Self-Trimming 4c Natural Hair

Trimming 4c natural hair can be tricking. Honestly, I’ve had this ongoing debate in my head for years. When is a good time to trim? How could trimming your hair make it grow faster? It all seemed so confusing. It’s even trickier trying to find someone to do the job. Right now, I prefer self-trimming my natural hair. That way, I’m in control of just how much to snip.

I’ve always been told that getting rid of “dead ends” is something that you have to do every couple months in order to grow healthy hair. While that’s true, a part of me always thought that trimming negates achieving longer hair. But as I’ve learned over the years, “long hair” shouldn’t be the focus. Healthy hair should be the goal.

For me, trimming my curls has become a routine. I jot it down in calendar to keep track. I also do a search and destroy when I encounter single strand knots. When it comes to self-trims, I have a few methods. This is my “I’m in a rush, gotta get out the door” method. Please don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.

Trimming 4c Natural Hair Tutorial

How to know it’s time for a trim

Hair becomes transparent

If you notice the ends of your hair has become see-through, it’s time to get rid of those straggly strands.

Hard to manage curls

If your hair becomes difficult to comb through, that’s a cue that’s those ends have got to go.

Dry, frizzy, split, straight ends

This indicates that you hair may be in need of repair. If you straighten your curls often, there’s a chance that you may suffer from heat damage. Your best bet is to get rid of the ends to prevent the damaged parts from traveling up the hair shaft. You should also follow up with a deep conditioning treatment.

Should you trim curly or straight

You’d probably get a different answer depending on who you ask. The truth is you don’t have to straighten your coils and curls to trim your hair. Trimming in the style you wear most often is best.

When trimming 4c natural hair in its original state, the goal is not to achieve even ends as you would when hair is straightened. The key is to avoid tangles. Straightening natural hair for trims when it will be worn curly most of the time seems counterproductive. For example, the left side of my head has tighter curls than the right side. If I were to straight my hair for an all around even trim, my hair would look uneven when I wear it natural.

Whenever or how ever you decide to trim, do your research. Also, remember practice makes perfect. Best of luck on your natural hair journey.