When most people think of type 4 hair, they think of Black people. Why? Because people of African descent often have this hair type.
Yet, inquiring minds and hair enthusiasts wonder, "Can white people have type 4 hair, or is it exclusively found in those with African genes?"
In this article, we will cover what it means to have type 4 hair, whether white people can have this natural hair texture, and discuss other common hair types and their nuances.
Can White People Have Type 4 Hair?
White people can have type 4 hair. While type 4 hair is most commonly seen in Black individuals, this curl pattern is not limited to one race. People of any race or ethnicity, including Caucasians, can have type 4 hair, although it's not common.
Any of the 12 hair types listed below are not limited to any particular race or ethnicity and can be found in any individual. While it may be rare to see a white person with coily or kinky type 4 curls, it is certainly not impossible.
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Key Takeaways
- Type 4 Hair Diversity: Type 4 hair, characterized by tight coils and a kinky texture, is commonly associated with African Americans but can be found in people of all races, including white individuals, though it's rare.
- Hair Type Categories: There are four main hair types (Type 1 to 4), each with three subcategories (a, b, c), illustrating the spectrum from straight to coily hair. Type 4 is the most textured, often dry, with tighter curls or coils.
- Common Hair Types in Ethnic Groups: While Type 4 hair is prevalent in African American communities, white people generally have Type 1 (straight) or Type 2 (wavy) hair. Asian populations typically exhibit straight, Type 1 hair.
- Achieving Different Curl Types: Techniques exist for white women or others with straight hair (Type 1) to temporarily create Type 4 curls using tools like pencils or skewers and heat or achieve Type 2 or 3 curls with texturizing sprays and heat styling tools.
- Natural Hair Movement and Diversity: The natural hair movement embraces various hair types across different ethnicities, promoting understanding and appreciation of different textures, from loose curls to coily strands, and highlighting the importance of using suitable products for each unique hair type.
What Is Type 4 Hair?
Before we jump into whether white people have type 4 hair, we want to ensure that you know exactly what type 4 hair is in relation to other hair types.
There are four main hair typing categories (Type 1, 2, 3, and 4), and each of them has three subcategories (a, b, and c). Here's a quick visual breakdown for you using the standard hair typing chart - there are 12 hair types in all. Andre Walker built the original; his stopped at 4B, and the natural hair community added 4C later.
| Type | What it looks like | Subtypes |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | StraightHangs straight from root to end, from pin-straight to a slight bend. | 1a, 1b, 1c |
| Type 2 | WavyAn S-shape that loosens and tightens along the strand. | 2a, 2b, 2c |
| Type 3 | CurlyDefined loops, from loose spirals to tight corkscrews. | 3a, 3b, 3c |
| Type 4 | Coily and kinkyTight springs or sharp zigzags, with the most shrinkage. | 4a, 4b, 4c |
Each letter steps up the tightness of the pattern, so 1a is the straightest hair on the scale and 4c the tightest. Plenty of heads carry two or three of these at once.
Note: Each subcategory indicates a slightly more prominent curl, wave, or texture. For example, type 1a hair is pin-straight, while type 1c hair has more of a bend and more volume.
Type 4 hair is one of the most misunderstood hair types of all. It's a curl pattern that is very highly textured, sometimes coily, sometimes kinky, and typically on the drier side. The curls within this hair type are often tight and coarse and may have a wiry texture.
The Most Common Hair Types in White People
The most common hair types among white people tend to be within the subcategories of type 1 (straight) and type 2 (wavy).
Certain hair types are more common in certain races due to the genetic influences of a given ethnic group. But this is not to say that there aren't outliers.
Here are the broad patterns that get talked about, and what the research behind them actually says:
- Asian hair. Asian hair tends to be straight, with a rounder strand that grows out perpendicular to the scalp. In a study of 2,249 young adults from 24 ethnic groups across five continents, it grew faster and thicker than the other groups measured.
- African hair. African hair is usually type 3 or type 4, and the curve of the follicle is what gives those coils their shape. The same study found it grows more slowly, and less densely, than the other groups.
- Caucasian hair. European hair covers the widest range of the three, from pin-straight all the way to tightly curled. Where any one person lands comes down to the shape of the follicle her hair grows out of, rather than the shape of the strand itself. A follicle that sits straight in your scalp grows straight hair, and one that is curved, and lopsided from one side to the other, grows curly hair.
