17 “How to Soften Coarse 4C Hair”
HOLY GRAIL Moisture Regimen Methods

To soften black natural hair you must have and PRACTICE a consistent natural hair regimen, you cannot skip deep conditioning treatment masks. If you want your hair to be soft, you have to follow the rules to soft 4c hair. it's that simple. You have to have certain, daily, weekly and monthly routines and regimens that you follow. 

What is the definition of a “hair regimen”?

The definition of having a hair regimen is you have a set plan of actions and products that you use on a regular basis. That’s how to soften coarse 4C hair.

You can't just ignore your hair and its needs, if you do, it will just remain hard and difficult to manage. And this is what makes many women feel like they don't like their hair or they even hate having type 4C hair or kinky natural hair in general, like 4A and 4B as well.

If you are not consistent, you will fail.

And don’t have a hair regi-maybe, instead of a true regimen!

Meaning that you follow your regimen this month and then you don't next month. You will struggle with how to properly moisturize natural hair and make it soft to the touch.

Further down this tutorial, you’ll find PROVEN METHODS for softening Black natural hair like the Baggy method, LCO method, LOC method, the Maximum Hydration Method, etc.

This tip separates the struggling “lazy naturals” from the outstanding, all-eyes-on-me, hair growing like crazy,  “Imma let you see and appreciate my greatness” naturals…

Your hair needs to sleep in a moisturized state, that's how to soften coarse 4C hair. You need to wrap your hair in a silky cap, or you can use a silky or satin pillowcase, never use a cotton pillowcase because it sucks moisture from hair, and makes your natural 4C hair dry and hard. Never go to bed with unmoisturized hair. That is a sin.

Deep conditioning is a key step in how to soften coarse 4C hair, and when understanding how to make natural hair soft and curly. You need to know...

What does a deep conditioner treatment do? 

The answer is, ALOT! When you use the best deep conditioners for 4C hair you’re blessing your tresses with a special healing and nutrient-infusion treatment that helps greatly in improving your overall hair health. 

What makes deep condition work so well at softening natural hair?

Deep conditioning treatments for 4C hair contain ingredients that work to penetrate the hair strands on a much deeper level than regular rinse-out or leave-in conditioners. 

Deep conditioners are formulated to be intensive conditioners that are loaded with moisturizing agents. They work to penetrate deeper than the cuticle layer, deep conditioner penetrates all the way down to the Cortex of the hair (which is the innermost layer of the hair responsible for strength in the hair).

They are commonly formulated to provide moisture to the hair while gradually reviving and nourishing dry, brittle, and damaged hair. 

A good DC is key in helping you manage coarse thick natural hair and helping you get healthy, durable, and shiny kinks & curls with consistent use.

Deep conditioning weekly is a true hair softener for natural hair because it helps improve the overall health and appearance of your hair. Some of the best deep conditioners for 4C hair are from the Moroccanoil brand.

So take a peep at that now or bookmark this natural hair products blog and come back when you can absorb it!

You Ever Wondered:

“What’s the difference between a deep conditioner and hair masks?”

Well, the answer is, it depends on the brand that you are considering using. In general, deep conditioners are intensive conditioners that work as a hair softener for natural black hair, while hair masks are made to strengthen. 

As I told you, though, deep conditioners and hair masks vary between brands. This is especially the case with masks – from one brand, you might just get a deep conditioner simply being called and marketed to you as a ‘mask’, while with other brands you’ll get specially formulated products for strengthening the hair, especially if it has ingredients that infuse protein or amino acids to your hair.

So to truly know the difference you need to inspect the ingredients and don’t be fooled by the marketing name. Because if you already have dryness because of protein overload, you’ll definitely want a moisturizing deep conditioner without protein.

Also, figure out the needs of your hair and that will tell you which product you’re going to need for your 4C kinky curly tresses. For example, If your hair’s a bit dry but otherwise fine, then a deep conditioner will help you replace your lost moisture. 

However, if your hair’s chemically treated, perm relaxed, colored, or otherwise damaged, a mask might be the way to go. Shoot, in some situations you may need both!

How and why should I add heat to my deep conditioning treatments?

You should use indirect heat in your deep conditioning treatments because you can greatly improve the benefits of deep conditioning with heat, it’s a conditioning boost and helps with penetration because heat helps open up closed hair strand cuticles.

Indirect heating tools such as hair steamers for natural hair, deep conditioning caps, or hiqh-quality hair dryers can help heat up the treatment which helps penetrate the hair faster and intensify the benefits.

