CurlSTAR: How Patrice Marjorie Retains Major Length on Her 4C Natural Hair With Finger Detangling and Twists
by Nikki Walton
Meet Patrice Marjorie. She has a head full of gorgeous natural hair and wears many hats in Los Angeles as a trending beauty creator, actress, real estate agent, and co-curator of the Baddies & Books book club. But I’ll let her introduce herself!!!
My name is Patrice, and I share natural hair care tips across my social media platforms for those who desire long, healthy hair. I share valuable tips for all hair types, specializing in kinky, Afro-textured hair. I’m from the DMV and currently live in Los Angeles after spending 4.5 years in NYC. I studied Biomedical Science and am currently not using that degree as planned (lol).
In addition to educating my online community on hair care, I am an actress and a licensed real estate agent. I also run a book club in LA County, Baddies & Books, where we read books by BIPOC authors and meet monthly to discuss them. For my fellow book lovers, you can find us on Substack and Instagram!
On her absolute favorite hair products right now…
I’m enjoying Cécred’s Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub and Moisturizing Deep Conditioner. I also like Kinky-Curly’s Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner at the moment for detangling.
When doing a blowout, I like to use CHI Infra Total Protect as a heat protectant and CHI Infra Silk Infusion as well. I seal in moisture with a light butter, such as mango butter.
On what has made the biggest difference in her length retention…
Switching from brushes to primarily finger detangling, keeping my hair in twists and my ends protected between wash days, and dusting my ends every four to six weeks, whenever I start to notice more single-strand knots at my ends than usual.
On the heat-styling change she made…
I don’t flat-iron my hair anymore. The last time I flat-ironed my hair was in 2022.
On keeping her hair defined and frizz-resistant in humidity…
My hair has a kinky texture and the curls are coily. Since humidity is the presence of water in the air, for most people with a hair type similar to mine, humidity encourages frizz and less definition. I avoid unwanted frizz by keeping my hair in twists or in a protective style where it isn’t exposed to the elements.
We’ve all had that one time when we thought our hair was invincible, left the house with our hair looking one way, and came home with a completely different hairstyle, all thanks to humidity.
On her typical wash day…
To conserve my energy, I split wash day into two days. Each step is done while my hair is in twists. I work on each twist individually, never allowing my hair to be loose. Here’s what my wash day looks like:
Day 1: Detangling
- Thoroughly finger detangle my hair in sections using homemade flaxseed gel.
Day 2: Cleanse, condition, and stretch
- Cleanse my hair. I focus on cleansing my scalp first, then the rest of my hair.
- Condition or deep condition. If I deep condition, I use a plastic cap and sometimes sit under a heated hood.
- Apply leave-in conditioner.
- Stretch my hair and put it in twists, usually jumbo or medium-sized. I don’t have the patience for mini twists! I currently use the RevAir Reverse-Air Hair Dryer to stretch my hair.
- Add a hair butter to seal in moisture.
On her go-to styles for protecting her hair and retaining length…
Two-strand twists. Just don’t forget to moisturize them between wash days. This will keep your hair from getting tangled and matting.
On what she stopped doing that made a noticeable difference in the health or length of her hair…
Yes! I seldom use styling tools, like brushes, anymore. I used to use a Tangle Teezer every wash day. While I do find brushes effective in smoothing your hair, I don’t trust that brushing won’t cause excess breakage, damage, and thinning. I think brushes pull out more hair than people realize. I noticed my hair was fuller when I stopped using them as often.
This advice is for people with a hair texture and curl pattern similar to mine. Tighter curls have to be treated with extra care because we have more bends in our strands, and those bends are all areas where your hair can break. Brushes tend to rip through coily hair much more easily than hair with larger curls. For this reason, I prefer to finger detangle and only use a brush sparingly.
On the advice she would give someone trying to grow and retain long, healthy natural hair…
What makes this tricky is that everyone’s curly hair is different; not all curl types require the same level of care or treatment. If I had to give one general recommendation, it would be to find a wash-day routine that works for your specific hair type and stay consistent with it. As a bonus, I recommend reducing manipulation, such as styles that require brushing or lots of products.
On the popular natural hair rules she doesn’t follow…
I don’t deep condition every wash day, and I don’t trim every six weeks. I dust my ends when needed. Since I wash my hair every ten days or so, I don’t find deep conditioning necessary each time. I also don’t use much heat, so there isn’t much damage to repair. Instead, I focus on maintaining moisture throughout the week and using a good conditioner on wash days.
I deep condition about once a month, more often if my hair is especially dry or if I’ve used heat. My hair philosophy leans toward maintenance and preservation rather than treatment and repair. And, practically speaking, good deep conditioners can be pricey. My wallet appreciates using them sparingly and as needed.
On what she wants readers to know…
Follow hair care creators and specialists who share your hair type and whose hair inspires you. All kinks and curls are beautiful, but they don’t all require the same upkeep. Following the wrong routines or using the wrong products for your texture can set you back rather than move you forward.
Follow Patrice on Instagram and find Baddies & Books on Substack!!!
Read More
- CurlSTAR: Alycea Adams’ Long Natural Hair Routine, Low-Tension Twists and Length-Retention Tips
- CurlSTAR: How @Beautosal Grows and Retains Long 4C Natural Hair With Enrichure
- CurlSTAR: Stephanie’s 4C Hair Growth Secrets, Favorite Products and Length-Retention Routine
- CurlSTAR: How BigHeadJustice Went From Ear-Length to Waist-Length Natural Hair
- How to Grow 4C Hair and Retain More Length
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gorgeous pictures!!!