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Kinky Hair 101 [NHP Tutorial]

Kinky hair is so underrated! And it is the same, whether you have 4A hair, 4B hair or 4C.

There is so much versatility because when you have naturally kinky hair you can always grab a flat iron and switch up your look from kinky-curly to straight, and when you decide that you want your kinky-curly back, just wet your hair.

It’s that simple... 

Unfortunately, folks with straight hair don’t have this type of versatility, they are stuck with a certain hair type and a limited set of hairstyles.

So look:

I need for you to count your blessings. REALIZE that they are blessings and embrace them so that you can show off your TRUE beauty. Also, please stop assuming that you automatically have "coarse hair".

What Does It Mean To Have Kinky Hair?

The term “kinky hair” means to have tight coils that are also at times called “Afro-textured”. Afro-textured hair or kinky hair is the natural hair texture of many populations in Africa and the African diaspora. Despite the name, this hair texture is also found in some parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Strands of kinky hair grow in a tiny, angle-like helix form.

And lastly, having kinky hair has nothing to do with hair porosity.

What’s The Difference Between Kinky Hair vs Curly Hair?

Many people do not seem to distinguish between curly and kinky hair, but structurally there’s a significant difference.

Indeed, kinky hair can also be curly, but curly 3C hair is not always mandatorily kinky!  

Kinky hair has a torsion twist (which can be viewed as a permanent crimp) where the hair strand turns around itself, while curly hair is simply a spiral hair pattern.

The torsion of kinky hair is basically the strand twisting around itself.

The lack of moisture retention in the cortex of kinky hair makes it very lightweight.

The more lightweight the kinky coils are, the more prone to over-shrinking they are.

So you’ll have a 4C coil that not only springs into a tight coil (which it is supposed to do), but also repeatedly, and randomly loops back over upon itself (which it should not be doing).

These are considered kinks.

The torsion of kinky hair is basically the strand twisting around itself. 

The simplest way to picture this would be to imagine the wringing of a cloth where you turn one end counterclockwise and the other end clockwise.

10 Excellent Kinky-Curly Hair Products

This is a quick-list of some of the best kinky hair products you will find on the market this year. It’s a short list, if you want more reviews and descriptions visit my 4C Hair guide. 

1. Miss Jessie's Hold Me Down Super Edge Control Hair Gel
2. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie 
3. Kinky-Curly Knot Today Natural Leave In/Detangler 
4. As I Am Curling Jelly
5. Miss Jessie Curly-Buttercreme Styler
6. Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter  
7. The Roots Naturelle Bouncy Curls
8. Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel 
9. Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls 
10. Curl Keeper Original Total Control For Frizzy Hair 
11. Moroccanoil Treatment Serum (also great for type 2 wavy hair)

CUTE Kinky Hairstyle Ideas for Type 4 Naturals

Here are some bomb kinky hairstyles to try out, I think you’re like what you see...

Finding & Using Kinky Curly Hair Extensions

Deciding to go natural doesn't mean that you can't still experiment with kinky curly hair extensions, especially if retaining length and thickness with protective styles is your goal.

There are many reasons why natural hair honeys choose to wear clip-ins and extensions, and you shouldn’t allow anyone to decide for you or try to shame you.

Many naturals like to switch things up and experiment with different lengths, colors and textures without committing to one permanent style for all of dang eternity.

With that said, there are dozens of places to buy hair extensions in all kinds of kinky-curly styles, as well as wavy and straight varieties too.

You can easily find everything from mermaid-length spiral curls to short afro-textured wigs, clip-ins, and extensions. Check out some of the best kinky hair extensions on the planet at Curl Kalon.

[See my article about if your hair is protein sensitive or not] 

FAQs: About Kinky Hair

Question: What are the 4 types of hair?

Answer: There are four types of hair: kinky, curly, wavy, and straight.

• Type 4 is kinky hair, which features a tightly coiled curl pattern (or no discernible curl pattern) that often has high volume and very high density. Type 4 hair shrinks when wet and because it’s density has one of the widest ranges of hairstyle capabilities.
• Type 3 is curly hair known to have an S-shape. The curl pattern may resemble a lowercase "s", uppercase "S", or sometimes an uppercase "Z" or lowercase "z".This hair type is usually voluminous, "climate dependent (humidity = frizz), and damage-prone." Lack of proper care causes less defined curls.
• Type 2 is wavy hair, its texture and sheen range somewhere between straight and curly hair.
• Type 1 is straight hair, which reflects the most sheen and is a very resilient hair type, yet lacks the hairstyle variety range of other hair types.

Question: What can I use for kinky hair?

Answer: Kinkier hair is usually better able to benefit from heavier creams and oils, like shea butter and JBCO, without getting weighed down. Do a warm rinse after shampooing to allow hair cuticles to open up then slather on a premium beauty rinse-out conditioner like Moroccanoil Hydrating Conditioner.

Question: How do you get long kinky hair?

Answer: To get long kinky hair focus on doing consistent pre-poos before shampooing. Also, massaging your scalp opens up the pores and helps absorb growth nutrients.

Be sure to keep your hair hydrated and moisturized, use a good conditioner after every wash. Never rush detangling and be extra gentle for length-retention.

And take advantage of long, kinky hair growth-promoting protective hairstyles like Bantu knots, box braids, Havana twists, cornrows, etc.

Do You Have Kinky Hair? JOIN NHP's 4C Hair Help Email List!

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 Enjoy NHP!