You don’t have to be a body builder or run 20 miles a week to stay healthy, but doctors recommend. 1. Happy New Year! The first step to having healthy and great looking strands is cleaning. Does 150 minutes a week sound unattainable? You’re going to want to take notes on these tips and send them to a curl friend—they’re that good. Like Johnson, she reaches for her favorite co-wash instead. Check our our selection here. When women realize the positive effects working out has not only on their bodies but their entire psyche, they’ll get hooked. I deep condition every week without fail.”, If you’re not sure how to incorporate super-hydrating products into your routine, try Darby's method: “Before I go to the gym, I put my hair in a high ponytail and spritz a DIY moisturizing concoction that works like a leave-in conditioner. A silk scarf will serve as an accessory and a sweatband! This way, my braids are never in my face when I’m working out, and I can let them down after I cool off.”, Darby never thought she would, but she recently invested in a wig. There are simple hairstyles for your 4c natural hair which you would absolutely love. Often referred to as kinky or coily. It’s best to coat your hair with oils when it’s already damp,” Johnson says. There is a lot of shrinkage with 4C hair (up to 75%!) It helps to keep your eye on the prize when the “growing” gets rough. 2. Does 150 minutes a week sound unattainable? We don’t even mean in terms of time, effort, or money. A scarf is a good barrier between your sweat and your edges. ... You can rock them as is, or unravel the knots (like in this video tutorial) for a gorgeous twist-out effect. Having natural 4C hair can sometimes feel like a part-time job with no payday in sight. But sadly, there are many others who struggle to exercise sufficiently. It's coily and springier than type 4a. It’s all about giving your hair the time and attention it deserves. Don't get us wrong- there are so many naturals who do work out and stay healthy! For the various products you will need, check out my favorite 4C Hair Products for ideas and try out these DIYs. Well washing your hair out with shampoo frequently can dry your hair out excessively and strip your hair and scalp of natural oils and moisture, leaving your hair dry and frizzy. It’ll be back to normal in no time.”, Darby’s method is similar, but she makes sure to first identify where your hair’s central sweat spot is. We’re all guilty of it. “I don’t use shampoo. Darby likes her hair to be fashionable and functional for her workouts and her style switches up depending on the workout. Don't get us wrong- there are so many naturals who do work out and stay healthy! But I’ll co-wash my hair and apply a creamy cleanser once a week for hydration,” Darby notes. FREE shipping on orders $55+ | FREE hand sanitizer, alligator clips, and detangling brush on orders $100+. Fitness will transform your entire life.”, “You have to be willing to commit and take time for your hair,” explains Johnson. Sweat already dries out your hair, and using shampoo in addition will remove natural oils from your hair and dry it out even more. You can use the cool setting on a blow dryer to speed up this process! It’s like a relationship, once you stay in it, the longer you learn it—I’ve been in a relationship with my hair in its natural state for eight years, so I can tell when it’s about to dry out or needs a little more TLC when I’m working out.”. Q: How do you maintain your hair while working out? “I pull my ponytail up tight enough so that my roots won’t curl up, but loose enough so that I won’t pull my edges out. While satin protects your hair from breakage, it can increase and trap sweat if you overdo it. At WH, we believe sweat changes everything. As someone who exercises regularly (5x a week) with high-intensity workouts, sweat is a big part of my life. By using Byrdie, you accept our. K, so even though blowing out your natural hair might seem like a self-explanatory process, there's actually a lot you need to keep in mind if you're trying to avoid heat damage or breakage. Made really popular in the 60s during the Black Panther Movement; African American men & women embraced their natural hair and wore this style in support of the civil rights movement. Conditioners for 4c Natural Hair. I find her products are working better on my hair now than they did a few years ago esp the Healthy Hair Butter & the Hair Milk. Before my mom sought out a consistent hairstylist, I was a regular in my aunt’s kitchen, as well as in whatever hair or braiding salon my mom enjoyed. 