Our coils, waves, straight ribbons and curls are all beautiful and unique with their own characteristics. But identifying where your curls fall in this categorization can be confusing—and even how to talk about what type of curls you have has a long, complex history. Don’t worry, we’ll walk through the best way to identify what curl type you have, what healthy curls look like, and what your hair may need to keep your curl pattern healthy + happy.  

With hair types ranging from 1 (straight) to 4C (coily) there’s tons of variations you may recognize as your hair—you may even have several curl types!

Here are some things to look for when determining your hair type:

Curl Type - Do you see ribbons, waves, curls, or coils? The shape will help you land on the right type. When you look at your hair do you see bends, or twists? This is your hair’s curl pattern. You may have heard us refer to curl types (1–4C) This is a system used to identify curl pattern. You may even identify more than one, so check in your front hairline, your crown, and the nape or hairline in the back to get a sense.

Density - How many hairs per sq in? (A lot of hairs per sq in = thick) Think of a dense forest, with a lot of trees vs. a forest with a few trees. Another way to test: when you put your hair in a ponytail is it substantial or svelte?

Texture – When you feel a single strand of your hair does it feel thick or thin compared to a group of hairs, each individual strands thickness helps determine your hair’s texture. When you roll one strand of hair in-between your index finger and thumb, does it disappear? That would be a fine hair texture. Or can you feel every part of the strand? That would be a coarse hair texture.