High puff 4c hair
Welcome back to another day in my 4c natural hair journey, where I share all the beautiful short-hair hairstyles we can rock. I recently shared how to do a 4c hair bun and figured let’s continue with the different ponytail hairstyles for now.
Especially one that is perfect for those lazy days just before wash day. The 4c high puff!
The 4c hair high puff is an easy and cute hairstyle for 4c hair types. Whether you have short natural hair or are at the awkward length stage like me, with the right hair products, you can make it look good.
And the best part, this natural hairstyle requires little manipulation, only a few tools, and even less time.
How to do a high puff with 4c hair?
As I mentioned before, the high puff is a very easy short 4c hairstyle and I love it because of the quick styling process. However, there are two ways to achieve the look. One by using only your natural hair and one by adding 4c hair extensions to it.
Below I’m sharing the process for both. Simply follow these steps to create a 4c high puff.
1. Start with clean and well-moisturized hair
Even though this hairstyle is perfect for bad hair days, I have to mention that it is always best to start with freshly washed hair. Especially, if your prior hairstyle made use of a lot of products.
But if you don’t want to wash your 4c hair again, then you want to at least moisturize your hair properly with water and your favorite leave-in conditioner. This will help to prevent any tangles or knots. Once your hair is well-moisturized, use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to gently detangle it.
2. Secure your hair up top
The next step is to create the 4c high puff. For that use a hair tie or elastic band to secure your hair into a high ponytail. Note that it’s totally up to you to decide where you want to place your puff. Some people like it more in the middle of their crown, and others prefer it at the very front of your head.
3. Sleek down your hair
Now, if you prefer your 4c high puff a little messier or don’t want to use any product, then all you want to do is use a bristle brush to brush down your hair. But if you are like me and love the sleek look with a big curly high puff at the end, then you want to use either edge control or eco-styler gel to smooth down flyaways.
4. Fluff your puff (optional)
Now that you have your ponytail in the right place, it depends on the length of your hair and what to do next. Most curly girls with long hair can create a 4c hair high puff with their natural hair only. In this case, all you do is take a wide tooth comb and fluff your crown a bit.
If you have short 4c hair, then you can use a natural-looking hairpiece to create a bigger afro puff. That’s what I do and love.
With these simple steps, you can easily create a beautiful high puff with your 4c hair. The perfect trendy and versatile 4c hairstyle for a night out with friends, a special event, or just a casual day at home.
So, give it a try and let me know how you like it.
Are high puffs good for natural hair?
Yes and no. On one hand, a high puff can be a good option for your natural hair, especially in-between protective styles. It keeps your hair out of your face, which is especially helpful in summer or if you have thick, curly 4c hair.
On the other hand, however, to achieve a sleek high puff, you have to pull your hair strands quite a bit. Which, if done too often, can break your hair, especially your edges.
While the 4c hair high puff is definitely one of my favorite styles, I have definitely noticed more breakage whenever I wear it too often. And I’m not trying to risk traction alopecia because of a cute high puff.
How to avoid hair breakage due to a 4c high puff?
In order to avoid hair loss in your temple region due to too much pulling, I figured I’ll research a few ways you and I can avoid breaking our hair. Here is what I found:
Soak your hair tie in oil. This is actually a trick that I use with rubber bands, but it works the same with hair ties. The oil makes the hair tie loosen up, which avoids too much tugging and friction once you use it.
Moisturize your hair well before styling it in an afro puff. Whenever kinky hair is properly moisturized, it is less likely to break from the tension. So, make sure you apply a good amount of leave-in conditioner prior and even top up with a water spray bottle throughout the day.
Another helpful tip to avoid pressure points with this hairstyle is to use shoelaces or tights as opposed to hair ties. Both hair tools give you a much better stretch, which allows you to control how tight your updo is.
How can I make my 4c hair puff look bigger?
Do you have thin 4c hair and want to make your high puff look bigger? No worries, I got you! Here are a few tips to help make your 4c hair puff look bigger:
- Quick overnight hairstyle: A little trick to add more volume to your natural hair is by putting it into a quick protective style such as two-strand twists. That way, you can use the twist out as your crown and have more voluminous curls. An alternative to twists would be perm rods or a good old braid out.
- Tease your hair: Teasing your hair, also known as backcombing, involves gently combing through your hair in the opposite direction. That simple action creates volume and fullness that makes your puff look booger. Simply use a comb to gently comb through the top layers of your hair.
- Use a drawstring ponytail: I know I know that is cheating because it’s not your natural hair, but it does the job. A big drawstring ponytail in a 4c or even 4b hair texture will give you a big afro puff that turns heads and is easy to take care of. I use it all the time…shameless.
What can I use for a high puff?
Last but certainly, not least, I’m answering a question I have had for a long time. What do you use to create the high puff? I mean, I don’t have big curly hair like some other black women that rock this style. But I know my regular hair ties do not give me a big puff. So I finally figured it out.
While you can use bigger hair ties, many black girls online use elastic bands, shoelaces, and even tights. Yes, girl, you heard me right. Tights!
And quite frankly, I think all these options are brilliant. Each of these have a good stretch and are long enough to wrap around your natural hair.