4C Hair Care On The Kinky-Coily Side of The Game, How Often to Wash Natural Hair. Natural hair advice is often sold as universal, but it’s not. If you have 4C hair you may be puzzled why your natural haircare regime isn’t bringing out the best in your coils. As the weekend goes on, by Sunday, my brunch hair is so big due to the sweat I’ve had during my workout,” she says. “Depending on how long your hair is, start by pulling your hair into a tight topknot or a low ponytail,” explains Johnson. Then, release your tight topknot or low ponytail. Your hair will be so soft.”, “I just moved to Los Angeles from New York and find that with the climate change, my hair needs a bit more moisture,” explains Darby. Either dieting, exercising (or a combo of both), black women are moving in the direction of bettering their bodies and their hair. If your natural hair is too greasy, washing your hair once or twice a week is enough to keep the hair healthy, If you still want to wash more often and do not want to attack the lipid coat too much, wash one with shampoo and conditioner, use only conditioner on the next wash and leave out the shampoo. This is just asking for it! It’s already alarming that the CDC reports over 57% of Black women who are 20 and older—compared to 37% of the general population—are obese. Here are our tips and guidance for exercising with natural hair. Well, caring for your hair. For natural black hair, a thorough cleaning once every few days and a daily leave-in-conditioner or moisturizing cream is a must. “I love rosemary oil because it helps my hair grow and thoroughly cleans my scalp. Type 4c hair is the most delicate of all hair types. None of our other suggestions will have a chance at working if you haven’t mastered this tactic first. "I realized all of the people working out with me didn’t look like me, and I knew it was because of our attachment to our hair," she says. Start with already moistured hair. 7 Things you can do to keep working out with natural hair . However, 4c natural hair does not always have a defined shape or curl pattern. When you’re working out, your ends will get brittle because they’re always wet. It’s coily and springier than type 4a.It also has an “s” pattern, making it different from the “z” pattern of 4b hair.. One simple, cheap, and time-saving way to grow 4C natural hair is by using mini-twists. Side Flat Twist Out on Stretched Hair. Styling your natural hair for work can be a drag sometimes! Deva Curl Buildup Booster ($37) is a cleanser that doesn’t sud up like shampoo, but it cleans my hair from all the buildup. This stops Black women from working out because it’s frustrating. “Our hair comes in many different textures and styles, which take a lot of dedication to keep up. And that’s false. "Sweat is a combination of your body exuding salt, which can be drying on your hair. Twist-out Frohawk. After you work out, cool down first. Jul 11, 2020 - Working out with natural hair doesn't have to be a choice between one or the other. I realized that working out with natural hair can be extremely tricky, but I eventually found a few tips that work for me, and I see the difference in my locs after following them. In my journey to becoming natural, I’ve realized that I’d rather be lazy than spend hours out of my week caring for my coils. Be honest—has a fresh flatiron ever stopped you from working out? Then I apply coconut oil to my edges and wear a cotton band to absorb the moisture and soak up the sweat. Post-workout, my hair has this messy, big curly look that I love because it’s been treated with all my intentional haircare steps beforehand. A deep conditioning routine is essential to replenish your hair with moisture and protect it from damage and sweat. As we like to say here at Hibiscus Roots, there isn’t one valid way to grow natural hair. According to a 2014 study, 45% of African American women avoid exercise because of their hair. It has no defined curl pattern. A twist out is a great way to achieve loose to tightly coiled curls and can last for up to three days. Our Avocado Deep Conditioners are especially formulated to protect and repair dry, damaged, or dull hair with natural nutrients and moisture. Natural hair absolutely should not prevent you from experiencing all these benefits of exercise, but we also know that sweat and excessive washing can damage natural curls. Using a clarifier with peppermint oil will help your scalp feel refreshed. 4c natural hair is the kinkiest hair texture in the type 4 hair family. Exercising regularly is great for your body, for developing discipline and it's also amazing for your hair. “I’m a ‘sports bra and slicked-back hair’ type of girl so I can just get it in. It's completely possible to work out & keep your natural hair fresh. It wasn’t my goal to change my texture so I can have some waves or spirals. Going to the gym with a flat-twist out, braid out or anything "out" is not the greatest idea if you expect your hair to sustain the fresh look from when you took it down. Pineapple. Taraji P. Henson on the Face Cream She's Used for 20 Years and Her Love of Squats, Yes, Men Should Use Conditioner—Here's Why, If You're Extremely Active With Textured Hair, These 9 Products Are Absolutely Essential, The 17 Best 4c Hair Products that Will Make Your Curls Pop, Your Complete Guide to Hair Plopping for Perfect Curls, How to Maintain Black Hair During Exercise, Thinking About Havana Twists? This ongoing issue in our community stems from the endemic belief that there’s no way to maintain natural hair while exercising. Check our our selection. As my 4c hair grows out, in all honesty, it hasn’t been the easiest to detangle. Here are our tips and guidance for exercising with natural hair. Also, did you know that the health of your hair correlates with the health of your body? Trust me I know how I look and smell when I finish my routine. “The key is to moisturize,” says Darby. If you were ever on a sports team or went through a season of exercising frequently, you’ll remember feeling better and happier on a daily basis