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Type 4

Find Your Hair Type

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Type 4a Kinky Hair

Type 4a Kinky Hair

Type 4a Kinky Hair

Type 4 Kinky Hair

Type 4 Hair- Kinky and Coily

4a Hair TypeKelis 4a Hair

These are the tightest curls of curly hair out there. They are often the size of a crochet needle and sometimes are even smaller in circumference! The clearly visible curl pattern is often described as kinky since it tends to be wiry, tightly coiled and often fragile. However, type 4 curls can have a variety of textures from fine and thing to wiry and coarse. There are a lot of strands densely packed together in each curl.

Since this hair type is so tightly coiled, it’s known to shrink up to 75% of the actual hair lengths. It also has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair type. This means that is has less natural protection from damage inflicted by combing, brushing, curling, blow-drying or straightening it. So it’s important to find the right products to take care of this gorgeous hair!

There are two subtypes of this hair. While different, it mostly comes down to texture and the specific curl pattern.


This subtype has a definitely curl pattern. If you stretch out a curl, you’ll have a definite “S” pattern like other curl types. It also tends to have more moisture in each hair strand than 4B, but every individual’s hair is different.

If you’re having trouble picturing it, think of celebrities like Macy Gray, Monique Coleman, or Leela James. They all have type 4A hair.


This curl pattern is less defined, forming more of a “Z” pattern when stretched out. Instead of curling or coiling, it bends in sharp angles. Because it can lack the moisture that 4A curls can have, it’s been described as having a cotton-like feel.

You can find 4B hair on people like Esperanza Spalding, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu. There are plenty more examples out there, too!

The best Jessicurl products for type 4 hair are:

·        Hair Cleansing Cream for cleansing

·        Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner for daily and leave-in conditioning

·        Spiralicious Styling Gel for all types of styles. 

·        Deep Conditioning Treatment for deep conditioning.

*Our hair goes through a lot to make it sit right. As a result, it can become excessively dry or has suffered heat and color damage. If yours is like this, you'll have to do a little more work to make it healthy again. We suggest using the Deep Conditioning Treatment as your daily rinse-out conditioner and Too Shea! as your leave-in.

Thanks to our friends at NaturallyCurly for sharing the Hair Typing System with us!