The Complete Guide To Type 4 Hair: 4A, 4B, 4C

Table Of Content

• L’Oréal Paris Couleur Experte Hair Color + Hair Highlights
• Men’s Curly Hair: The Ultimate Guide for Show-stopping Curls
• Best Shampoos for Mixed Race Curly Hair
• The 4C Hair Type: Final Thoughts
• How to Figure Out Your Curly Hair Type — And Why It Matters
• If You're Struggling With Dull, Lackluster Skin, This Is the Routine You Need

"Your curl type is determined by the shape of the follicle that your hair grows out of from your scalp," says hairstylist Vernon François. If anything, you want to be able to walk into a store with some idea of what you're looking for to treat your precious crown — and have some baseline knowledge of the best way to style your hair. Curls resemble tight corkscrews and are approximately the circumference of a pencil or straw. Type 3c hair tends to be higher in density and coarser than Type 2 or 3 hair.

L’Oréal Paris Couleur Experte Hair Color + Hair Highlights

The brand claims that the conditioner detangles hair in 10 minutes, as tested by over 100 curly-haired participants. The moisturizing formula also makes this conditioner ideal for fragile hair. For best results, apply to damp hair, then work the conditioner through in small sections from root to tip. While not necessary, many people find hair typing extremely helpful for understanding their hair texture and choosing hair care products. Some view it as limiting and choose not to use it, while others find it useful.

Men’s Curly Hair: The Ultimate Guide for Show-stopping Curls

If you want to fully embrace your curls and coils, Sultan recommends afros. "They’ve made a huge comeback on the catwalks and in editorial shoots—all you need to do is grab an afro pick and pat it into your desired shape," she says. The reality is that many women don’t fit perfectly into one category and subclassification. It’s common to have a combination of hair types (or different types of curls) on your head. Like other hair types, 4A hair comes in a variety of different textures.

Best Shampoos for Mixed Race Curly Hair

Then, they can go in with highlights and apply them where they wish in the hair. All of the required tools and materials are included in the package so buyers don’t need to purchase extra equipment. O’Connor recommends the Food for Soft collection which has hyaluronic to help keep the scalp’s moisture levels balanced. “Also, for length retention make sure the ends of your hair are healthy and hydrated. It is not worth holding on to ends that are splitting or dry because that will inhibit hair growth,” she explains. Type 4 hair has a curl pattern that is typically considered to be afro-textured.

Hardges’s go-to products are the Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner and Kemi Oyl All Natural Hair Oil to assist your hair in retaining its moisture. You’ll experience your best results using masks with heat, if available, every time you cleanse and condition. Try something like Better Natured Hydrating Leave-In Milk or Pattern Beauty’s Leave-In Conditioner. Also, if you do decide to straighten your hair, you’re going to need extra protection to keep from damaging your curl pattern.

Simply buying a bunch of products and hoping for the best won’t yield great results – knowledge is the key to success. "Hair typing is a starting point, an easy way to start wading through the many product and styling options," says Breyer. "We mean it to be a reference guide, not a way to separate people into different groups." According to her, here are the nine types of curls and their characteristics.

The very tight curl pattern of 4C causes it to tangle much quicker than other textures. Without taking proper care of your hair, it will become matted. Another important step is to avoid products and styling tools that can damage your 4C hair, such as heating tools without a proper protective barrier or using unregulated excessive heat. Harsh chemicals that strip your 4C hair’s natural oils should also be avoided.

If You're Struggling With Dull, Lackluster Skin, This Is the Routine You Need

If you have curly hair, your hair type will begin with the number 3 or 4. The letter, or subtype, that comes after is what we’re about to determine. Due to the tight curls and coils of 4C hair, it becomes difficult for the oils from the root of the hair to travel up to the ends of the hair thus the reason why it’s prone to dryness and breakage. Whilst we are focusing on the 4C hair type in this article, it’s important to note that all hair types are uniquely beautiful and require specialized hair care regimen. Francis recommends doing a mask twice a month to provide manageability and moisture.

Type 3: Curly Hair

Understanding your 4C curls requires going back to the basics of your curl pattern and what distinguishes your curl type from others. 4C is one category in a classification system for curly hair types created by hairstylist Andre Walker. Within the system, curly hair ranges from type 2A (loose waves) to type 4C (tight coils). "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.

Hair typing is a real and widely used system in the hair care industry. It is used as a tool to categorize and describe the different textures and types of hair, such as straight, wavy, curly, and coily. However, hair typing is not scientific or exact, and some people have criticized the system for promoting hair texture stereotypes.

"3b curls are defined by more springy ringlets and these type of curls can tend to get more dry," Taylor says. "I recommend looking for a curl gel to hydrate and define curls, especially a water-based option that has a buildable, light hold. The wave usually forms throughout the hair in the shape of an "S" like Type 2a, but the hair sticks closer to the head.

Hair oils and serums that keep the frizz away and give shine may be all that is needed to keep 3B curls looking lush. Try Goldwell Kerasilk Control Rich Protective Oil, which effectively blocked frizz on hair samples in the GH Beauty Lab's test and wasn't greasy, testers confirmed. There is one other hair typing system that had a consistent following several years ago. Actually, there are still several women on some natural hair forums that are advocates for Fia’s Hair Typing System. You might want to use styling milk if you want more definition but less frizz. You’ll notice that Type 3C, Type 4C, and 4D hair types aren’t mentioned in the discussion above, that’s because they were not included in the original Andre Walker system.

Does the Hair Type Scale Create More Segregation? - POPSUGAR

Does the Hair Type Scale Create More Segregation?.

Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

This is why products with ingredients that seal in moisture are important for hair with high porosity. Hair density has to do with the number of hair strands on every square inch of your scalp. However, hair bloggers helped popularize the inclusion of 4c natural hair as a separate category because it has its own unique characteristics. Because of this, this kinky hair type is no longer lumped together with 4a and 4b hair. While protective styles can help you retain length by letting your hair rest, that won't matter much if extreme tension leads to traction alopecia. As tempting as it is to let a braider create braids that are tighter so that your style lasts longer—don't do it.

That sentence strikes fear right into our oil-loving hearts, but unfortunately, he compares them to wetsuits in a bad way. In theory, figuring out your curl type (or curl types) sounds like an easy exercise. But as anyone who’s ever tried a curl product with rave reviews—only to have their expectations literally fall flat—knows, the reality isn’t so simple. It might just be the ideal pattern for those beachy waves, the most versatile hair, and is easy to manage. Great hair goes beyond using shampoos, conditioners, and styling products.

When someone is seeking to create a pearl or ash blonde color, they have to seek out different brands. Fortunately, pearl or ash blonde tends to be at the farthest end of any scale, so buyers just need to know where to look. Some of the best brands to get this color are Schwarzkopf and Garnier, which work well and keep hair moisturized. The Goldwell Topchic Hair Color Coloration in its tube formula does not include PPD (Paraphenylenediamine), an ingredient that the company noticed many individuals were allergic to. Because the formula does not have this ingredient, it produces a long-lasting color that is gentler on the skin. Sometimes the colors designed to be ash blondes or ash brunettes do not maintain their color for long.