In this video I’m showing y’all my (kinda) stretching routine for combating shrinkage on my type 4 hair after a wash and go. I start with my base: freshly washed hair, defined with a mousse + gel combo, and I make sure my hair is 100% dry before I even think about stretching—like not 90%, not 99… 100%. I sat under the dryer for about an hour and a half so I could stretch without my hair reverting immediately. The whole goal is to keep my curls stretched and elongated without turning the style into a frizzy, puffy mess. Then I go into how I actually stretch: sectioning, pulling the hair taut, focusing on the roots and a little down the shaft (sometimes the ends too), and adjusting section size depending on how hard-hold the gel is. I’m also testing tools—specifically the new Dyson Airwrap for curly/coily textures—and I’m keeping it real: it wasn’t giving me the stretch I wanted, so I went back to my old faithful Amazon blow dryer because it gets hotter and stretches faster. I also talk about the pros/cons of stretching with heat (I do it weekly, but I’m not telling everybody to), why day one hair can look flat, and how I break up clumps/cast to get my volume back while still keeping that juicy definition.