Even though hair experts create hair typing systems, many people have difficulty telling the difference between types 4b and 4c. To help you learn how to take care of your naturally curly hair and distinguish between 4b and 4c curly hair, we discuss the differences between these types and how to take care of your naturally curly hair.
What Is 4B Hair?
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A zigzag pattern characterizes 4b hair. When you grab a strand of 4b hair and gently pull it down, you’ll find that it forms tight “Z” curls vertically. Type 4b hair has densely packed curls that are tighter and more prone to breakage than 4a hair. And although 4b curls resemble tight curls, they aren’t as tight as the 4c curls.
Type 4b hair is prone to dryness and tangling if not handled correctly; that is because the oil from the scalp has trouble traveling to the tips of the hair because of the sharp angles of the zigzag strands.
What Is 4C hair?
As the most common hair texture for black women worldwide, long 4C natural hair styles have a tight curl pattern and form tight ringlets. It tends to clump at the ends and is even more prone to shrinkage than 4B hair. Like 4B hair, a 4C hair type is also prone to dryness and requires regular moisturization to achieve most styles and keep them healthy.
For example, you can use leave-in conditioners, heavy creams, and kinds of butter, as well as gels that contain natural oils like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil—all of which work wonders for this type of hair!
How To Take Care Of Type 4 Hair
If you have natural afro hair, you need to take some actions to keep your hair healthy and soft. Try hydrating avocado kiwi moisturizer, avocado kiwi oil blend, coconut oil, olive oil, or shea buttercream to retain moisture.
For 4c hair that gets dirty frequently, it’s a good idea to lengthen the time between washes, so you don’t use shampoo too often and opt for a mild sulfate-free shampoo instead of one with sulfates. If your hair gets dirty frequently, try using apple cider vinegar on it after rinsing out soap residue every day.
Regularly comb your short 4c hair styles with wide-toothed combs to avoid tangles and breakage during detangling; don’t yank but gently use your fingers to pull out knots. Deep-condition weekly if possible; it will make your hair healthier and shiny without needing extra styling products.
What’s The Difference Between 4B And 4C Hair?
As you can see from the chart below, 4b and 4c hair both have similar characteristics. The main difference between these two natural hair types is that 4c hair has tighter coils than 4b. For example, 4c hair has tighter coils. Its zigzag pattern can easily distinguish this.
Although both types of hair are easy to manage and can grow long with proper care, 4b hair is easier to style and manage than 4c hair. Both types of hair shrink a lot; however, 4b tends to shrink more than 4c natural hair type.
Also, note that although both types of natural hair require a lot of moisture, they differ in how they respond when exposed to heat: 4c shrinks more than 4b when exposed to hot temperatures or direct sunlight for too long.
