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.
Type 3A hair is very shiny and loose. Type 3B hair has a medium amount of curls, ranging from bouncy ringlets (spiral-like loose curls of hair) to tight corkscrews (spiral-shaped corkscrew curls).
Hair type is all about your hair's curl pattern. Type 1 hair is straight. Type 2 is best described as wavy. Type 3 hair is curly, and type 4 is coily.
3A strands, like Julia Garner's pictured here, tend to be shiny with large, loose curls that have a diameter about the size 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.
Like all type 2 hair, 2c hair is wavy, but that often feels like a technicality. Your S-bend hair is thick and the waves start at the roots. If you've ever been confused about whether your hair is wavy or curly, it's likely you have the 2c hair type.
Type 2C hair has defined waves that start at the roots, and is thicker than the other subcategories. This hair type starts to form loose spiral curls and has that “S” shape. Type 2C tends to be the most prone to frizz of the Type 2 category. With wavy hair, the biggest frustration is that it tends to frizz easily.
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.
Type 1A hair is very straight and fine, with no hint of wave or curl. As it is so straight and fine, when the natural oils travel to the ends, it tends to cause it to look like oily hair. It is the rarest hair type and is common among women of Asian descent.
Type 4c. 4c hair is the queen of thick, bold afros. From afar, 4c hair looks like a thick fro, but if you look closely, you'll notice very tight, small springs or coils on each strand. Coils are pretty different from curls.
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.
Type 5 hair typically refers to natural, multi-textured hair with a mixture of frizz and curls within its fine strands. In its natural state, you'll find that type 5 hair ranges from loosely coiled to tightly coiled, usually with S or Z-shaped curls that would typically fall under the 3A to 4C hair type categories.
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.
Texture Type 2C
Type 2c hair is thicker, coarser wavy hair that is composed of a few more actual curls rather than just waves. Type 2c hair tends to be more resistant to styling and will frizz easily. Wavy whirlies tend to use a lot of gel to style and manage frizz.
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.
The least common hair type, 1A hair is extremely fine and perfectly straight. Consequently, it can look a bit flat and limp and might prove difficult to style. Dry shampoo can be your ally in the fight against excessive oil and thick hair products that might weigh your hair down are best avoided.
1B hair, on the other hand, is the most common hair type. It is straight and flat but has some volume.
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.
Moisturize: This is absolutely key to having great 3a curls. In addition to making sure your curls are well moisturized, you're going to need to use protein treatments as well. Use a deep conditioning treatment 2-5 times a month to help re establish and maintain moisture in your locks.
3a: This type of hair holds an "S" shape and has a definite pattern throughout. If you have type 1, 2a, 2b, or 2c hair, you may not be able to get the waves to work. You can try, but you'll have much better luck if your hair is at least a 3a.
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.
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!
3a hair can be braided and slicked back, or pinned up and fluffed out. But 3a hair can also be a fickle, fickle beast, which means you need a good lineup of reliable 3a hairstyle ideas to get you through the annoying moments.