Just like your clothing, your hair is an extension of your personality. If you meet someone for the first time, they are likely to judge you based on your hair and how you carry it. This is why so many people worry about how their hair looks just as much as they worry about their fashion. But unlike fashion, you can’t just spend money and make your hair look good always. To take care of your hair, you need to understand your hair and hair is much more complicated than clothing.
There are so many hair types and it can get confusing sometimes. On top of this, almost everyone has a combination of two or more hair types. Your hair is also affected by various external and internal factors, be it weather, season, products used, and internal factors like density, porosity, elasticity, follicle thickness, etc. There are so many factors to consider and so much to learn when it comes to hair. Defining your hair type can help you understand how to take care of your hair and decide what products to use. We are sure you are confused by now but don’t worry we are here to tell you everything that you need to know about hair types. By the end of this article, you will know the different hair types better and you will be able to find out what your hair type is.
Various Hair Types You Will See
Everyone has different hair, your hair can be short, long, shiny, frizzy, glossy, thick, fine, matte, and multiple other things. Your hair can be straight when you first wash it and it can become wavy and frizzy after a few days, but at the core, your hair can be divided into four hair types. These hair types are:
- Straight
- Wavy
- Curly
- Coily
This hair type is how your hair looks if you let it air dry without adding too many external products. Your hair type is determined by the curl pattern in your hair. The more curls you have, the lower you go on the hair type bifurcation. The curls in your hair are determined by your hair follicles. Hair type is generally genetic, but it can also change over time due to external factors.
These four hair types are further divided into subcategories which help you define your hair type better. These subcategories depend on how oval your hair is and how tight your curls are. The motive here is not to try and fit your hair under a single category but to understand all of them, in order to treat and understand your hair better.
Type 1- STRAIGHT
The first type of hair is straight. There are no subcategories here because straight hair is simple to find out. If you have no curl pattern in your hair, you have straight hair. Under straight, your hair can be thick, thin, or frizzy but each individual strand will lie flat in all cases. Straight hair becomes oily easily.
Type 2- WAVY HAIR
Wavy hair lies between straight and curly hair. If your hair is not completely straight, but it also doesn’t have any defined curl pattern then you probably have wavy hair. Wavy hair has a slight curl pattern, but this pattern is generally seen at the ends. On the other hand, the scalp area is rather straight. Wavy hair naturally looks like you have a beachy hairstyle. Subcategories under wavy hair:
Type 2A
This type of hair has a gentle texture. If you have this hair type, your hair will be mostly straight from roots till the eye level, from here you can see an undefined and loose wave. The loose waves go till the end of your hair. Type 2A has waves that are barely there.
Type 2B
Type 2B curls also start from eye level, but they have a more defined S shape in comparison to the previous one.
Type 2C
Type 2C hair type has the most defined waves. The S shape starts way above the eye level. If you have this hair type, your hair will be thicker and can be a little frizzy.
Type 3- CURLY
Curly hair types have a well defines S shape in their hair. If you take a single stand, you will easily be able to see the S pattern. Curly hair is difficult to straighten. They generally have more dense hair than straight hair types and they are also more difficult to comb.
Type 3A
Hair type 3A has a nice defined S shape where each hair strand forms loose loops. The circumference of the curls is as wide as a nail paint.
Type 3B
These curls have the circumference that can be as wide as a lipstick. They are bouncy and have a high volume.
Type 3C
These curls look more like coils and have a circumference as small as a straw. These curls are generally springy
Type 4- COILS
Like Straight hair, coils look distinctive and are hard to miss. These have the tightest curl patterns.
Type 4A
This hair type looks like an S-shaped coil. They have tighter curls than type 3C and can be easily wrapped around a chopstick
Type 4B
Coils are one of the most delicate hair types. These need a lot of moisture and have a zig-zag pattern
Type 4C
These are the tightest curls out these and hence they are also the most fragile. They look like a coiled scrunchie.
Finding Your Hair Type (Tips)
The first step to finding your hair type is to identify which of these types do you fall under. To do that, wash your hair with a shampoo and a small amount of conditioner. Now let your hair air-dry. When you air-dry your hair, you are letting it take its time and come back to its natural state. Once your hair is dried up, you will be able to see how exactly your hair looks without any additional products.
If your hair falls straight and is generally shiny, you have a straight hair type. If your hair becomes frizzy and you can see a few waves in there, you have wavy hair. On the other hand, having defined curls means you have curly or coily hair. It is also necessary to understand that your hair can be a mixture of these. Another thing you need to do is take this test again after a few months/years. This is because your hair type is not permanent and it can change over time due to medication, weather, or chemicals.
Apart from this, you might also want to find out your hair structure, density, or porosity. In addition to hair type, these help you determine what products suit best for you and how to take care of your hair.
Hair Thickness
Hair thickness refers to the thickness of each strand. Your hair strand can be coarse, medium, or fine. To find this, use a sewing thread as a measure. Take a strand of your hair and compare it to the thread. If it has the same thickness level, you have a medium thickness. If your strand is thicker than the thread you have coarse hair and if it is thinner you have thin hair.
Hair Density
In simple terms, hair density tells you how much hair do you have on your hair. When you stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself if you can see the scalp you have less dense hair. Dense hair ends up looking full on the scalp. You can also find out your hair density by checking the width of your ponytail.
Hair Porosity
Hair porosity tells you about your hair’s ability to take in moisture. More porous hair means your hair can absorb more moisture, but it also means that it won’t be able to hold moisture for long. On the other hand, less porous hair won’t have enough gaps on the cuticle and hence it won’t absorb moisture easily. With less porous hair, product build-up is common. To determine porosity, dip your hair stand in the water. If it sins completely, your hair has high porosity. If your hair stays at the top of the water, you have low porosity.
These factors will help you understand your hair better. Once you can understand your hair and try to maintain it instead of changing it, you will end up loving your hair. The most important thing here is to understand that everyone’s hair is unique. Instead of trying to change your hair uniqueness and making it look like someone else, you must accept your hair and love it just as it is. And once you start to love it, we are sure your hair will love you back and you will have no more bad hair days.