How To Take Care Of Your 3B Natural Hair

You can’t choose the hair you’re born with, but that’s no reason you should love what you’re given. Every hair type comes with different benefits and challenges. If you got lucky with hair type 3B, we’re here to make your life just a little bit easy. We’re bringing you the best way to care for your curly locks. Here’s what you should know.

What is Type 3B?

Type 3B hair consists of well-defined spiral curls that may be bouncy ringlets or tight corkscrews. The circumference of these curls is often the size of a large marker. Type 3B curls have a fine to medium texture. While this type of hair has a lot of body and movement, the hair also craves moisture, which makes it prone to frizziness and dryness. As a result, you’ll need a hair care routine that helps you maintain the moisture in your hair.

Type 3B has thick density, high porosity, and medium thickness. When you understand all of these factors, you’re able to better care for your natural hair. In the next section, we’ll address caring for hair with these characteristics. 

How to Take Care of Type 3B hair

Learning how to take care of your natural hair can be a challenge – particularly for the ladies with type 3B hair. There’s a lot of emphasis placed on type 4 hair because of the maintenance that’s required to keep their hair looking good. However, Type 3 hair deserves some attention too. We’ll walk you through some of our basic steps to keeping your hair healthy.

Shampoo once a week

Does your hair dry out often? If so, you’re not alone! This is common for type 3 hair, and it’s why you’ll need a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. We’d recommend cutting back your routine and washing your hair only once a week if you’re doing it more often. Shampoo can really dry out your hair by stripping the natural oils from your scalp. By doing it once a week, you’ll make sure your hair is clean but nourished and hydrated.

If you feel that you need a cleanser between washes, you can add in a moisturizing co-wash. This is a way to hold over your hair over while still keeping it hydrated and moisturized.

Find the right products for your hair

Sometimes it takes a little while to find the right products for Type 3 hair. We recommend those that include humectants. This helps attract the moisture that your hair requires. You can also lock in moisture with light oils.

Detangle with your fingers

You may be tempted to go at your hair with a wide-tooth comb after your shower. However, you can also easily rip through and damage your hair this way. Instead, try finger detangling right after you get out of the shower. This can be easier and better for your hair. You can also try it after you’ve applied a leave-conditioner or a detangling spray.

Deep condition regularly

Type 3 hair dries out quickly and often encounters frizz. The solution to this is to deep condition either every week or twice a week. You can make this call based on your specific hair. How dry does it feel? How much frizz do you have daily? A deep conditioner will help to maintain or improve the moisture-protein balance of your hair.

Take note of your hair’s porosity

Type 3B natural hair has high porosity, which means that water, oils, and other types of products can be easily absorbed by your hair. That said because the hair is highly porous, your hair may not be able to retain that moisture as well as other hair types. Highly porous hair can be both genetic and caused by hair processing and styling treatments.

The goal when caring for highly porous hair is to reduce and reverse damage to the cuticle and to also help your hair retain moisture. You’ll do this by using the right products for your hair type – typically these are “heavier” ingredients like oils or butters. You can try out this Nutrient Rich Shine Butter.

Help your hair grow

Highly porous hair (as type 3B is) is prone to breakage, which can prevent growth. While using hydrating hair care products can help, you’ll also want to follow the tips below to help reduce hair breakage.

• Avoid sulfates, parabens, silicones, and sodium laureth sulfates in your hair care products. These ingredients can pull natural oil from your hair, making it drier and prone to breakage.
  
  
• Do not use hot water when washing your hair. Hot water can lift cuticles and cause further damage. Instead, use lukewarm water when washing and conditioning your hair.
  
  
• Dry your hair with a cotton t-shirt. Towel drying can create friction and cause breakage. A cotton t-shirt has a smoother fiber and can help protect your hair from this damage.
  
  
• Minimize heat styling you do on your hair. Using heat appliances can damage your hair and lead to breakage. When possible, opt for no-heat styling. If you must use heat, put heat appliances on a lower heat setting and use a heat protecting product on your hair.

Best 3B Hairstyles to Try

1. Air-dried – Yes, air dried is a hairstyle too! People with naturally curly hair can sometimes be afraid to rock their curls just the way they are. Yet, your 3B hair texture is beautiful. Keep the heat of your hair and let them be!
2. Diffused – If you’re looking for a softer way to wear your curls, you can use a hair diffuser, which attaches to your blow dryer. This helps to disperse the air to reduce frizz and disrupts the natural wave pattern. It can be great for any texture of hair and especially 3B.
3. Bangs – Curly bangs aren’t for everyone, but some people love them. Curls can look fabulous as bangs as well (just make sure you have a professional cut them!).
4. Hair puff – Create a puff hairstyle with your 3B natural hair. This is a simple updo that looks cute and sweeps your hair off your face.
5. Hair flip – If you’re looking for a way to add volume and height to your hair, then the hair flip is great for 3B hair. All you have to do rock a deep side part.
6. Ombré – Add color and dimension to your style by coloring it. Ombré or balayage coloring specifically is perfect for this.
7. Pixie cut – A pixie cut can be a great look for ladies with 3B hair. If you’re not looking to rock super long locks, then try out this style that’ll keep your hair super cute and neat.

What Else Should I Know About My Type 3B Hair?

• Type 3B hair can consist of a mix of different textures. Sometimes it’s a combination of 3A and 3B hair, which means it could be medium-sized corkscrews, waves, and curls simultaneously. In this case, it’s never a bad idea to learn about the other hair types that your natural hair overlaps with. Expanding your knowledge will only help you care for your hair more successfully.
  
  
• Don’t doubt the moisture your hair needs! We can’t say this enough. The focus is often on type 4 hair when it comes to moisture. Yet, type 3 ladies need moisture in their locks too. Keeping your curls moisturized will help them behave the way you like.
  
  
• Don’t weight down your locks with too many products. This may sound confusing because you want to make sure your hair stays moisturized. That said, it’s all about finding the right balance. You don’t want your hair to be overloaded. You also don’t want them to be dried out. It may take some time before you’ve found this balance.
  
  
• Always pair cleansers with conditioners. Otherwise, you may dry your hair out. Clean your hair and then balance it back out with oils and moisture.

Final thoughts

Your type 3B hair is beautiful and something to be proud of. Even if your hair isn’t as demanding of moisture as your type 4 sister, it still needs regular moisture and hydration maintenance to be at its best. For this reason, it’s imperative to learn how to take care of your natural hair type. By adjusting your daily routine and using the best styling tactics, your hair will be healthier, bolder, and more luscious. 

For more on how to style your natural hair, visit Natural Hair Care for all the best tips and products.

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