Afro
Aka: kinky or coily or black hair.
The curliest, the most fragile, the driest and yet it’s the most versatile of hair textures. Its magic really!
Relax and know your curl
Coily textures are not exempt to having different curl textures on their head (FYI…this is normal), a curl typing system has been created by Andre Walker (Oprah’s hair go to) and tweaked within the curl community to help with identifying textures and curl maintenance.
Have a look at the images below which show the Type 4 Curl type (aka afro hair textures), with 3 sub-categories A, B and C. See the images below.
We encourage you to know and relish in the greatness that is your wave texture. Believe us when we say, DO NOT stress over your curl type. Curly hair maintenance is easier than you think, have possibly thought or than society has conditioned us curlies to think.
Using our trusted ranges of hydrating products from Embrace For Every Curl, TGIN and Jane Carter Solutions, we will help you and your locks thrive without a shadow of doubt. Our curl experts are here for you every step of the way. We will help you create a curl maintenance routine personal to you.
If you are too far from our Sydney flagship salon, THINK HYDRATION, HYDRATION, HYDRATION and you will not go wrong until your next curl specialist visit.
So what curly hair type are you?
Let’s keep it simple. Look for an image that closely resembles the majority of your curl texture and once you do, hydrate hydrate hydrate (Can’t say this enough). Tweak as needed then for all the other questions, our curl experts will be more than happy to help.
NB: If you didn’t find an accurate image on this page, explore WAVY or the CURLY textures. Happy curl hunting!
Afro hairstyles
4A
Tightly coiled lowercase “s”curls
Curl circumference of a standard pencil
Wash n’ go styles may be achieved easily with a combo of the right product and styling technique
4B
Curls appear tightly coiled and dense
Visible ‘s’ and ‘z’ shaped patterns may have a fluffy appearance
Hair is highly susceptible to dryness and breakage due to the kinks on the hair strand
Up to 70% shrinkage. Without stretching, hair appears shorter
Can Pre-poo with coconut or castor oil to help retain oils on your scalp
Best styling methods includes protective braids, buns twists and twist sets to protect the hair
4C
Tightly zig-zagged kinky coily strands
Densely packed hair
Coils are similar to a 4b, but has less definition and more shrinkage
Strand diameter ranges from super fine, thin and soft to wiry and coarse
This texture is very delicate
Up to approx. 75% more shrinkage than other curl textures
Characteristics
- Coils resemble tight corkscrews. Size is about the circumference of a pencil to the tightest spirals and or zig-zags
- More voluminous than the wavy or curly hair due to its tighter curl pattern
- Grows out and not down
- Despite many misconceptions, this tightly coiled hair is quite fine and fragile. Handle with care
- Prone to major shrinkage (loss of length due to coily texture)
- If not treated properly it breaks more than other textures
- Kinky hair is the driest hair type, may feel wiry
- Kinky hair grows at the same rate as other textures, however, length is lost in the curl giving the illusion of stunted growth
- Can be low maintenance regarding cumulative daily care or styling possibly more than all other hair types depending on desired style
General rules
- Think hydration, hydration, hydration
- Treat coily hair types like a fine silk – cleanse gently, detangle softly, and avoid harsh chemicals
- Requires hydration and oil to seal the hydration for strong health hair
- Requires weekly deep conditioning
- Use thicker natural emollients like mango and shea butters to maximize your wash-and-go, twist-out, or bantu knot-out style after washing
- Must use potent leave-in moisturisers and curl defining creams to leave the afro mane defined
- Coils thrive with minimal daily manipulation by way of protective styles