4A vs. 4B

[dicapr]

I guess I am the only one who finds their 4b hair easier to comb than the 4a sections of their hair. I have fine hair, and the back of my hair is fine 4b. The comb glides thru the back section more easily than the top part that is almos all 4a. Detangling that mess takes time and patience. I think hair density has more to do with ease in detangling than hair type. The 4a sections are denser than the 4b areas of my hair.

 

[seraphinelle]

I have found that 4b curl patterns can also be kinky straight intstead of zag

Thanks, that describes my hair exactly.

I just always figured 4b, but it's just kinky straight, no curl pattern and no zig zag ness.

but it's very dry

 

[Cheleigh]

I guess I am the only one who finds their 4b hair easier to comb than the 4a sections of their hair. I have fine hair, and the back of my hair is fine 4b. The comb glides thru the back section more easily than the top part that is almos all 4a. Detangling that mess takes time and patience. I think hair density has more to do with ease in detangling than hair type. The 4a sections are denser than the 4b areas of my hair.

No, you're not the only one. I usually twist my hair in seven sections, coated with conditioner to detangle--the front two are mostly 4b hair, and a breeze to detangle. My next three twists are my 4a hair, and no matter how long the conditioner has sat on my hair, it still takes a minute to detangle. The last two are 3c, and while a bit harder to detangle than the 4b, will go faster than the 4a hair. Again, my hair isn't particularly dense.

 

[naijamerican]

The 4a hair is like tiny pensprings - they form PERFECT circles when shed, and coil up together in bunchs of 20-40 strands of hair. It is the part of my hair that if I wanted curls to 'pop' in - they would. The strands are about average - fine strands, silky & smooth if properly moisturized. It makes PERFECT two strand twists, and locs in about average time. (90% of my head)

I think this is one of the very best descriptions of hair that I've ever read. For so long I've been wondering what I am. I agree with others who say that Andre Walker's typing system is way too limiting. For a long time I thought I had 4B hair just because I looked at others' 4As and thought mine didn't look like theirs. Then, I would look at other people's pictures of natural 4B hair and think, "well, I thought I had 4B, but I guess I don't!"

My whole head of hair does exactly what you said your 4A hair does, so I guess I need to base it on its appearance and its behavior and not in comparison to other people. I now see that, just as someone mentioned earlier, just because my hair doesn't look like others doesn't change what it really is. I guess that according to Walker's system I have 4A hair. But I honestly think that even within it, I have different textures of 4A going on. I have a looser texture at top, but it's still a noticeable curl and the springs are wider. I have a tighter curl around the edges, but the curls are still noticeable. Whether it's 4A, 4B, or 9Z, it's okay by me because due to the great advice on this forum I have come to really love my hair!

 

[Country gal]

I think I am mainly 4a.

 

[Jackie]

Andre Walker's system of hair typing is very flawed. As has been mentioned before, it's too limiting. His system works under the assumption that the texture of the strand and the curl of the strand go hand in hand. The problem is, they don't. For the majority of blacks our hair would fall under what would be Andre Walker's 4th category, however our patterns of curl (or lack thereof) cannot be summarized in two categories. I know a guy with "type 4 hair" that hardly curls up (due to his mix of ethnicities), and I know a girl whose hair would be considered "type 3", but has what is believed to be a 4a curl.

So I believe a more accurate system would have two categories that are separate from each other. One that represents the grade of hair, and the other representing the curl. I'm not familiar with the other systems that are out there, so one may already exist like that, but nevertheless, those are my two cents.

 

[glamazon386]

I think we also have to remember that 3c wasn't originally in the system. It was made up to describe hair that wasn't quite 3b or 4a, so hence 3c smack dab in the middle. That might explain why there is confusion between 3c and 4a. People seem to use them interchangeably.

 

[Poohbear]

I see what you're saying Kamilah... 4A and 4B are NOT the same. I think most of the time when people put 4A/4B, they are saying they have a mixture of those two types.

