We spend what feels like half our life coaxing our hair into submission. Instead, simply understanding our hair type can go a long way in helping us care for our strands better. And no, straight, wavy and curly are too general to categorize your locks since one person can have more than one type of hair on her head! We delve deeper into each category and break them down for you so you can understand your mane like never before. Here’s everything you will ever need to know about your hair type. Are you ready for your best hair days?
Type 1: Straight Hair (Oh-So Sleek!)
This hair type can be described as limp, oily, greasy, sometimes frizzy, and often thought of as boring. Since the hair is straight, it’s easier for the natural oils to travel from the scalp across the hair shaft.
Type 1A – Straight And Extremely Fine
Super fine, super straight and very difficult to style. Curling this type of hair is almost impossible because it is SO straight and refuses to hold a curl. A lot of Asian women fall into this category. Limp, oily locks are a common problem.
Hair Products You Need: Dry shampoo is a must to have around to refresh greasiness and fight limpness. Avoid heavy, thick conditioners that will only weigh down your strands.
Type 1B – Straight And Thicker
Slightly thicker hair with a bit more body than Type 1A. This type of hair has more body and can have bends here and there and also a slight curl at the ends. It can also hold curls more easily.
Hair Products You Need: Use volumizing products like B Blunt Full-On Volume Shampoo to really build body and bounce. A texturizing spray is also great to use on dry roots to add more texture to your strands.
Type 1C – Straightish!
This type of hair is thick, straight and has a few sporadic waves, giving it that tousled look once it dries naturally. This hair type is also pretty prone to frizz, has a lot of body and can hold curls very well.
What You Need: A smoothening serum like Schwarzkopf Osis Magic Anti Frizz Shine Serum is an absolute must to tame frizz and hair spray to control your style especially on a hot, humid day.
Type 2: Wavy Hair (Beach Babe)
This hair type falls between straight locks and curls and can basically enjoy the best of both worlds. S-shaped waves are the general shape your strands take, though it’s not always easy getting those waves to behave.
Type 2A – Super Loose Waves
Natural, loose bends across your strands, this hair type is classic bed head. It isn’t as frizzy as the other two wavy hair types but can tend to get a bit limp. It’s easy to straighten for a sleek style or curl to add body.
What You Need: A texturizing, beach hair spray is great to enhance those bends into gorgeous beach waves.
Type 2B – More Bends And Kinks
This type has waves that are slightly tighter and better defined. These textured strands look gorgeous when styled with a diffuser. Though they are prone to frizz, so remember to not touch your hair too often – it can ruin those perfect bends and kinks and cause poufiness.
Hair Products You Need: A diffuser, an amazing curl cream/ mousse like TIGI Bedhead Foxy Curls Contour Cream to finger-style gorgeous waves and a touch of smoothening serum to keep your strands soft.
Type 2C – Very Thick And Very Wavy
Tighter waves and thick hair best describe this type of hair. Some parts can even form spiral curls. Lots of moisture and deep conditioning treatments are great for this type of hair as it can get very frizzy. Finger styling is the best way to tease these locks into looking fab.
Hair Products You Need: A moisturizing mask like Neutrogena’s Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Mask is must to keep your strands hydrated and healthy. The same curl cream as type 2B is also great to enhance those beautiful princess-like waves.
Type 3: Curly Hair (Kinky Affair)
Big hair, spirals and ringlets all fall under this category. This hair type also tends to get the most dry as your scalp’s natural oils don’t get distributed across all those kinks and curls to reach the ends. The best advice for this hair type is to stop fighting it, put down the blow dryer and straighteners and embrace your unruly affair.
Type 3A – Soft Curls
Looser curls that are relatively silky and easily defined. There could even be a few wavy sections in the middle. Scrunching your hair with a bit of product and your hands is pretty much all you need to do for well-defined curls.
Hair Products You Need: Scrunch your hair with a good leave-in like BBlunt High Definition Curl Defining Leave-in
Type 3B – Gorgeous Spirals
Springy, stretched out spirals that cascade down fall into this category. This type can get extremely frizzy, so it’s best to use styling aids like gel and creams when wet and then let it dry. Bouncy spiral curls are what they look like when dry.
Hair Products You Need: Curl defining leave-in or curl gel-like Tresemme Curl Defining Spray Gel.
Type 3C – Super Curly
Tight coils and corkscrew curls that are tangled around each other. This type of hair is super textured and prone to clumping. The curls are well-defined but not as smooth as the other curly hair types. You may need to spend some time manually separating clumps. It also tends to get quite frizzy.
Hair Products You Need: A microfiber towel and an awesome conditioner to hydrate your hair. This hair type tends to be the driest so moisturizing it often is a must. A leave-in like OGX Moroccan Argan Oil Curl Cream is also a must to ensure your hair dries minus the frizz and gives you well-defined curls, while providing even more moisture.
Image: Shutterstock
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