What curl type do I have?

Where to start? Everyone has heard about different curl types. The numbers and letters fly around your ears, but what does it really mean?

Ho, stop! Before you empty the hair store of products you'd better leave out, it's good to know what your curl type is.

Curl types say something about the pattern of your hair; from slightly wavy to Z curls and everything in between.

As most Curlygirls know, curly hair is often made up of different curl types. Ho, don't panic.

When picking out products, it's best to take a good look in the mirror and match it to the curl type that is most common. This will already make your life a lot easier.

Time to find out what type of curl you have!

Curl type 2: Wave after wave

If you have straight hair, you have hair type one. The hair structure of straight hair is very different from curly hair. So straight hair stays straight.

But we want to tell you more about curls and so we start with number two. Also called wavy hair and wavy hair.

People with wavy hair also often call it straight hair with a wave.

It ranges from loose S-shaped curls to dense waves that are easy to identify. The hair is fairly flat and straight at the root and therefore falls close to the face.

To get your waves to do the wave, you need to shake them up (literally) with the right products AND your hands.

Often many women do not realize they have this type of curls. Because this curl type are light waves or the wrong products are used, they are often thought to have straight hair.

Only when they start experimenting with new hair products do they find out that they do indeed have curls!

Curl type two is subdivided by the letters A, B and C:

Curl type 2 A: slightly wavy hair

The very loose wavy texture is usually found in people with fine and thin hair. The waves are usually visible toward the ends of the hair.

2A curls are quite easy to straighten and has a fine and loosely tousled texture. Despite the hair being almost straight, these curls still have a slightly wavy texture. 

 

Curl type 2 B: Wavy hair

S-shaped waves, here we come. This curl type has a more defined wave and usually starts halfway down a hair strand.

2B is a bit more wavy than 2A curls, but still the structure of the hair is quite straight. From about the middle of each strand, this curl type has a coarse wave.

Curl type 2 C: wavy hair with a big bang

This is what we call definition. The S-shaped waves of this curl type are defined, highly visible and start close to the roots.

Wondering which products work best for wavy hair? Check out our wavy recommendations in the shop.

Curl type 3: That has a nice ring to it

You've probably heard of hair before: the famous curly type three, or curls.

It has a strong and defined pattern and can be spotted from miles away. The curl starts at the root of the hair and is easily visible until the end of the lock.

Known or not, curls range from S-shaped curls to corkscrew curls. This type of curl is easily transformed to straight hair with a blow dryer.

It is helpful for curlies with curl type 3 curly hair to keep their curls adequately moisturized. For example, in combination with the LOC (Liquid-Oil-Cream) method.

This method helps to wash your hair regularly with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. In addition, with this method, you also use a natural oil and a curl-defining cream to define the curls.

Curl type 3 A: curly hair with large resilient curls

This curl type is very similar to type 2C, but it has a loose spiral shape that is even more defined.

3A is a coarse curl with a distinct S pattern. By nature, these curls are large, loose and shine beautifully. These curls are also easy to straighten.

The loose curls have a lot of shine and have an outline the size of a sidewalk crayon.

Curl type 3 B: curly hair with spiral small curls

This is the love child of a tight spiral curl and a ringlet to tight corkscrew curls. And it is most often described as a perfect pipe cleaner curl.

This curl type is difficult to straighten because the curls quickly fall back into their natural structure.

Curl type 3 C: curly hair with a lot of elasticity

This sleek ring(let) makes Beyoncé green with envy. If we had to describe it, it would be smaller curls with lots of bounce.

Wondering which products work best for curly hair? Then check out our curly recommendations in the shop.

Curl type four: Who's that curl?

Last, but not least we have curl type four. It is also called coily or kinky hair. With a tight, dense AND small curl, this is one of the most voluminous curl patterns there is.

These tightly coiled spirals are about as wide as a crochet hook.

By nature, curl type 4 is very dry and cottony. The hair strands have little shine and form extremely tight dense curls in the form of an s-pattern or z-pattern.

Curl type four ranges from a dense ring shape to a zigzag pattern and everything in between.

Sometimes these patterns in the tight curls are almost not obvious to the eye.

But that does mean sacrificing definition and length (read: shrinkage).

In addition, curl type 4 is more vulnerable to hair breakage than the aforementioned curls.

Do you have A, B or C (or all three)? You may, in fact, have different hair types.

You can read more below:

Curl type 4 A: frizzy hair with a dense curl

Get ready, because this tight ringlet likes to hold their own. Causes a denser cut compared to other curl types.

These curls are resilient and finely textured and just was looser than 4B curls.

Curl type 4 B: frizzy hair with a dense curl and little definition.

This type has a sharp formation, resulting in curls that resemble the last letter of the alphabet: a Z-shaped curl.

Curl type 4 C: frizzy hair with a dense curl and no definition.

This is the most closed and dense curl with a zigzag shape. If this is your curl type, you will see less definition and a lot of shrinkage.

Wondering which products work best for coily hair? Check out our coily recommendations in our webshop.

Treat your curls with love

It is important to treat your curls with love and patience. Taking care of your curls takes a lot of time. To make it a little easier for you, we give you some tips.

Avoid heat products

Styling your hair with straightening irons, blow dryers or other heating products can extremely damage your curls. In fact, you are actually frying your curls and that is not what you want.

Avoid blow-drying your hair. It is best to air dry your curls. Now, are you really in a hurry? Then dry your curls on the cool setting.

Therefore, try as much as possible to protect your curls from heat damage.

Sleep on a satin pillowcase

Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase to protect your curls from breaking off. You will also prevent your soft hair from getting tangled and drying while you sleep.

Use a coarse comb

Tangles, no one likes them. To minimize damage to your curls while combing, it is wise to use a coarse comb to gently detangle your hair. That way, your locks won't break off in the middle.

Use hair creams and natural oils

Every 2-3 days, moisturize your hair with various hair products such as hair creams and natural oils.

This may sound like a lot, but because of the tightly coiled spirals, natural oils cannot penetrate the length of the hair.

Which hair products work best for which curl type?

There are many different types of hair products suitable in conjunction with the Curly Girl Method that focus on various hair types.

If you have hair type 2/3 then it is best not to use too heavy products.

If you have hair type 3/4 then it is possible to use heavier hair products.

Try different types of products to find out what works best for your hair. Only with patience can you achieve perfect curls.

Want to learn more about waves, curls and curlies or are you interested in taking a closer look at your hair? In that case, check out our blog on porosity.