#Curl patterns how to#

And in the confusion I’ve sometimes seen 3B compared to a sharpie width and sometimes 3C described that way. Barrels shapes with 3A being the biggest barrel and 3C being the tightest. This category tends to be more the “curling iron” family of curl. My face framing pieces often fall under the 3A type. 2C is the tightest wave that borders on curly, and these people probably have a few barrel curls mixed in (like me!) Curly 2B has a tendency to be straighter at the roots still, but gets more of a defined s-shape past the ears. 2A is mostly straight with some bends, and benefits most from lightweight stylers. Lots of people in this category don’t realize their hair is curly because it’s easy to brush out and just have a frizzy poof that doesn’t look like waves or curls. As the OG Lorraine Massey says, “Frizz is a curl waiting to happen.” The only reason someone with truly straight hair will have frizz is because of new growth or breakage from tight hair ties, etc. Signs of hair being truly straight are being resistant to curl (curling iron curls fall out easily) and minimal frizz. Straight hair is naturally strong because of the way the hair is bonded. The same curl can be categorized as different type depending on what chart/resource you’re looking at. One of the reasons people opt to ignore the lettering system is because it doesn’t seem to be consistent. Wavy is 2, curly is 3, kinky-coily is 4 with the letters indicating the circumference of the curl. Type 1 is straight, so doesn’t follow the letter guide. Not everyone follows this form of typing, but it’s good to have a ballpark idea of what it means if you’re going to be following curly Instagrammers, YouTubers, or even reading curly forums. My under layers by the nape of my neck are barely wavy and I have some barrel curls near the front of my face.īasic hair types are straight, wavy, curly, and kinky-coily (the 4th has a few different variations on the name, but usually something similar- kinky-curls, kinky/coiled, etc.) One thing you’ll see is these types being put into a number-letter classification system. These are curl types.īefore we start, I just want to remind you that it’s COMPLETELY normal to have multiple curl patterns on your head (as well as density, texture, and porosity.) Rarely do people have uniform curls naturally. Turns out there’s more than just basic denomination of “curly or straight.” I’m sure at this point everyone has seen pictures like my terrible drawing that I did in “paint” pictured above.

Join us in our journey to rediscovering the strength and beauty of our hair with Nile Hair.First on the list of things you didn’t know was “a thing” before diving into the curly world- hair typing. Luckily if you’re here then you haven't forgotten. Like the African proverb goes A river that forgets its source will soon dry out. Hopefully, this post helped clear up some confusion on curl patterns, and if it has you’ve already taken the first step towards better hair. It’s also common to have more than one curl pattern especially at the crown or back of your head. A lot of people mistakenly think they have 4C hair when it's actually just dry. BUT I recommend doing this after you’ve showered especially if you don’t currently have a grooming routine. Knowing your curl type essentially comes down to looking in the mirror. Keep an eye out for a post detailing what works best for each hair type.

The Hair and Beard oil works for other hair types as well! All you have to do is use less product less often. I recommend starting simple so you can be consistent so a little water and Nile Hair’s Hair and Beard oil is a great foundation for your path to great hair. For example, guys with type 4 hair need to focus on routinely moisturizing their hair.

#Curl patterns how to#

Knowing your curl pattern is the first step to knowing how to get healthy hair and taking this step will save you money on wasted products and methods that don’t work for your curl type. The letters within each numbered category describe how tightly wound the curls are.

The number in the curl pattern system refers to the type of curl: Type 2 (wavy), Type 3 (curly), and Type 4 (coily). The categories range from 2A to 4C with 1 describing someone with straight hair. Natural hair enthusiasts created this system to better differentiate between curly hair types which before this method could be pretty subjective. How many different curl patterns are there? But do you really know what that means? Or more importantly, do you know which category your hair falls under? Whether you're starting to grow out your hair and noticing it's not doing what you thought it would do or if you want to learn how to take better care of your hair, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve probably all heard someone describe hair by a number and a letter, for example, “4C”.