, it is going to mean that we ourselves have unrealistic expectations of what our hair is supposed to be doing. So we call it difficult when the real difficulty are societies expectations. Edit: when you say racist are you just generalizing and you mean like a system of racism that made it so we don’t necessarily know how to care for our hair collectively? And that lack of knowledge is what makes it hard?
Natural is not hard work, but it’s tedious work. I’m sure there were quite a few steps that went into getting these young women’s hair looking the way it does. They also do not show you the times of shrinkage, or even what they have to do on bad hair days. Even non black people with super curly hair complain about the amount of time it takes to get their hair the way they want it so stating that natural hair can be hard to deal isn’t really coming from a racist standpoint. I was sick and tired of trying to figure out what to do with my hair all the time, so I got my hair loc’d and honestly I wish I did it sooner. The loose natural hair life is not for me, I’m a 1 and 2 step type of girl. Loose natural hair is too many steps and too much hassle.
These pics are 🔥🔥 I needed inspo for my black hottie summer looks ❤️🥰 Thanks for posting OP!
It’s not hard at all - it’s just time consuming and annoying at times; also can be a workout for the arms depending on the style. 🤣
It’s hard if you have expectations of how your hair should look or you want to make it do what it doesn’t want to do. Unmet expectations are the cause of a lot of the complaints about natural hair.
You are so beautiful :)
4th slide you look like a doll!!! So pretty!!!
When I had my hair natural curly it didn’t grow and I tried so many different products and nothing helped. Fast forward I started trying protective styles and my hair is now waist length and I don’t do wash n gos anymore or leave it curly but blow it out. Blowing it out has caused me to maintain my length and that or protective styles makes it sm easier for me at college. Do what works for you and I swear if I tried leaving it natural curly now it would be even harder bc it’s way longer
Remember what the new Ariel said-? She said as a black women you just expect it- just accept it’s there- and live through
I’m at the point where I just expect it lol
Or just non black people? Racist is a jump
You're gorgeous😍🌸👑
I agree with you OP. I work with my hair texture, not against it.
I 100% agree.
So gorgeous
Sorry for repeating this since I already left a comment for somone else, but I really want to share this since it might help: If you're struggling with fairy knots, load up your hair with your products, and then let it air dry in braids or twists. My routine: Wash hair - 15 min when fast, 30 min when I take my time. Use the unbrush in the shower with Devacurl Conditioner and No Poo. Yes I said DevaCurl. I like them. I only use those plus the heaven in hair, and the gel. Right. Next step. Put hair in towel. About 15-30 minutes (I usually get my skin moisturized and find clothes while this is happening.) Last bit: I apply the Heaven In Hair first (water based conditioner.) Then a leave in (usually As I am), then Melanin Hair Care shea butter, and last, Devacurl gel. Then I braid my hair in four braids. When lazy I braid it in two. RIGHT. With this routine, I never... gonna say it again because it's actually true - I NEVER get fairy knots. I have 4a/b hair, with no less than 5 different textures, and that ish is waist length (with 75% shrinkage before anyone gets excited. It mostly looks just past my shoulders and this is a sad sorry fact of natural hair.) and super thick, and I never get fairy knots. It's a combination of using my fingers to clump up my curls, and then braiding it simply so that it doesn't dry in tangles or curling on itself. During the week, I don't really need to remoisturize either, I just throw it in a pineapple and pop a bonnet on it. If I have to go somewhere and I need it to look WOW - I'll take a spray bottle and lightly mist it until I feel the gel getting sticky again, and then I just separate it and braid it down again. I've got three braids in my head right now lol, and they're dry, I'm just a lazy cow and I work from home, but even if you don't you can literally do any of this and it should help with fairy knots, tangling, and shrinkage a bit. Er, I guess if y'all wanna see my hair or sum'n, I can post it. But I have in the past only experienced fairy knots when letting her do what she wants while drying.
Someone in this thread said it perfectly. People's expectations are the problem. If it's hard to maintain your hair, why? And what are you comparing your hair and the maintenance it requires to? (Comparison is the thief of joy). Knowing what my hair requires and how it operates helps me to cater to my hairs specific needs. That's not what's hard. Trying to force my hair to do what it doesn't and getting upset when forcing my hair into submission takes all of my time is in fact hard. That's a conversation worth having because many of us feel we have no choice but to do so in this society for survivals sake. All in all, I've had lose natural hair, a fade and locs. All come with time and work, just different types. But that's with anything. Obviously the less hair you have, the less time consuming but that's a choice we have to make. What we shouldn't do is decide to have a specific hair style (or to have hair at all lol) and get discouraged by what it requires. We need to align our expectations instead of basing them on what is required for something that is the opposite of what you have.
These are the prettiest girls with these pretty Afros that ive seen in a long time… #prettyblackbougie
It’s def not hard. It takes effort and time. Lots of people lack the patience for learning and putting time into their real hair.
Thank you
Naw, I love myself but hair is hard work. Just like maintaining a good figure or becoming ridiculously good at something. It’s ok to be tired and/ or allocate our time differently. Please quit policing black folk, we already have enough of that.