Hair texture: understanding & identifying different natural hair textures

What is Textured Hair?

Having textured hair means that you have hair strands that have shape, especially tight, kinky or coily curls. you can identify as having textured hair if your hair texture has a curl pattern.

Your hair curl pattern is all about the natural state of your hair when it is washed and rid of product buildup.

Types of Textured hair

there are 3 main natural texture. they are;

each texture are broken into sub-types lettered A through C, which determines the difference between a loose or tight curl pattern.

a lady can have more than one curl pattern on your head.

Type 2 / Wavy

Wavy hair is one of those natural hair types that tend to be thicker than Type 1A hair. They are characterized by s-shaped curls down their length. Much of the hair may also appear straight with slight bends toward the ends. They may look gorgeous, but they frizz fairly quickly and require care to achieve perfect waves. There are also three subtype for wavy hair types

 

Type 2A

Hair flaunts a fine texture with a bit of a slight curl. If so, you're working with Type 2A hair. This curl type is much closer to a straight texture.

Type 2B

Strands are straight at the roots and form into waves toward the middle of the length. You can go from luscious waves to sleek hair in minutes.

Type 2C

Hair have defined waves and ringlets. This texture is more coarse than other textures in the Type 2 family

Type 3 / Curly

Here is another one of the different types of hair textures that is common among women: curly hair types. They have the kind of loose cork-screw curls that go wavy or straight when your hair is wet but goes back to being curly when it’s dry.  They start from the roots, down to their entire length of the shaft. They are mostly fine, but their thickness can also range to thick. They are also clearly defined and easy to style. However, they are more prone to frizz, dryness, and very little shrinkage. These are the three sub-type for curly hair types:

Type 3A

have large, bouncy loose curls. This texture sports well-defined curls with a spiral or ringlet shape and has alot of shine

Type 3B

If you have a mane full of Type 3B curls, your hair sports a springy and voluminous texture. The strands have a smaller width, which in turn give your mane a fuller appearance.

Type 3C

curls kind of resemble tight corkscrew. They have thicker strands with a tighter curl pattern, this hair type also amps up the volume to give you tons of body and movement. This sub-texture can have a little bit of coily texture and sometimes called kinky

Type 4 / Coily

Coily hair is one of those natural hair types that have the tightest curls ranging from fine to coarse. They include S-shaped to Z-shaped coils and everything in between. They are wiry and delicate by nature, so they require a gentle touch. If not well taken care of, they can break easily, dry easily and very prone to shrinkage. To keep natural locks healthy and shiny, use a hydrating conditioner, a rich moisturizer, and some natural oils.

The three sub-type of coily hair types include:

Type 4A

Hair features small and tight s-coils that resemble a cork-screw pattern. While other curl patterns may start mid-length, this coily texture begins at the scalp and continues through the ends. This sub-type texture is often also called kinky

Type 4B

strands have a 'Z' shaped pattern that tends to bend in sharp angles instead of curling.
Unlike other curly textures that have a defined shape, Type 4B hair is in a class of its own. These strands have a 'Z' shaped pattern that tends to bend in sharp angles instead of curling.

Type 4C

offers a range of thin to coarse textures. Sporting a super-tight zig-zag pattern, with densely packed strands. Similar to Type 4B hair, this curl type offers a range of thin to coarse textures. Sporting a super-tight zig-zag pattern, these densely packed strands are often prone to major shrinkage with less definition.

IDENTIFYING YOUR TEXTURE:

wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.

Once your mane is nice and clean, simply look at the shape of your strands in the mirror.

If they have a wavy texture, you know that you're in Type 2 territory.

Dealing with springy corkscrew curls? Then, you're part of the Type 3 family.

Have a mane full of small tight zig-zag curls? You have Type 4 hair!