We hear the term 4C everywhere, but what does 4C hair look like? What is it, and why does it need a different care routine? More importantly, how do you know if you have 4C hair, as opposed to 4A or 4B? You probably actually have a mix, and that’s okay. Let’s define 4C and see how to care for your hair if the majority is 4C.

How Do You Know if You Have 4C – Not 4A or 4B?

Type four hair is all kinky. The tightness of the coil progresses from 4A through 4B to 4C. Because the hair strands for this hair type tend to be thin and numerous, it can be difficult to tell one from the other when products are added. We need the hair to be product-free in order to see the difference. So after you wash your hair, don’t use any conditioner and let it dry. Then look for the following:

4A Natural Hair

You’re just stepping in from type 3C hair, so you’ll still have springy coils. They will just be tighter than 3C, but you’ll still be able to see them. Your hair won’t shrink much, and the curl pattern will be definite. 

4B Natural Hair

This curl pattern hardly has a pattern at all. It is like a coil that has been unwound. Some locks of your hair might appear flattened or stretched than others. There is very little curl definition to your hair without products and it looks very cottony. There are some problems with 4B hair holding a curl.

4C Natural Hair

4C Hair has very tight coils. If you pluck a strand, it will wind itself up to its minimum size. Then it will look just like the coil in a retractable pen when you squash it between your fingers-shrinkage! 4C hair can be wiry, but when you feel the roots, it’s composed of teeny little curls. 

Understanding the Characteristics of 4C Hair Type

4C hair is the4c densest of all curly hair. It has hundreds of thousands of curls in a zigzag pattern so subtle that they’re hard to discern at first glance, but when you look closely, you can see the individual coils. If your hair has a coarse dry texture that looks like a big ball of cotton, it’s probably 4C hair.