Curly Hair Society

Curl Types · Coily · 4B

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

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

Coily hair seen from the front, in a soft, fluffy shape with zigzag bends
A soft, fluffy shape, with sharp zigzag bends rather than round coils.Medium length · Front view
Coily hair in profile, dense and cottony, with a faint zigzag pattern
In profile: dense, cottony hair with little visible coil.Medium length · Side view
Coily hair seen from behind, in a full, rounded shape
From behind: a full, rounded shape with a faint zigzag running through it.Medium length · Back view

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

Compare your own hair with these examples, two ways.

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What to look for

  • Sharp, Z-shaped bends rather than round coils
  • A soft, fluffy, cottony texture
  • Less visible definition than 4A, wet or dry

Do I have 4B hair?

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

  1. Does your hair bend in sharp angles?

    Stretch a strand and let it go. 4B hair folds back into a Z, where a 4A coil would spring into a round spiral.

  2. Is the texture fluffy and cottony?

    4B hair feels soft and full, and shows less definition than 4A, wet or dry.

  3. Does it shrink by around 70 percent?

    If your hair looks about a third of its stretched length when dry, that is typical of 4B.

  4. Can you see some pattern, but not much?

    4B shows a little more definition than 4C, especially at the ends of twists or in small sections. If you see almost no pattern at all, look at 4C.

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
4A guide
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
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 4B coils, and the 4B group