Understanding your hair type is essential for developing the perfect hair care routine and selecting the right products and styles. This knowledge is the first step towards embracing and celebrating your natural hair. In this post, we'll help you determine the common category your hair falls under. But before we get into it, remember that all hair types are beautiful and embrace your natural hair confidently.

What Are Hair Types?

Your hair type is determined by your hair's curl pattern, which is determined by your hair follicle. The more oval and asymmetrical shaped your hair follicle, the curlier you hair; the more circular your hair follicle, the straighter your hair. Andre Walker, best known as Oprah Winfrey’s stylist, created a system to classify hair into 4 types. While Types 1 and 2 refer to straight and wavy hair respectively, today we're focusing on Types 3 and 4, which represent curly and coily/kinky textures common in Black hair.

Type 3 Hair: Curly Textures

3A Hair

(Picture: Pinterest)

Characteristics:

• Wide, loose curls about the diameter of a wine bottle cork
• Defined S-shaped curl pattern
• Prone to frizz but less so than tighter curl patterns
• Usually has a fine to medium texture

3B Hair

(Picture: Pinterest)

Characteristics:

• Springy, ringlet-shaped curls about the diameter of a marker pen
• More voluminous than 3A hair
• Defined S-shaped curls that are tighter than 3A

3C Hair

(Picture: Pinterest)

Characteristics:

• Tight, springy corkscrew curls about the diameter of a pencil
• Very dense and voluminous
• Curls are closely packed together
• Significant shrinkage of up to 50-75% when dry

Type 4 Hair: Coily/Kinky Textures

4A Hair

(Picture: Pinterest)

Characteristics:

• Defined, springy, S-patterned coils about the diameter of a chopstick
• Dense and springy with significant volume
• Tight, well-defined curls that clump together
• Can experience up to 70% shrinkage

4B Hair

(Picture: Pinterest)

Characteristics:

• Tightly coiled Z-pattern with less definition than 4A
• Fluffy texture with sharp angles in the curl pattern
• Appears shorter than it actually is due to up to 80% shrinkage

4C Hair

(Picture: Pinterest)

Characteristics:

• Very tight, densely packed coils with a zig-zag pattern that may not be immediately visible
• Similar to 4B but with even less definition and more shrinkage
• The most fragile of all hair types, despite often having coarse strands
• Can shrink up to 75-80% of its actual length
• Most voluminous hair type

Hair Porosity

Beyond curl pattern, hair porosity plays a crucial role in determining the best products for your hair. Hair porosity tells you how easily your hair absorbs and retains moisture. Your hair can be low porosity, medium porosity or high porosity. Check out our post on understanding porosity to determine what porosity you have and how to care for your porosity type.

Natural Hair Care Tips

Here are some natural hair care tips that everyone should follow regardless of their hair type:

• Regular trimming: This help prevent split ends which prevent breakage and helps length retention.
• Protect at night: Always wrap your hair in a satin bonnet/head scarf or use a satin pillowcase to prevent friction, frizz and moisture loss.
• Hydration: Always ensure your scalp and strands are moisturised and healthy. Dry scalp and strands can cause breakage.
• Gentle detangling: Always detangle from ends to roots using your fingers or a wide-tooth comb.