Using thicker natural emollients like mango or shea butter can help to style it after washing. Type 4 hair can be easily dehydrated and damaged, which means it’s essential that your hair care routine helps to address this. Primarily Black women have type 4A hair, and it takes a tight coil shape. Hair shape and texture are best determined when your hair is soaking wet. Type As have the widest pattern, Type Bs are in the middle, and Type Cs have the smallest of the three. The sub-classifications from A to C are based on the width or diameter of your wave, curl or coil pattern. You still retain a definite curl pattern and the texture isn’t a frizzy coil. How do you know if you might be a Type 3C? You would have very curly hair that held on to its S or Z-curve shape even after being stretched out. Women who have Type 3C hair often don’t know what to do with their hair because it’s a tad overlooked in the haircare world. Type 3C was created because it was clear there was a type missing between Type 3B and Type 4A. The hair is packed together to create unbelievably beautiful texture.
It’s made up of tight coils, many strands, and lots of volume. Not to worry though! This curly hair type is sure to stand out. Now, depending on what hair typing system you look at, you’ll see Type 3A and Type 3B…what about Type 3C? Not every system includes it, and thus it’s a “forgotten” hair type. Additionally, because the cuticle doesn’t lay as flat as Type 1 or Type 2 hair, the hair also isn’t as shiny. In general, Type 3 curly hair is defined by having an “S” shaped curl pattern. Here’s how you define 3C, 4A, 4B & 4C hair types. These hair types on in the “curly” and “kinky” categories, which means they’re more often than not natural hair. Today, we’re talking about 3C, 4A, 4B & 4C hair types.
If you don’t already know your individual hair type, you can read more about hair typing and how to determine yours in Allure’s How to Figure Out Your Curl Type. Hair typing is can be a useful resource when understanding how to best care for your hair.