How to Determine Your Hair Type

If you’ve ever wondered about your hair type, you may have thought “is my hair straight or curly?”. However, it may not be as straightforward as you think. This article is going to guide you to determine your hair type so you can also identify your specific needs. Hair can have many characteristics and it is important to determine yours to be able to give it the best hair care possible.

Identifying Your Hair Texture

To determine your hair type, it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with different textures and densities. When referring to texture, we use numbers 1–4 which indicate how straight or curly your hair is.

Type 1: Straight

Type 2: Wavy

Type 3: Curly

Type 4: Coily

There are also subtypes A, B, C, that refer to the density of your hair which ranges from thin to thick. These two categories are usually combined together, for example: 1A describes straight thin hair.

What is My Hair Type?

Straight

1A: This hair type is straight and sleek. It is the finest hair type among all hair types. It may appear to be shiny and smooth, but also may lack natural volume. This hair type also tends to become oily right away and does not hold hair styles very well.

1B: This medium straight hair type may hold hair style better than type 1A, because it is thicker.

1C is thicker and denser, and may have some slight wave patterns that may be noticeable at the underside of the head. This hair type may be coarse and be prone to frizz especially in humid environmental conditions.

Wavy

2A can be described as loose waves. This hair type is usually fine and has natural shine to it.

2B has medium thickness and the waves are more defined. This hair type holds the waves well and are typically described as “beachy waves”.

2C has a prominent S-pattern. It is coarse and may be more prone to frizz. Because of the course and thick characteristics of this hair type, it may require more moisture to care for.

Curly

3A: This hair type has spiral, voluminous curls, which are also naturally shiny and bouncy.

3B has more defined and tighter curls which may need more moisture to care for.

3C curls are even more tightly packed than 3B curls and usually have the circumference of a pen or pencil.

Coily

4A: This hair type has a prominent S-pattern. It has a natural shine to it and tends to shrink in size when dry.

4B: This hair type has more of a zigzag pattern. It may appear less shiny, but more voluminous than 4A.

4C: Tightly coiled curls with a zigzag pattern. This coil type is the most dense out of all the hair types and may even feel spongy in texture. It can be prone to extreme dryness and damage, which would require a lot of care and maintenance.

Ultimately, different hair types have different needs. The first step to caring for your hair type in the most optimal way is by identifying your current hair type first. I say current, because hair texture and density can change over time. That means, the way that we care for our hair might have to change and evolve as well. Hopefully, this article was simple enough for you to be able to identify your hair type. If you want to learn more about how to care for different hair types, stay tuned for the next article, which explains basic hair care for your specific hair type. If you are still struggling with determining your hair type, it might be best to consult a professional hair stylist.