You’re standing in the hair care aisle, staring at a wall of "sulfate-free" and "moisture-locking" bottles, feeling totally lost. It’s a mess. Most of us grew up thinking hair was just straight, wavy, or "frizzy," but that last one isn't actually a hair type—it's just a curl crying for help. To fix it, you need the types of curly hair chart, a system originally popularized by stylist Andre Walker back in the 90s. He worked with Oprah, so he knew a thing or two about texture.
Hair typing isn't just a vanity project. It's the blueprint for your entire routine. If you have 2A waves and you use products meant for 4C coils, your hair is going to look like a grease slick. Conversely, putting light mousse on 4C hair is basically like throwing a cup of water at a forest fire. It does nothing.
The system breaks hair down into four main categories, numbered 1 through 4. Type 1 is straight (we aren’t talking about that today). Type 2 is wavy. Type 3 is curly. Type 4 is coily or kinky. Then, it gets more specific with letters A, B, and C based on the diameter of the curl. It sounds clinical, but honestly, once you see where you fall on the types of curly hair chart, everything about your bad hair days starts to make sense.
The Wavy World of Type 2
Wavy hair is the middle child of the hair world. It’s not quite straight, but it doesn’t quite spiral either. People with Type 2 hair often struggle with volume. If the hair is too long, the weight pulls the waves flat at the root.
2A hair is fine and thin. It’s that "beach wave" look that people pay hundreds of dollars for at salons. It’s very easy to weigh down. You basically want to avoid heavy oils like the plague. Think light mists and sea salt sprays.
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Then you’ve got 2B. The S-shape starts a bit closer to the head. It’s got more "oomph" than 2A but is prone to frizz. If you have 2B hair, you’ve probably noticed that humidity is your absolute nemesis.
2C is where things get interesting. This is the bridge between waves and curls. The waves are thick, coarse, and very defined. In fact, many 2Cs have a few actual ringlets hiding in the bottom layers. It’s the most prone to frizz in the Type 2 category. Honestly, 2C hair needs a bit of protein to keep its structure, or it just looks like a tangled bush by noon.
Type 3: When the Spirals Show Up
This is what most people picture when they think of "curly hair." Type 3 hair features clear, bouncy ringlets. If you pull a strand, it’ll spring right back into place. That elasticity is the hallmark of healthy Type 3 curls.
3A curls are roughly the diameter of a piece of sidewalk chalk. They’re big, loose, and usually have a lovely natural shine because the cuticle lies relatively flat. You don't need a ton of heavy cream here. A simple leave-in conditioner and some gel usually do the trick.
3B hair is more like the size of a Sharpie marker. These are springy, tighter curls. The volume is real. But because the curls are tighter, the natural oils from your scalp have a harder time traveling down the hair shaft. This is where dryness starts to become a legitimate daily struggle.
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Then there’s 3C. People used to call this "curly-coily." The curls are the size of a pencil or a drinking straw. They are densely packed together, giving you massive volume. You’ll see a lot of "shrinkage" with 3C hair—your hair might look six inches shorter than it actually is because the coils are so tight. If you have 3C hair, you need to start looking at "loc methods" (liquid, oil, cream) to keep that moisture locked in.
Type 4: The Beauty of Coils and Kinks
Type 4 hair is the most fragile. That surprises people. Because it looks thick and voluminous, folks assume it’s "tough." It’s actually the opposite. Each bend in the coil is a potential breaking point. Type 4 hair has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair type, meaning it loses moisture almost instantly.
4A hair has a visible S-pattern. The coils are tight, about the size of a crochet needle. It’s dense and can look dark because the coils are so packed together.
4B hair starts to move away from the S-shape into a Z-pattern. Instead of smooth curves, the hair bends at sharp angles. It feels less like a spring and more like a zigzag. This texture is very soft to the touch but can shrink up to 75% of its actual length.
4C hair is the tightest of them all. There might not even be a visible "pattern" unless the hair is soaking wet or loaded with product. It ranges from fine and thin to coarse and wiry. This is the texture that requires the most TLC. We’re talking heavy butters—shea butter, mango butter, and thick oils like castor oil.
Porosity: The Secret Variable
Here is the thing: the types of curly hair chart is only half the battle. You also have to understand porosity. This is basically your hair’s ability to soak up and hold onto water.
- High Porosity: Your hair has gaps in the cuticle. It drinks water fast but lets it go just as quickly. It dries in twenty minutes. You need heavy sealants.
- Low Porosity: The cuticle is closed tight like shingles on a roof. Water just beads up and rolls off. You usually need heat (like a warm towel) to open the cuticle so products can actually get inside.
If you have 3B hair with low porosity, you’ll need totally different products than someone with 3B hair and high porosity. This is why your friend's "holy grail" product might make your hair look like a disaster.
Common Misconceptions About the Chart
One big mistake people make is thinking they only have one hair type. Most people are a cocktail. You might be 3B on the top layers where the sun hits it, but 3C at the nape of your neck where it's protected. That’s totally normal. You have to treat the different sections according to what they need.
Another myth? That Type 4 hair doesn't grow. It grows at the same rate as everyone else's—about half an inch a month. The problem is breakage and shrinkage. Because the hair is so dry, the ends snap off before you can see the length. And because the coils are so tight, the length is hidden.
Actionable Steps for Your Hair Type
Identify your primary pattern using the types of curly hair chart, but don't get obsessed with the label. It’s a starting point, not a cage.
- Do the strand test. Take a shed hair and drop it in a glass of water. If it floats, you're low porosity. If it sinks like a rock, you're high porosity.
- Adjust your washing frequency. Type 2s can often wash every other day. Type 4s might only wash once every week or two to avoid stripping the scalp.
- Switch to microfiber. Throw away your terry cloth towels. They act like Velcro on curls and cause massive frizz. Use an old cotton T-shirt or a microfiber towel to gently squeeze out water.
- Detangle wet, never dry. Unless you want to look like a dandelion, only brush your hair when it's soaked and coated in conditioner. Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers.
- Protect at night. Silk or satin pillowcases aren't just for luxury. They prevent your hair from snagging and breaking while you toss and turn.
Start by switching just one product this week. If you’ve been using a heavy cream on Type 2 waves, swap it for a lightweight foam. If your Type 4 coils feel like straw, add a thick leave-in conditioner after your shower. Small tweaks based on your specific type make a bigger difference than any "miracle" product ever will. Look at your hair in its natural state tomorrow morning and see where it lands on the scale—that’s the first step to finally liking what you see in the mirror.