16 Photos of Women Rocking the Hell Out of Their 4C Curls

With a sea of YouTubers and natural hair influencers boasting looser, type 3 curl patterns, it's safe to say 4C natural hair doesn't always get a lot of love. As a 4C girl who spent years manipulating my hair with chemical relaxers and weaves before finally going natural, it even took me a while to come around to being proud of my texture. That's mostly because of a hair texture hierarchy of sorts that, more often than not, has caused people to deem type 3 hair as "good hair," the concept of which is a discussion for another day.

4C hair is a member of the type 4 hair family — behind types 4A and 4B, it's the kinkiest one. People with this type of hair usually have curls that are less defined and more prone to breakage if they don't take the proper steps to maintain it. This hair also experiences an intense amount of shrinkage when wet and can be a little harder to moisturize, which is why many people often categorize it as being more challenging to work with.

That being said, 4C hair is just as beautiful and versatile as other natural hair types, and it remains underrepresented in media and online. If you're a 4C type looking for some quality hair inspiration, read ahead for photos of black women wearing their hair with pride.