You’ve seen the charts. You know the ones—the grid of photos showing everything from loose waves to tight, springy coils, usually labeled with numbers like 3C or 4A. For years, we’ve used this as the gold standard for understanding hair types black women have, but if we’re being totally honest, it’s a bit of a mess.
Hair is complicated.
It’s not just about how it looks in a photo or what it does when it’s soaking wet in the shower. Andre Walker, Oprah’s long-time stylist, created his typing system back in the 90s to sell products, and while it gave us a language to talk about our texture, it also left a lot of us feeling frustrated because our hair didn't "fit" a single box.
Most Black women don't have just one hair type. You might have 4C at the crown, 4A at the nape, and something entirely different around your edges. That’s why relying solely on a number-letter system often leads to buying the wrong products.
The Problem With "Type 4" Labels
When people talk about hair types black women possess, they immediately jump to the "Type 4" category. This is generally defined as coily or kinky hair. But here’s the thing: texture is only one piece of the puzzle.
Porosity actually matters way more.
Think about it. If you have 4C hair that is low porosity, your strands are literally built like a roof with closed shingles. No matter how much "curl cream for type 4 hair" you slather on, it’s just going to sit on top of the hair shaft like grease on a windowpane. On the flip side, someone with high porosity 4C hair might find that their hair sucks up moisture like a sponge but loses it just as fast, leaving it feeling like straw by lunchtime.
We need to stop obsessed with the "curl pattern" and start looking at the behavior.
Kimberly Lewis, the founder of CurlMix, has spoken at length about how the industry oversimplifies these categories. The "shrinkage" factor is a huge part of the identity of Black hair. Your hair might look two inches long, but when you pull it, it reaches your mid-back. That’s not a flaw; it’s a sign of high elasticity, which is a hallmark of healthy coily hair.
Understanding the "Alphabet" of Textures
If we are going to use the traditional system, we should at least use it accurately.
Type 3C is often the "gatekeeper" texture. It consists of tight corkscrews that are about the circumference of a pencil or a drinking straw. This hair type usually has a lot of natural volume. The main struggle here isn't usually definition; it’s frizz. Because the curls are so tight, the natural oils from the scalp have a hard time traveling down the hair shaft.
Type 4A is where things get denser. These are tight coils that, when stretched, reveal an "S" pattern. It’s often soft in texture but very prone to dryness.
Type 4B is different because it doesn't really "coil." It zigs and it zags. If you take a single strand and look at it, it looks like a sharp "Z" shape. This makes the hair appear much shorter than it actually is because the angles are so sharp.
Then there is Type 4C.
This is the most common texture for Black women, and yet it's the most misunderstood. There is often no visible curl pattern without styling products. It’s dense, it’s delicate, and it has the highest rate of shrinkage—sometimes up to 75% or more. People often mistake 4C hair for being "tough," but biologically, it's the most fragile. Each bend in that "Z" or "S" pattern is a potential break point.
Beyond the Pattern: Density and Width
You can have Type 4 hair and have very "fine" strands. This is a huge distinction.
Density refers to how many hairs are on your head.
Width refers to how thick each individual strand is.
I’ve seen women with 4C hair who have "fine" strands. If they use heavy shea butter or Jamaican Black Castor Oil, their hair looks weighed down and greasy because the individual hair fibers can't support the weight of the product. Meanwhile, someone with "coarse" Type 3C hair might need those heavy oils to keep the hair from expanding into a cloud of frizz.
This is why the "hair types black women" search results can be so misleading. They treat all Type 4 hair as if it needs the heaviest grease available.
Honestly, the best thing you can do is the "Float Test" for porosity. Take a clean strand of hair—no product on it—and drop it in a glass of water. If it floats for five minutes, you’re low porosity. If it sinks immediately, you’re high porosity. That information is ten times more valuable than knowing if you're a 4A or a 4B.
Realities of Multi-Textured Manes
Most of us are walking around with a "hair map" on our heads.
It’s totally normal to have a patch of hair at the back that is silky and loose, while the top is coarse and tight. This is often due to genetics, but it can also be environmental. The "weathering" of hair—how much sun it gets, how you sleep on it, how often you touch it—changes the texture over time.
Trichologists (hair and scalp scientists) like Bridgette Hill emphasize that the scalp is actually skin. The "type" of hair you grow is determined by the shape of the follicle. A round follicle grows straight hair. An oval or flat follicle grows curly or coily hair. For many Black women, our follicles are literally curved under the skin.
This is why "scalp health" isn't just a marketing buzzword. If your follicles are clogged with product buildup because you're trying to "force" a certain curl pattern, you're actually stunting the growth of your natural texture.
The Myth of "Good Hair" and Texture Discrimination
We have to talk about the elephant in the room.
The Andre Walker system has been criticized for being hierarchical. By labeling textures 1 through 4, it subconsciously (or sometimes consciously) suggests that Type 1 is the "best" or the "default." In the Black community, this translated into "good hair" being anything in the Type 3 category—hair that has a visible, looser curl.
This is nonsense.
4C hair is incredibly versatile. It can do things Type 3 hair can’t. It can hold a shape, it can defy gravity, and it can be sculpted into architectural masterpieces. The idea that one hair type is "easier" than another is a lie. Type 3 hair might be easier to wash and go, but it’s a nightmare to keep from tangling. Type 4 hair requires more moisture, but it holds styles like braids and twists for much longer without slipping.
Practical Steps for Managing Your Unique Type
Stop buying products based on the picture of the girl on the bottle. She likely doesn't have your hair type anyway.
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If you want to actually master your hair, start with a "Product Fast."
- Clarify everything. Use a real clarifying shampoo (not a co-wash) to strip away all the silicones and butters.
- Observe your hair naked. What does it do when it's just wet? Does the water bead up on the surface (Low Porosity)? Does it instantly get heavy (High Porosity)?
- Check your density. If you can see your scalp easily without moving your hair, you have low density. You need lightweight milks, not heavy creams.
- Sectionalize. Treat different parts of your head differently. If the crown is drier, give it more leave-in. If the back is looser, go lighter on the gel.
There is no "perfect" routine. Your hair type isn't a static thing. It changes with the seasons, with your hormones, and with your age.
Forget the charts. The only "type" that matters is the one that’s growing out of your head right now. Listen to it. If it feels crunchy, it needs moisture. If it feels mushy or overly soft, it likely needs protein to rebuild the structure.
The goal shouldn't be to have "Type 3A" hair if you’re a "Type 4C." The goal is to have the healthiest version of whatever your DNA gave you. Focus on the health of the strand and the moisture levels, and the "pattern" will take care of itself.
Spend a week documenting how your hair reacts to water versus oil. If you apply oil to dry hair and it stays dry, you're sealing the dryness in. Always apply your moisture (water-based) first, then seal it with an occlusive. This one change does more for "hair types black women" have than any specific curling cream ever will.
Moving forward, try switching your focus from "pattern" to "property." Evaluate your hair based on its porosity, its elasticity, and its density. Once you have those three numbers down, the 4A/4B/4C labels become almost irrelevant. You’ll find yourself buying products that actually work, saving you hundreds of dollars and hours of frustration in front of the bathroom mirror. It’s about working with the physics of your hair, not fighting against it.