And many people often confuse hair texture with hair curl pattern. In other words, not all type 4's have kinky hair and not all type 3's have silky hair. You can have kinky type 3 and you can have silky type 4. Same with type 1 & 2... not all of them have silky hair, some of them have kinky straight hair or kinky wavy hair. Hair types describe the curl pattern (straight, wave, curl, undefined curl) not it's texture (silky, kinky, etc.). But you have to keep in mind that, like someone said, Andre's hair typing system is very flawed.

To me...
4A is tiny tight coils like the springs in a watch or hair clamp. Strands "clump" together to form a tight coil.
4B actually does have a curl pattern BUT it's undefined. The strands do not "clump" together to form a defined wave, curl, or coil. If I comb out my 4A hair into a big afro, my hair would look 4B.

If I were you, I wouldn't stress myself out about this hair typing deal. All of our natural hair is different, no matter how similar it may be to someone elses. Do what works best for your hair.

 

[seraphinelle]

I see what you're saying Kamilah... 4A and 4B are NOT the same. I think most of the time when people put 4A/4B, they are saying they have a mixture of those two types.

And many people often confuse hair texture with hair curl pattern. In other words, not all type 4's have kinky hair and not all type 3's have silky hair. You can have kinky type 3 and you can have silky type 4. Same with type 1 & 2... not all of them have silky hair, some of them have kinky straight hair or kinky wavy hair. Hair types describe the curl pattern (straight, wave, curl, undefined curl) not it's texture (silky, kinky, etc.). But you have to keep in mind that, like someone said, Andre's hair typing system is very flawed.

To me...
4A is tiny tight coils like the springs in a watch or hair clamp. Strands "clump" together to form a tight coil.
4B actually does have a curl pattern BUT it's undefined. The strands do not "clump" together to form a defined wave, curl, or coil. If I comb out my 4A hair into a big afro, my hair would look 4B.

If I were you, I wouldn't stress myself out about this hair typing deal. All of our natural hair is different, no matter how similar it may be to someone elses. Do what works best for your hair.

Awww poohbear, you have been so helpful today, thanks girl!

 

[Country gal]

To me...
4A is tiny tight coils like the springs in a watch or hair clamp. Strands "clump" together to form a tight coil.
4B actually does have a curl pattern BUT it's undefined. The strands do not "clump" together to form a defined wave, curl, or coil. If I comb out my 4A hair into a big afro, my hair would look 4B.

[]

Same here for me too.

 

[Barbara]

According to my stylist, I have two textures of hair on my head. It is extremely fragile and kinky, right down to the ends--which is shocking to him!

From time to time, he reminds me about how my hair is "unmanageable" compared to his other customers--as if I have the worst hair on the planet or "some products will work on other people's hair, but not on yours." I don't get offended; we just work with what I have and make the best of it. What's shocking to him and to other customers and stylists in the salon is that they, and he, in particular, never imagined that it would reach its current length.

I told him I have type 4a hair. He couldn't figure this rating system out.

 

[kellie7777]

my hairdresser told me my hair was unmanageable and i never went back. it was costing me over $100 to get my hair done and they complaining. i told them if it was manageable i wouldn't be there.
nerve....erplexed

 

[Hair Iam]

I have 3c, 4a and 4b hair on my head.

The 3c hair is loose curls - they almost 'wave' rather than forming the tiny tight curls of the 4type hair. There is a member here - her avatar pic is the back of her head, and she has these GORGEOUS black curls that drop from her nape - that's my 3c hair. It doesn't hold a twist for ANYTHING without copious amounts of gel, and it takes the longest to loc. It is very fine, silky, and smooth. (Nape & Hairline)

The 4a hair is like tiny pensprings - they form PERFECT circles when shed, and coil up together in bunchs of 20-40 strands of hair. It is the part of my hair that if I wanted curls to 'pop' in - they would. The strands are about average - fine strands, silky & smooth if properly moisturized. It makes PERFECT two strand twists, and locs in about average time. (90% of my head)

Thanks ,these two describe my hair to a T

 

[NaijaNaps]

my hairdresser told me my hair was unmanageable and i never went back. it was costing me over $100 to get my hair done and they complaining. i told them if it was manageable i wouldn't be there.
nerve....erplexed

