Retaining moisture in our natural hair can be a hassle, especially during the colder months. It can be even more difficult when you have coarse hair. I know the struggle firsthand! You moisturize your hair…it’s feeling soft like a cloud…then a few hours later that softness disappears as if you didn’t put anything in your hair, to begin with. It can be frustrating but I’ve managed to find a regime that works for me! Here are 4 ways to retain moisture in coarse natural hair.
1. Deep condition regularly.
Deep conditioning is extremely important when it comes to retaining moisture in coarse hair. You have to deep-condition, at least, every 1-2 weeks. I use the Heal & Renew deep conditioner by Uncle Funky’s Daughter. I apply it to my hair while I’m in the shower, immediately after shampooing. I apply my deep conditioner in the shower because my cuticles are open from the steam and my hair absorbs more of the ingredients from the product. After I get out of the shower, I cover my hair with a plastic bag and sit under a heating cap for 30 minutes to an hour before rinsing.
2. Hydrate and moisturize.
Hydrating your hair is when you put water into your strands and moisturizing is sealing in that water with a thick, creamy product. Start by misting your hair with warm water and letting it soak in for a minute before applying Thirsty Curls. Then apply Supercurl or Extra Butter depending on if you need a thicker cream or something with more slip.
Whenever I use Supercurl I don’t have to add oil because Supercurl already has the perfect amount of butter and oil for my coarse hair. For those of us that have low porosity, coarse stranded hair, we don’t want to over-saturate our hair with oil because the more oil in your strand, the less space there is for water to enter. You want to have a good water/oil balance in your hair. If your hair is high porosity then you have a little more grace with oils.
3. Determine your hair porosity.
It’s helpful to know your hair porosity so that you can layer products accordingly. The LCO (liquid, cream/butter, oil) or LOC (liquid, oil, cream/butter) methods are the most common way to layer products. The LCO method usually works better for those with low-porosity hair and the LOC method works best for those with high-porosity hair. Using the right method will help you retain moisture in your hair because your stands are properly hydrated and moisturized according to your hair needs. If you don’t know your hair porosity, don’t panic, just try both methods and see which one retains the most moisture.
4. Protective style often.
After you are done applying products to your hair, you want that moisture to last as long as possible. Protective styling is a great way to ensure that. You can choose whatever style you want, just make sure your strands, especially your ends, are properly tucked away. My favorite protective styles are twists or African threading. I leave my hair in a protective style for 2-3 weeks and I only have to re-moisturize once a week. Since my strands are tucked away and not loose, it slows down the rate at which my hair loses moisture. When I re-moisturize, I simply spray Thirsty Curls and apply a small amount of Supercurl or Extra butter and I’m set!
Retaining moisture in your hair involves a lot of trial and error so it’s okay if you’re still figuring it out. Just pay attention to the products you are using to moisturize your hair and the order in which you apply them. I promise that with time, you’ll get the hang of it!
xoxo
Aboyowa (@westafricanbaby)
