How To Fix Stunted 4c Hair Growth

For many of us, the ultimate hair goal is growth. We want to see our hair reach great lengths like we see with many natural hair influencers on socials like YouTube. Unfortunately, it stays the same length regardless of what we do. Same hair length year after year.

This struggle is very real for many naturals, and can be very frustrating too. If you’re tired of this cycle and you’re looking for answers, read on to find out how best you can fix your stunted 4c hair growth.

Causes of stunted growth

Many people are quick to jump to conclusions about the “poor quality” of their hair and bad genes when it comes to stunted growth, failing to realize that the problem could be with them and not in-fact their hair. Here are some of the reasons you’re failing to unlock the hidden potential of your hair:

1. Not moisturizing your hair

Unmoisturized hair=dry hair. Dry hair=breakage. Simple as that. You’re probably not noticing any growth because the rate at which your hair is actually growing is equal to the rate at which it’s breaking.

Of all the hair types that exist, the 4c type easily has the tightest coils, making it naturally prone to dryness. The link between coily hair and dryness is the difficulty sebum has getting through to the end of the hair shaft due to the numeral coils.

Because of it’s natural dryness, it’s brittle and especially prone to breakage when you don’t take any steps to moisturize it.

2. Excessive heat styling

The fact is that heat helps us a whole lot when it comes to managing natural hair. It helps deep conditioners work better, and can save you time when it comes to styling.

Unfortunately, frequent use of heat tools like blow dryers can be extremely damaging to your strands, making them brittle and causing breakage over time. Additionally, the heat damage from these tools can make you lose your natural curl pattern.

3. Tight hairstyles

Beauty does not have to translate to pain.

Many naturals are okay with enduring the worst pain in the names of pulling off a hairstyle. The constant pulling from wearing tight hairstyles can cause strands of your hair to break or fall out. If this is something you’re always doing, your hair is bound to break at a faster rate than it grows.

4. Dyeing your hair often

While coloring hair can be a fun way to express yourself, regularly dyeing it with permanent hair color can make it more porous due to the nature of chemicals used. This can make your hair weaker and brittle, hence more prone to breakage – hence not noticing growth.

Temporary dyes are safer to use, in spite of the fact that the color can come out after a couple of washes.

5. A trim is due

Trimming does not necessarily guarantee hair growth, however, neglecting the health of your ends can play a role in stunted hair growth. 4c hair ends are especially prone to split ends due to their dry nature. If you didn’t already know, split ends can make it challenging to grow out your hair long and healthy.

How to boost your hair growth

Deep condition

Deep conditioning is easily the most essential part of your hair regimen if you’ve got 4c hair. You simply can’t skip it. Deep conditioning richly boosts your strands with the moisture you need to keep it from drying out and breaking. It also helps you retain your length.

You’ll no doubt notice the results you’ve desired for so long if you can go through with deep conditioning your hair at least every 2 weeks.

If you’re looking for an effective deep conditioner that will revive your strands, look no further than our 2in1 Sapphire Deep Conditioner and Leave In Treatment. You can use it after a wash and even daily when styling your hair!

Moisturize and seal

Applying your favorite hair oil or food alone isn’t sufficient enough to moisturize your hair. Many 4c naturals looking to grow out their hair run to oils like coconut oil or Jamaican black castor oil hoping to achieve their growth goals in a shorter time.

These oils are in fact great, however, you can’t be layering them on your scalp without actually incorporating moisture first.

Moisturize your hair by spritzing some water or water-based moisturizer and thereafter seal in the moisture with a natural oil or butter. For soft moisturized hair, use our Tsavorite Spritz Moisturizer Hair Spray followed by our nourishing Emerald Hair Food.

Protective styling

Protective styling is undoubtedly the best way to keep your ends protected and less prone to dryness and breakage. Keep your hair in styles like cornrows, twists, flat twists and Bantu knots to avoid having to manipulate it every other time. The less you manipulate your hair, the better your chances of noticing growth.

Still on manipulation, when you do have your hair out, avoid over combing it. As mentioned, the less manipulation, the better. Be gentle to your hair when you are to comb it. Ensure to use a wide-toothed comb that won’t tug at your strands.

Unclog your hair follicles

As you pile products onto your hair and scalp, your hair follicles can become clogged, a condition that can interfere with healthy hair growth. A good way to get rid of scalp buildup is washing with a clarifying shampoo.

You can unclog your hair follicles with a steaming treatment. Steaming your hair opens up the cuticle, allowing in more moisture-which enhances growth. Learn more about steaming treatments here.

Cut back on heat styling

Consider alternative ways of drying and styling your hair instead of using heat styling tools like blow-dryers and straighteners. Try techniques like hair plopping and heatless ways of stretching your hair like African threading, twisting or even simple braids.

If you are to heat style, ensure that you always use a heat protectant like our Sapphire 2In1 Deep Conditioner and Leave-In Treatment.

Shampoo the right way

For starters, don’t shampoo everyday. As mentioned earlier, 4c hair is naturally fragile, and washing it everyday could strip it of its natural oils and leave it dry. Limit washing to at least once every few weeks. What’s more, it’s important to use a sulfate-free shampoo like the Sapphire Hair Shampoo that won’t further strip your strands of their moisture.

Takeaway

A lot of our growth problems stem from breakage. If the rate at which your hair breaks equals the rate at which it’s growing, you’re bound to not notice any growth. You can combat all this, most importantly, by keeping your hair moisturized along with the other steps we’ve outlined. We wish you the best on your natural hair journey!