Hair type is all about your hair’s curl pattern. There are four different types, and you can have different curl patterns on different parts of your head. Styling can depend on your hair and preferences.
No matter how your hair looks like, remember: your hair is beautiful.
Maintaining your hair may soak up your time and money. Your hair may change the moment you step out into humid or soggy weather. It may dramatically defy what other people say “good hair” should do — but never mind all that.
Whether fine, thick, long, short, matte, glossy, curly, coily, or straight, your hair deserves respect. Get to know your hair curl patterns, its porosity, density, and styling needs because healthy self-care includes your hair.
Let’s figure out what your hair type is and how you can care for and style it.
Your hair type is primarily based on your hair’s curl pattern, and the amount of curl in your hair is determined by your hair follicle. The shape of your follicle determines whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly, or coily.
The more oval or asymmetrical your follicle is, the curlier your hair will be.
Your hair type is determined by geneticsTrusted Source. So, while you can change your curl pattern with heat or chemicals, your basic curl pattern is in your DNA. Every time your hair goes through its growth cycle, the genetic characteristics have a role to play.
So what does this mean for you? Embrace your hair’s natural shape and texture because it’s something intrinsic to you that you can’t change.
Andre Walker, known for decades as Oprah Winfrey’s stylist, is credited with devising a system that classifies hair according to one of four curl patterns. You may have heard of it before when looking up what type of hair you have.
| Type 1 | Straight hair |
|---|---|
| Type 2 | Wavy hair |
| Type 3 | Curly hair |
| Type 4 | Coily hair |
These types are further divided into subcategories based on the tightness or looseness of the curls and coils — this adds an A, B, or C to each number. It may sound simple, but like most attempts to define human characteristics, it isn’t.
Lots of people have a combination of different hair types. For example, you could have type 4C at your crown and 4A at your temples.
The key is to understand what each type needs so you can style it well and keep it healthy.
How to style and care for your hair type
Type 1: Straight
Type 1 hair has no natural curl. The individual strands may be fine or coarse, thick or thin, but they fall without waving from root to tip.
This type of hair tends to become oily, so many stylists recommend that you check the label to be sure the product you’re buying isn’t going to add extra oil to your hair.
Stylist Kristi Lovelace also suggests avoiding heavy serums or butters. “With straight or fine hair, I’d recommend texture sprays instead,” she said. “Dry shampoos are also a good idea.”
Washing your hair too often can cause your scalp to overproduce oils, so dry shampoo is a good option for people with straight, oily hair.
According to Lovelace, most people come into salons with Instagram or Pinterest photos of the style they want but note that it’s important to speak with your stylist and get their opinion.
“I usually recommend styles based more on face shape than on hair type,” she said. “One style that’s really popular right now is a chin-length blunt cut, which works really well with straight hair.”
Type 2: Wavy hair
Type 2A
The natural state of type 2 hair is a gentle, tousled texture. From the roots to around eye level, your hair is fairly straight. And from eye level to the ends, you have a loose, undefined wave.
To prevent flattening out that wave, avoid oil-based or creamy products. Instead, boost the base with a light mousse or use a gel to define your waves.
Type 2B
As with 2A, type 2B hair curls from the midpoint to the ends. The curls have a more defined S shape. It may require a little more effort to straighten, but it’s easy to create that beachy look with a spritz of salt spray.
Type 2B is ideal for the balayage trend, where stylists hand-paint color on the outer layer of hair.
“When people come in with pictures of balayage, the photo is always going to show wavy hair because when that hair curls around, it’s getting dimension,” Lovelace said. “People with wavy hair don’t have to go out of their way to style this look.”
Type 2C
The most well-defined S-shaped waves are type 2C. This type of hair is often thick and can be prone to frizz in damp weather.
Lovelace recommends using a diffuser, a toothy device that snaps onto the end of your blow dryer, to remove the frizz.
“I am a huge advocate for products, especially where you’ve got environmental factors like hard water and salt water,” Lovelace said. “Anti-humidity products are huge.”
Many lightweight mousses now contain anti-humidity ingredients along with moisture. To keep your hair healthy and frizz-free, try to avoid excessive heat when styling — and if you do use hot tools, be sure to apply a heat protectant first.
Type 3: Curly
Type 3A
With type 3A hair, S-shaped curls form loose loops. The curls have a circumference a little wider than the large end of a taper candle.
One important styling note: Brushing this hair type can damage curl definition and lead to a frizzy mane. To avoid poofy hair, don’t brush your curls once they’re dry.
Silvana Castillo, master stylist and founder of The Curl Whisperer, a Miami salon specializing in hair types 3 and 4, recommends styles and products that define natural curls. Her best advice? Lose the ponytail.
“It’s OK if you’re on the way to the gym or it’s required for work, but pulling your hair back causes curls to lose their shape,” Castillo said. “If you keep pulling your hair back into a bun or ponytail, you will also start to see thinning and hair loss at your hairline.”
