On 4c Hair

This is about hair.

About 4c hair specifically and if you know anything about this hair texture, it's a whole politics all by itself.

So personally, I've never really cared about my hair, natural hair to be specific. I'd like to ascribe that indifference to having my hair barbed when I was still in nursery school. So you could say I've had my hair on low cut much longer than I have a full head of hair.  

I always resort to cutting the hair when I feel like the maintenance is too much. As earlier mentioned, I never quite cared for having hair.

In any case, that was my modus operandi until I began picking on my hair whenever it grew to a knot-able afro. This constant manipulation usually occurs when I'm stressed, bored or just not busy. I knew I had to change or start making hair again when I woke up after a particularly stressful previous day and the hair on my bed was just a lot. I literally went down to a hair dresser that morning to see if my hair could make cornrows.

We call it all-back in Nigeria and by a stroke of luck, it was. So this time, I did what I always do before I embarked on anything. Research!

I wanted to learn how to actually take care of it, make it grow. That's when I discovered Dimma Okike and her promotion of Ayurvedic herbs. It's about making hair products from natural ingredients. Now, I'm not a stranger to hair DIY but the experience I have of it is seeing my roommate do fermented rice and all other stuff. So I resolved if that was the requirements for hair, I ain't doing all of that.

However, the recommendation I had seen from the Dimma's channel was considerably straight forward. The particular video that seemed achievable to me was the Fenugreek, Cloves, Cinnamon and Rosemary leaves infused with hot water for 12 hours. It seemed straight forward for me and luckily Jumia was on Black Friday sales so I figured I'd order this and test it out. Especially since I've always liked a lil DIY, I do it for skin with shea butter body butter.

In any case, I was dedicated in my usage. So when it came to my first deep hair wash day, I asked Gemini for steps to use. And I didn't quite follow it correctly cos I loosened my braids before prepoo, shampooing. And for some reason, it told me I needed to wash my hair after using the hair fertilizer from Mediana and using a Steam Cap for 20 mins. So to my great disappointment, my hair was still coarse after that second rinse. I wasn't able to comb it well.

So I complained to Gemini again and told it to give me a routine that won't take that much time and I don't need to wash the hair twice. That's when it recommended I leave the braids throughout the hair wash process until after the Heat Cap Steaming.

And who would have thought it. My hair was so soft that I was genuinely shocked. The way the afro comb was gliding through, I didn't believe it myself. Sure, I used a wig brush and was combing after every hair loosen of the braids. But I followed that up with the afro comb and melded the already loosened part. It was still so soft. 

I felt like I found the Holy Grail. My goodness, this routine was just perfect and it didn't even take me as much time as I had the last time. And I've not even gushed about the hair loss 

Now, people lose an average of 100 hair every day but what caused even more hair to fall off is the hair knotting as it's washed. So having my braids in while I wash and do all of the heating made it really pliable and not knotted yet. I mean here is a picture of the total hair that came out after I'd combed it.

I can't explain how relieved I am with this routine. More so, since I've sworn off to any and every one that my hair is just coarse and never ever soft. I genuinely believed my hair is the hardest hair I've come across. But the fact that it even has this semblance of softness, I am immensely grateful to have researched this.

I think what also gave me an Eureka moment was coming across this video on The Conversation Channel with a guest, Laetitia Vambili, the founder of Love your Locks on the 41mins 50secs mark.

I'll paraphrase her argument but basically that as Black women, we always complain that the hair is difficult to handle. But we spend 8 hours plus getting braids with attachments. She also referenced other cultures, that their women also take time to wash their hair or get it as curly. I suppose hair care is a "burden" we have to carry as women. But her perspective really changed things up for me, more than those who postulate on not liking maintaining natural hair being a self-hatred of one's race. 

In any case, I'm still on a journey on growing it out. After this phase, it would be getting onto straight natural/blow drying it out cos my hair really curls up quite fast. And I love the idea of having my own hair like it's a wig. But that's still some couple of years to go.

One thing is certain, I'm now in the business of growing my hair.