Decoding Your Tresses: Understanding Your Hair Type

Hair doesn’t need to be a mystery. After all, it’s sitting on your head (and other places, but that’s for another conversation). But suppose you’re going about your haircare and hairstyling routine without first understanding your hair type. In that case, you could be putting your tresses through unnecessary stress that potentially causes damage, shortens the life of chemical processes, or simply prevents it from living up to its maximum potential. While it can take some trial and error to find what works best, you can narrow down the process drastically by working with what your genes gave you and end up with the look you’ve always wanted.

Understanding Your Hair Type

There are a few ways to describe the natural state of your hair. Its “type” specifically refers to inherited traits that fall into a range of four patterns: straight (1A-1C), wavy (2A-2C), curly (3A-3C), and coily (4A-4C). The classifications were adapted in the 1990s by celebrity hairstylist Andre Walker. And while hair rarely falls into one category, the hair type chart is still helpful for gaining better insight into your hair.

Remember your type differs from your hair’s texture, density, and health, which should also play an overall part in understanding your hair type.

• Texture – An individual strand may be fine (thin), medium, or coarse. Medium and coarse textures hold a style well, but fine hair struggles to stay put and needs a boost from texturizing products and light hairsprays for added grit.
• Density – This refers to the concentration of hair in any given area. High density means you have a boatload of hair. If “boatload” was a unit of measurement.
• Health – Damaged hair means excessive dryness, dullness, breakage, and difficulty styling. It requires active steps to recovery that differ from regular care and styling. Regular trims and a limit on heat styling and chemical processes are a start. Deep moisture and reparative treatments will do wonders, especially when using a multi-tasking product like Olaplex’s 4-in-1 Moisture Mask. It’s a professional treatment that works on all hair types to help repair the tell-tale broken bonds of damaged hair with Olaplex’s patented reparative technology. It safely brings hair back to life and restores moisture and strength with a blend of 11 proteins, nutrient-dense plant oils, and hyaluronic acid. Understanding your hair type is helpful when it’s healthy, but repair is universal if you’re facing damage.   

For hair that’s in good shape, let’s go over the four-plus hair types and their common concerns. There will be some crossover, so keep reading even if it’s different from your category.

Straight to Wavy Hair

With Type 1 straight hair, achieving your desired volume may be challenging. While getting a blowout is a great way to add height and movement to sedentary hair, starting with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner will prep hair for extra body whether you style it or not. 

Fine, straight, and wavy types will get a boost from Biolage’s Volume Bloom Shampoo for Fine Hair. It’s a bubbly, lightweight cleanser that provides fullness and lift at the root with a touch of moisture that won’t weigh hair down. This vegan shampoo also tackles oily scalp issues that are typical with fine and straight hair. Another perk of understanding your hair type.

Thicker straight hair and Type 2 wavy folks will benefit from some smoothing action. Waves are gentle curls that range from a tousled look to a proper S-shape. They can all end up in frizz town without the appropriate prep from a premium formula like Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo. It uses vitamin-rich olive fruit extract to moisturize, control frizz, and soften hair while removing impurities. This equals more control and a better-defined shape.

Lastly, prevent damage from frequent heat styling. It weakens hair by lifting the protective cuticle of the shaft and stripping away its natural moisture. Prepare clean hair with the heat protection that Living Proof’s Restore Smooth Blowout Concentrate offers. You get 450 degrees of color-safe protection without any harmful parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde. Curlier hair may use this concentrate as well.

Curly Hair

Type 3 curls have a broad range. There are the looser 3A loops to the tighter, springier 3C ringlets, but a type 3 can also have types 2 and 4 thrown in there, too. No matter the makeup of your mane, maintaining moisture, controlling frizz, and having a smooth, well-defined curl pattern are the primary keys to understanding your hair type.

You probably already have a combination of creams, gels, and mousse for styling. So get the most out of your styling products by using a moisturizing shampoo that won’t strip all of your hair softening moisture.

Davines LOVE Curl Shampoo is the stuff of dreams. It checks all the boxes for creaminess and maximum elasticity, shine, and controlled volume support. And all before applying their Curl Conditioner, which is a must to replenish curly hair.

Plus, Davines uses sustainably sourced ingredients when possible, and their B Corp status means you’re supporting the planet and those curls (and waves, too!). By making the right choices in shampoo and conditioner, you’ll notice a difference in your hair’s health, even with the best gels and creams.

Coily Hair

Type 4 is the most delicate and tightest curl ranging from springy, defined coils to a more undefined, zig-zag pattern that needs tender hands to bring out its shape. And while understanding your hair type means using moisturizing formulas in the shower, it’s crucial for naturally dry type 4 coils to take that moisture well past the washing process.

A styling lotion like Redken’s Curvaceous Ringlet Anti Frizz Perfecting Lotion is an excellent facilitator for ideal softness and pliability. Comb through and enhance your shape with no heavy or greasy feeling. It provides a lightweight hold perfect for pairing with other stronger hold styling products. Hair will feel protected because it’s getting supportive plant proteins, vitamin E, and maximum moisture locked in.

Keep It Up

If all this sounds like a lot to consider, well, that’s because it is! But have confidence because everyone has the potential to become an expert at their own hair. Learning what works best for you takes a little effort, and the outcome is totally worth it! This is just an overview of understanding your hair type, so keep the education going at our Beauty Resource Center. It’s the place to crack all the beauty codes and turn your long-held questions into satisfying answers.