Type 4 hair is known as kinky or coily. The sub-classifications from A to C are based on the width or diameter of your wave, curl or coil pattern. Type As have the widest pattern, Type Bs are in the middle, and Type Cs have the smallest of the three.
4c hair is the kinkiest, with curls soooooooo small that unlike other hair textures, 4C strands don't clump together, almost giving the hair the appearance that it doesn't have a curl pattern at all (it actually does, but another day for that discussion).
Yes, 4C type hair is considered curly. It is characterized by its tight, zigzag curls that can be very compact and have a lot of shrinkage. 4C hair typically has a lot of texture and can vary in density, but it does not have a defined curl pattern like other types (eg, 3A, 3B, or 3C).
Type 4a hair has a dense, kinky curly texture with lots of volume to spare. The size of each curl is about as wide as a crochet needle. The coily texture has more of an S pattern than other type 4s, which is why it experiences much less shrinkage when going from wet to dry.
Type 4 hair has a cotton-like feel. The hair is very wiry, very tightly coiled or bent and very, very fragile; you must take great care when working with it. Type 4 hair can range from fine/thin to wiry/coarse with lots and lots of strands densely packed together.
Type 1A: The rarest hair type, this one is very straight and fine with a “wispy” appearance. It's very difficult to get it to hold a curl. Type 1B: Though still straight, this type has a medium (rather than fine) texture and a little more volume.
Curly and coily hair, aka every hair type from 3A to 4C, are the most susceptible to frizz due to a lack of moisture. Unlike straight and wavy hair, curls and coils are made up of strands that twirl, making it challenging for oils to travel down the hair shaft.
Yes, white people can have type 4 hair. While type 4 hair is mainly seen in African American women and men, this curl pattern is not race-specific. People of all ethnicities, including Caucasians, can have type 4 hair, although it is highly uncommon.
But 4C hair looks pretty much the same wet as it does dry. Its extremely low porosity strands don't take in enough water to transform your curls the way other hair types do when wet, so applying products on wet hair won't “lock in the curl” – or the moisture.
Kinky hair is really another word to describe curly hair. It's usually connected to the most textured pattern. Kinky, although somewhat subjective to individual interpretation, is most often associated with curl patterns in the 4A to 4C range.
4c curls are the curliest of curls on the spectrum. Often described as tight, springy, 'Z' shaped ringlets, 4c hair tends to clump more at the ends and is even more prone to shrinkage than other curl types. 4c coils are so springy that they can shrink up to 75% of their length.
Most 4C hair textures fall under a low porosity, high shrinkage category, which means that the hair has a tough time absorbing moisture, is very fragile and easily breakable, and shrinks a lot when it's wet.
5c hair type:
Type 5c hair texture has the tightest curl pattern among the other types. It forms a distinct "Z" shape and has a coarser texture. This hair type is often densely packed. Also, it requires extra care to maintain moisture and prevent breakage.
Rihanna reveals her natural coily hair texture and it's super short, cropped length.
The look is characterized by full, healthy hair that isn't overdone. “In essence, rich girl hair refers to a luxurious hairstyle,” says Clyde Haygood, celebrity hairstylist. Basically, the hair always looks intact and subtly styled, whether that means bouncy waves or incredible shine.
Zendaya has naturally curly hair with a curl pattern of 3A. This means her natural texture features a large yet defined curl in a springy S shape, according to Carol's Daughter. When it comes to her hair color, it is naturally medium brown.
Type 4B Hair - Your hair is prone to dryness and breaks and has a zig-zag shape and experiences shrinkage. Type 4C Hair - Your coils are dense and can range from fine and soft to coarse and wiry, your hair strand will have a "Z" shape and will experience significant shrinkage.
Whether you use a tool or nature to dry your hair is really a matter of personal preference and how you plan to style it. If you want to just go with the safest choice, heat-free is always going to be the healthiest way to dry natural hair and prevent damage—but blow-drying natural hair certainly has its benefits also.
The microscopically tight kinks and coils of 4c hair patterns cause significant shrinkage to occur, which gives this hair type so much volume. Though dense in volume, 4c hair strands are very fragile and prone to breakage, dryness, and frizz.
Type 4 hair has the most natural volume of the four hair types at the root. It may appear to be short but it can be surprisingly longer than you might think. There is a large group of Hispanics and Afro-Latinx who don a beautiful coily crown. Extra moisture, time, and care are needed for this hair type.
Asian hair is the thickest, with a larger diameter of about 70 µm. Caucasian hair has an average diameter of 65 µm, and African hair is the finest, with a diameter of 55 µm. The cross-section of Asian hair is the most round and uniform, Caucasian hair has an elliptical shape, and African hair has a flattened shape.
Type 4 (Coily Hair)
Coily hair, commonly referred to as Afro-textured or kinky hair, type 4 is naturally very dry and spongy in texture and can be soft and fine or coarse and wiry. Strands form very tight, small curls of zig-zags right from the scalp and are prone to major shrinkage.
Type 4b hair can be hard to manage. Studies show this hair category is 70 percent prone to breakage and shrinkage. Often, it can form single-strand knots, tangling into a bird's nest. For this reason, you need a lot of moisturizing oil to keep your hair's shiny nature.
Fine, curly, or dry hair is particularly prone to tangling because the rougher hair cuticles snag against each other. Damaged hair from heat styling, chemical treatments, or environmental stressors has lifted hair cuticles creating more opportunities for tangles.