Best Hairstyles & Products for Type 4 Coily Hair

By Sabrina Perkins · Published April 3, 2019

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATASHA LEEDS

Porosity & Width

You may know your curl pattern, but there are other elements that are important to length retention and health. Knowing your curl pattern can help you select styling product and review styling tutorials, but hair width will determine how fragile your strands are, which is critical factor in addressing breakage. Hair porosity lets you know how well your hair retains moisture. Whether you have low, medium or high porosity; knowing this is vital to stave off dryness, which leads to breakage.

Not sure what your hair type is? Take our quiz!

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAYNA BOLDEN

How to Style Type 4 Hair

Easy Flat Twist Protective Style

Lania Theresa shares this ultra-quick, ultra-fab protective style she put together within minutes. If you can flat twist and detangle you’ve got this style mastered. She also includes a favorite technique for type 4 naturals by laying down her edges with a toothbrush to add some sleekness to the look. Bonus, when you’ve got your ends tucked away like this and make sure to sleep with your hair protected by a silk or satin scarf, you can make a protective style last all week.

Easy 20 Minute Wash-and-Go

If I hear one more Type 4 lovely say does not have “wash and go” hair, I am going to scream! Why? Because every hair type can rock a badass wash and go. Don’t believe me? Then watch Gloria Ann show you how it’s done. A wash and go does not have to yield perfectly defined curls, so once you understand that, you can achieve and lovea wash and go with ease. With a hair mask, thick moisturizer, and nourishing gel, she gets her coils ready for a healthy and voluminous look that lasts for three days. She blow dries her hair and uses a pick to shape it in order to speed up the process, but take some time to figure out exactly what drying and styling techniques work best for you!

Trendy Roll, Tuck, & Pin Natural Hair Tutorial

Here’s Jenell, a favorite on YouTube and writer for NaturallyCurly! She shows us another protective style, a simple updo that type 4 coilies can rock with ease. If you can roll, tuck, and pin, then you will have no problems with this look either. This is a great look for refreshing an old wash and go, twist out, or Bantu knot out.

How To: Natural Puff Tutorial

The high puff is a fave among naturals and a great look to rock after your hair has gotten old from another style or even right after wash day. Watch Taylor Anise easily pull her stretched 4c coils into what she calls a “pony puff.” With this style, you can show off your coily texture without too much work.

Finger Coils

Finger coils are another simple favorite among Type 4s and for good reason. This style can be a little time-consuming, but it can last for over a week. After that, you can transition into a “coil out,” unraveling your finger coils to stretch the style more.

Love those coils and learn how to achieve amazing styles with a little prepping, patience, and video guidance.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @STYLECARMEN

Best Products for Type 4 Hair

Your porosity will have the most impact on the products that work best for your hair, but curl pattern can also play a role. Every year the NaturallyCurly editors vote on their favorite hair products for their curl pattern, and these are the Editors’ Choice award winners for Type 4 hair.

Pre-Poo: The Mane Choice Heavenly Halo Herbal Hair Tonic & Soy Milk Deep Hydration Pre-Poo

Shampoo: Bounce Curl Pure Silk Moisturizing Shampoo

Clarifying Shampoo: Cantu Apple Cider Vinegar Root Rinse

Dry Shampoo: Cantu Refresh Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Co-Wash