Type 4 hair has the most beautiful texture and the most specific needs. Here's the foundation everything else builds on.
Coily hair — Type 4A through 4C in the standard classification — has the tightest curl pattern of any hair type and the most distinct moisture profile. The strand structure means scalp oils have the hardest time traveling down the length, which makes coily hair naturally drier than any other type. It's also the most prone to mechanical breakage from rough handling.
Those two facts dictate everything else. The routine that works for coily hair is built around moisture retention and gentle handling. Almost nothing else matters as much.
The LOC method (and why it works)
If you've been in coily-hair conversations online, you've heard of LOC: Liquid, Oil, Cream. It's not a product brand — it's an order of application that addresses the moisture problem in three steps:
Liquid: water or a water-based hydrator. This is what actually gets moisture into the strand. Plain water works. AquaLush Peptide Fiber Mask works better.
Oil: a lightweight oil that helps drive the liquid into the cortex and starts the seal. Renew Porosity Balancing Oil is jojoba-based, which mimics natural sebum and absorbs cleanly into coily strands.
Cream: a heavier emollient that locks everything in. For most Type 4 clients, this is a styling product or thicker leave-in cream.
Some Type 4 textures do better with the variant LCO — Liquid, Cream, Oil — where the oil seals last. Try both and see which works for your specific strand pattern.
The coily-hair wash day
- Pre-poo (recommended). Apply oil or a hydrating mask to the hair before shampooing, leave for 20–30 minutes. Reduces the stripping effect of the cleanse.
- Cleanse gently. Once a week with Total Refresh pH Balancing Shampoo; co-wash (a conditioning cleanser) in between if you wash more often. Pure Detox Clarifying Shampoo once a month for buildup.
- Mask is mandatory. AquaLush Peptide Fiber Mask for the full five minutes. On Type 4 hair, this isn't a weekly bonus — it's a weekly essential. Apply in sections.
- Detangle in the shower with conditioner in. Use Oli G Detangling Brush or fingers. Never on dry hair. Coily hair breaks dry; conditioning slip makes it manageable.
- Apply Atomic Hair Repair Leave-In on soaking wet hair. Section by section. Pat in, don't rub.
- Seal with Renew oil. A few drops on each section. Smooth down each strand.
- Style as you prefer. Twist-out, braid-out, wash-and-go — the foundation is the same. The styling product goes on top of the sealed strand.
- Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase, or in a satin bonnet. Cotton wicks moisture out and creates friction. Non-negotiable for Type 4 hair longevity.
What changes between Type 4A, 4B, and 4C
4A (S-shaped, defined coils): the lightest version of Type 4. Can often handle slightly lighter products. Wash-and-gos work well.
4B (Z-shaped, less defined): needs more moisture and more sealing. Twist-outs and braid-outs typically give better definition than wash-and-gos.
4C (tightly coiled, may not show much definition undefined): the highest moisture demand. Needs the most product, the most sealing, the most protective styles. Definition is achieved through twist-outs, braid-outs, or finger coils — almost never from wash-and-gos.
The products are the same. The amount changes, and the styling technique on top changes.
Between-wash care
Coily hair often goes a week or more between washes. In between:
- Spritz with water + AquaLush mix daily or every other day to maintain moisture
- Refresh edges and definition with a small amount of Atomic
- Re-seal with a drop of Renew oil if the ends feel dry
- Always pineapple, bonnet, or scarf at night
What to drop
Three things to think twice about for type 4 routines:
Heavy mineral-oil-based products. Coat the strand, build up over time, contribute to dryness in the long run despite feeling moisturizing day one.
Daily manipulation. Coily hair is most prone to breakage from rough handling. The fewer times you touch it, the better it holds.
Aggressive detangling. Always with conditioner, always with a wide-tooth comb or fingers, always in small sections, always from the ends up.
The signs it's working
Within two wash cycles: the ends feel as moisturized as the mid-lengths for the first time. Less single-strand-knot formation. More elasticity when stretched.
Within two months: visible length retention (Type 4 hair grows at the same rate as every other type — the difference is whether you keep the length, which is a moisture-and-handling problem). More defined curl pattern. Hair that responds to product instead of fighting it.
Coily hair done right is a force. The rules are specific, but once they're in place, the result is unmistakable.