4a, 4b vs. C-Napp Hair: What's the Difference?

[ladylibra]

I don't get your point. Indeed she does have curl/coil patterns--a characteristic that is common to all curly hair. But notice how loose her curls and yours are compared to Nadia's. It's like the difference between a phone coil at rest and one slightly stretched, and then a difference in coil size.

Both 3's and 4's are curly but 4's are kinky. In other word 4's are not just curly but their curls are also tight, like compressed springs. 3's are like a slightly stretched out spring. The also behave differently when dry I think but I can't think how to explain that so just ignore that last point.

ETA: What do you mean by the bold?

The front of her hair is much looser than the back. Which part is 3c?

The front of my hair is incredibly frizzy/less defined without product, whereas the back will coil with or without product. I may be way off base, but I don't think the back of my hair is as loose of a coil as hers. (Stupid Fotki still not working, or I'd do a side-by-side so I could know for sure. )

What is that loose wavy piece up top in the first pic? See, this is why I wanna smack the taste out of Andre's mouth. The second pic I find very interesting, that she has so little volume when all her hair is "defined." I could never get my hair that flat. Is that a texture-based thing? Or maybe she just doesn't have the same density I do?

[Nonie]

I see it! The circumference is bigger on the 3C coils. Neat-o. Thanks Nonie, your photo-posts are always very informative.

Now we need one of these posts breaking down strand sizes.

[Nonie]

I agree that she has a curl/coil pattern - I'm just noting that she has a variety of them on her head. The front of her hair is much looser than the back. Which part is 3c?

The front of my hair is incredibly frizzy/less defined without product, whereas the back will coil with or without product. I may be way off base, but I don't think the back of my hair is as loose of a coil as hers. (Stupid Fotki still not working, or I'd do a side-by-side so I could know for sure. )



What is that loose wavy piece up top in the first pic?

Will you stop nitpicking? Do you want me to go bring you phone cord that looks just like that? Manipulation, my dear. She might have HIH disease and was playing with that one twirling it the opposite way from the normal curl direction or she might've brushed it while wet so it didn't get to take it's "resting state". I 'ono. Maybe it's her one crazy hair. She may also have a variety of textures the way some people do. (There was a member here with a son who was the perfect example of that. Kid was so adorable even with is afro wanna-be straight wanna-be curly hair. I wish I could remember the visual to describe it. It was just uber-darling. ) And I doubt anyone's hairs perfect so there are bound to be oddities. OK?

Feel better now?

See, this is why I wanna smack the taste out of Andre's mouth. The second pic I find very interesting, that she has so little volume when all her hair is "defined." I could never get my hair that flat (outside of using heat to actually straighten it). Is that a texture-based thing? Or maybe she just doesn't have the same density I do?

It could be a density thing, or a strand thickness thing.

ETA I think Shan will be breaking that^ down for us before too long. (Hi Shan! )

[Junebug D]

Wrong number!

It would be interesting though, and sure would be invaluable to have pics of different hair types, along with strand sizes and density. Like someone posts their pics with 4a, medium density, fine strands and see how that hair looks & behaves vs. a 4a with high density and coarse strands...

[ladylibra]

Will you stop nitpicking? Do you want me to go bring you phone cord that looks just like that? Manipulation, my dear. She might have HIH disease and was playing with that one twirling it the opposite way from the normal curl direction or she might've brushed it while wet so it didn't get to take it's "resting state". I 'ono. Maybe it's her one crazy hair. She may also have a variety of textures the way some people do. (There was a member here with a son who was the perfect example of that. Kid was so adorable even with is afro wanna-be straight wanna-be curly hair. I wish I could remember the visual to describe it. It was just uber-darling. ) And I doubt anyone's hairs perfect so there are bound to be oddities. OK?

Feel better now?

No. Cuz you still didn't tell me which part was 3c!

I hate 3c. I'm throwing it out the window! Going back to 3b, and 4a. I understand those.

Back to the actual discussion, which is about 4b/Cnapp. I've been wondering this one for a minute, but never took the time to ask since it didn't apply to me. Is Cnapp only undefined poofy afro-textured hair that has major shrinkage? What if you have undefined poofy afro-textured hair that doesn't have much shrinkage? (By not much, I mean less than 50%) Like, it appears to be a blowout sort of... but no chemicals or heat have been used. The hair just looks like a giant cloud of poofy hair naturally.

(Please don't stone me Nonie )

[Junebug D]

The second pic I find very interesting, that she has so little volume when all her hair is "defined." I could never get my hair that flat. Is that a texture-based thing? Or maybe she just doesn't have the same density I do?

