Here's How To Determine Your Hair Type

When people hear the word "hair type," their mind jumps to their hair's condition or state, i.e., dry, dull, frizzy, oily, brittle, etc. Everything, hair-wise, depends on knowing what your hair type is.

Did you know that every individual has a different hair type? Before you choose hair care products, your hair texture type is an important factor. Read on to find out what hair type means and ways to determine it.

Hair type is determined by the pattern of your hair, mainly by the wave or curl pattern. To determine that, you need to know the general textures of hair. These are as follows:

If your hair is flat from the roots till the ends, then you have straight hair. The texture of this hair type is silky and soft with no curls.  

Did you know straight hair releases a high amount of oil? It is because it does not have waves or curls, so the oil from the scalp goes straight down to the shaft. Since the hair is silky and straight, oily hair is more noticeable.

Here are the three textures that fall under straight hair type:

• • • Type 1A: Exceptionally smooth, soft, and shiny. This type of hair lacks volume, appears thin, and is stick-straight. It is difficult for this hair type to hold curly and wavy styles.
    • Type 1B: Less smooth and soft compared to type 1A but is bouncier and thicker. It can hold waves.
    • Type 1C: It is the thickest and coarsest straight hair and can hold waves and curls.

Take utmost care of your straight hair by using the right products. Check out the tips and tricks on How To Take Care Of Straight Hair.

Wavy hair is a mixture of straight and curly hair. This type of hair consists of mild curl patterns at the ends and are mostly straight at the roots.

There are three different types of wavy hair:

• • • Type 2A: This hair type is soft with a tousled texture. It is straight from the roots until the top of the ears and has loose undefined waves until the ends. It is recommended to stay away from creamy and oil-based hair products. Apply a Lightweight Mousse to define your waves.
    • Type 2B: It has medium thickness and looks excellent in balayage colors. This hair type has an S-shaped pattern.
    • Type 2C: This type is thicker and wavier than 2b. It has defined S-shaped waves. This hair type is also prone to frizz.

Curly hair ranges from loose to tight spiral and corkscrew curls. You will find defined and thick curls in this hair texture.

There are three types in this texture, them being:

• • • Type 3A: This hair type comes with S-shaped curls throughout the hair. It is the perfect hair type for loose ponytail hairstyles.
    • Type 3B: This type is slightly thicker than 3A and provides your hair with well-defined curls.
    • Type 3C: This hair type has tight curls. You may also find it prone to dryness and breakage because of the tight curly hair, but proper hair care can help you avoid it.

This type of hair is known as afro or coily hair. It is naturally dry and comes in three types, which are as follows:

• • • Type 4A: These are thick and springy S-shaped coils. These are delicate as it doesn't retain moisture as well.
    • Type 4B: If you have this hair type, you have zig-zag textures throughout the hair. As gorgeous-looking and well-defined they are, they need utmost care as they are delicate too.
    • Type 4C: This type of coily hair is super tight and very fragile. Rough brushing can break your hair and cause split ends.

The best time to determine your hair type is when your hair dries up after washing. Your hair will be curlier if the follicles are symmetrical or oval, while they can be straight at the root and wavy toward the end.

Your genes play the most prominent role in determining your hair type. However, with the advancement of styling tools and chemicals, you can alter your hair type temporarily or semi-permanently.

Using hair care products without knowing your hair texture can result in not achieving the styles you desire. Now that you know about your hair type, choose the right products and flaunt your hair!