4a texture Archives - Curly in Colorado

Easy Up-Do on Stretched Natural Hair

Posted on by Michelle

www.Curlyincolorado.com stretched natural hair style

Easy Up-Do on Stretched Natural Hair

There are all sorts of ways to stretch natural hair and I’ve pretty much tried them all. Thing is, I am always stuck trying to figure out how to style my hair once it’s stretched. Enter the Up-Do. After watching plenty of videos on the subject, I can finally say I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.

The Crown Braid style that I demonstrated in my french braiding video is a favorite of mine. It can last several days if I keep it wrapped up at night. Lately though I wanted something with a little more pizazz and found this look that was also really easy
to do.

This is similar to the look that Teyonah Parris rocked on the red carpet at the SAG awards last year. I like that you can change this into a mohawk style or go with a simple bun. This is truly where stretched natural hair shines because the texture gives fullness to the style.

Here’s a pictorial of how I achieved this style.

I first sectioned off my bangs with a u-shape part

curlyincolorado.com stretched natural hair style

Then I split the rest of my hair into two sections parting from ear to ear. Next, I pulled each section into ponytails using elastic bands to secure.

Now it’s time for some bobby pins. I just took the bottom ponytail and split the hair into three. I finger rolled my hair like I was pincurling it and bobby pinned the hair down towards the base of the elastic.

Finger Rolling

Roll down toward the base of the elastic

Pin Down with a Bobby Pin

I took the other two sections and did the same thing, pinning them around the sides of the elastic for a full bun effect.

This ponytail was split into three sections

I did the same rolling and pinning on the second/top ponytail and then moved on to the bangs.

The bangs can be pinned back into a pompadour or swooped forward. This is usually where I freestyle a bit until I get the hair how I want it.

Swooped bangs

I finished the style by smoothing the sides with a soft bristle brush and there you have it. So Easy!

The finished look

This Up-Do is too easy to pass up. Let me know if you give it a try!

Tips on How to Define Type 4 Curls

Posted on by Michelle

My hair wet with product

Sometimes I feel like I should be crowned the Wash n’ Go queen by now after all of the products and techniques I’ve experimented with to achieve the curly look. Washing my hair and just heading out the door is never the case. I have curls but they are “type 4” curls. Yes, I’m talking about the hair typing system. It’s not my favorite way to categorize my hair but hopefully it will give others a way to gage whether my techinques will work for them.

My curls are tight corkscrew coils, lazy “s” shapes and everything in between. I even have a section that laughs at the idea of curl definition. Oh and let’s not forget about the shrinkage. I would say mine can be up to 75% but it depends on the day.

In order to get my curls to pop, there are certain things that I must do in order to get the definition I want. Just so you know, I’m usually looking for hair that will last me a few days without feeling drastically dry and brittle. I’m still looking for a softer hold solution but at least I’ve got the curl definition part down.

Here are some things that I have learned when styling my own hair

My hair freshly washed and detangled
using a denman brush.
Dry with no product

1. Start with clean hair

For some this may mean co-washing; for others, shampoo. I’ve noticed that I really do get the best results after cleansing my hair. Otherwise, I end up with so-so results.

2. Detangle, detangle, detangle

There are times where I skip this step and I always pay for it. Not only does this cut help to cut down on the time it takes to apply the products but the hair is also way easier to work with. Whether you’re shingling, raking or combing product through remember to start with detangled hair.

3. Make sure hair is soaking wet

When my hair begins to dry, all of those pretty little curls go poof! Any curl defining product out there is really just a way to lock your curls into place. My hair is at it’s curliest when it’s dripping wet so I start with that. When sections begin to dry, I make sure to keep a spray bottle handy so I can wake those curls back up.

4. Work in small sections

We’ve all seen the videos where someone takes a quarter size amount of product and applies it to all of their waist length hair and voila; curl definition. Not for our hair texture! It’s best to keep the sections as small as possible so that each and every little curl can get enough product from root to tip. Sometimes, big hair is desirable but if you want every curl accounted for, using smaller sections is the way to go.

I get lots of curl definition using product
on wet hair

5. Smooth those ends

After I have completely raked the product through a section, I always go over my ends, using my fingers, to smooth them out. This will ensure that the curl lays flatter and discourages those stubborn single strand knots.

6. Once the products are all in, LEAVE IT ALONE!

This is a biggie. I’ve done it myself more times than I can count. Still, you’ve got to leave your wet hair be until you’ve got that, dried “cast” that tells you it’s okay to touch your curls. Even if you choose to diffuse, remember not to handle your hair with your fingers because this will cause lots of unwanted frizz. Simply tilt your head and let your curls drop into the diffuser so that it can do its’ thing.

I hope these tips will help someone out there. I sure wish I would have known all of this long ago when I first went natural. Still, I’m pretty happy with my coily creations and that’s all that matters.

Saying Goodbye to Heat Damage

Posted on by Michelle

In the last couple of videos that I posted to YouTube, I discussed my straight, heat damaged bangs and how I styled them so that they would blend in with the rest of my hair. Shortly after posting those I started a six week Wash n’ Go binge and wore my hair curly the whole time. For a while I was fine with pushing the straight pieces back or braiding the hair into a headband. During this time I was also reading the Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey and learning more about my curls and how to work with them. I kept looking at my damaged hair and wondered, why was I holding on to the straight pieces?

