Natural 4b/c's, help me help my friend!!!!

[Galadriel]

I have a close friend (we've been friends since the age of 14) and she's having a baby girl in March. I just know our kids are going to grow up together and I'm so excited (we're now in our late 20s). However, she's been expressing dismay and even making disparaging comments about having a daughter because she doesn't know how to take care of her own thick natural 4b/c hair. I think her hair is as long as mine (if not longer), but it's not in its healthiest state because she NEVER conditions, she thinks grease is moistens her hair, and I've only seen her put pink lotion on her hair.
Using the principles I learned from LHCF, I once washed, detangled, and conditioned her hair, and explained to her about different products and how to get her hair more softer and manageable. I told her she could do the same for her daughter's hair, and hopefully not pass on such negative attitudes to her daughter.
For those of you with the same hair type (or who just have good, savvy advice), what products and styles have worked best for you (esp. as a natural)? I think if I could help my friend with ideas for various cute hairstyles and useful conditioners and detanglers, etc. she wouldn't feel so overwhelmed with her hair and wouldn't feel that way with her soon-to-be daughter's hair.
I also recognize there's a self-esteem aspect to this which can't be fixed by simple hair products, but I'd thought we could at least start somewhere? erplexed

 

[shtow]

I could say a lot but to summarize:






















send her a link to the website (be nice, and don't offed her of course)

 

[Galadriel]

I certainly will!

 

[SEMO]

I like to keep my routine really simple (or else I won't keep it up). So maybe your friend could do something similar to what I do.

Products:
*ORS olive oil shampoo
*Dove Intense Moisture Therapy conditioner (dark blue bottle)
*Cantu shea butter moisturizer (can be found at many drugstores)
*Garnier Fructis curl and shine leave-in moisturizer
*Africa's Best Kid's Organics Shea Butter detangling lotion (found at beauty supply store)--I don't use it often but it's great at getting knots out

Routine:
*I try to shampoo at least once a week (I don't towel dry; I just squeeze out the excess water with my hands)
*After I shampoo and condition my hair I put on the Garnier Fructis and smooth it through my hair with my fingers
*Then I smooth on the Cantu shea butter with my fingers (it's a great moisturizer; it reduces my frizz and makes my curls pop)
*I usually wear my hair in a ponytail, but if your friend likes to wear her hair down then she can wash her hair at night and while her hair is wet she can put about 6-9 braids in her hair and unbraid them in the morning for a wavy, curly look)
*Everyday I try to make an effort to spritz my hair with water and re-apply the Garnier and Cantu to at least the ends of my hair (if she decides to do the braidout tell her to spritz her hair with water at night, re-add the Garnier and Cantu, then re-braid her hair)

My fotki has all the products I use with the styles I do (I like to keep it simple). I hope this helps your friend, b/c this is a super easy routine.

ETA:
I'm a 4a but this routine will probably still work for her.

 

[choconillaprincess]

I was just gonna say that it will take sum time and research ON HER PART.... she should focus her time during her pregnancy on getting to know her hair but honestly there's no telling what her baby's hair type will be so it will take her a lot of getting to know the child's hair but experimenting with her own hair could help her start out on the right track... and by the time her baby's born she should be able to save up $5 to become a member lol

 

[locabouthair]

When I was natural (i'm a coarse 4b) I made sure I used a wide tooth comb and I moisturized with s curl. it softened my hair like no one's business!

generally the tighter the curl, the drier the hair is, and by using grease it will only make her hair dryer.

 

[Galadriel]

Thanks ladies for all the input so far!

 

[Galadriel]

and by the time her baby's born she should be able to save up $5 to become a member lol

 

[nappity]

I think that your friend may need to become familiar with Natural Hair needing water. Show her how much easier it is to comb when its soaking wet. Just spritz her hair with a mixture of water 2/3 and glycerin 1/3 and a tablespoon of silk amino acids. for her it will have to be seeing is believing and as a gift get her one of those wide tooth shower combs.HTH

 

[Maynard]

I was just gonna say that it will take some time and research ON HER PART.... she should focus her time during her pregnancy on getting to know her hair but honestly there's no telling what her baby's hair type will be so it will take her a lot of getting to know the child's hair but experimenting with her own hair could help her start out on the right track... and by the time her baby's born she should be able to save up $5 to become a member lol

I agree, if it is something that she desires, she needs to do the legwork on the research.

She should focus on having a healthy baby. Hair is not important...

How old is she?

 

[Galadriel]

I agree, if it is something that she desires, she needs to do the legwork on the research.

She should focus on having a healthy baby. Hair is not important...

How old is she?

She's 28, and you're right, there are many other things to be concerned about than just how the baby's hair is going to be. I not only wanted to introduce her to better hair care for the sake of her kid, but also for herself. Hopefully, like you said, she'll feel motivated to start doing the research herself and seeing with her own eyes that she can take care of her hair, and that it can be beautiful and healthy with a good regimen.

 

[glamazon386]

I was just gonna say that it will take sum time and research ON HER PART....

Exactly. There are way more things to be concerned about with a pregnancy than the baby's hair. Plus the baby's hair is gonna be baby hair at least for a few years at first so it's not like it matters now anyway.