Type 4 Hair: What Does 4A, 4B, and 4C Means?

Table Of Content

• Stick to a Good Wash Day Routine
• Revamp Your Hair Care Collection With Moisturizing Hair Products
• How to determine the best products for your curl type
• Comments on “The 4C Hair Type: Everything You Need to Know (With Video Illustration)”
• How Can You Find the Best Hairstyles for Your Hair Type?
• Bhringraj Oil for Hair Growth: The Science and Alternatives

This makes length accumulation really difficult with this hair type. Those with shorter hair can also achieve an Old Hollywood style with the classic finger wave on 4c hair, which involves styling short locks into S-shaped waves with gel. For the few times you really need to use heat-styling tools, make sure to use a heat protectant spray like the Chi 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray to minimize potential damage. Additionally, being gentle with 4c hair means reducing manipulation, such as pulling and tugging your strands when detangling and styling natural 4c hair. However, shampooing your hair is just one of the steps for a proper wash day routine.

Stick to a Good Wash Day Routine

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I would imagine that the Type 4C hair type was created by a member within the natural hair community – just like the Type 3C hair type. When it comes to trying to create a true, natural pearl or ash blonde hair dye, it’s hard to find a good manufacturer because of the color’s rarity and lack of pigment. One of its highlights, though, is that this particular line of hair dyes is full of color and shine, making hair seem happier and healthier after use. Overall, 4A hair tends to be naturally drier, so it is really important to take steps to hydrate the hair. “Products like leave-in conditioners or curl revivers are a good way to get moisture in the hair. Also, not waiting too long in between hair washing,” adds O’Connor.

Revamp Your Hair Care Collection With Moisturizing Hair Products

“A strand of 4A hair can be as thin as a spider web, or as thick as dental floss. You can easily decipher how fine or coarse hair is by how big individual strands are,” explains O’Connor. The 4 main types of curls include Type 1s (straight), Type 2s (wavy), Type 3s (curly), and Type 4s (coily).

How to determine the best products for your curl type

Type 4A hair can be fine and wiry or thick and more densely packed. Very often, women with 4B hair tend to worry the most about lack of moisture. As this hair type has a tighter curl than 4A types, the natural sebum has an even harder time traveling down your strands, which leaves you with dry hair. If shrinkage is a major issue for you, look for products and styling techniques that help elongate your curls. After washing your hair, be sure to follow up with a cream-based leave-in conditioner for added moisture and conditioning. The world is filled with different hair types and textures, but for many years, we only knew to call them straight, wavy, curly, or coily.

Comments on “The 4C Hair Type: Everything You Need to Know (With Video Illustration)”

This allows easy moisture penetration and easier moisture retention for extended periods. Hair that colors well is easy to style and can hold styles, doesn’t take too long for your hair to air dry, tends to look healthy, and may have medium porosity. A curl cream with a leave-in moisturizer is a must for adding more moisture to daily wash-and-go styling. The Hair Rules Kinky Curling Cream with the Hair Rules Nourishment Leave-In Moisturizer is Dickey's go-to cocktail combo. The combination of both products will help define your curls without leaving them hard or crunchy. Use a diffuser to dry your curls for even more fluff and volume.

How Can You Find the Best Hairstyles for Your Hair Type?

These terms were coined by Ouidad, the first ever hair salon for curly hair. Each curl type is different, meaning each needs its own hair care routine. Wavy hair is classified under Type 2 and ranges from fine and almost straight (2A) to wavy (2B) to coarse and very tightly wavy (2C). This hair type has a moderate amount of sheen and a natural body, but it is also a hair type that is frizz-prone.

Bhringraj Oil for Hair Growth: The Science and Alternatives

Protective styles will only protect your hair if done without applying strain or too much manipulation on your hair. So as you wear your bantu knots, twists, or braids, ensure they are loosely done, hair extensions are not too heavy and not tightly styled to avoid causing permanent damage to your hair and hair follicles. Or, pre-poo with conditioner or oils to soften the strands and reduce friction. It’s best to use a wide-tooth comb, detangling brush, or your fingers to gently pull apart kinks and knots. Always detangle your hair and comb it from the tip to the root and never the other way round to avoid hair damage.

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If you can, opt for deep conditioning with a conditioner or masque like SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque once a week if you’re experiencing super dry hair. We love Maui Moisture Curl Quench Shampoo and Conditioner for any type 4 hair. Protective styles like braids, dreads, and twists can help prevent damage to your hair and help it retain moisture longer. 4C hair needs copious amounts of moisture to look and feel healthy.

Type 3: Curly Hair

A sign that your hair is healthy is that it's able retain moisture, says Rashuna Durham, stylist and pro educator for hair brand Amika's Pro Team. In healthy strands, the cuticle (the outermost part of the hair shaft) is able to lay flat to lock in moisture, she says. Knowing the porosity of your hair can give you a better idea of whether your hair is retaining moisture or if it isn't, and point you in the right direction for the best products for your hair, says Durham. Your hair's porosity is a reflection of how well products and moisture can pass through the cuticle layer, she says. Kimble says the LOC method is going to make your hair more hydrated, giving you more elasticity for styling. Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Curl Sculpting Custard is a thick curl detangler that delivers moisture and shine to your curls.

4C hair is typically defined as being densely packed and sometimes lacking definition. Often people with 4C hair will experience intense shrinkage—meaning that their hair can look deceptively short when it's fully dried. And although all curly and kinky-coily hair types tend to be more delicate than straight hair, 4C hair is considered the most delicate. But aside from curl pattern or shrinkage, people with 4C hair can have coarse or superfine strands or soft versus wiry textures. Unlike other coily hair types, the key to identifying 4C hair is the lack of definition in its curl pattern. "4C hair is tightly coiled in its raw state and as it has no defined curl pattern—coils must be defined by styles such as twisting and braiding," Mensah tells Byrdie.

Try Herbal Essences Bio Renew Hydrate Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner, as this duo provided the highest level of conditioning in our Beauty Lab’s test of moisturizing formulas. Try Joico Moisture Co-Wash Whipped Cleansing Conditioner, which was a winner of the GH Beauty Lab's cleansing conditioners test. Hair gels generally can keep this type of curl in place and also provide frizz protection.

Getting to know my curls throughout my natural hair journey has been inspiring and eye opening. 4C hair requires a lot of TLC — as does any natural hair type — but the benefits of embracing your texture are so worth it. That said, it took me awhile to understand my 4C curls and get to know them.