Hair Hacks

CHOOSING THE BEST PRODUCTS FOR 4A, 4B, AND 4C HAIR TYPES

IDENTIFYING YOUR HAIR TYPE(S) IS IMPORTANT—

...because we can have multiple patterns on our scalp and not all of them will act the same. Knowing exactly what you’re working with will help you better care for your curls, coils, and kinks—and allow you to choose the products that maximize moisture, prevent breakage, and keep a style poppin’ for longer. While there’s a range of curly hair (3a-4c), we’re focusing on 4a, 4b, and 4c hair types today. (We talk more about 3a, 3b and 3c curly hair here.)

Learn more about the 4a, 4b, and 4c hair types, as well as what products from Gold Series from Pantene work best with your mane.

Hair Typing Your Coils & Kinks

Hair in the ‘4’ category tends to have the tightest curl pattern, often called coils and kinks. Depending on your hair’s density, ‘4’ hair types tend to be drier than all other hair types because the scalp’s natural oils have a harder time reaching the hair shaft. Celebs like Megan Thee Stallion and Teyonah Parris belong to these categories, clearly visible when they rock their natural styles. So, what’s the biggest difference between a, b, and c?

4a hair tends to be dense and fine, with very tight S-shaped coils. It’s often described as springy, slightly porous, and prone to breakage. This pattern can be a bit softer than the other 4 types.

4b hair can also be dense and fine, but the strands bend at sharp angles in a Z shape, usually compared to a zig-zag pattern. Similar to 4a, 4b hair is slightly porous, but the biggest difference is coarseness.

With the tightest pattern of the three, 4c hair is also a zig-zag coil that tends to experience the most moisture loss. Dryness and shrinkage are nothing new to most natural’s, but 4c experiences the most shrinkage in their hair’s dry state, usually due to hair absorbing humidity from the air in humid climates, and extreme dryness in drier areas.

Hair Products for 4a Hair

When styling 4a hair, it’s important to use low heat. To protect your hair when using heat tools like a hooded dryer, blow dryer, or styling iron, apply Gold Series Thermal Heat Protector to stop heat damage before it happens. Infused with argan oil, this formula locks moisture in the hair shaft to help prevent breakage caused by dryness.

And if you’re more the “wash-n-go" type, make sure your coils and kinks are at their strongest when you wear them out and in a fragile state.

Hair Products for 4b Hair

The tighter curl of 4b hair means you want to keep as much moisture as possible in your strands. Gold Series Intense Hydrating Oil seals in moisture and adds shine with its lightweight, argan oil-infused formula.

Hair Products for 4c Hair

Single strand knots plague every natural. The coily nature of our hair means that sometimes, hair will curl in on itself, which is what causes these knots. If you’re known to pull, pluck, or cut the knots off, make sure you repair and condition your fragile ends with Miracle Rescue Split End Repair Serum. Getting trims regularly can help with knots, so use this between trims to keep ends fresh.

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