4 Major Types of Hair Explained with 10 Effective Hair Care Tips

You probably think that hair can only be straight or curly, but there are four main types and a dozen of different subtypes. The majority of the people don’t have much idea about different types of hair and they can’t differentiate among those as a result.

Hair type can be primarily understood by observing the pattern of your curls. The basic curl patterns are held in DNAs, so the hair type is decided by genetics. The shape of a hair follicle determines the pattern of the curl. The more asymmetrical or oval the follicles, the curlier the hair.

But your hair texture may change sometimes as you grow up and that’s normal. There is nothing to worry about.

Today we will introduce you to different types of hair. Sit tight and read on!

Hair Types Chart

1. Straight 

This hair type has no natural curl or wave. The hair strands lay completely flat from root to tip. Straight hair is usually soft, silky, naturally extremely shiny, and comparatively easy to manage. However, it tends to become greasy faster since oil can travel from the scalp down to the hair shaft quickly.

Straight hair doesn't possess much volume and is a bit hard to style. Women with straight hair commonly have fine hair texture. This type 1 hair can be divided into three subcategories:

• Type 1A is the straightest one lacking volume and its texture is fine and wispy.
• Type 1B is thicker than type 1A with medium texture and some volume, but it’s still very straight.
• Type 1C is also straight and the hair texture is the thickest and coarsest among all these three types.

If you don't have natural type 1 hair but are desperate to have straight hair, you can try artificial straight virgin hair. 

2. Wavy

If your hair is neither straight nor totally curly and has loose and undefined waves, your hair type may be wavy. A slightly curl pattern can be observed at the lower part of your hair. The texture of this hair type is quite rough and the diameter of a hair is thick.

Wavy hair is typically not too try and not too oily. It can carry hairstyles well. Depending on the shapes of waves and thickness of hair, type 2 also has three sub-types:

• Type 2A hair curls often start from the midpoint of hair length. They are fine, thin, and have less defined S-shaped waves. They get less frizzy than other types of wavy hair and easy to style.
• Type 2B hair is prone to frizz, a little tighter, and medium-thick. Though the S-shaped waves are more defined in this case, it’s not that difficult to style.
• Type 2C has loose spiral curls; i.e., well-defined S-shaped waves. This type of hair is thick, coarse, frizzes in damp weather, and quite difficult to style. It somehow looks similar to curly hair.

3. Curly

Curly hair has the most defined “S” pattern. When the hair is wet, these springy curls go a little bit straight. This hair type tends to get frizzier and tangled easily. It is drier, denser than wavy hair, and is difficult to manage. But it is suitable for so many cuts and styles.

Curly-haired women have either tight spirals or loose ringlets. Based on the size of the curl and the thickness of hair, there are three different kinds of curly hair:

• Type 3A curl forms a loose and big loop. It has a thick texture with a lot of shine but is prone to frizz. It is comparatively the finest and most manageable type of kinky hair.
• Type 3B hair has a combinational texture that isn't too delicate or too thick with tighter curls that spring from the root. It has ample volume and springy ringlets.
• Type 3C hair has extremely tight corkscrew kinks and is easy to style usually. It is not soft but coarse and too bouncy. A single strand of hair can perfectly coil around a straw.

If your naturally curly hair doesn't have enough volume, add volume and glow to your hair with these deep wave bundles. 

4. Coily or Kinky

Coily hair is a diversion of curly hair with the combination of “S” and “Z” shaped curls. It is the most unmanageable hair type. It appears to be rough and coarse, but quite soft and fragile in reality. The curls are pretty tight and well-defined, but they can be easily broken or damaged if not taken care of properly.

This type of hair is highly sensitive and dense. Type 4 hair can also be classified into three groups:

• Type 4A hair has a soft and fine texture with well-defined tight kinks. This S-shaped coil can be wrapped around a chopstick. It appears to be thick because of the wiry curls.
• Type 4B curls are less defined and tight, but soft and fragile. The curl pattern is zig-zag - more like Z-shaped - and varies in thickness.
• Type 4C curls are too tight to even seem curly at all, but too fragile to easily break. It would look exactly the same as 4B hair if only it didn’t have more Z-shaped coils.

Effective Hair Care Tips for All Types

You'll get beautiful hair by following the right maintenance tips. Treat hair lossif you are susceptible to extreme hair loss. Here are a few proven tips to help you make the best of your hair type. 

1. Straight Hair

• If you wash your straight hair frequently, this can overproduce oils. So, use dry shampoo in between if necessary.
• Check the label when you buy hair products to make sure they don’t increase the greasiness level of your hair.

2. Wavy Hair

• You have to control frizzy hair and add moisture and volume in it without deforming your natural curl and losing that wave.

3. Curly Hair

• If you brush this kind of hair, the action can lead to curl definition wreckage and frizzy mane.
• Do loose ponytails, otherwise, a tight ponytail or bun can spoil the curls’ formation and even cause hair loss.
• Avoid hair products that contain silicone and sulfates. Though they seem to tame your frizz temporarily, they can cause excessive dryness and breakage of hair over time.
• Moisturize or condition your hair with leave-in-conditioner using fingertips instead of combing to control frizz and avoid breakage at the same time.

4. Coily or Very Curly Hair

• An effective technique for defining as well as highlighting curl is shingling. That means, often nourish your hair when wet using a rich leave-in-conditioner and detangle with fingertips gently.
• Never comb roughly or frequently because this leads to hair breakage.
• You can use coconut oil or shea butter cream and rinse hair directly with conditioners in place of shampoo.

Now that you know your hair type, you are already halfway ahead. Try to follow the hair care routine and pick the right products according to your own hair type. You can also use ginger and essential oil to repair hair follicles and improve frizziness. No more confusion regarding the matter of which products to choose for your hair.

FAQ:

Question: What is the rarest hair type?

Answer: 1A is quite a rare hair type that is generally seen on Asian descent people.