Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Hair Type

Greasy, oily, limp, lifeless, frizzy, boring – all adjectives people often use to describe their straight hair. Still, there are many variations of this hair type – and plenty of upsides to boot. If you wash your hair every day and live and breathe for dry shampoo, it’s likely you fall into the straight-strand group.

Baby-fine, straight hair is the epitome of the 1A category. These types don’t hold a curl well and can be difficult to style. Common complaints include oiliness and a limp look. Keep dry shampoo on hand for an afternoon reboot, and avoid thick conditioners that can weigh hair down, giving hair a greasy look.

Celebrity examples: Dakota Fanning, Gwyneth Paltrow

Product recommendations: Living Proof Perfect hair Day (PhD) Dry Shampoo ($30), Sachajuan Hair Mousse ($36)

Straight hair isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair. Type 1B hair tends to have fuller individual strands with a slight bend at the ends, but no real curl. To give this type volume and texture, use a dry texturizing spray at the roots before styling with a flatiron.

Celebrity examples: Kendall Jenner, Freida Pinto

Product recommendations: Fekkai Full Volume Dry Texturizing Spray ($27), IGK Extra Love Volume & Thickening Shampoo ($32)

The 1C category is primarily straight with a few waves hiding in the underbrush. It’s superthick and particularly prone to frizz. This hair type can hold curls very well. However, to keep from looking like a fuzz ball after stepping outside, use a smoothing serum and the cool-shot setting on your blow dryer.

Celebrity examples: Rachel Bilson, Constance Wu

Product recommendations: Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray Anti-Frizz Treatment ($28), Babyliss Nano Titanium Straightening Iron ($160), Drybar Full Pint Medium Round Brush ($40).

Some people consider people with natural waves to be the lucky ones. They have the happy medium between curls and straight hair, but still, it can be tough to get waves to behave. Without the right combination of products, the winding ends can fall flat.

The 2A hair type can be classified as classic bed head. There’s the occasional bend in each strand. People with this type can either straighten their hair to get a sleek style or air-dry it and use a curling iron to add extra bend to bring out its natural wave.

Celebrity examples: Kate Hudson

Product recommendations: Drybar The Wrap Party Styling Wand ($169), DevaCurl Supercream Coconut Curl Styler ($34)

While some people get these relaxed waves using salt spray, others are born with the textured look. These waves look best when finger-styled with mousse and a diffuser. The secret is to keep your hands off as much as possible. The less you touch the hair, the more waves you’ll have in the end. Avoid the crunch by finishing your dry style with a few drops of hair oil.

Celebrity examples: Becky G, Kate Middleton

Product recommendations: Ouidad VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse ($26), Davines OI All in One Milk Hair Milk Spray ($40)

Call to mind that perfect S-bend wave that you can achieve with a waving iron. Picture thicker waves with sporadic curls throughout the head. Just like curlier hair types, these waves benefit from moisture and finger-styling. Schedule your deep-conditioning treatment at least once a week, and embrace all that is big, bouncy hair.

Celebrity examples: Lorde, Priyanka Chopra

Product recommendations: Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask ($42), Oribe Curl Shaping Mousse ($39)

Over the past decade, we’ve seen the resurgence of curls. Numerous big beauty brands have been coming out with products geared toward ringlets and spirals. If you fall into the type-three group, we’ve got five words for you: put the blow dryer down.

This curl type is largest in diameter and can also have a mix of wavy pieces. To get the maximum curl definition, use the scrunch method to style. Apply product to wet hair. Then, use a t-shirt or microfiber towel to squeeze curls while scrunching up toward the scalp. This texture is easy to straighten, but it’s also susceptible to heat damage.

Celebrity examples: Zendaya, Shakira, Taylor Swift

Product recommendations: Crown Affair Microfiber Hair Towel ($45), Briogeo Curl Charisma Leave-in Defining Creme ($24)

Type 3B curls are stretched-out spirals that cascade down toward the shoulders instead of growing out away from the roots. Light gels mixed with leave-in conditioners can create smooth curls that bounce without the sticky residue. It’s best to add stylers to this type while soaking wet, then let it air-dry.

Celebrity examples: Tinashe, Rihanna

Product recommendations: Pattern Beauty Leave In Conditioner ($28), SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie ($12)

The curls of the 3C category are the thickest and most prone to frizz. The clearly defined corkscrew coils can range in size from a pencil to a small marker. To avoid crunchy curls, consider washing with a cleansing conditioner. This will cut down on flyaways and maintain shine.

Celebrity examples: Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi

Product recommendations: TPH By Taraji Hustle & Co ($10), Cantu Coconut Curling Cream ($7)

Type-four hair is the kinkiest, coarsest, and driest of all the hair types. Because of the many twists and turns of this texture type, it is very hard to get moisture to the scalp and maintain shine. The hair also tends to shrink down, making it important to determine the actual length of the hair. Despite all this, there’s nothing more showstopping than an oversize Afro.

The 4A texture is denoted by a head full of miniature curls. The diameter of each small ringlet can range from that of a pen coil to a pencil. However, the hair can shrink down to less than half its length when dry. The wash-and-go method works well on this hair type. However, keeping a blow dryer with a diffuser on hand will help stretch curls to their maximum capacity.

Celebrity examples: Issa Rae

Product recommendations: Pattern Beauty The Diffuser Attachment ($20), Kinky Curly Curling Custard ($21)

When wet, the Z-shaped kinks and S-shaped coils of 4B hair can be spotted. However, without the proper product regimen, frizz can quickly overcome any natural curl definition. Turn to light gels and styling butters to twist hair damp. Then, release the style for a more defined look.

Celebrity examples: Solange Knowles, Janelle Monáe

Product recommendations: Aunt Jackie’s Flaxseed Don’t Shrink Curling Gel ($8)

When you think of 4C hair, flash back to the picked-out Afros that Pam Grier and Angela Davis rocked in the 1970s. There is no distinct curl pattern in this type, which makes it extrahard to detangle. This dense texture makes it very difficult to get any definition.

Celebrity examples: Lupita N’yongo

Product recommendations: Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream ($14), SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Treatment Masque ($14)