Are you disappointed when you have tried to wear a decent twist hairstyle only to find that the full and plump twists evade you like a plague? Or, you've ended up with fine, thin twists and a lot of scalp showing? Or, in order to get a full, plump twists it ends up taking up a quarter of the side of your head? I raise my hand on each question.
Fine hair curlies downsides are scalpy twists, hair that is susceptible to breakage, fros that will flop and part like the Red Sea!
My 3c strands love to hang out with each other in thick clumps. They will tend to "ball-up," when hit with a spritz of water or when a creamy-based moisturizer is applied. Dried, moisturized hair causes 3c types to "look as though" they have a thick head of hair like there 4-type curlies. It wants to interwine and tangle itself, causing this hair-type to be plagued with Single Strand Knots (SSKs) or Fairy Knots.
Oh, and another thing, my 3c tresses HATE to be placed in a structured hair style. It prefers the Lion-Mane approach.
Realizing that I will never have those lush, thick ropes of twists cascading from my roots, I sought out the advantages to having the curly, coily fine strands that wind there way, like vines of ivy from my scalp. What? you may ask. Stay with me my curlies, there are some.
Now, that we have covered some of the cons of 3C, let's take a look at the pros for this hair types:
Less Product Usage
Having fine hair means that you will usually only need a dime to a quarter size amount of product to do the job. Coarser and thicker hair types will need more products to do the same trick. Fine hair types can also use lighter sealers like coconut and aloe gel while thicker hair tend to need to use a shea or butter-based product.
Faster to Straighten Hair
Our fine hair takes to heat quicker and easier than those curlies with thicker and coarser hair types. This means fine hair curlies should be extremely careful with the amount of heat that they apply to their tresses and should use their blow dryers at medium to low temperatures. DO NOT hold the flat iron on your strands for long periods. Keep the iron moving in long, even passes.
A Smooth Move!
Breezing Through Summer
Fine hair is breezier in the hot, humid, summer months. This is were your "scalpiness" makes for comfort of style. The denser the hair, the more your scalp will tend to sweat causing you to feel sticky and uncomfortable.
Easier Washing Routine
Our thicker-haired curlies usually will have to part and section their hair prior to even attempting to wash their tresses. However, a blast under the shower with a moisturizing shampoo or conditioner will do the trick for our fine curlies.
Styling With Ease
Less hair, the easier the detangling process becomes. Most of us can finger detangle while thicker curlies resort to Denman brushes, sectioning tools, and elastic ties to hold sections while going through the detangling process.
There you are, seven advantages of having fine textured hair! It is very important to keep your 3C/4A type textures moisturized. For 3s it is important to keep your Leave-Ins light, creamy, and water-based. One of my all time favorites is Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner. My 3C/4A strands loves, loves, loves the glycerin in this product. In fact, if I happen to use another leave-in or styler without glycerin, I have my own LARGE bottle of vegetable-based glycerin that I will add to my product of choosing (even in the winter months!) The trick for winter is to apply your glycerin-based product first and than LAYER your sealer or styler over it. This will SEAL in the moisture that you applied and keep your hair supple, moisturized, and shiny for days!
I hope you enjoyed my rambling about the adventures of my 3c/4a tresses. I'm so enjoying the ability to try new products and tame the mane!
As always, please comment, leave a picture, and or subscribe. Please feel free to send me an e-mail with your hair question or Hair of The Day!
Happy Curls to You My Friend!
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I know this is an old post, but in case you see this comment.... I was wondering what kind of comb/regimen you use when combing your hair. I'm white, my baby is biracial, and his hair, at least for the time being is a 3C, but very thin and fine. I put a leave-in moisturizing detangler (Blended Cutie Curly Cake Shake) twice a day, wetting it first, but he still gets so many knots on the back of his head. I wash/condition it once a week, co-wash a couple of times a week, combing while the conditioner is in. His hair is still dry in the back. (His bro had the same dry patch when he was smaller, but he is now a 3B all around, easier to keep moisturized.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm just having a hard time finding info about *baby* hair, especially baby boy hair. I don't need flatirons, braids, twists, etc. Just how to comb fine curls more easily, and keep it moisturized. Can you help?