While these are the most common hair types and structures found within their respective races, these tendencies do not occur 100% of the time.
One thing worth knowing about those three groupings is that the researchers who study hair shape have largely moved on from them. When one team set out to measure hair objectively rather than sort it by eye, they ended up with eight shape types built from their own measurements, because they found the usual African, Asian, and Caucasian split cannot account for the great complexity of human biological diversity. Treat the three buckets as rough shorthand rather than a rule.
Curl Type Is Decided Below the Skin
Curl type has almost nothing to do with the strand you can see and almost everything to do with the follicle it grew out of. Researchers who dissected scalp follicles found that the ones growing curly hair sat curved in the skin, with the bulb at the bottom bent to one side, while follicles growing straight hair ran straight down.
Straight
The follicle runs straight down, so the strand comes out straight.
Wavy or curly
A gently curved follicle puts a bend in the strand as it grows.
Coily
A sharply curved follicle, with the bulb hooked to one side, grows a tight coil.
Shapes drawn from the follicle morphology described in Thibaut et al., British Journal of Dermatology, 2005. Not to scale.
Genetics is very complicated and can be unpredictable - a white person can have type 3 or 4 hair, while those of African descent can be born with straight or wavy hair.
Therefore, it is possible for a white individual to have any hair type, from type 1 all the way to type 4.
If Your Hair Is Already Type 3 or 4
If you found this page because your own hair is curlier than anyone else’s in your family, the interesting question isn’t whether that’s possible. You already know it is. It’s what to do with it.
Start with the part that surprises most people. Curly and coily hair isn’t dry because you’re doing something wrong. It’s dry because of its shape. The oil your scalp makes runs easily down a straight strand, and it struggles to get past every bend in a curved one, so your ends stay thirsty while your roots are perfectly happy.
Almost every rule for looking after textured hair comes back to that. Wash less often than you would straight hair, and think about washing with conditioner instead of shampoo on some of those days. Detangle while your hair is wet and slippery with conditioner, never dry. Deep condition on a schedule rather than waiting until your hair feels bad. And keep your ends tucked away when you can, because they are the oldest part of your hair and the first part to go, which is the whole idea behind protective styling.
The other thing worth knowing early is your porosity, which is how readily your hair takes water in and lets it go again. It decides which products actually sink in and which ones sit on top, and it explains why something that transformed your friend’s curls did nothing for yours.
One last thing, said plainly. Most of the good advice about type 3 and type 4 hair was written by and for Black women, and you may feel like a visitor reading it. Use it anyway. It was written for the hair rather than for the person it grows on, and the mechanics are the same either way.
Can White People with Straight Hair Get Curls?
There are a few ways that a white person with straight hair, or any individual with type 1 hair, can create artificial curls or enhance their slight curl pattern to make it more prominent. These tips will not lead to a permanent hair transformation, but they'll certainly help if you're looking for a temporary change:
Get Type 4 Curls
Getting type 4 curls on type 1 hair takes more work than the other options here, but a pencil or skewer set will do it. You will get tiny coils that hold for a day or two, and they will drop out the next time your hair gets wet.
Here's what you need to do to achieve type 4 hair using this method:
- Spray all of your hair with a heat protectant, as this method will require direct heat.
- Turn your flat iron on and set the heat level to medium. If you need to turn the heat up later, you can.
- Take small sections of dry, clean, moisturized hair and wrap them around one pencil or skewer.
- Clamp a flat iron down on your wrapped hair to mold it into the shape of a pencil or skewer.
- Remove the pencil or skewer.
- Watch this tutorial on YouTube to see a visual demonstration using skewers.
If you've got the time and energy, you can complete the above method without heat.
All you'll need to do is wrap a small section of your damp, clean, moisturized hair around a skewer, wrap a small rubber band around the ends to secure, and repeat that all over your head.
When your hair is dry, remove the rubber bands and skewers to reveal your curls.
Get Type 2 or 3 Curls
Achieving type 2 or 3 curls on straight hair is a bit easier than creating type 4 curls, being that it's not as dramatic a change. Here are a couple of techniques you can use:
- Texturizing Spray. For any straight-haired gal who wants a little bit more texture and volume, texturizing spray or wave spray are great options. Styling products like these help to create beachy waves reminiscent of type 2 (wavy) hair.
