If your curls easily wrap around the sidewalk chalk, then you have type 3A hair. If the permanent marker is the best fit, then your hair type is 3B. If your spiral curls are the size of a pencil, you have type 3C hair.
3B curls are coarser, springier, and tighter than 3A curls, and they usually have the circumference of a Sharpie marker or your index finger. Unlike 3A curls, which tend to lose their definition or get pulled out, 3B curls stay coiled no matter how much you play with them or what products you put on them (yay!).
3A hair is made up of well-defined and springy curls that have a loopy, “S” shaped pattern. Their circumference is the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk. 3A ringlets have a fine to medium texture. This curl type benefits from lots of body and movement, but is prone to frizzing and dryness.
Within the category of type 3 hair, 3b curls are a collection of bouncy ringlets. The circumference of each swirl is roughly that of a Sharpie marker. Because your curl type straddles the happy medium between 3a and 3c hair, you may also have some loose spirals and springy corkscrews in your locks.
Type 3a. Curls show a definite loopy "S" pattern that is well-defined and usually springy. Type 3a curls have a circumference the width of a piece of sidewalk chalk.
2c hair has “S” shaped waves that go down the whole strands. However, 3a hair has loosely wound spirals that start at the scalp itself. What is this? You might see that 2c hair appears straighter in a few places and curlier in others, but 3a hair has a consistent pattern of curls throughout.
3A curls are known as some of the easiest types of curls to manage and with the right products, might not even require much styling. Look for light styling creams to help control strands when styling and drying.
"She has natural, curly hair, and she likes to wear it without any heat. She loves her natural texture.
If it dries with a slight curve or “S” shape, then it is considered wavy (type 2). If it dries with a defined curl or loop pattern, it's likely curly (type 3), while tight curls, spirals, or zig-zag patterns are considered coily (type 4).
"The flatter or more oval-shaped the follicle, the curlier your hair; the more circular the cross-section, the straighter your hair. Your curl pattern is also identified by the shape that the strands of hair make, whether they kink, curve, or wind around themselves into spirals."
3C hair strands have larger curls than 4A hair, which are a bit more tightly coiled. 3C hair has a reputation for being tightly densely packed, but otherwise soft to touch.
A wavy, relaxed “S” shape curl pattern. This curl type may be non-uniform—straighter at the crown, wavy in the middle, and drier on the ends, for example. Dehydration, damage, and heavy styling products can “straighten” out these curls. Wavy curls need lightweight, curl-amplifying moisture and hold.
3C hair is made up of well-defined, tight corkscrews or coils with lots of strands densely packed together. Their circumference is the size of a pencil or straw. 3C curls have a fine to medium texture. This curl type is prone to dryness, tangles, and lack of curl definition.
4c hair type has the tightest curl pattern of all the curly hair types. Strands are formed in tight, springy, ringlets. 4c hair tends to clump more at the ends and is even more prone to shrinkage than 4b hair. According to CURLS, 4c hair can shrink up to 75% of its length!
When the cuticle is open, your hair will be able to soak up tons of moisture, but if you do not close the cuticle with cold water afterwards then all of the moisture will escape, your curls will be dehydrated and thirsty curls don't clump! If you need to work up to using cold water, start off slowly.
1C hair is straight but thick and coarse. It has a natural tousled look and tends to frizz.
Ariana naturally has dark brown, super curly hair — which she showed off on Instagram on April 7, 2020. She displayed her real hair once again on March 30, 2020, and fans were living for it! As fans know, the singer normally keeps her hair pin straight with long extensions.
Type 3a hair is characterized by well-defined spiral curls that are typically the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk. Although the circumference of 3a curls is wider than that of 3b and 3c hair, it can be difficult to tell the three curl types apart.
Beyoncé is a walking ambassador for curly hair. She has fiercely rocked possibly every curly hairstyle known to woman, from small tight coils, to afros, spirals, and loose waves.
2A hair tends to have a tousled texture. 2B hair consists of 'S' shaped waves in the lengths, but sits relatively straight at the roots. 2C hair has even more defined 'S' shaped curls that start from the root and continue down the lengths of the hair.
2B Hair type is best described as wavy hair. This hair type is not quite curly and it's not quite straight. If your hair is mostly flat and straight at the roots but gets wavier and more “S” shaped toward the bottom, then you have 2B hair!