Hair Texture Types

All hair is unique in terms of its structure; we all have individual strands with different textures that define how curly, wavy, or straight they are. While this doesn’t directly correlate to how your strands feel, it describes structurally how thick or thin individual strands are.

1. Fine Texture:

Fine hair tends to be soft and silky in texture, with a thin diameter. It lacks volume and may absorb sebum quickly from its surroundings, becoming oily soon. Fine hair has two layers; the cortex and the cuticle. Since it contains all three layers simultaneously, its construction makes it more resilient against damage while helping it hold styles well.

2. Medium Texture:

Medium texture types differ from fine hair in that they feature two or more layers of cuticle and hair strands, making them thicker than satisfactory and better at maintaining style. While medium hair may become oilier and frizzier in humid weather, it responds better to heat-styling products than thin or delicate textures. This type of texture features loose S-shaped coils and can benefit from light-hold products like Mizani’s True Textures Curl Define Pudding. If this texture describes you, ensure it remains protected with protective styles like braid-outs and twist-outs for optimal protection. This texture features tight ringlet curls with rough sidewalk chalk-sized diameters. This type of hair looks fantastic when styled into a pixie cut or braided chignon; for best results, use shampoo and conditioner that helps control frizz.

3. Curly Texture:

As its name implies, curly hair is distinguished by a spiraling S-pattern of looping strands that form an S pattern in their spiraled form. These twisted strands may range in thickness and size to mimic loose wavy waves or tighter coils closer to kinky textures. If your strands exhibit defined, ringlet-like curls, you could be classified as Type 2A if they form an S-shape that doesn’t reach to the size of your index finger, that makes you 3A; and if they possess springy cascading waves similar to corkscrews – that makes you 3B. Kinky hair, being the thickest of all textures, can become easily tangled and require additional moisture from deep conditioners and protective styles such as twist-outs and space buns to avoid frizz and breakage. To minimize frizz and breakage while sleeping, use a satin or silk pillowcase that reduces friction on strands that lead to dryness – it will protect them while reducing friction which causes frizzing.

4. Straight Texture:

Straight hair is naturally sleek and shiny, often classified as acceptable (A), medium (B), or coarse (C). As its name implies, straight hair tends to be naturally shiny with few frizz issues requiring careful conditioning and styling techniques for best results. One quick and simple way to identify your hair texture is by allowing it to air dry naturally without using any product. If it dries completely straight, that indicates Type 1 hair; otherwise, if your strands feature defined coils with cascading waves that form an S-wave pattern, you have Wavy (Type 2) hair; finally, if they curl tight into tight zig-zag patterns, you have Kinky or Coily 4 (also referred to as Kinky Coily hair). If your strands have tightly coiling springy strands near the scalp, texture type 7–known as the ringlet style–is likely for you. This style features less shrinkage than other curly textures and more defined curls.