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While all type 4 hair is tightly coiled, it has three unique subtypes, with type 4C having the most shrinkage and less defined natural curls. Being prone to dryness means type 4c hair is also prone to breakage. A hair care routine that prioritizes keeping the hair moisturized and supple is therefore imperative. Hair that is moisturized will resist breakage and maintain its elasticity. Hair that is moisturized also looks and feels great and will maintain styles better for longer periods. Type 2A hair has a “barely there,” tousled “S” wave with fine strands that are easy to straighten.
How to Care for 4C Hair
Regularly moisturizing your hair is key to maintaining healthy, strong locks. The road to understanding and embracing your texture can be long and frustrating, especially if you’ve been using the wrong products or techniques. You can find the right products, methods, and styles to help your 4C hair thrive by defining your hair type and learning more about how different textures work.
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The volume that comes with type 4 hair is caused by its unique curl pattern. Type 4 hair has varying levels of curls, ranging from the tight soft spirals of type 4a hair to the dense zig-zag locks of type 4b hair to the microscopically small coils of type 4c hair. "The strands are more fine and closely packed, which creates a dense afro look," Williams explains. Studying up on the typing system may be beneficial when differentiating between 4C hair and other hair types. Knowing your hair type, porosity, and texture is key for achieving a strong and healthy mane. What may work for one hair type might not work for others, so being aware of what exactly you're working with will help you elevate your natural hair journey.
The 4C Hair Type Quick Reference Guide & Care Tips
Since Type-4 hair is so delicate, it’s best to use only wide-toothed combs and hair picks; never use a brush. Detanglers should also be part of your beauty arsenal to protect your hair from breaking while you comb it. Andrea Payme is a professional freelance writer and editor from New York City. She is a 3B curly-haired superwoman and the founder of the first backpacker hostel in David City, Panama. In the following sections, we will discuss each type of hair in general and delve into the details of each subtype.
The 9 Types of Curls
So incorporating bond-builders and protein-rich products (like those with rice water) is key. For days when I don't have time to do a moisture and protein mask, I reach for the Olaplex No.3 and No.0 Duo ($60). No. 0 primes the hair for No. 3, a pre-shampoo moisture treatment. The Briogeo Rice Protein + Algae Rich Rice Water Shampoo Concentrate ($42) and Carol's Daughter Goddess Strength Shampoo ($10) are great strengthening cleansers. For an intensive treatment, try the Cécred Fermented Rice and Rose Protein Ritual ($52). It's so strong it should be used no more than once every three months.
How to Care For 4C Hair
Avoid washing your hair with shampoo every day, but use a sulfate-free shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner when you do. (If you have 4A hair, you can occasionally use a shampoo with sulfate shampoo for extra cleaning.) Co-washing products (shampoos mixed with conditioners) are also ideal for Type-4 hair. Specifically designed with dry hair in mind, this leave-in conditioner is plant derived to give you the softest and most manageable curls that you’ve ever had. Free of harsh chemicals like sulfates, this product has a spray-on feature that makes it super easy to use. If you have 3a curls, Taylor recommends using a curl cream such as Salwa Petersen's Chébé Buttercream Styling Cream ($22), to emphasize the curl texture, add weightless definition, and style the hair. The wave usually forms throughout the hair in the shape of an "S" like Type 2a, but the hair sticks closer to the head.
Some popular texturizers for coarse curls are the African Pride Olive Oil Texturizer Kit and Luster’s Pink Shortlooks Texturizer Curl Softener. If you have a sensitive scalp, you can try the Soft & Beautiful Botanicals No-Lye No Mix Texturizer. If you want to achieve that perfectly bouncy, frizz-free look, make sure your hair has had enough time to dry before you unravel your rollers. Otherwise, your locks will have plenty of frizz but no definition. Deep conditioners have thick formulas with high concentrations of nourishing ingredients. For the best results, use a deep conditioner once or twice weekly.
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The Lazy Girl Guide to Caring for 4C Hair, Plus Best Products to Use.