I get this a lot too. My hair is predominately 4b (4z, lol) and very very thick. I actually had one stylist get mad at me cause I booked a 4pm appt. It takes 1 person almost 4 hours to twist my hair. I'm like wtf...my bad for having so much hair and for making you stay until 8pm

 

[anon123]

I thought the difference between 4a and 4b was this, with 4a those 4 coils in front and 4b that fluff in the back:

I'm not so sure anymore. I'm confused now. There's a lot of 4b=cnapp (non-clumping cottony texture) going around, but then there are people who don't use it that way and go by the coily (circles) vs zigzag. btw, the individual strands in my cnapp section have circles and zigzags, so I don't know what you're supposed to do when you have both in one strand. I'm not sure how helpful the typing system is anyway, but whatever help it could be is definitely diminished when people don't have a consensus on what is what.

 

[dicapr]

I thought the difference between 4a and 4b was this, with 4a those 4 coils in front and 4b that fluff in the back:

I'm not so sure anymore. I'm confused now. There's a lot of 4b=cnapp (non-clumping cottony texture) going around, but then there are people who don't use it that way and go by the coily (circles) vs zigzag. btw, the individual strands in my cnapp section have circles and zigzags, so I don't know what you're supposed to do when you have both in one strand. I'm not sure how helpful the typing system is anyway, but whatever help it could be is definitely diminished when people don't have a consensus on what is what.

Hair Twin!!!! I have the coils around the sides and about from ear to ear in the back. The nape is 4b and a mohawk like strip in the front in 4b. My wash and gos are like.

 

[anon123]

Hair Twin!!!! I have the coils around the sides and about from ear to ear in the back. The nape is 4b and a mohawk like strip in the front in 4b. My wash and gos are like.

Awww. Maybe you can do a modified wash and go, where you pick out a little more the parts that shrink the most? Or pat down the other parts? I avoid wash and gos because of the tangles.

Actually, I only have two slivers of that 4a hair, where devil's horns would be. 90+ percent of my hair is the fluff. The nape is . . . .something else I'm not sure. Looser, definitely, tries its best to make legitimate curls (and ones bigger than the 4a ones in the pic) but can only do it for about the last 1/2 of the hair's length. As long as I was combing my hair, that part was the easiest to comb, but since I've left the comb alone, it strangely is more prone to tangles. I think it may just be a result of it rubbing on clothes and stuff more and that it what's tangling it.

 

[cocoberry10]

I have 4Z hair lol. Just kidding, I'm not sure yet, but I'll keep you all posted!

 

[glam-]

I thought the difference between 4a and 4b was this, with 4a those 4 coils in front and 4b that fluff in the back:

I'm not so sure anymore. I'm confused now. There's a lot of 4b=cnapp (non-clumping cottony texture) going around, but then there are people who don't use it that way and go by the coily (circles) vs zigzag. btw, the individual strands in my cnapp section have circles and zigzags, so I don't know what you're supposed to do when you have both in one strand. I'm not sure how helpful the typing system is anyway, but whatever help it could be is definitely diminished when people don't have a consensus on what is what.

Thanks for posting this photo- it is a really good visual of the differences. Also, your hair is so pretty and healthy looking- Love it! It just looks so soft and lush!

 

[Kurlee]

Its pretty simple 4a=teeny curls, 4b=no curls. I don't understand why so many people mis-type their hair

 

[glamazon386]

If I comb out my 4A hair into a big afro, my hair would look 4B.[/FONT]

Same here....

 

[hopeful]

I thought the difference between 4a and 4b was this, with 4a those 4 coils in front and 4b that fluff in the back:

I'm not so sure anymore. I'm confused now. There's a lot of 4b=cnapp (non-clumping cottony texture) going around, but then there are people who don't use it that way and go by the coily (circles) vs zigzag. btw, the individual strands in my cnapp section have circles and zigzags, so I don't know what you're supposed to do when you have both in one strand. I'm not sure how helpful the typing system is anyway, but whatever help it could be is definitely diminished when people don't have a consensus on what is what.

Wow, that is the perfect picture to explain the difference. Thanks for posting.