when you exercised regularly. Maya was an assistant editor at Byrdie for a year and a half. This type of hair requires a gentle touch to ensure that breakage doesn't occur, because hair this curly tends to be very fragile. Coined as an “afro”, women have worn this style decade after decade. That’s a little less than an hour, three times a week. Type 4 Natural Hair: How to Work out Your Curl Pattern Get to know the A, B, C's of type 4 natural hair! “On Monday, I won’t shampoo because I don’t want to strip my hair’s natural moisture. After I work out, I hit my braids with a blow-dryer on cool and take them out. Ahead, the 15 best 4C hair products—from a cleansing conditioner to a leave-in spray—that will moisturize, define, and smooth out your curls. Darby is a huge proponent of sticking to a strict regimen to manage her hair and workouts. I fill up a spray bottle with 3/4 water natural spring water, a dollop of my go-to conditioner, and a few drops of essential oils like lavender or witch hazel. Additionally, a 2011 study proved that 45% of Black women who were polled admitted to avoiding the gym because they didn’t want to ruin their hair. Trust me, I know since I have 4c hair as well. If you have natural hair then you know that life begins and ends with keeping your hair well moisturised. Falling For NaturAll: Valentine's Day Hairstyle Guide, Delivery with NaturAll: Your Questions Answered, How To Maintain Natural Hair While Exercising. Then, something finally clicks. “It was always pretty discouraging and a mystery to me why my fellow sisters weren’t sweating with me,” says Darby. 4c natural hair is the kinkiest hair texture in the type 4 hair family. get discouraged or sacrifice your health for your hair. After an accidental pixie cut in May 2017 (long story, which I wrote about in detail for Bustle), I started wearing a variety of protective styles in an effort to grow my hair out.Box braids, Marley twists, crochet braids — you name it, I wrote it. Maintaining and Caring for 4c Natural Hair. Once it’s damp, the first thing I do is put in some leave-in conditioner. I wore protective styles all the time but whenever I detangled I would lose hair the size of a baseball doing the style and then again during takedown. Newer Post →. The thing about 4c hair is that it requires a lot of maintenance. The coconut oil, the leave-in conditioner, and the essential oils mixed with a little bit of sweat are the perfect combination for my natural hair.”, Johnson also swears by keeping moisture in her hair when she’s sweating 24/7. This will prevent your edges from getting frizzy. 4C Twist Out – Tightly Coiled Curls . Pressed hair is harder to maintain with an exercise regimen. Having 4c hair can be a struggle for some people, but once you understand it, your life will be much easier. Natural hair is already naturally dryer than other textures. I think it’s actually easier to maintain than non-natural hair. per week to maintain your health. Mar 24, 2020 - Working out with natural hair doesn't have to be a choice between one or the other. Always use a wide tooth comb or even try finger detangling your hair for a more gentle approach. While 4B hair typically means Z-shaped curls, 4A hair has an S-shaped curl pattern that allows for more defined ringlets. However, if you are low porosity you SHOULD definitely be washing your natural hair often! When I let my buns loose, it leaves my hair with a nice wave and volume. Just spritz your strands with water, shake, and mousse.”, Box braids are also one of Johnson’s go-to protective styles. Let This Be Your Guide, I Bleached My Natural Hair to a "Honey Blonde" Shade at Home—Here's How, A Step-by-Step Guide to The Curly Girl Method, I Tried Melanin Hair Care's Popular Twist-Elongating Cream—Here Are My Honest Thoughts, 18 Deep Conditioners That Add Serious Moisture to Natural Hair, Meet the Maximum Hydration Method: 6 Steps to Soft, Natural Hair, Hailee Steinfeld's 15-Minute Fitness Routine Is Refreshingly Simple, How to Make Your Hair Look 10x Better Than It Already Is, Byrdie uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. “Natural hair is the easiest version of hair to have when you’re working out,” explains Darby. Steam is really good to loosen up your muscles as well.”, Afterward, she rinses with cool water and dries her hair with an old T-shirt. A: Hair is usually an afterthought when it comes to my healthy-living routine. I’ll keep the ponytail in as long as I can so my hair fully dries from my workout. Nigella Miller is a NYC-based natural hair and grooming expert with over 13 years of experience. ... than a 4C natural with thick strands. For tips on WNGs, check out this tutorial. You don’t have to be a body builder or run 20 miles a week to stay healthy, but doctors recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to maintain your health. Take a quiz to find out which products are right for you. The cotton from the shirt is going to absorb moisture and tame frizz. The Basics of Taking Care of Type 4c Natural Hair. Try a bun, ponytail, or pineapple to keep your curls off your face and neck, which will reduce contact with sweat and sweat overall. This made consider a keratin treatment. While I sweat and work out, I don’t want all the toxins to dry out my hair, so I keep it oiled and hydrated by co-washing.”.