Type 2 (Wavy)

Type 2 waves are bendable, can be fine to coarse, and have a definitive S pattern that lays closer to the head

Type 2A

Those with hair type 2A have a fine, barely-there tousled texture that’s very easy to straighten. People with this texture have to be wary of using heavy styling products that can easily weigh their strands down, rendering them limp and lifeless. 

Type 2B

2B hair lies flatter at the crown with defined S-shaped waves starting from the mid-length, like Salma Hayek’s here. Strands are thicker in diameter than a 2A, and you’ll have to put a bit more elbow grease into getting it straight.

Type 2C

2C waves are thick and more susceptible to frizzing. The S-bends are well-defined and begin at the roots. Shakira is the perfect example of this hair type.

Type 3 (Curly)

Type 3 curly hair can range from loose, buoyant loops to tight, springy corkscrews which have some sheen but are prone to frizz.

Type 3A

3A strands tend to be shiny with large, loose curls that have a diameter about the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk.

Type 3B

Hair type 3Bs have springy ringlets with a circumference similar to that of a Sharpie marker. This hair texture can get dry.

Type 3C

3C curls are tight corkscrews that range in circumference from a straw to a pencil. Strands are densely packed together, giving way to lots of natural volume. Frizziness is common with this type.

Type 4 (Coily)

Coily hair, commonly referred to as Afro-textured or kinky hair, is naturally very dry and spongy in texture and can be soft and fine or coarse and wiry. Strands form very tight, small curls of zig-zags right from the scalp and are prone to major shrinkage.

Type 4A

People with hair type 4A have dense springy, S-patterned coils that are about the same circumference as a crochet needle.

Type 4B

4B strands are densely packed and can bend in sharp angles like the letter Z.

Type 4C

4C textures are similar to 4B textures, but the tightly coiled strands are more fragile and have a very tight zig-zag pattern that is sometimes indiscernible to the eye. This hair type experiences the greatest amount of shrinkage — about 75 percent or more — than the other textures.