Kinky, curly, wavy? What's your textured hair type? See which hair type you have, and the products that work best on your hair.
Diva, your hair is the crown that sits atop your royal head. And it’s important you keep it looking its best. An important part of caring for your royal mane is knowing your hair texture and type. If you have no idea if your hair is kinky, curly, thick, thin, 4A, 3B… Then no worries, sis. Because we’re about to give you the lowdown on hair textures and types to help you care for your hair!
Hair Textures
A hair’s texture usually refers to the thickness (or width) of one strand of hair.
Want to determine your hair texture? Grab a piece of copy paper, and keep reading.
Hair is usually classified into 3 different textures:
- Fine
Grab your piece of copy paper, and compare its thickness to one strand of your hair. If your hair is thinner than the paper, you have fine hair. This is considered the most fragile texture since it tends to break the most easily compared to the other textures. Fine hair can be oily and hard to style.
- Medium
Medium hair is the same thickness of the copy paper. This is the most common hair type, and tends to look thick. You can usually style this kind of hair easily as it tends to be less oily and the strands are stronger than fine hair.
- Thick
If your hair is thicker than the copy paper, then you have thick hair. This hair can be coarse to the touch, and take longer to dry after it is washed than the other textures. It holds up well to heat treatment, is easily styled, and is resistant to breakage and some chemical treatments.
What is textured hair?
Textured hair is a term sometimes used to refer to natural Black hair. But textured hair can be used to refer to any hair that has some shape or curl pattern to it.
Curl pattern?
Curl pattern refers to the shape your hair takes after it is washed and allowed to dry naturally.
Textured hair curl patterns usually fall into 3 category types:
- Wavy - Also known as Type 2A through 2C
- Curly - Also known as Type 3A through 3C
- Coily - Also known as Type 4A through 4C
Textured Hair Types
Let’s discuss the characteristics of each textured hair type and their subcategories.
Wavy - Type 2
Type 2 (wavy) hair tends to be thicker than Type 1A (straight) hair. And is characterized by loose or S-shaped curls. It can appear straight towards the roots, then start bending towards the ends. This hair type tends to frizz easily, and may require lots of care to keep the perfect wave.
Type 2A: This hair type tends to be fine. The shape of the wave can vary from an S-shape to loose loops. It’s usually not very voluminous and lacks definition, but is easy to style.
Type 2B: Straight at the roots with S-shaped waves towards mid-length through the ends. Has medium texture, and can be frizzier than Type 2A hair.
Type 2C: Is naturally wavy towards the root and is more defined throughout the strand compared to the other Type 2s. Typically thick, hard to style, and more prone to dryness and frizz.
The best remedy for frizz is to infuse and retain moisture into your hair. Click here for some amazing products that will help you tame your wavy mane.
Curly - Type 3
Curly hair is typically straight when wet, and curls up when allowed to dry naturally. Curls start at the root and continue all the way through to the ends. Most curly hair is fine, but can also be thick. Type 3 typically has distinct and defined curls that are easy to style. This hair type can shrink more than other hair types, making it appear shorter. It is also prone to frizziness and dryness than Types 1 and 2.
Type 3A: This hair type has a lot of body and movement. The texture is typically thick. And the curls are well-defined - about the circumference of sidewalk chalk. It is prone to dryness and frizziness.
Type 3B: Characterized by tighter curls and a combination of textures. Type 3B curls typically look like well-defined and voluminous tight corkscrews or bouncy ringlets about the circumference of a marker.
Type 3C: Is voluminous and characterized by kinks or very tight curls that are easy to style. It shrinks the most compared to all of the previous hair types. Type 3C hair is also known as “curly-coily” hair.
Click here for some products that will help those beautiful curls pop.
Coily - Type 4
Coily, Type 4, hair is characterized by the tightest curls with strands that range from fine to thick in texture. It includes a full range of S-shaped to Z-shaped coils. Delicate and wiry, Type 4 hair requires a soft touch and lots of TLC to prevent breakage.
Type 4A: This hair type is fine in texture and is soft to the touch. Characterized by tight curls or kinks with an S or zig-zag pattern. The typical Type 4A coil is about the circumference of a knitting needle.
Type 4B: These coils are typically less defined, very tight, and about the circumference of a pen. Type 4B hair has strands that range from fine to medium to thick. This type of hair tends to be prone to breakage and bends in sharp angles.
Type 4C: This type is very similar to 4B in several ways - the curls are densely packed, not well defined, and can contain strands of various textures. Type 4C hair is very prone to breakage and dryness, and the coils can be so tight that the hair may not even look curly at all. This hair type is the most prone to shrinkage, making hair growth less apparent.
Click here to check out some products that will keep your coiled crown shiny and strong.
You can find curly hair extensions according to your curly hair type. We recommend Irresistible Me.
Well, Diva, now that you know all about hair textures and types, you can get the best products that your crown needs to maintain its regal look. Go forth and slay!
Not sure which products to try?
Now that you know your hair texture and type, click here to take our hair quiz for personalized product recommendations!