What's your hair type?

#Curls101 : 

Not going to lie, this post should've been our first. Not only is knowing your hair type is essential in figuring out the appropriate haircare regimen and products for your hair, it also helps you find product reviews from bloggers and youtubers having your exact hair type (I'm telling you, this tip will change your life).  When I started my natural hair journey, I would find labels on hair products stating "suitable for type 3 and 4 hair" and thats when I had to do my research and figure out what these hair type numbers were. So here I am breaking it down to you in the simplest way possible.

There are several hair classification systems (Andre Walker, LOIS,Fia's...etc), however the modified Andre Walker system is most commonly used and is Classified as follows:

Type 1 - Straight 

Type 2- Wavy

Type 3- Curly

Type 4- Kinky

Further more, each hair type category is subdivided into 3 more categories A,B, and C. I have used celebrities' natural hair for referrence to give you a clearer image.

• Straight hair reflects the most sheen.
• It is also the most resilient hair of all of the hair types. It is hard to damage and next to impossible to curl this hair texture.

• Lies somewhere between straight and curly.
• Prone to frizz.

• 2Bs are flatter at the crown with defined S-shaped waves starting from the midlength, like Salma Hayek's

• 2C waves are thick, coarse, and more susceptible to frizzing.
• The S-bends are well-defined and begin at the roots. Lordeis the perfect example of this hair type.

• 3A strands, like Zendaya’s, tend to be shiny with large, loose curls that are about the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk.

• 3Bs have coarse, springy ringlets with a circumference similar to a Sharpie marker.
• This hair texture can get dry, so look for styling gels that have humectants in them to attract moisture to strands.

• 3C curls are tight corkscrews that range in circumference from a straw to a pencil. Yara Shahidiis a great example for 3Cs.
• Strands are densely packed together, giving way to lots of natural volume.
• Frizziness can be an issue with this type.

• 4As have dense springy, S-patterned coils that are the circumference of a crochet needle. Look to Skai Jacksonif you have this texture type.
• If you're a fan of wash and gos, styling should be done more frequently to keep this coily texture popping with soft, pliable strands.

• 4B strands are densely packed and can bend in sharp angles like the letter Z. Issa Raehas beautiful coily 4B hair.
• It can be shaped in many different ways.

• 4C hair is similar to 4B textures, but the tightly coiled strands are more fragile and have a very tight zig-zag pattern that is sometimes indiscernible to the eye.
• This hair type experiences the greatest amount of shrinkage — about 75 percent or more — than the other textures.If you are a 4C, take your style cues from the gorgeousLupita Nyong’o.