What Are The Different Afro Or Black Hair Types?

Are you Black or of African American descent and want to know your hair type? We have summarized the details of each African hair type to help you determine what’s right for your hair to maintain it and prevent damage.

Africans are known for their tight curls and coiled hair with a coarse texture. This hair type is a determinant of their ethnic identity and pride. Did you know that about 94.9% of people of Black races have coiled or curly hair? And the remaining have some sort of wavy hair.

Let’s dive into more features and attributes of different Afro or black hair types.

However, the degree of coiling, thickness of curls and density of hair can vary greatly. Black men and women have hair that is naturally very dry, wiry and fragile and making it easy to break.

What Are 4a, 4b And 4c Hair Types?

Type 4 African hair can be further divided into 4a, 4b and 4c depending upon their distinctive features. Here are the attributes of each subtype:

Type 4a

Type 4a African hair have least coiled and most loose curl hair with traits such as:

• • • Curls Type: Have S-curl type of spirals in hair.
    • Curls Width: Spirals are almost 1 cm wide.
    • Definition: Curls are well defined and give a neat look over all.
    • Interlocking: The hair strands do not get interlocked with each other like other type 4 hair.
    • Moisture Retention: Type 4a hair is better at retaining moisture than other black hair types.
    • Manageability: Easier to comb and manage and can easily try different hairstyles with ease. The hair straightening is also easier.
    • Hair Volume: The hair does not shrink much after drying out. The curls look very beautiful with the spring-like look and appropriate size hair volume.

Type 4b

4b afro hair type is the middle type of black curly hair. The differentiating qualities of such hair are:

• • • Curl Type: Characterized by a zig zag curl pattern.
    • Curl Width: Curls are about 0.5 cm wide. They are tighter and thinner than 4a but loose than 4c.
    • Definition: Curls are more dense but less defined than 4a type. This typically creates a kinky hair pattern.
    • Interlocking: The hair strands are dry, frizzy and brittle. This makes the tangling, knotting and interlocking of the strands or coils more likely.
    • Moisture Retention: Type 4b is not good at retaining moisture, so you need to supplement extra oil for moisture.
    • Manageability: More difficult to manage as compared to type 4a in terms of styling and combing. Most people prefer to keep their hair in braids for ease.
    • Hair Volume: Hair strands can shrink about 75% after drying, appearing shorter and more voluminous.

Type 4c

It is characterized by highly packed coiled and curled hair and has unique features like:

• • • Curl Type: The 4c hair type has a mixture of s or z type of curl pattern when you look closely. The curls are very tight and thin.
    • Curl Width: Curl width is very small which is about 0.1 to 0.3 cm. It is difficult to differentiate each coil on the gross look.
    • Definition: The curls grow in every direction and give a very messy and a cotton candy look when brushed out.
    • Interlocking: The strands are extremely tangled and knotted making the combing very difficult. The extreme interlocking also makes the hair easy to break at different points.
    • Moisture Retention: Most dry hair type with least ability of moisture retention. You do need hair oils and relaxers to help in hydrating the hair.
    • Manageability: For easy manageability many people with 4c hair like to keep their hair short. For some braiding, twisting and shingling the strands are also easier to handle.
    • Hair Volume: 4c hair type is very voluminous and it spreaded all over the scalp in all directions giving you a very puffy hair look.

Which Celebrities Have Afro Type 4 Hair?

We have many Hollywood celebrities from African American and biracial descent, who proudly wear their natural hair in public. Some of the celebrities with type 4 hair are:

Why Is It Important To Know Your Hair Type?

It is very crucial to know your exact hair type in order to have a healthy relationship with your hair. With the right knowledge of the black hair type, you can choose the right hair care plan to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy. This is important to ensure that you feel comfortable in your natural beauty and to boost up your confidence.

What Are The Signs Of Black Hair Damage?

Heat and chemical damage are the main reasons for hair damage in Black men and women. Another reason for hair thinning is traction alopecia from tight braids and wigs. Here are the signs to look for:

• • • Split ends
    • Extreme frizz
    • Receding hairline
    • Diffuse thinning
    • Bald spots
    • Dry texture
    • Rough and worn out appearance
    • White nodes of hair shaft

• • Right Products: Use curl friendly moisturizing shampoos, leave in conditioners along with hair oils and detanglers.
  • Hair Wash: Limit hair wash to only 1-2 times a week to prevent the strip away of oils.
  • Right Hairstyles: Get your hairstyling done by black hair professionals. Micro braids, knotless box braids and halo braids produce less tension on the scalp so are ideal for styling.
  • Avoid Heat Damage: Do not use hairstyling irons often. When required, always use heat protectors with them.
  • Chemical Damage: It is better to avoid using relaxers so often because they can damage the hair in the long run and make your hair break easily.
  • Silk Caps: Use silk caps at home specifically at sleeping time to avoid traction and damage of hair.

Hair loss can be treated in type 4 afro hair type in a similar way as with other hair types. The options available are:

• • • Topical minoxidil
    • Oral finasteride
    • Corticosteroids
    • Hair transplantation
    • Microneedling

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different racial hair types?

Racial hair types can be classified ranging from 1a to 4c. With 1a the most straight hair type and 4c being the most coiled and curled hair type. 

How to know your afro hair type?

You can easily identify your hair type when looking carefully at it. But, it is difficult for people with shorter hair. You can pull out one curl and look at it and then compare it with the features of each type 4 hair type as described above. 

Which hair type is the strongest? 

There is always a debate around the most strongest hair type. But, thick Afro hair type 4 is considered the strongest with all 3 layers of hair: cuticle, cortex and medulla.