The directory
Every hair type, beautifully explained
From 1A straight strands to 4C tight coils — find your texture, your routine, and the products made for you.
Pin-straight, fine, and glossy.
Type 1A hair is poker-straight from root to tip with a fine, silky texture. It reflects light beautifully but can fall flat and look oily fast because natural sebum slides easily down the smooth strand.
Open guideStraight with body and a hint of bend.
Type 1B is straight with medium texture and noticeable body. It holds styles a little better than 1A and can show a slight bend at the ends.
Open guideStraight, coarse, and full of body.
Type 1C is straight with coarse, thick individual strands. It has the most body of the straight types and can appear slightly wavy when humid.
Open guideLoose, beachy S-waves.
Type 2A hair forms loose, tousled S-waves that start mid-lengths and travel to the ends. It's fine, easy to straighten or curl, but goes flat when weighed down.
Open guideDefined S-waves with body.
Type 2B has more defined S-shaped waves that lie flatter at the crown and form clear waves from the mid-lengths. It's frizz-prone and benefits from definition-focused styling.
Open guideThick waves with the start of curls.
Type 2C waves are coarse, thick, and start at the roots. They often have a few spiral curls mixed in and are the most prone to frizz of the wavy types.
Open guideBig, loose, shiny spiral curls.
Type 3A has loose, large spiral curls about the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk. The curls are well-defined, shiny, and bouncy.
Open guideSpringy ringlets with volume.
Type 3B has tighter, springy ringlets roughly the size of a Sharpie marker. They have lots of body but can be coarse, dry, and prone to frizz.
Open guideTight corkscrew curls, voluminous and full.
Type 3C curls are tight corkscrews around the circumference of a pencil. They pack densely for major volume and need consistent moisture to stay defined.
Open guideDefined S-coils with spring.
Type 4A is densely packed S-pattern coils about the size of a crochet needle. They have a clear curl pattern and retain moisture better than other type 4 textures when properly hydrated.
Open guideZ-pattern coils with cotton-soft texture.
Type 4B coils bend in sharp Z-angles instead of curling around. They have a fluffy, cotton-like texture, high shrinkage (up to 70%), and need rich, sealing products.
Open guideTightest coils, most versatile texture.
Type 4C is the tightest coil pattern, often with little visible curl definition unless defined with product. It has the highest shrinkage (up to 75%), the most volume, and the greatest range of styling possibilities.
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