What is your natural hair type? Do you know? Natural does vary and it’s very important to know which you have as this will prevent using the wrong hair treatment, some hairstyles are prone to curls while some don’t and this is because you might be using the wrong curl method or product on your hair shaft, we have put together a comprehensive guide on what type of natural hair you have and the best way to identify it.
From straight wavy natural hair to curly voluminous hair, every woman’s hair is different and this extends to length and thickness.
Knowing what type of natural hair you have would make choosing a product for it easy, your head could even be a mixture of two or three natural hair type. You can easily make out what kind of hair strand you have with some of the tips we have listed below.
Types Of Natural Hair
Every hair type has its own demands and management technique for each natural hair type varies and if you have a combination hair type, you can easily use a product that tends to both.
1. 4a Hair Type
4a type of natural hair is easy to identify, it comes with an S-shaped pattern when strengthened, the texture is easily softened and accompanied with miniature curls, this type of hair has a fine hair strand and tend to respond more to treatment and curly tools, 4a natural hair type is quite fragile too and it is advisable to use more natural products on it, it tends to sink when dry though.
Caring tips for 4a natural hair type:
- Wash your scalp with shampoo every 2-3 weeks and follow it with a conditioner on every wash
- Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that keeps the hair moisturized, nourish the scalp and keeps it hydrated
- Make sure to use cold or warm water to wash your hair as high-temperature water would strip the hair of its moisture.
2. 4b Natural Hair
4b natural hair comes in a tight coil form with a Z shape and it’s not as fragile as 4a although the growth process tends to be slow and prone to dryness and this is due to the zigzag form, it prevents the oil from getting to the tip, hot oil massage works marvelously on 4b hair type and you can easily discover your 4b hair type by standing in front of a mirror and stretching out the curls.
Caring tips for 4b natural hair type:
- Use regular natural shampoo for washing this, a regular deep conditioner is also the best option in keeping moisture locked in and keep the scalp clean.
- Condition your hair every time you wash it and go for a deep conditioner at least twice a month to retain moisture and length.
- Treat your hair to a hot oil massage every time you can, make use of like castor oil, coconut oil, almond oil or avocado oil to deeply nourish it from the roots.
- To prevent manipulation and to keep control of the hair, try more protective hairstyles for natural hair.
3. 4c Natural Hair Type
4c Natural hair type is pretty similar to 4b hair type and it does have defined curls, and more prone to shrinkage, it is the most fragile of all hair types, even at a very long length, you wouldn’t notice this except when it’s wet, this type of natural hair needs more care and less manipulation to grow.
Caring tips for 4c natural hair type:
- 4c natural hair type needs zero manipulation which means chucking your comb away to be used once in a while or you can get a wide-tooth comb but still no frequent combing is required.
- Avoid over styling and you should be more informed on what protective styling truly entails.
- Deep conditioner 2-3 times a week but be mindful of what shampoo you use on it to keep it healthy and well moisturized.
4. Straight Natural Hair Type
This is common with those who did transition to natural hair and did not bother to curl out the tip, straight natural hair type is not as fragile as other hair types but are prone to breakage if there are still chemical or relaxer left in them. You can also get a straight natural hair type with a flat iron and keep it maintained with some simple procedure.
Caring tips for straight natural hair type:
- You need regular shampoo if you plan to keep it straightened at all times but mindful of conditioner.
- Straight natural hair has a slower growth rate and prone to breakage but you can retain the length with braids for natural hair and follow the right procedure for a complete transition to natural hair.
- Learn how to battle frizz as this is pretty common with hairstyles like this.
- Get the right brush to keep the volume and prevent split ends.
This is limited to natural hair types and not all kinds of hair types, there are other hair types that fall in another category but are mostly permed or chemical induced hair, natural hair care without perms or relaxer, they are easy to spot though and requires more care to prevent breakage. What kind of natural hair do you have? Find out what kind of natural hair you have to prevent further manipulation of your hair strand.
