What Hair Type Are You?

Back in the 90s, a celebrity hairstylist named Andre Walker came up with a hair classification system known as ‘The Hair Chart’. It consists of 4 main categories of hair and 12 subcategories.

This hair sorting system has become the official way to categorize hair. Many hair products use this system to tell customers whether their product is suitable for their hair or not.

But just what are the 12 types of hair? And how do you identify your hair type? This post delves into the 12 types of hair in more detail and how to care for each hair type.

What are the 12 types of hair?

The 12 types of hair are as follows:

What do the numbers and letters mean?

The 4 numbers used to categorise hair refer to the level of curliness. These are explained below:

Type 1 (Straight): This type of hair is straight with no curls.
Type 2 (Wavy): This type of hair has gentle curls that form into a S-shape.
Type 3 (Curly): This type of hair has more defined curls that form a spiral shape.
Type 4 (Kinky): This type of hair consists of densely packed coils. It is also known as ‘coily’ hair or ‘afro’ hair.

The three letters meanwhile refer to the thickness of the hair:

Type A (Fine): This is the thinnest type of hair. Run a strand of hair between your fingers – if you can’t feel it or can barely feel it, you have fine hair.
Type B (Medium): This hair has medium thickness. You should be able to feel it slightly while running a strand between your fingers.
Type C (Coarse): This is the thickest type of hair. Strands of hair can be easily felt when running them between your fingers and may be as thick as a sewing thread.

A closer look at the 12 types…

The curliness and thickness of each hair type can affect how easy it is to style and how oily/dry it gets. Below is a more detailed look that could help you better understand your hair type.

This hair type is straight and fine. It quickly gets oily and needs frequent shampoo washing, and has the least volume of any hair. However, it has a natural shine and silkiness. Use a lightweight conditioner to add more shine, but apply only to the middle and ends of the hair. This guide What A Pros Wants You To Know About Caring For 1A Hair explains more.

This hair type is straight and has medium thickness. It has slightly more bounce than 1A and holds its shape better. Oiliness can still be an issue, but you may not have to shampoo it every day as with 1A. When using moisturiser, stick to a lightweight moisturiser to avoid adding too much weight.

This hair type is straight and coarse. It has more volume than other forms of Type 1 hair, making it easier to style. Type 1C may even take on a wavy appearance towards the tips. Just be careful of frizz – using conditioner is more necessary for this dryer hair type. IC hair typically need to be washed every 2 to 3 days.

2A hair is wavy and fine. Like 1A, it can get greasy quickly due to its fineness. But due to the waviness of this hair type, it’s mainly the roots that get oily and it doesn’t travel down the hair. The s-shaped curls also give 2A more volume than 1A, while still retaining some of its silkiness. Shampoo and condition this hair regularly to keep it looking great.

Wavy and medium thickness. 2B could be considered the most versatile hair type, as it has both volume and it stays in shape while styled. Use shampoo and lightweight conditioner on 2B hair every 2 to 3 days for an optimal luscious look. This guide Type 2 Hair: What Is It and How To Care For It explains more.

This hair type is wavy and coarse. It has the most volume of any wavy hair type and may even develop Type 3 style curls towards its tips if left to grow out. It doesn’t get as oily, but is more prone to dryness. Frequently using a deep conditioner or leave-in conditioner can help to ward off frizz.

People with 3A hair have curly but fine hair. This hair consists of wide spiral-like curls that can lose their curliness when wet. Washing 3A hair too often can dry it out – it’s recommended that you shampoo and deep condition 3A hair only once to twice per week. Being the finest hair type of this category, 3A is the easiest to style.

3B hair is curly and medium thickness. Unlike 3A hair, 3B hair retains its curls when wet, and these curls are tighter (about an index finger’s width). Only wash this hair once per week to avoid frizz, but consider conditioning 2 to 3 times per week to keep your hair’s moisture. Check out this 3B Curly Hair Routine guide for more tips on how to manage this hair type.

This hair type is curly and coarse. The thickness of this hair results in more tightly-packed ‘corkscrew’ curls that may only just fit around a pencil. Towards the tips, these may even start to resemble the kinks and coils of Type 4 hair. 3C hair only needs to be washed once per week in most cases. Deep conditioning is more beneficial for this hair type than other forms of Type 3 hair, because it gets drier and more brittle much more easily.

4A hair is kinky and fine. Its coils are springy but loose, making this hair type easier to manage than other forms of Type 4 hair. Using leave-in conditioners and water, 4A can even mimic looser curly hairstyles. Avoid shampoo washing 4A hair too often to prevent damage – every 7 to 10 days is all that’s necessary.

This hair type is kinky and medium thickness. Its coils are sometimes referred to as having a zig-zag appearance or z-pattern. Conditioning regularly can help to preserve these sought-after coils. This includes occasionally using hair masks or deep conditioners to nourish the roots. 4B hair can get dry and brittle if you wash it too much – experts recommend washing it every other week.

4C is kinky and coarse. This is the most voluminous of any hair type and is the most well-suited to ‘afro’ style hairdos. 4C is also the driest and most delicate hair type. Hair experts recommend only washing 4C hair with shampoo once to twice per month to prevent damage. Moisturizing, on the other hand, should be done daily. Leave in conditioners are great for keeping this hair moisturised and avoiding frizz and breakages. For more information on this hair type, check out these Tips On How To Care For 4C Hair.

What hair type are you?

By reading the brief summaries of each hair type above, you may be able to work out exactly what type of hair you have. It’s worth noting that some people’s hair may fall between categories – but generally speaking it will fall more into one category than the other. Start by measuring the thickness of your hair. Then take a look at how each strand behaves. Having longer hair can make it easier to tell exactly what type of hair you have.