7 Tips For Managing Multiple Textures of Natural Hair

I’m sure many of us thought the biggest challenge of going natural was switching from sleek straight hair to a curlier texture. If you were one who transitioned I’m sure you know the struggles of dealing with multiple textures and having to work twice as hard to perfect a style while keeping your hair in a  healthy state.

For me it didn’t stop there. Now that I’m completely natural I have since discovered that I have multiple textures. If I had to take a guess at my curl type I will say I have 3c/4a hair.

My curls are fine and looser at the top and at the back it’s thicker and bit kinkier. Permanently coloring my hair could have very well played a role on my multiple textures but at any rate it’s a battle!

I find that one of my biggest issues is the amount of drying the back of my head encounters. Dry to touch, dry in appearance. My kinkier texture literally drinks oil. Also I deal with uneven shrinkage with my wash n go’s. While this worked when I had a tapered cut, I’ve since grown out my fro and now it just looks awkward. I’m still finding ways to conquer my multiple textures but here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way.

1. Patience is key.

Take. Your. Time. With washing, detangling, styling and so on. Make sure you’re caring for each texture individually.

Since I now know that my 4a texture requires more oil and thicker products verses the front and top of my hair, I will use extra products and more oil on the back.

Also during midweek style refreshes I ensure that I’m checking to see if the back is holding up well with the front. Nothing is worse than looking cute from the front and a hot mess from the back!

2. Diffuse your wash n’ gos.

To combat uneven shrinkage try using a diffuser* instead of allowing your hair to air dry when completing a wash n’ go style. This way you can sort of control the way your hair dries. In addition try banding to stretch those curlier textures to attempt to blend better with your looser patterns.

3. Curl pattern manipulation styles can be your best friend.

There are so many styles out there where you can actually manipulate your curl pattern or often referred to as “create your own texture”. This includes twist outs, braid outs, bantu knot outs, roller sets and more. These styles allow you to alter your natural pattern and work your hair texture into a new style. While this can’t eliminate the issue of having two different textures it can help with having the same curl pattern throughout your hair.

4. Fully detangle and smooth in styling.

With curl pattern manipulation styles goes ensuring you are taking time to properly style your hair. I had an aha! moment in the past couple of months where I learned that taking a little extra time with proper styling makes all the difference in the world.

When completing a style if you ensure that your hair is completely detangled and smooth it can definitely transform the outcome of a twist out, thus improving the appearance of multi-texutral hair.

5. Develop a nighttime routine.

One of the most important things to managing multiple textured hair is having a night time routine that works for you. You will probably find that just throwing on a bonnet or sleeping freely on a satin pillowcase* results in waking up with your hair looking crazy. Some curls may have remained defined but I can promise you that the majority will come out looking extremely smushed and matted.

Ensure that you are oiling the parts of your hair that needs it and doing chunky twist outs or what ever is necessary to preserve your style.

6. Get a cut.

Because one of the leading issues of multiple textures is uneven shrinkage, it’s possible that the best alternative is to get regular cuts. For example if you have looser curls on the sides and tighter curls with more shrinkage on the top, consider chopping your sides regularly to even things out. Keep in mind that if you intend on straightening there could be a whole other issue of unevenness. Choose a style shape that works best like centered around a bob cut or a tapered fro.

7. All strands aren’t considered equal.

Lastly you have to come to terms with the fact that all strands are not considered equal. With being multi-textural you will learn that you can’t expect to use the same product or treat each section of your hair the same.

You have to first experiment with different products and go from there. If you have to use certain products on different sections of your hair or like I mentioned earlier adding a little extra oil to the back it’s okay, do what you have to do. What are some of the things you do to manage multiple natural hair textures?