I think that's a density and/or styling thing i.e. the way the hair was set. I wonder which, if either of those pics best represent her hair air-dried without further styling?

[ladylibra]

Wrong number!

[Nonie]

No. Cuz you still didn't tell me which part was 3c!

I hate 3c. I'm throwing it out the window! Going back to 3b, and 4a. I understand those.

Back to the actual discussion, which is about 4b/Cnapp. I've been wondering this one for a minute, but never took the time to ask since it didn't apply to me. Is Cnapp only undefined poofy afro-textured hair that has major shrinkage? What if you have undefined poofy afro-textured hair that doesn't have much shrinkage? (By not much, I mean less than 50%) Like, it appears to be a blowout sort of... but no chemicals or heat have been used. The hair just looks like a giant cloud of poofy hair naturally.

(Please don't stone me Nonie )

I think her whole head is 3C. The back has the same size of coils as the front but the coils could be tighter in the back because the hair is short so it isn't exerting weight or it could just be that it her hair falls on her shoulder and so dries all compressed. But really I think you're overthinking the whole thing.

Maybe Shan who got the difference can help you see it, but I think you should probably take "all characteristics" into account and the one that is mostly evident is the one you go with. Those compressed springs in the back are I think how short 3C hair would look. But they fit all other descriptions of 3C. Naturally Curly's addendum says "Type 3C is hair with tight curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. Some people refer to this as "big hair." I think another thing you will see with type 3C is it dangles and reflects light more than 4s so appears to be shinier.

Perhaps the elimination process might work best for you. Your hair does not fit the type 4A or 4B descriptions or photos so you know you're not that. You are a definite 3. Now if you want to say you're not a 3C, you're on your own there. Can't help you with 3's coz I know jack about that hair.

[Nonie]

(Please don't stone me Nonie )

Not yet.

What if you have undefined poofy afro-textured hair that doesn't have much shrinkage? (By not much, I mean less than 50%) Like, it appears to be a blowout sort of... but no chemicals or heat have been used. The hair just looks like a giant cloud of poofy hair naturally.

I'd say you have quite a lot of work cut out for you trying to figure that out.

I've seen what you mean. I think you will have to refer to the definition of CNapp and see how many of the traits fit the hair you describe. If it fits perfectly then it just reinforces my statement that CNapp is a state of manipulated hair, although I've only applied it to 4B hair coz only that looks like the hair I keep seeing being called CNapp.

And on that note.... "I HAVE BUSINESS CALL..."

[Cherokee-n-Black]

Originally Posted by ladylibra
What if you have undefined poofy afro-textured hair that doesn't have much shrinkage? (By not much, I mean less than 50%) Like, it appears to be a blowout sort of... but no chemicals or heat have been used. The hair just looks like a giant cloud of poofy hair naturally.

That would be me. A little curl at the roots and then...nothin'. It's kind of like, straight frizz?

[ladylibra]

Perhaps the elimination process might work best for you. Your hair does not fit the type 4A or 4B descriptions or photos so you know you're not that. You are a definite 3. Now if you want to say you're not a 3C, you're on your own there. Can't help you with 3's coz I know jack about that hair.

Now, I can't speak for Rachel True's hair. But, the hair in my canopy is shorter than the hair at my crown and nape, inches-wise. I know those are 4a, without a doubt, and can't nobody tell me otherwise! That hair does not look like nor behave like any type 3 hair. And I have weird random patches of 4b hair - no doubt about it being 4b either. The strands are kinky-coily, and don't clump in a uniform coil like the 4a hair does.

The front/canopy of my hair - that's another story... I guess it is in the 3 family curl-size-wise (is that a word?)

[vainღ♥♡jane]

wow this is confusing as heck. i thought for the longest that i was 4a, and now i have no idea what i am. my 4a doesn't look like anyone else's 4a. =[

[Optimistic]

I believe I have C-Napp hair. Some times when I wash and ar dry my hair with no product it looks like I did a blow out it. Then it shrinks to a tiny version of a blow out.

I took a picture of it when I first went natural. Here it is in my fotki. Here I just co-washed it and misted it with a water oil mix. I didnt finger comb or brush it. I just slid a head band around my head. I do the same now even though my hair is longer becaue it comes out in a pretty afro.

http://public.fotki.com/msgordis/

[peachfuzzz]

subscribing to read later!!

[NaturallyVoguish]

Thanks for this thread!
I think, I've finally figured out where I "fit in"