What is your hair type? It’s a question you might not hear so often, but it’s very important when you want to figur out the right products for your hair. In addition, it seems to me it is also nice to have a little more knowledge about your hair, what your hair likes and what makes it greasy or lifeless.
I’ve written this guide of different hair types, from style to frizzy hair, to help you out in your no-poo & low-poo search and so you get to know your hair a little bit better!
To find out what your natural hair type is, you first need to wash your hair. Preferably with a low-poo shampoo or of course no-poo, because the aggressive sulfates in shampoo’s can make your hair more dull and lifeless than it really is. Don’t use any styling products and let your hair dry naturally. Do not use a hair dryer and observe your hair in the mirror. It is also possible your hair is a mix of 2 of 3 different types.
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Hair Type 1; Straight hair |
Hair Type 1A
Thin/Fine straight hair is the definition of hair type 1A. The hair is very soft and shiny, but can also become easily greasy. The hair is difficult to curl and is difficult to style. Getting some volume is tricky with this kind of hair, it is easily lifeless. Do not use heavy products with this hair, like butters and heavy oils. Start using a low-poo shampoo (without sulfates, parabens and Silicones), OH-poo (natural soap) or no-poo product (all natural products) for your hair instead of those agressive shampoo’s. And who knows your hair will get more volume and you don’t need any styling products anymore.
Hair Type 1B
Not every straight hair is the same. The hair type 1B is slightly fuller, the hairs are slightly thicker and the ends have a small natural curl. The density and thickness of this hair is higher than the hair type 1A. The density and thickness will be around medium. Learn more about the density and thickness of your hair on my blog.
Hair Type 1C
Type 1C is fuller and thicker than type 1B. Many Asian women have this full, thick hair. The density and thickness of this hair is high and the hair can often feel heavy. You can use heavy oils & butters for this hair. This hair type can hold styling curls well.
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Hair Type 2; Wavy Hair |
Most people think that women with wavy hair are the winners with their beautiful hair. They are between straight and curly hair. But it can also be a daunting task with wavy hair to make sure they are not to frizzy or to straight.
Hair Type 2A
Type 2A is wavy fine/thin hair. The real curl is not there yet and therefore many women with this hair type still use a straightener. If you really want to enjoy your beautiful wavy hair, you can use light products, air dry your hair or use a hairdryer and use cotton t-shirts to dry your hair instead of using a towel. Put that straightener away and you will rock your beautiful hair!
Hair Type 2B
Type 2B is wavy medium thick hair. If you have hair type 1B and you use a curling iron, you will quickly have hair type 2B. Although this is not your natural hair type, but you get an idea by what I mean.
Type 2B tends to get frizzy very soon. Do you want less frizz and more definition? Try the Plopping method. Read more about the Plopping method on my blog.
You can use a low-poo mousse or gel if you want to give some more hold to your curls. This way your curls will stay intact for multiple days.
Hair Type 2C
Type 2C is really beautifully full, thick wavy hair. The hair has thick waves, but can sometimes be difficult to style. This beautiful hair loves moisture and can handle, if your hair is thick enough, some heavier butters and oils. You can nourish your hair with flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel and apply some extra natural hair masks. Your waves/curls will be grateful.
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Hair Type 3; Curly Hair |
Hair Type 3 is curly hair. This hair type is also divided into 3 different types of curls. Every hair is different, and every hair also needs different things. Curly hair is dry hair. This is because the root of curly hair is skewed, this makes it harder to administer moisture and other vitamins to the hair. So curly hair needs a lot of moisture and love and a little bit of cleaning.
Use as little heat as possible for your beautiful curls, worship them and treat them with love.
Use a cotton t-shirt instead of a towel to dry your beautiful hair.
Squish to Condish
Use the squish to condisch method while styling to get the most out of your beautiful curls.
The squish to condish method is a method from the curly girl method. Those girls wash and nourish their hair with a conditioner. I don’t use a conditioner, so I only use the squish to condish when I squeeze excess water out of my hair, when I use the flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel to put moisture into my hair or when I use a leave in with tea or coffee.
Styling your curls starts immediately after washing. After you have washed your hair, you can already define your curls by squeezing the water out of your curls with open hands.
You apply the Squish to Condish method by simply putting your hair to the front and then squeezing the moisture out of your hair and curls with open hands. After that you can apply flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel for more moisture. You can always apply this method after washing, or when you refresh your hair. If you want more information about the squish to condish method, read my other blog about making curls.
