In this article, we’re going to discuss six recommended tips on moisture retention which will help you beat dryness and achieve your desired hair goals.
The problem of dryness
Dryness on hair refers to a lack of moisture and natural oils within the hair strands. It occurs when the hair is not effectively retaining moisture, which leads to a range of issues and challenges.
Dryness can have a significant impact on 4a, 4b, and 4c hair. It can lead to breakage and damage, excessive shrinkage, and difficulty in styling. Dryness is a very big enemy when it comes to hair health and length retention which is every natural’s main goal.
How do you know you’re suffering from dryness?
Like many other hair problems, dryness can be detected. You can know that you’re suffering from dryness if:
- Your hair feels brittle and straw-like
- Hair lacks elasticity and refuses to stretch
- Hair has a dull appearance
- Excessive amount of tangles
- Excessive shedding and shrinkage
- Dry and itchy scalp
Now that we’ve identified a few symptoms of dryness, let’s get into the ten life-saving tips on moisture retention. Without further ado, let’s get into the article! Let’s go!!
Six tips to help you achieve good moisture retention
1. Wear protective styles
Protective styles for hair growth is more than popular in the natural hair community. But sadly, most people do not know how that works. Don’t worry! This section of the article is here to break that down!
Protective styles pack your hair together in sections, making it difficult for moisture to escape. By doing this, they lock in moisture within your strands, without requiring much effort from you. The only thing you have to do is to apply your water-based leave in conditioner daily, weekly or every other day. Just do what fits you, and what works for you and your hair.
2. Deep condition regularly
Deep conditioning treatments help to repair the hair strands, and re-instill moisture that may have been lost. They give the hair a lot of moisture and protein that help to keep it healthy, moisturized and hydrated. They also help to repair and smoothen out the hair cutticles, thereby reducing breakage and making the hair less susceptible to damage.
To kick up your deep conditioning game, consider adding heat by using a heating cap, plastic shower cap, or a hooded dryer. The heat helps to open up your cuticles, increasing the chances of penetration into the strands. This practice would be most beneficial to low porosity haired naturals.
3. Lock in moisture with the LOC method
The LOC method is a very good and effective method for locking in moisture into the hair, which is used all over the world by type 4 hair naturals.
LOC is merely a sequence of moisturizing hair, going in with a Liquid first, (water or a liquid based hair spray), and then an Oil next, (most preferably a lightweight oil), followed by a Conditioner.
Using only a conditioner or only an oil on your hair is absolutely not enough!
When only oil is used on dry hair, it doesn’t penetrate into the hair shaft. It needs moisture to help it penetrate, while the conditioner needs oil to prevent the moisture from escaping the strands.
4. Minimize exposure to heat
Excessive exposure to heat can cause damage to the hair strands. Overly high temperature causes the hair strands to dry out quickly. This can crack the cuticles and expose the hair to further damage. Exposing the hair to heat can also cause dehydration within the strands, which makes the goal of achieving moisture retention merely a dream.
5. Sleep in a satin bonnet/silk pillowcase
Although cotton pillowcases provide comfort and a good night sleep, they also have very high absorbing power. This makes them absorb all the moisture from your hair, leaving your hair frizzy and dry in the morning. The fastest way to beat this is by using a satin bonnet. Satin bonnets help to lock in moisture and prevent dryness. They also compact your curls and prevent movement and friction overnight, which in the end prevents tangles too.
If you are like me and you find it hard to cover your hair at night, a silk pillowcase is the way out. It is also very effective in retaining moisture, and preventing frizzy strands.
6. Use products that help with moisture retention
Water based conditioners and lightweight oils are very good products for moisture retention.
Water based conditioners help to distribute moisture into the hair shaft evenly and neatly. And they are better than oil based conditioners in my opinion because they are able to penetrate easily into the hair shaft.
Lightweight oils have a smaller molecular structure which allows them to penetrate easily and more deeply into the hair shaft. They leave your hair moisturized without feeling heavy or overly weighed down.
Conclusion
Moisture is crucial for 4C hair as it helps maintain its health, strength, and manageability. Our type 4 hair has a natural tendency to be dry due to its tight curl pattern, which makes it more challenging for the scalp’s natural oils to reach the ends of the hair strands.
Frequently moisturizing prevents dryness, brittleness, and breakage, improving the hair’s elasticity and reducing tangles and knots. All these help in length retention and improves overall hair health.
Remember the six tips:
- Wearing protective styles
- Deep condition regularly
- Lock in moisture with LOC method
- Minimize exposure to heat
- Sleep in satin bonnets/ silk pillowcase
- Use products that help with moisture retention
Thanks for reading till the end! If you loved reading this and found this post helpful, please share with people who might need the information. Like, follow, share your thoughts and leave a comment on what topics you would like to see in the comment section. See you in the next post, and until then, happy hair care!