That hair loss happens because the weight of the ponytail pulls against the front of the hair for prolonged periods. This is also called traction alopecia.
Type 3B
Type 3B curls have a circumference about as wide as the barrel of a Sharpie marker. Curls spring from the roots and have ample volume. To maintain their characteristic spiral shape, these ringlets generally need moisture.
Avoid silicone and sulfates in your curl products, though. They may temporarily tame frizz, but they can dry out your hair over time and cause breakage.
Type 3C
These curls are tight and springy — they would coil perfectly around a drinking straw. To preserve the definition in these corkscrew curls, take a hands-on approach.
Instead of combing, which can lead to frizz and breakage, use a leave-in conditioner and rake through wet hair with your fingertips. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends air-drying your hair instead of blow-drying.
Type 4: Coils
Type 4A
The curl pattern for 4A hair is an S-shaped coil you could wrap around a chopstick.
“Type 4 hair is the most delicate,” Castillo said. “You have to be very gentle with it, and it needs a lot of moisture.”
However, getting moisture doesn’t necessarily mean using oils. Deep conditioning masques, butters, and creams are good options for preserving hair health.
One thing The Curl Whisperer salon does not advocate for is protective styles like weaves and braids.
Though some stylists swear by styles that allow you to tuck away fragile ends to protect them while they grow out, but according to Castillo, these styles often do more harm than good. While the hair is out of sight, it’s also out of reach for conditioning treatments.
“When you have had your hair in a protective style for weeks, the curl formation is completely gone. The cuticle is so dry and open that it becomes like little fish hooks that catch on each other and break when you take out the braids,” Castillo said. Instead, wear it in a loose style that keeps it hydrated.
Type 4B
The curls in 4B hair zig-zag. One popular technique for defining and enhancing your curls is called shingling.
Shingling begins with wet hair. Gently detangle with your fingertips, using liberal amounts of leave-in conditioner to moisturize and condition, then separate your hair into four sections. Work curl cream or gel down the length of each curl, twisting the strands around your index finger as you go.
Type 4C
Type 4C coils are the tightest and most fragile. It’s easy to break them if you comb roughly or too often, and it’s vital to frequently nourish the hair with rich conditioners.
Coconut oils are still popular, as are shea butter creams. More people are ditching shampoo for co-washing, which means rinsing your hair with a hydrating conditioner instead of shampoo.
And when it comes to styling? Many people with 4C hair are embracing their natural texture.
Castillo said, “What we’re seeing is the younger generation wants their hair to be bold. They want the hair to be big and round, almost like a sun, and they want to experiment with fun colors — always keeping in mind the health of the hair.”
The hair care-health connection
The growing popularity of natural hairstyles for people with 4C hair doesn’t just reflect a changing aesthetic — it has promising implications for women’s health.
An older 2013 studyTrusted Source found that the desire to maintain a hairstyle prevents around 40% of African American women from exercising regularly.
More than 60% of the women who participated in the study wore their hair in a chemically relaxed style.
There are some steps to take to protect natural hair during a workout, but more and more Type 4 naturalists are discovering that healthy bodies and healthy hair can coexist.
How porosity and density affect your hair
Porosity
When hair professionals talk about porosity, they mean your hair’s ability to soak up moisture. If your hair is highly porous, it has a lot of holes in its surface layer, called the cuticle.
You may have naturally porous hair, or chemical and heat processing may have made your hair more porous than it usually would be. Holes in the cuticle allow your hair to absorb more moisture. If the climate where you live is humid, your hair may tend to frizz, which happens because the cuticle is drawing moisture from the air.
The good news is that porous hair also absorbs moisturizing products well. A wide range of products, from leave-in conditioners to rich butters, can seal the holes and make your hair easier to manage.
Less porous hair is tightly locked and tends to resist moisture, whether that’s environmental humidity or chemical processing.
To avoid product buildup that could weigh down and dull your hair, wash with a clarifying shampoo weekly and choose lighter products, like hair milks and mousses, to create volume.
You may find that products work better if you use a blow dryer. The heat can open up the tight cuticle allowing moisture to seep in.
Density
Hair density refers to the number of hair on your head. If you can’t see your scalp clearly, you probably have dense hair. If you can see your scalp even without parting your hair, you probably have low hair density.
A number of factors, including stress, hormones, and nutrition, can affect your hair density.
It’s a good idea to take stock of the products you’re using if there is a change in your hair density. For example, heavy products can flatten low density hair, so look for texture sprays and light mousses to add volume and lift. High density hair can benefit from thicker creams and butters to add shine and control.
Hair type is all about your hair’s curl pattern. Type 1 hair is straight, Type 2 is wavy, Type 3 hair is curly, and Type 4 is coily. You may have different curl patterns on different parts of your head.
To keep curls healthy, bouncy, and defined, you may have to experiment with products to find the ones that work best for you. The curlier and more porous your hair is, the more likely you’ll need an intense and regular moisturizing agent to manage it.
If you’re not sure where to start, consult a professional specializing in your type of hair or follow someone with your hair type on social media.
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