Many naturals rave about Red by Kiss 2-in-1 Hair Salon Steamer because it helps heat up your deep conditioner hair moisturizer cream while it is in the hair and the steam works to lift your hair cuticles which allows the best deep conditioners for 4C hair to penetrate deeply and effectively.

Can you condition your hair too much? The answer is, yes. You can reach a point where you are deep conditioning too much and your hair becomes loaded down with product buildup which is unhealthy, that’s why this is a weekly treatment.

Checking to see if you need a protein hair treatment for black hair is marked here with the “monthly” badge, however, you may need to check more frequently depending on what your hair is telling you, how much you know it and how familiar you are with the levels of protein that your current natural hair regimen products contain.

When you begin to notice your hair becoming overly moist, limp, and/or mushy, it may be time for a penetrating protein treatment for 4C natural hair. 

Don’t get me wrong, moist and soft 4C hair is what you want; however, as the old saying goes, “too much of a good thing can be bad.” 

Overly moist hair can become very weak and fragile leading to excess breakage. Over time, moist hair, without the presence of effective protein treatments, your hair can severely thin out and leave you with ugly, see-through ends.

Throwing a dose of protein in your 4C natural hair regimen every now and then will help to strengthen and reinforce your hair fibers making your strands stand strong against breakage, increase fullness in your hair and give you increased length-retention.

Do you know when your hair needs protein or moisture? What indicators do you look for?

     Here's how to know if you may be in need of a protein treatment:

1. Your Hair Has Lost Its Elasticity
2. Your Hair Has Been Damaged:
3. You Are Experiencing Excessive Breakage (May also be a sign of protein overload)
4. Your Hair Looks and Feels Limp
5. You Have Color-Treated Hair

Let me break it down for you with details:

Your Hair Has Lost Its Elasticity - The elasticity of your hair is its ability to spring back to its normal length when stretched. To test this, take a strand of your hair from different sections and wet them. Then, begin to stretch the strand out. If it snaps and breaks easily, or does not return to its normal length, then your hair is at a low elasticity and may be in need of some protein to get it healthy again. 

Your Hair Has Been Damaged - If you have used heat tools for a period of time and have noticed a change in your natural curl pattern and it has become “loosened”, this could signal your hair has been damaged. The high temperatures from your flat iron can begin to break down the protein bonds and permanently alter the structure of your hair strands.

You Are Experiencing Excessive Breakage - While shedding hair is normal (we shed anywhere between 50 and 100 strands per day), if you have begun to experience excessive breakage, it can be one of the signs your natural hair needs protein. ALTHOUGH it can also be a sign over too much protein, this is why you should take an inventory of how much protein you are putting in your hair and checking your natural hair product ingredients lists. 

Your Hair Looks and Feels Limp - Another tell-tale sign that your natural 4C hair needs protein is if your natural kink pattern (aka curl pattern)  feels limp and just doesn’t look or feel like it usually does. A good protein treatment can help to bring your strands back to life.

Even if your hair is not heat damaged or damaged by some other chemical, prolonged daily wear and tear can begin to weaken the protein bonds in the hair.

You Have Color-Treated Hair - You’ll often see signs your natural hair needs protein after color applications.

When you apply hair dye to your natural hair, the chemicals can cause permanent damage, altering its normal bond structure. A common result of color-treating your hair is that it becomes highly porous.

When your hair is highly porous, the hair cuticle typically remains in a lifted or raised state, making it more difficult to retain moisture and manage thick coarse hair. To eliminate this problem, a true protein treatment can be used to help to fill in these gaps in the hair cuticle and provide some temporary relief.

Sometimes we throw common sense out the window when we get hyped about a new hair product, look sis…

I don’t care if you have found the Holy Grail best curling cream for 4C hair in existence, you MUST make sure you’re putting in product when your hair is still damp, that’s why spritzing is so important. 

Whether you’re applying a curl styling gel or a moisturizer cream for natural hair you don't want to let your hair dry and then put in product because you won't be locking in moisture for softness.

This is a sneaky, hidden hair killer. Some sure signs of hard water on hair are dryness, and well…. Hard hair. Hard water hair loss is often blamed on other things like hair products, manipulation, or too much heat styling.

And the hard water was the silent culprit THE WHOLE TIME. 

If you have hard water, it can even change your hair porosity causing hair cuticles to rise up and those tiny little raised “scales” on your hair strands allow moisture to escape faster and those scraggly strands also catch and snag on each other. 

Causing even MORE DAMAGE.

Think about when you have a hangnail that catches on everything — in your hair this happens on a microscopic level and is more difficult to tame. The effects of hard water on hair is brutal and makes for an ugly mess.

Fact is:

Over 85% of the homes in the U.S. have hard water according to a water study performed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.