What Are the Different Types of Hair?
There are ten types of hair. The numbers 1-4 signify how curly the hair is. Type 1 is straight, type 2 is wavy, type 3 is curly, and type 4 is “coily” (zigzagged).
The letters A to C signify how much the hair is curly, wavy, or coily. Imagine curly hair on a spectrum of how curly it is. For example, type 3 signifies the hair is curly, the letter “a” tells you they are loose curls, the letter “b” tells you they are slightly tighter, and the letter “c” tells you they are tight ringlets.
The same can be applied to type 4 hair. 4a equates to large zigzags, 4b means tighter zigzags, and 4c are the tightest zigzags. When looking for hair products, you will notice that although some are aimed at 4b hair types, many are at a broader spectrum of hair types.
What Are the Benefits of Using 4B Hair Products?
Looking for specific hair products based on your hair type ensures you use products that will make your hair type look its best. For example, using straight and thin hair products won’t do your thick and coily hair any favors and vice versa. However, as mentioned earlier, some products are suitable for a variety of hair types.
You will find that people with type 4b hair can also delve into curling products for people with hair in the 3 type range. This is only applicable if the product says it is suitable for your hair type too. With so many products on the market aimed at your hair type, it will almost always be a more practical option to purchase a 4b specific product.
How to Choose 4B Hair Products for Yourself
Apart from being many different products for 4b hair, there are many products with the same purpose made from other ingredients. How can you tell what products you need and what ingredients to look for? Continue reading to see what we suggest.
Consider your hair porosity
Your hair porosity is your hair’s ability to maintain moisture. High porosity hair can absorb moisture well but doesn’t maintain the moisture easily and will quickly become dry again. You should avoid products that contain too much protein, as these make porous hair feel and look crispy. Instead, use products containing humectants. You should also use a deep conditioning hair treatment such as a hair mask a couple of times a week. Another tip is to use hair oil before washing so you do not dry it out.
Alternatively, low porous hair isn’t very absorbent, so hair products will generally just coat your hair. Conditioning products should be made from emollients like shea butter and coconut oil, but for leave-in styling products, opt for something lighter and hydrating.
As such, you may want to complete a porosity test to understand your hair better.
To see if your hair has high porosity or low porosity, place the hair in a bowl or cup of water. If it floats, it has low porosity. If it sinks, it has high porosity.
Consider your hair density
The density of your hair describes how many hairs you have on your head. If you can see your scalp without parting any hair, you have low-density hair. If you have high-density hair, you will be able to separate your hair into many thick segments at a time. Medium-density hair is somewhere in between.
Low-density: Buy volume-creating products to create a fuller look and give the illusion of more density. Because you don’t have much hair, you don’t want to weigh it down to make it look thinner. Instead, opt for lightweight products like dry shampoo and mouse to achieve the effect you want.
Medium-density: Depending on what look you want to go for, you can play around with medium-density hair. Pump up the volume with volume creating products or tame it with heavier smoothing products.
High-density: Use strong holding products such as creams, butter, and gels. This will define your kinks and coils in a controlled method.
Consider your hair’s thickness
When we say “thickness,” we are talking about the thickness of each strand of hair on your head.
Thin hair is fragile and will become weighed down easily by the build-up of products, so you must use plenty of protective products, mainly if you are styling your hair regularly. Use lightweight products on thin hair to maintain volume.
Thick hair is less likely to become weighed down with product and allows you to use a wider variety of products.
You have thin hair if a single strand disappears in front of a light source and thick hair if it doesn’t.
Hair length
Short and pixie cut length hair require a lot less maintenance than medium to long hair. You can apply products and brush them through with your fingers.
Medium to long length hair requires more maintenance. For this, you will need a good brush especially suited to type 4 hair. Opt for a detangling brush with eight flexible comb arms and an adjustable width between the arms.
Products
You may like to buy the following products depending on the factors we mentioned previously:
- Pre-shampoo nourishing hair oil
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Detangling leave-in conditioner
- Curling cream
- Combine cream
- Anti-frizz serum
- Nourishing hair mask
- Deep recovery hair mask
- Curling mouse
- Dry shampoo
- Hair spray
- Pomade
- Detangling brush
- Wide-tooth comb
4B Hair Products Price Range
You can buy a 4b hair product for as little as $4 and as much as $60. To get the most for your money, you can sometimes save money by buying in bulk. If you are not entirely sure what products you need, start with a set of 4b hair products and build a collection from there.
How We Chose the Best 4B Hair Products
To choose the best 4B hair products, we compared their performance to value for money. We judged how long the effects lasted, and we read countless positive and negative customer reviews. We are positive that you will feel beautiful after using any of our recommended products.
