The tightest coil pattern with maximum shrinkage. Type 4C hair has the tightest coil pattern of any hair type, with up to 75% shrinkage and almost no natural definition. Learn how to identify 4C hair and build a routine that retains length and moisture.
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Your hair has an extremely tight Z-pattern that is difficult to see without stretching a strand out. Dry hair can look up to 75% shorter than its actual length, and it will not form visible curls without being set.
Length retention. Type 4C grows at the same rate as every other hair type, but its fragility means the ends break off as fast as the roots grow, so the hair appears to stand still. Retention, not growth, is the whole game.
4C hair is high porosity by structure. The LOC method — liquid, oil, cream — exists specifically because 4C loses water faster than any other type and needs it physically sealed in.
Knowing your type is the first half. The quiz covers the other half — your porosity, scalp condition, damage level, and which ingredients your hair does not tolerate — then builds the routine around all of it.
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