Let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating than having long, curly hair, but no one can see it. This daily challenge curlies refer to as “shrinkage” presents several problems for us curlies with type 4 kinks. It’s almost like one day, you’re rocking a blown-out twist out, and everyone can’t believe how long your hair has gotten. The next day, you come in with a shrunken afro and mouths drop. You are constantly bombarded with, “I love your haircut” all day. I can’t be the only one who has experienced this, right?
I appreciate my shrunken fros, but don’t get me wrong—I love a good stretched twist out so I can make a couple of hair flips throughout the day (no, just me?) OK.
The good part is that no matter how you feel about your hair shrinkage, endless ways exist to elongate your curly hair and give it a nice stretch.
Here are four ways to stretch your curly hair:
1. Blow-dry Curls Using the Tension Method
Image Source: @sathabilenzuza
Some say blow-drying your curls can damage them. However, your blow dryer can be your best friend if you use it correctly. I turn my blow dryer on the “cool” setting when I want a longer, stretched look. This allows the temperature to find a sweet spot between cold and warm, helping to keep the heat damage away.
Once we’re turned on cool, I use the tension method to blow dry my hair. Instead of using the comb attachment or a brush, I simply hold my hair our at its length and blow dry. This means thoroughly detangling my hair first, then stretching it to its maximum length and waving the blow dryer back and forth until that section dries.
In all, it takes me about 30-40 minutes to complete this task. Keep in mind that I have a lot of hair, so times may vary depending on your hair length.
2. African Threading
Image Source: @beautosal
If you have some time to spare – maybe a weekend – African threading can be a lifesaver. You’ll use weaving thread to wrap around the entire length of your hair. This will keep your curls in a stretched state as they dry. Once your hair is fully dry, you’ll remove the thread and style as usual. It’ll look as if you’ve just blow dried your curls – but without heat.
This method does take a while to see results, as your hair will need to fully dry before you can remove the thread.
3. Banding
Image Source: @resinalouis
Another method is to use stretchy bands wrapped around the length of the hair, which @healthyafrohair does overnight, “Part of my nightly hair care routine consists of stretching my hair overnight, which helps to prevent my hair from knots & tangles and also for ease of styling.”
4. Braiding or Twisting
Image Source: @aarianjayy
An easy method for stretching your curls is to braid or twist them in medium-sized sections.
And if you’re pressed for time or energy, one of the easiest and simplest is pulling your hair into a bun, “If I need to stretch my hair, I just put it into a bun. Once it’s dried, I take it out, remoisturize and we’re all good to go” says naturalista Lena.
So you know how to stretch your curls, but what types of products are best to keep them stretched? Since I have type 4 kinky curls, my hair seems to stretch better when using heavier products.
My Favorite Stretching Products
- OBIA Naturals Twist Whip Butter: Contains unrefined Shea Butter, Tucuma Butter and Mango Butter.
- Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Style Setter: Great for holding styles and contains ingredients like coconut water and aloe vera.
- J’Organic Solutions 4C Moisturizing Buttercream: A great protein and moisture balance for healthy hair.
What methods do you use for stretching your curls?