Sorry this is so long.
Hi Michelle, Thanks for stopping by. I'm leaning towards believing that although your son is a 3c that sweet little patch, is probably a 4-4a or low porosity (soaks up water immediately but looses it just as fast). The problem is that the moisture is continuing to escape the hair strands. I would try incorporating naturals oils in his regimen to "SEAL" in the moisture. Oils like jojoba, coconut, and olive oil. Adds these right after you've wet or added water to his hair. There are also lines that have baby dedicated products like Burt Bees and Curls.
ReplyDeleteSo, I would just add the oil in your regimen. You can even add it to your leave-in for a one-step application. Let me know how it works for you!
Best wishes with those darling boys!
Thanks, I'll try that! We have the Burt's Bees oil. We had tried it with Big Bro when he was a baby but it just laid on his hair, didn't soak in, so we just put it aside. Will see how it works on Baby. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, leaving you a response. Unfortunately the added oil didn't really do too much more to help. (Same thing happened with his bro, just lies on top, doesn't soak in.) But, I just tried using a LOT more detangler or his regular conditioner (not a leave-in, just Blended Cutie Tug-Me-Not) after wetting it, and it goes a lot easier. (I think the wetting helped as well, as long as you get the back with the moisturizer/conditioner super-fast before it dries in 2 secs! You are right about the low porosity.)
ReplyDeleteI thought it would be too much to use his regular conditioner for his twice-daily combing sessions, but it hasn't. Fortunately he is a pretty chill baby, and doesn't fuss too much when we do get the occasional snag in the really dry patch in the back. Thanks for your help!
Oh, also, I received a rec from a friend of a friend that I haven't tried yet, but plan to. It a recipe using conditioner from Luv Naturals line:
ReplyDelete1 tablespoon Kinky Curly Knot Today
1 tablespoon Aloe Vera Juice
1 teaspoon Castor Oil
1 teaspoon Jojoba Oil
Welcome back. It's funny you wrote in today. I was revisiting the "Tightly Curly Method" again. 3c hair types love moisture and conditioner! I had ventured off trying other regiments but I'm finding that the old tried and true is the best. I co-wash, load up the conditioner, refresh with a spritz of water and I'm one happy 3c lady!
ReplyDeleteI bet your little princes are darlings and I'm glad you found something that works! Best wishes to you and your family and keep me posted!
i think that i have 3c fine hair the first and 4th, and fifth, photo really let me know that my hair has thin,
ReplyDeletetresses of fine 3c, hair so no matter how thick they curls still gonna have a thin kinda more define look everything that
describe fine hair related to mine. It kinda made since that your hair may look 4a, because your tresses are naturally thinner
but you bascically really a 3c just u have finner tresses so they naturally look smaller i have 3c coils but mines is not your average thick coils that are full
Hello, I'm new to transitioning (7 months) without the big chop. I attempted my first wash and I used Cantu shampoo & Moroccan Organ oil as for hot oil treatment- Ithe was going well until I came out from under the dryer after 10 min.it started matting really bad that I had to cut an inch off..I don't know what happened so I don't know what not to do..it's soo frustrating and I'm afraid to even wash my hair��
ReplyDeleteGreetings anonymous -- There are a couple of things at play here. First, you are dealing with TWO different textures which will react to some products differently. I believe the problem was not properly "detangling" and sectioning your hair. If you shampooed your hair "natural" roots the same way you normally have, the action of rubbing the natural hair causes it to entangle and after being in that state a while, the hair matted. I would suggest when your wash your hair next time, section in 4 large sections. Use a detangler like a hair conditioner or moisturizer. Comb through hair, run water and lightly rub scalp to loosen dirt. Clamp section 1 and continue with each section. After washing, add your leave-in and styler to each section and you should be good!
ReplyDeleteThis was right on time, this is day 2 of me trying to do twists out on this fine hair of mine. I WAS WONDERING WHY I keep getting MORE SCALP THAN CURLS. Thanks Lol gonna go ahead and take my few rollets out.
ReplyDelete