I received the following from a reader a couple weeks ago and promised a full post on it so here goes:
Q: My hair is natural type 4. I have been having difficulty keeping my hair moisturized. Have you experienced this and what did you do that helped?
A: Thanks for the question! I intermittently experience bouts of “dryness”. This usually occurs when I am not taking the time to properly moisturize and seal my hair regularly. Less often it’s an issue relating to the protein-moisture balance.
To address the former, I go through my full wash process, and deep condition with a moisturizing product (as opposed to a protein treatment). In the styling process and days following, I moisturize with a water-based product and seal with a butter- or an oil-based product. Doing so locks the moisture into the strands and seals the cuticle. I have normal-to-high porosity hair so I do this at least every two days. My ends still have the remnants of dye from years ago, so the porosity there is higher than the roots and mid-strand and requires more attention.
When I experience a bit of protein-overload, I stop using products that contain protein. Usually a week without any protein is enough time for my hair to return to normal.
Hopefully, this helps somewhat. Just experiment with different routines and products, and find what works best for you. Hair journeys allow you to become an expert on your own hair.
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Sincerely,
AC