Hair Type 3A
Her type 3A is more like my hair. But as I said before, not everyone has only 1 hair type. My hair has a mix of 2C, 3A and 3B curls. And not every day is the same. It depends on what kind of product you used for your hair and if you just washed it or not. And if your hair needs protein or more moisture.
Hair type 3A are loose curls with quite a bit of body. The hair has a clear S shape but can also be in combination with some other hair types.
This type of hair tends to get easily frizzy. Use enough moisture for your curls and treat them with love. Try for example flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel. You can also try a Leave in with a nice herbal tea or deluted coffee.
Does your hair still get frizzy or doesn’t hold it’s curl very well? Then it is best if you take the stretch test and see if your hair needs some more protein. Protein will strengten your curls, your hair will become slightly smoother and you’ll have less frizz! You can read all about hydrolyzed protein on my blog.
Do you want to define your curls a little more? Try the Plopping Method! You can read all about the ploppingmethod on my blog.
Hair Type 3B
Hair type 3B are even more tighter curls. They often start at the root of your hair and they have a bit more of a spiral shape. Also this hair type can be a combination of two or three different hair types. Some curls are slightly tighter than others.
When you have hair type 3B you may want to consider washing your hair with only a conditioner. This is the conditioner only method. Hair type 3B loves to have a little bit more care. Choose a low-poo conditioner (without sulfates, silicones and parabens) and wash your hair with only this conditioner. The conditioner only method is one of the methods from the curly girl method. You can look it up if you are interested. Your curls would love it!
You can style this hair the best when it is still wet. You can add moisture or a low-poo styling product after washing. You can air dry your hair or use a hair dryer.
Hair Type 3C
The curls of hair type 3C are the thickest and most prone to frizz. It are tight curls or very small curls that are also called spiral curls. The curls can be both frizzy and very tightly curled, but this hair type is best known for the large amount of curls. Do you have such beautiful curls? Then you could also consider to washing only with a low-poo or curly girl conditioner! This will ensure that you will have less frizz and that your curls are more defined and your hair will get shiny.
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Hair Type 4; Frizzy Hair |
Hair Type 4 is the most curly, brittle and dry hair of all hair types. Because of all the rotations in the hair it is very difficult to get moisture to the hair at the start and to get some shine into your hair. Also, the hair seems to be shrinking, which makes it very difficult to get length with this hair type. But besides all these ‘natural hair problems’, I would find it fantastic to rock a big Afro! Tip: Use a shampoo brush if you find it difficult to distribute your low-poo shampoo or conditioner to your hair and your scalp. This is a very useful tool to clean your hair and scalp better. You can also use it when your rinsing.
Hair Type 4A
You can recognize hair type 4A by a head full of miniature curls. It is frizzy, soft hair that is very tight. The length of the hair shrinks by half when the hair has dried. The hair is very fragile and must be treated with much love and attention. Pamper your hair with some flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel. Also check regularly if your hair needs any protein using the stretch test.
Hair type 4A has the most defined curls of these all three hair types.
Hair Type 4B
This hair type can become very frizzy. When the hair is wet you can still see the Z shape of the curl, but when the hair dries up it often disappears. This hair type is frizzy, chewy, tightly curled up hair. This hair type has less defined curls than type 4A. This hair is very fragile and loves moisture. Use flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel to nourish this hair and apply on top a little bit of oil so the moisture will be locked into the hair. Try the LOC or LCO method. You can read more about this on my blog.
Apply a deep conditioning mask every week. Use a Heat cap so the deep conditioning is even better. And nourish your hair with some home made hairmasks. You can find some more tips about which home made hairmasks on my blog. You can also use a shampoo brush to distribute the mask better on your hair and to the roots.
Hair Type 4C
And then finally, the last hair type, the finest hair type of all! With type 4C there is almost no definition of the curls visible anmore. The hair is stiff and very dry. They say type 4C looks like type 4B, but the curls are more tighter.
It is the ultimate Afro that you can recognize from the 70th. This hair type needs a lot of care and attention. Aplly a deep conditioner regularly, use a heat cap and add a lot of moisture. You can use flaxseed gel or aloe vera gel and on top a little bit of oil to make sure the moisture is locked in your hair. Try the LOC or LCO method. You can read more about this on my blog. Use some extra hydrolyzed protein when needed.
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What is the proper care for curly and thick hair?
You can read that in the blog. Depends on which hairtype you have.