- Heat styling tools. Another way to achieve curls on straight hair is by using a heat styling tool. Curling irons, flat irons, and curling wands can easily transform pin-straight hair into beautiful bouncy ringlets. Just be sure to use them sparingly, as they can completely ruin your hair, leading to increased frizziness, brittleness, and breakage over time. For long-lasting curls using a heated tool, follow these tips and tricks:
- Spray your hair down with a heat protectant.
- Curl a small section of hair and then pull the tool downward to release the curl.
- Clip each curl to your head after curling to let it cool down in a curled-up position.
- Spray the curl with a strong hold hair spray to lock in the shape.
- Repeat the previous steps all over your head.
Many assume that hair types are limited to certain races or ethnicities, but this is just not the case. While there are specific hair types that are most often found within particular races, they may pop up in other races as well.
If you're a white person who wants type 4 hair, you can achieve it using the techniques in this article. And if you have seen a white person with coily or kinky hair, there is every chance it grows out of her head that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ section, which addresses common questions about hair types across different ethnicities. Here, you'll find straightforward answers about the diverse world of hair, from type 4 curls to the unique characteristics of various ethnic hair types.
What Is Type 4 Hair Ethnicity?
Type 4 hair, often associated with the black community, is characterized by tight curls or coils and a highly textured appearance. This type of hair is not exclusive to any ethnicity, although it is most commonly seen in people of African descent. Type 4 hair can be found in individuals from various ethnic backgrounds, showcasing a range of curl patterns and textures.
What Hair Type Does a Caucasian Have?
Caucasians typically have Type 1 (straight) or Type 2 (wavy) hair. This range includes hair that can be thin or thick, with a texture that varies from fine to coarse. What decides it is the follicle rather than the strand, with straighter follicles growing straighter hair. There are plenty of exceptions, though, and Caucasians can have curly or coily hair too.
Can a White Person Have Type 3 Hair?
Yes, a white person can have type 3 hair. Type 3 hair is naturally curly hair that often forms loose or tight curls. While less common in white individuals compared to type 1 or 2 hair, a white person can have this curl type, demonstrating the diversity in hair types across different ethnic groups.
What Is the Rarest Hair Type?
Nobody actually knows, and that is the honest answer. The hair typing system sorts curls by how they look, but it was built as a styling guide rather than a survey, so there is no count of how many people fall into each of the 12 types. The researchers who measure hair shape do not use those categories at all. One team building an objective scale sorted what they found into eight types from their own measurements, because the usual groupings could not account for how much people really vary. So when you see the 12 types ranked from common to rare, that is somebody guessing.
Where Does Caucasian Curly Hair Come From?
From the shape of the follicle rather than the strand. Researchers who dissected scalp follicles found that the ones growing curly hair sat curved in the skin, with the bulb at the bottom bent into what they described as the shape of a golf club, and the tissue around the follicle heavier on one side than the other. Follicles growing straight hair were straight. When the same follicles were grown in the lab the curl came back anyway, which tells you the shape is set down at the root rather than something that happens to your hair later on. None of that is race-specific. When researchers compared thousands of twins of European ancestry, genes explained 85 to 95% of why one person's hair is curlier than another's.
Can Black People Have Straight Hair?
Yes, black people can have straight hair, although it is less common. Straight hair in the black community can occur naturally due to genetic diversity and variations in hair texture. This demonstrates that hair types are not strictly bound by ethnicity, and people of African descent can have a range of hair types, from coily to straight.
Do White People Have 4A Hair?
Yes. 4A is the loosest of the three type 4 patterns, with curls that form defined springs rather than the tighter zigzags of 4B and 4C, and there is nothing about it that belongs to one group of people. If you are trying to work out whether your own hair is 4A or 3C, that line is blurrier than the charts make it look, and the honest answer is that it does not change how you should look after it either way.
Related Articles
- Can a White Person Use Black Hair Dye?
- Can White People Have Waves?
- Curly Hair Extensions for White Females
- Relaxed Caucasian Hair Before and After
We hope that this article helps you to understand the diversity of hair types, the main characteristics of type 4 hair, and who can grow it naturally, as well as how to achieve different types of curls if you have straight hair. We wish you the best with your hair, regardless of your hair type.
