The natural hair puff is a go-to look for many stylish naturalistas.
The great thing about the natural hair afro puff is that you can use the style whether your hair is long or short.
This amazing high puff tutorial from I Am Posh Syd is specifically aimed at naturals with 4b and 4c type hair, but in reality many other naturals with different hair types can use this useful. Below we will also give you a list of the natural hair products she used to achieve her look.
Products used for Posh's Natural Hair Puff:
- Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel
- Jamaican Mango Lime Black Castor Oil
- Carols Daughter Monoi Leave-in Conditioner
- Curls Passion Fruit Curl Control Paste
- Old Knee High/Stocking
- Hair Pick - (We suggest a wooden hair pick, they are gentler on hair and don't cause static)
- Soft Brush (We suggest GranNatural's Boar Bristle Brush)
How To Do The High Puff on Short Natural Hair
After doing the Big Chop in order to go natural many ladies realize that they have no idea what to do with their ‘do.
The time period following the Big Chop is the perfect time to start building a relationship with your kinks, coils and twists. It is also the time when your luscious locs need the most tender, loving care and when you will train your hair how to retain its moisture.
Instead of covering you hair up and waiting for it to grow long, try a cute high puff on short natural hair. Creating this natural hair puff style should begin with damp, moisturized hair. If it is not wash day use a spray bottle to dampen hair and apply a great moisturizer
. The natural hair puff style will work with hair as short as 1 inch long.
Hair Puffed Up
The secret to a full puff on short hair is to not put your hair in a ponytail but to use a headband to create the puff.
- Moisten your hair with water and apply moisturizer.
- Use a wide tooth comb and soft bristled brush to direct hair up to the top of the head.
- Place the large headband around your neck.
- Apply edge control, pomade or gel around the edges and nape and smooth with the soft brush.
- Pull your headband up to your forehead and while using both hands slide the headband up until desired puff side is reached. The farther back you slide the band the smaller the puff will be.
- Fluff out puff, smooth edges and add hair accessories if desired.
Hair Puffed Out Style
- Complete steps 1-5 above.
- Instead of pulling the headband straight back pull one side of the band over to the side -Example: If you want the hair to fall to the right pull the left side of the band over to the right.
- Continue to step 6 above. Fluff your hair to cover the band.
Natural Hair Puff Around Version
- Part hair from ear-to-ear and create a short side part on whichever side you prefer.
- Create a braid or flat twist on each side of the part to frame the face (use of a holding product is optional).
- Use bobby pins to secure the ends of each braid at the back of the head.
- Fluff out the remaining hair.
Warning About Wrapping Your Hair Too Tight
As if a banging headache isn't bad enough, using super-tight headbands all day for the sake of a cute natural hair puff can put you at risk for traction alopecia, it's no joke. As the headband squeezes your head, it’s actually s-l-o-w-l-y sliding its way up, pulling your hair along with it. You can lose hair from those pressure points, namely the very front of your head, the temple region and the points a few inches behind your ears.
Try this:
- Soak your headband in an oil. The oil will help loosen the elastic bonds a bit. Afterwards, pre-stretch the band before you begin wearing it. Wrap it around a chair back or something wide enough to give a good stretch so that by the time you put it on, it won’t be as tight as when it was fresh “out the box”.
- Make sure your hair is well-moisturized. Even when taking all the necessary precautions, you can still be at risk for breakage if you wear a hair accessory like a headband or scarf on hair that is in need of moisture. Those dry and thirsty strands are more prone to hair breakage.
- Use a thin satin or silk scarf instead. You’re better able to control how tight your hair will be as you tie the scarf to form your natural hair puff. The main benefits of using silk and satin instead of cotton is that they won’t suck the moisture out of your precious hair.
- Try pantyhose. It works! Pantyhose are nice and stretchy. Cut the foot and top of one side of an old pair lengthwise, so you have a piece long enough to wrap around the circumference of your head at least once. Like the shoelace, just tuck the excess in or use a couple bobby pins to secure the ends in place.
- Use a shoelace. Yeah that's right! Look, your hair is going to cover it up anyways so don’t be worried about it. Most shoelaces are plenty long enough to allow room to “give” and then whatever excess you have left hanging, just tuck it underneath and no one will know!
- Take a break. A natural hair puff can be a great go-to style for its simplicity but constantly wearing the same hair accessories day after day after day can definitely cause unwanted wear and tear on your hair.
Hopefully these tips can help you on your way to natural hair puff perfection without sacrificing comfort and safety!
Recap of Products She Uses To Get The Natural Hair Puff:
- Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel
- Jamaican Mango Lime Black Castor Oil
- Carols Daughter Monoi Leave-in Conditioner
- Curls Passion Fruit Curl Control Paste
- Old Knee High/Stocking
- Hair Pick - (We suggest a wooden hair pick, they are gentler on hair and don't cause static)
- Soft Brush (We suggest GranNatural's Boar Bristle Brush)
And that's all you need and all you have to do to get a cute natural hair puff!