Get Your Tiny 4C Curls To Pop Using Finger-Combing And Maximum Hydration

Most naturals who fall in the 4A-4C category long for a head full of plush, springy curls. Those especially in the 4C and even the elusive 4Z category are convinced that their curls are just nonexistent.

I have news for you sisters, there is no such thing as “no texture”. Everyone has a curl pattern, and 4Cs who have figured this out know that they have the tiniest curls in the world! Each curl is smaller than the diameter of a pencil.

Don’t take my word for it though, check out youtube vlogger ProtectivePrincess, who shows off her 4C hair, demonstrating exactly how healthy, fully moisturized 4C hair is supposed to look.

The key to bringing out your hidden curls is by fully hydrating your hair, and she demonstrates that when her hair is extremely dry, it returns to a frizzy, afro state.

However, in order to keep your curls clumped after hydrating them, you must resist the urge to comb or pick out your hair!

Unless you’re going for a classic 70’s fro reminiscent of Gloria Gaynor and Foxy Cleopatra, using a comb on your tiny curls will make them obsolete.

The teeth of a comb separates the hair strands that naturally clump together to form your curls, leaving a mass of chaotic hairs that aren’t quite sure what they’re supposed to be doing.

If you have engaged in this practice for years, chances are you have no idea that you even have curls. Most often women who engage in this practice do so to manage tangled hair, and often complain about single-strand knots and other detangling woes.

The truth is our hair tangles because when combed out, our curls are not properly clumped, and instead begin to form bonds with hair strands with whom they should not be connected to, resulting in tangled hair.

Once your curls learn where they’re supposed to lay, this problem can completely disappear. However, it begins with putting down the pick to give your curls the chance to remember their proper form.

Not to mention the fact that combing often damages the hair, resulting in poor length retention and split ends, which only make the problem worse.

Instead, finger-comb or finger-detangle your hair. This method will not only help you to retain more length by reducing the amount of shed hairs, but it will also preserve the natural shape of your curls, resulting in less tangling of your hairs.

The correct method to finger-comb through your hair is by simply raking through the hair with your fingers, beginning from the root to the tip. This is best achieved while the hair is wet. ProtectivePrincess demonstrates this method expertly!

Be sure that your nails are neatly filed or hangnails can snag your hair strands and cause split ends. Finger-detangling is one of the healthiest ways to manage single-strand knots and even clumps of matted, tangled hair.

Isolating the problem area is key, so when you encounter a single-strand knot, separate it from the rest of your hair so that you can adequately focus on detangling.

Hold the tip of the tangled hairs between the index finger and thumb of one hand, while, using your other hand, begin to pull out hairs from the knotted area by pulling on a few strands at a time from an area along the curl shaft, approximately one inch above the tangle.

This will release strands that are trapped in the tangled area, but that are not actually part of the knot, reducing the amount of hair shed from your detangling efforts.

This method will usually reveal about two or three hair strands which are the real culprits of the knot, and allow you to detangle them very easily rather than ripping or pulling at a mass of tangled hair with a comb. In order to maximize length retention, delicate handling of your hair is essential.

But first, if you’ve never even seen your curls before, you have to figure out what works best to hydrate your hair so that they begin to clump together.

ProtectivePrincess discovered that diluting conditioner before applying it to her hair allows her curls to soak up moisture better, but for you it might be deep conditioning* more frequently, or even applying an extreme treatment like the Maximum Hydration Method.

Stop assuming that your hair has no hope and doggedly experiment until you succeed. A dry, frizzy head of hair is severely lacking in moisture!

This is also what limits length retention and causes tangling. If you want to achieving the maximum health of your hair, you have to learn to listen to it. So first, tackle the moisture, and once your curls are popping and singing, make sure to keep them that way by finger-combing. I switched nearly one year ago, and I haven’t looked back since.