Wallace Chuck
Chances are, either you have curly hair, or you’re jealous of someone who has it! Anybody with curly hair can attest to having a love-hate relationship with their hair. You understand the appeal of your curls but sometimes crave the shiny lengths of straight hair.
Often your curly hair isn’t working for you just because you’re not taking care of it in the right way. The first step is understanding what type of curl you have and what that means for taking care of your hair. Yes, that’s right – there is more than one type of curl, in fact, there are many!
Accordingly, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the different types of curls and a few tips and tricks to take care of them!
Type 1: Straight Hair
A type 1 curl isn’t actually a curl. It’s important to include straight hair when you’re talking about the types of curls because this hair type represents Type 1 on the scale. In this context, straight hair is defined by the absence of curls.
Type 2: Wavy Hair
Wavy hair is subtly different from type 1 hair. What divides them? Well, type 2 hair has more bends or kinks than straight hair. However, you may mistake some types of wavy hair for type 1 hair!
2A
This type of hair is very loosely wavy. It’s fine and loosely textured and can easily be mistaken for straight hair. There are just a few bends that can differentiate it for pin-straight hair.
2B
This next sub-type is the typical example of wavy hair. It’s what comes to mind when you’re thinking of wavy hair and is defined by its S-shaped waves.
2C
This last sub-type of wavy hair is closer to curly hair than any of the previous ones. The waves are more defined and you may even find a few ringlets in this type of hair.
How to take care of Type 2 hair
Wavy hair isn’t too complicated to deal with, but frizz can be a menace to get rid of. Here are a few tricks for dealing with that:
• Leave-in serums and mousses are great for dealing with the frizz that typically comes with wavy hair
• Use lightweight shampoos and conditioners two or three times a week
• Heat protectant and wide-toothed combs are your best friend!
Type 3: Curly Hair
Curly hair is what you’ll find most people admiring from a distance. However, this hair type isn’t very easy to deal with if you don’t know what you’re doing. But before we get on to taking care of your curly hair, it’s important to know what type of curly hair you have!
3A
Type 3A hair isn’t the typical type of curly hair. This type of curl is big, loose, and s-shaped. The issue with this type of curl is how fast it loses definition. It can also be extremely frizzy!
3B
This is the kind of hair that people will start to the eye when you walk by. These curls are more tightly wound and more defined and are not as wide as a type 3A curl. It makes up in volume what it lacks in shine and is allergic to humidity. Styling creams are your best friend in high humidity situations!
3C
These are perfect corkscrew ringlets that your friends will envy. They’re voluminous despite being fine-textured. These are curls that you’ll need to stretch out from time to time to prevent them from getting too short.
How to take care of curly hair:
• Use natural and sulfate-free shampoos designed for curly hair, such as products from House of Curls
• The liquid-oil-cream method is a sure-fire way to keep your hair hydrated and agreeable
Silk or satin pillowcases are your best friend!
Type 4: Coil Hair
Tightly coiled is the best way to describe type 4 hair. It can be coarse or fine and is prone to shrinkage. It is also the most fragile of all hair types!
4A
Type 4A is the typical coil that comes to mind. It is springy, wiry, and fine-textured. The curls are more s-shaped and resemble Type 3 hair enough to be easily mistaken for it! Shea butter does wonders for type 4A hair.
4B
Unlike type 4A hair, type 4B has a z-shaped curl. The curls are also no bigger than the spring of a pen and are very tightly packed. They can be either fine or coarse in texture, but either type does well when moisturized with coconut oil before being washed.
4C
Type 4C hair lacks any definition and is prone to the most amount of shrinkage. It is the most delicate curl type and needs a creamy humectant to detangle.
How to take care of coil hair:
• Moisturize every 2-3 days. Trust us: your hair will thank you
• Deep condition at least twice a month
• Never blowdry your hair
• Wide-toothed combs are your weapon of choice!
Endnotes
Well-maintained curly hair is stunning to look at, but there’s a ton of work that goes into it behind the scenes. If you have curly hair and are dealing with dryness or heat damage, then it’s time to buckle down and fix your hair. The first step to making amends with your curly hair is getting to know it!