Using small perm rods to camouflage the straight pieces

After much contemplation, I finally decided to break out the shears. I already knew that I had curly bangs in my future so why not just get on with it? First, I wet the hair that I sectioned off for the cut. This made it easier to tell where the textured hair met the straight ends. Then I placed a long metal clip across that line of demarcation and cut. I thought that would do it but the straight pieces were still another inch into the length of my bangs so I snipped again. I was surprised to see a small, one inch section where my hair was just blah; not really curly or straight. The rest of the bang was curling up the way I expected. I ended up with a Betty Paige style look which for me was just fine.

AFTER
Short Bangs

BEFORE
Straight Pieces in Front

It’s been about a month and a half since the mini chop and I have to say that for the most part, the bangs are fine by me. The curls are in good shape even after wearing my hair straight a couple of times. I refuse to use my flat iron on that area because the 400 degree temperature is just too much. Instead I use my Gold n’ Hot Curling Iron which only gets up to 300 at best. I’m also liking the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny for my heat protectant these days.

I do wish the bangs were a teensy bit longer though so that it would be easier to braid them down into a cute headband. Of course this is possible with a little help from my Eco Styler gel. I’m also realizing that I won’t be able to slick all of my hair back for awhile. For now though, I’m just enjoying the new look and loving the curls.

Used a metal clip to section off bangs

Bye Bye Heat Damage

Bangs before cutting a bit more

Check out my post on how I treated my Heat Damaged Hair

DIY Eco Styler Gel Custard Recipe

Posted on by Michelle

After many months of searching for an alternative to Eco Styler Gel, I finally resigned to the fact that it’s the only gel that gives the hold and definition my curls crave. Still, I always got the dreaded dry, crunchy feeling everytime I used it. I usually apply a leave-in to my wet hair and seal the moisture in with an oil underneath the gel. No matter what, I kept getting the same result. After reading through the book, Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey, I found out that the crunch or “cast” the gel leaves behind is actually a good thing. This is when you know your curls have been set into place. I found this to be true because after air drying, I’m usually able to fluff and style my hair without worrying about losing my curl definition. The book suggests that you scrunch the hair to remove the crunch but I sometimes kept getting a dry feeling after this step.

I figured out that the combination of an oil and a mositurizer underneath the gel gave me much softer hair. This however led to applying lots of products one by one. By the time I reached the front sections of my hair it was dry and not as manageable. I wanted a way to apply the products quicker so I decided to just whip them all together and came up with a nice custard consistency. I’m realizing that this is a much easier way to apply my products and my curls love it!

Here’s the recipe I came up with

Eco Styler Gel Custard

6 oz. Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel (or fill a 12 oz container half way)

2 Tblsp. Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme Hairdress for Dry Hair*

1 Tblsp. Castor/Coconut Oil Mix**

Place ingredients in a small container. Whip together until all ingredients are combined. The mixture will have a pudding like consistency.

*You can substitute another moisturizer; one that pairs well with Eco Gel

**I use a 50/50 Castor/Coconut oil mix to seal my hair. For this recipe I just used 1 Tblsp of my pre-mixed oil.

The Application

After cleansing and conditioning, I apply my leave-in conditioner (currently Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner) to my hair while it’s still wet. Next I section my hair into four sections to keep my hair up while I’m styling. Within each section I make small parts and apply my Eco Gel Custard. I use a smoothing and raking motion to help give the curls definition. I’ve also started sealing the hair with oil after applying the gel custard for an even softer hold but this is optional. Then, I let it airdry for about an hour or so before I use a blow dryer on the roots. You can also plop the hair with a T-Shirt to help with the drying time or just continue to air dry.

Final Thoughts

I’m finding that the mixture also works on my edges when I wear my hair up. I haven’t done a braid-out or twist-out with it yet but it looks like it may give good results. I’m going to continue to play with the recipe but this version seems to work well on my hair which is a 4a/4b texture. I’ve also started using it on my son’s curly 3b/3c/4a hair and it is also responding well. The only thing I noticed is that I’m getting a lot more shrinkage because my curls just love the moisture. To get more hang time I usually just stretch it by pulling it back at night.

Protecting Your Hair at Night

Posted on by Michelle

Satin Bonnet
for when I’m wearing rollers and
curly braid outs

I’ve been writing lately about Protective Hairstyles which can help with length retention. Yet another way to protect the hair is by wrapping it up at night. This may sound like a no brainer to some but there is a lot of benefit for the hair by doing this one thing. This practice can be a huge help when trying to reach your hair length goals.

I recently re-read a bit of Wanakee Pugh’s “Practical Guide to Haircare” and something stood out to me. She stated that even if your hair is too short to be pulled back into a protective style, you can still benefit from wrapping your hair at night. This reminded me of the beginning of my Natural Hair journey because I did this faithfully every night. My hair was maybe only 1 1/2 inches long at the time but I kept it wrapped up in my satin scarves when I went to sleep. Now that my hair is longer I can tell a huge difference in my hair when I go to bed without covering it up. I wake up to tangles and sometimes dryness. I agree that it is not the cutest look going but it works.

I mentioned my satin scarves (I have a nice little collection) but you can also use a satin bonnet. Satin is a man made material that is easy to wash and can be long lasting. This is highly recommended as far as material choice because it does not draw moisture away from the hair and is smooth so it won’t disturb it very much while you sleep. When I wear rollers to bed I usually reach for my satin bonnet. Otherwise, I have scarves in a variety of sizes for when I wear braids, twists and protective styles to bed. Here’s a few pics of how I wrap my hair.

Pineapple for the Corkscrew Braid Out
with my edges protected

Air drying while smoothing my edges

Large Satin Scarf to protect my
Roller Set from the rain

Satin Bonnets and Scarves from
the local BSS