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One of the main challenges with low porosity 4C hair is that it can sometimes be difficult for moisture to penetrate the cuticle, which means that your hair may become dry and brittle over time. You can use specific tips to help moisturize your 4C hair and keep it healthy and hydrated. The key is to experiment and find what works best for you – whether using the products or techniques recommended for your hair type or finding something different that works even better. While everyone doesn’t agree or rely on a “hair typing system” when it comes to their hair, it can help understand your texture and find the right products and techniques that work best for you. "4C hair tends to have a lot of natural volume, which can be a desirable feature for those who love voluminous hairstyles," says Groover.
When 4C hair shrinks, it appears thicker than all other hair types, but thickness has to do with the number of hairs per square inch. By now, it should be clear that the biggest challenge when dealing with natural 4C hair is keeping it moisturized. It’s easier said than done because the tight zigzag curl pattern prevents the sebum (natural scalp oil) from traveling down the length of the hair shaft.
For waves, Breyer loves a tousled look achieved by diffusing while the hair is almost dry. "Wavy braids with a few tendrils left out are also a pretty look when you need to get ready in a hurry. For curlies, high buns can work well in any weather—the messier, the better," she explains. Knowing your hair type can open lots of doors to vibrant, healthy, and beautiful hair. Identifying hair is often difficult, with lots of confusing long articles that leave you more confused than you began. If you’re overwhelmed by how much hair you have, consider thinning out the sides for a tapered cut that resembles a mohawk. This undercut style trims the hair close to the scalp on the sides of the head, leaving the top part longer and fuller.
Because it has an extra boost of moisturizing oils and conditioning agents, hair masks can penetrate your locks with even more hydration and softness than traditional conditioners. You’re putting the lightest-weight products in first (leave-in conditioner, mousse) and following up with the heaviest products (gels, creams, and oils) last. Your hair naturally lacks definition and forms a somewhat uniform mass of kinky texture. With pin-straight hair, oil freely travels along the strands to the point that they look greasy a day or two after washing. With your ultra-textured locks, your strands struggle to get enough moisture from natural oil. The shape of your strands means they don’t easily slide against one another, so whatever style you weave or twist your hair into will stick around for a long time.
"It's important to keep the ends healthy to support overall hair growth." Try different knot placements, bigger or smaller sections to create differently-sized knots, and fun colors to highlight and accentuate the twisted, wound shape of this style. Go back to basics with simple box braids with or without extensions. You’ll be able to tame and protect your strands by weaving them into equally-sized hanging braids using a box grid formation on the scalp.
4c hair strands may be coarse, fine, wiry or thin, but more often than not the coils are densely packed and the hair is thick. 4c hair has the least number of cuticles per strand of hair of any hair type which makes it more delicate and prone to dryness, shrinkage and tangling. Its delicacy means that type 4c hair requires a gentle touch in order to thrive. Read on our recommendations for the best products for 4c hair type.
If you have low porosity 4B hair, heat will be your best bet when applying conditioners and oil treatments. Focus on lightweight products and avoid ones that boast of added protein. If you are dealing with particularly dry 4B hair, invest in a cleansing conditioner or cowash. Over-washing can dry hair out even further, but a cleansing conditioner removes dirt and oils while infusing hair with essential moisture. You’ll also need to use a deep cleaning shampoo every once in a while, but it definitely doesn’t have to be for regular use.
She recommends examining your curls while they're wet—the texture will be evident. "You may have more than one texture in your hair, which is common," she says. Only the sky’s the limit for hairstyle and haircut for this kinked hair type. The hair type is malleable and can be styled to any form of choice and still look incredible.
This means its hair cuticle has fewer holes and more densely compacted cell layers, making it hard to moisturize and hydrate. Hygral fatigue causes damage to the hair as the hair cuticle becomes compromised when the hair swells. When you detangle after cleansing without pre-pooing first, you could cause a lot of damage. Unless you decide to use chemical relaxers, there’s not much you can do to change that fact. Ghanima is a beauty consultant and stylist with 40 years of experience. She studied cosmetology at Debbies School of Beauty Culture in Chicago, IL.
