Curly Hair Society

Curl Types · Coily · 4A

4A Hair Examples: What Does 4A Hair Look Like?

See 4A coils from the front, side and back, compare them with 4B and 4C, and find out if this is your type.

Shoulder-length coily hair seen from the front, in small, springy, defined coils
Small, springy coils with a clear pattern all over.Medium length · Front view
Coily hair in profile, with small, round coils about the width of a crochet needle
In profile, each coil is about the width of a crochet needle.Medium length · Side view
Coily hair seen from behind, with small, defined coils from the root
From behind: dense, soft coils with a visible pattern from root to end.Medium length · Back view

Is your hair actually 4A? Let’s find out.

Compare your own hair with these examples, two ways.

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What to look for

  • Small, springy coils the width of a crochet needle
  • A clear S-pattern, especially when wet
  • More natural definition than 4B or 4C

Do I have 4A hair?

Check on clean hair that has air-dried with no product

  1. Can you see small, round coils?

    Look at a single section once it has air-dried. 4A hair forms small spiral coils about the width of a crochet needle. If it bends in sharp angles instead, look at 4B.

  2. Is the pattern clearest when your hair is wet?

    Wet 4A hair shows its S-shaped coils plainly. If you can see defined coils in the shower, that points to 4A.

  3. Does your hair shrink by half or more?

    Stretch a dry coil and let go. 4A hair often shrinks to between a half and a third of its stretched length.

  4. Do the coils hold together with little help?

    4A has the most natural definition of the type 4 patterns. Coils that clump with nothing more than a leave-in are typical.

More than one pattern? That is normal. Many people have a mix, often looser at the crown and tighter underneath or around the face. Go by the pattern over most of your head, and treat the rest as part of the same routine.

4A vs 4B vs 4C: See the difference

4A hair in small, round, defined coils

4ASpringy coils

  • Small, round coils the width of a crochet needle
  • A clear S-pattern, especially wet
  • Shrinks by half or more
4B hair with fluffy, zigzag bends and little defined coil

4BZigzag coils

  • Sharp, Z-shaped bends, not round coils
  • Fluffy, with less definition
  • Shrinks by around 70 percent
4B guide
Short 4C hair, dense, with tight coils clumped together

4CTightest coils

  • The tightest coils and zigzags
  • Little visible pattern when dry
  • Shrinks by up to 75 percent
4C guide

A visual guide to the patterns, not a clinical chart. Hair type is a description, and plenty of heads sit between two.

What to do next

A routine and products for 4A coils, and the 4A group