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The laziest you can get with your routine without compromising your hair’s health is cleansing with shampoo, using a conditioner, and following up with a leave-in conditioner. Hairstylist Ariana Greene says that while a full-blown style isn’t essential, you still need to do something with your washed hair. “I would always recommend every natural to at least finish off their washday with 8 to 12 plaits or twists to let the hair dry while it’s detangled,” says Greene. “We don’t want our hair wet too long, and as it dries it should be organized in detangled sections.”
Fellow 4Cers can try a chunky twist or braid out instead of a wash-n-go. Your hair might end up less defined, but it will look just as beautiful (it’s your natural hair, after all) and won’t take as long to do.
Section your hair strategically
I used to hate having to section my hair to detangle it, but if you have thick, coarse hair, running a brush through it all at once isn’t really an option. While working in sections can feel time-consuming, sectioning your hair at the right point in your routine can save you a lot of time.
One of Smallwood’s go-to techniques is putting hair into sections while you apply deep conditioner. Coat one section in the conditioner, detangle, and then twist it. Once all your sections are done and your conditioner has penetrated, keep your hair in those twists as you do your final rinse. This way, when you’re ready to start styling, your hair is already detangled and sectioned out.
Invest in the right tools
If you’re someone whose entire tool arsenal consists of a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush, you might want to consider adding at least one more: a steamer and/or blow-dryer brush could make your washdays less strenuous. “Using a steamer makes washday and your weekly hair routines so much easier because [the steam] softens the hair, making the detangling process a breeze,” says Greene.
I recently tried the Pattern Hand Held Steamer and it shortened my washday by about 30 minutes. I used to let my conditioner sit for 15 to 20 minutes (sometimes longer if I found a random task to complete while I waited) before I rinsed it out. With the Pattern steamer, I was able to do two things at once: After applying a deep conditioning mask, I steamed each section of my hair. This allowed the mask to penetrate while I used the prong attachment of the steamer to detangle. It took about 10 minutes total.
A blow-dryer brush is useful if you find yourself spending hours styling your hair after washing. Yes, this is technically adding a step, but stretching your hair out with a blow-dryer after washing can make it easier (and quicker) to comb and part as you style, especially if you have coarse or thick hair. I love the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer with the Wide Tooth Comb Attachment and the Kristin Ess Blow Dry Hair Brush. Both allow me to dry and stretch my hair in less than 30 minutes. If you’re feeling particularly lazy (I have those days), try the RevAir Reverse Air Hairdryer. It uses a gentle vacuum to suction, stretch, and dry a section of your hair all in one motion.
Consider do-it-all-stylers
The LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method had everyone in a chokehold back in the early days of the natural hair movement. However, many stylists we spoke to, including Atlanta-based hairstylist Nicole Taft, are rejecting the lengthy process. While curls and coils definitely need moisturizing products to prevent breakage caused by dryness, “the idea that you need oils or creams and heavy stylers to moisturize hair is very much not the case,” says Taft.
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