The Best Tips for Kinky Hair Care

Kinky hair needs tender, loving care. This type of hair is delicate and prone to dryness. Discover the best tips for kinky hair care, from gentle cleansing and moisturizing recommendations to ways to reduce damage during styling. It may be possible to reduce damage, dryness, frizz and shrinkage for kinky hair that looks and feels its best.

Gently Cleanse Kinky Hair

Cleansing your hair is an opportunity to re-balance the moisture levels of your scalp and strands. People who have kinky hair should avoid shampoo containing harsh sulfates.

One of the best cleansers for kinky hair is Matrix Biolage Exquisite Oil Shampoo, 13.5 oz. This shampoo for dry hair features a blend of moringa, macadamia, coconut and almond oils.

Choosing the ideal products for your hair is easier if you know your precise hair type. According to the Andre Walker system, kinky hair is Type 4. Strands with a defined “s”-shape are considered type 4A. Type 4B hair has a “z”-shaped pattern. Type 4C hair does not have a defined pattern.

Type 4 strands stand to benefit most from oil-based, gentle shampoos. Reduce the frequency of cleansing to no more than twice a week to promote overall hair health. Wetting your hair on a regular basis is essential to restore vital hydration.

Keep Kinky Hair Moisturized

Kinky hair can also benefit from moisturizing conditioners. Look for formulas containing castor or coconut oils or mango, murumuru or shea butters. You can apply these ingredients directly or look for an oil-based conditioner to seal hydration into strands.

Many people with kinky hair use the LOC method, which is an acronym for liquid, oil and conditioner. Applying substances in this order maximizes the absorption of moisture into strands and creates a protective shield. After rinsing and blotting hair dry with a towel, apply hair oil followed by leave-in conditioner.

Knowing your level of hair porosity is essential to proper care. Porosity indicates the capacity of hair to hold water and permit ambient moisture to pass through, which can cause frizz.

A simple hair porosity test involves placing a strand of hair in a bowl of water. If the strand keeps floating, your hair has low porosity. A strand that sinks after a while indicates medium porosity. A strand that sinks quickly has high porosity.

Dry and porous hair is often natural and hereditary, but these issues can be worsened by styling damage. Chemical processes and heat styling both have the potential to make kinky hair even more prone to breakage and frizz.

It may be possible to minimize levels of damage by using heat-free styling methods on natural Type 4 hair. Use damage repairing or moisturizing conditioner followed by a leave-in conditioner or styling products for your unique hair concerns.

Styling Tips for Kinky Hair Care

Heat-free or minimal heat styling can improve the condition of hair over time. Type 4 hair particularly benefits from braid-out or twist-out methods.

It is important to use the right styling products for no-heat or low-heat texture control. A popular favorite is Ouidad Curl Immersion Silky Souffle Setting Creme, 8 oz. A quarter-sized amount of this cream enriched with mafura butter, Kalahari melon seed oil, avocado, coconut and grapeseed oils can nourish any Type 4 hair.

A braid-out method involves following the LOC method prior to braiding hair. This process can take up to one-and-a-half days to dry, so you may want to put your hair up in a du-rag or silk scarf for protection.

A twist-out is a similar method that involves twisting strands inward or outward. Use your fingers to create coils or styling tools such as flex rods. Speed up either method by blow drying hair or sit under a hood dryer on low heat.

Applying heat to hair causes damage. Make sure to use heat protectant on kinky hair. If possible, air dry hair as long as possible. Aim to reduce the duration, frequency and intensity of heat styling.

These tips for kinky hair care can be helpful for Type 4 hair. Coily hair is type 4A, and may have more in common with Type 3 curls. Learn more from the LaLa Daisy Complete Guide to Kinky Hair, in our Beauty Resource Center on this website.

For more information read this article from Good Housekeeping entitled How to figure out your curly hair type and why it matters?