Growing Type 4 Hair

There are thousands of blogs, vlogs, and articles that center growing type 4 hair. Within these blogs, are a multitude of tips and hair products that draw an audience with the promise of growing type 4 hair to unthinkable lengths. However, as a type 4 hair woman who is approaching her 16-inch length check, I am here to tell you that growing typing 4 hair has become too elaborate.

I was a teenager when I became an official member of the natural hair movement. After watching various YouTube gurus (like Chime Edwards), I finally gained the willpower and confidence to pursue a different way of caring for and viewing type 4 hair. However, it was in the YouTube natural hair space, that I also gained a misleading and discouraging assumption of how to properly care for and treat my hair. Every type 4 natural hair YouTuber I saw, seemed to voice an implicit requirement that a good hair regime required four-hour wash days and dozens of differing creams, conditioners, and oils.

But the more I pursued what I saw, the more unhealthy the relationship between myself and my hair became. I grew frustrated that my hair did not take to products like the gurus said it would. I grew frustrated that my hair manipulation techniques seemed to worsen the condition of my hair rather than make it more manageable. So, I decided to do something radical. I decided, that I would use as little manipulation and product as possible to manage my hair. This resulted in me narrowing down my natural hair collection to: a wide tooth comb, a detangler brush, a deep conditioning mask, a conditioner, a shampoo, styling gel, mousse, a bristle brush, and a leave in conditioner.

It was after this simplification that my hair begin to truly thrive and it is also when I came to a vivid realization. That is, that had I not stopped following what others said my hair routine should be like and found my own path, I would have eventually given up on my natural hair journey altogether.

So, with that story out of the way. I am here to give my contribution to the thousands of articles and videos that center growing type 4 hair. If you are starting to feel overwhelmed while caring for your type 4 tresses, maybe simplifying the process will work for you too.