One of the beautiful things about natural hair is its versatility. Straight, wavy, curly, kinky, the sky’s the limit with the styles you can achieve with some skill and a little creativity (or a bomb stylist, but that’s for another day). With that being said, let’s face it sis, some styles are easier to achieve than others given a certain curl pattern, and we know that no matter what product you have in your PJK (Product Junkie Kit), some styles usually just work better for certain curl patterns than others. As an example, let’s talk about my experience with the Wash and Go…… (Cue dramatic music for effect).
I am a proud 4b/4c natural and up until recently I had always believed that the Wash and Go was not a styling option for my hair type. What I now know is that the Wash and Go is not only a realistic style for 4b/c hair types, but it can be a bomb styling option if executed properly. I know what you’re thinking, what about the shrinkage? What about the tangles and the knots? What about the mushroom effect? (If you’re not familiar, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Lol) Yes, I used to experience all of these things with my wash and go’s, but this last one chile, it made me a believer. So let’s get into it.
I washed with Bella Curls Nourishing shampoo (Check out my wash day help here https://youtu.be/3ufuhNxf4eg) and deep conditioned with Crème of Nature Detangling and Conditioning Conditioner before starting because you need clean, super moisturized hair to get the best definition.
After DCing, I applied extra virgin olive oil to my hair and then rinsed (as an oil rinse to seal in moisture after my hair dried) Then, while in the shower, I sectioned my hair into four sections and worked on one section at a time with soaking wet hair. I applied Cantu Beauty Coconut Curling Cream and then Wetline gel working in very small sections to define my curls as best I could chile. I applied the gel and created spirals using my fingers as I finger detangled through each section. Whewwww it took some time. Let’s just say my water was almost ice cold when I finished.
Then came the drying process 😩😩 It took forevaaaa!! It took like 7 hours and that was WITH a diffuser nozzle on my blow dryer 😒
This is my 100% completely dry result anddddd I love it. It’s like a curly defined afro, which I love!!!
My takeaways…
1. Don’t do this at night. It takes forever to dry and you NEED it to be dry before you sleep on it.
2. As a 4b/c natural, your results won’t look like your fav 3b/c natural, and that’s ok. Just know that before you start.
3. Using a gel with good hold helps us keep our curls defined longer.
4. Our hair is prone to tangles in its natural, shrunken state, so take extra care when coming out of a wash and go. Prepoos, oil rinses, steamers, and other measures of getting extra moisture will be your friend on wash day.
5. It may take several attempts with different product combinations to get your best results. So don’t let one bad turn out turn you off to the WnG.
6. Defining your hair in smaller sections results in bigger hair when it dries, and defining your hair in larger sections results in less volume, but you may also experience less tangles, so that is something that could work if tangles is a problem for you.
7. After day one, you can use a banding technique to add length and lessen the mushroom effect. If you want to add length on day one, AFTER YOUR HAIR IS COMPLETELY DRY, use the concentration nozzle on your blow dryer and stretch the hair wherever you want to add length. (I usually stretch the back, bottom layer).
That’s all folks. The Wash and Go is possible, even as a 4b/c natural, you just have to know what works for your curl pattern. And it’s definitely not a Wash and Go for us, it’s a wash, and work, and wait, and WERK! Overall, I will definitely revisit the WnG this summer. Maybe not all the time, but I will be putting them in the rotation. Dassit. Lemme know if you have any questions 😙