Hair Types 101

Your hair type is the natural pattern your hair forms when it dries with no heat and no product. It was popularized in the 1990s by Andre Walker (Oprah's longtime stylist) and groups all hair into four families — straight, wavy, curly, and coily — then splits each into A, B, and C from the loosest pattern to the tightest. It is the most widely used hair chart in the world, and it is the fastest way to describe your hair to a barber.

The 4 families, 12 types

The number is the family (1 straight → 4 coily). The letter is how tight the pattern is inside that family (A loosest → C tightest). Most people are a mix — for example wavy at the back and curlier at the front. That is completely normal; type your most common pattern and adjust from there.

Type 1 — Straight

• 1A — Pin-straight, fine and silky. Holds almost no curl, can look flat, and gets oily fastest because sebum slides straight down the strand.
• 1B — Straight with medium body and a slight bend at the ends. The most common straight type; holds a hot-tool curl for a few hours.
• 1C — Straight but thick and coarse, with subtle bends that show in humidity. Strong, full hair that resists curling.

Type 2 — Wavy

• 2A — Loose, gentle S-waves that start around mid-length. Easy to straighten or to push into more wave.
• 2B — Defined S-waves from closer to the root, with a bit of frizz in humidity.
• 2C — Deep, thick waves that border on curls and frizz the easiest of the wavy group.

Type 3 — Curly

• 3A — Loose, bouncy spiral curls about the width of a piece of chalk. Lots of shine when moisturized.
• 3B — Springy ringlets about the width of a marker; more volume and more prone to dryness.
• 3C — Tight corkscrew curls about the width of a pencil, packed densely for maximum volume.

Type 4 — Coily / Kinky

• 4A — Tight, springy S-shaped coils with a clearly visible pattern; needs steady moisture.
• 4B — Sharp Z-shaped bends rather than coils; less defined and shrinks a lot.
• 4C — The tightest, densest pattern with the most shrinkage; very delicate and the most careful to handle when dry.

Curl pattern is only part of the story

Here is what most charts skip: your curl letter does not decide which products work for you. Three other traits matter more — texture (how thick each strand is), density (how many strands you have), and porosity (how your hair takes in and holds moisture). You can test all three at home in a few minutes.

Texture — how thick one strand is

Take a single shed strand and roll it between your fingers next to a piece of sewing thread.

• Fine — thinner than the thread; you can barely feel it. Gets weighed down by heavy products.
• Medium — about the same as the thread. The most flexible to style.
• Coarse — thicker than the thread; strong and easy to feel. Handles richer products and holds shape well.

Density — how many strands you have

Density is different from texture — it is the number of strands on your head, not the thickness of each one. Quick check: look at your scalp in the mirror without parting your hair.

• Low — you can easily see your scalp. Lighter, volumizing products work best.
• Medium — scalp shows only where you part it.
• High — hard to see the scalp at all; can carry richer, heavier products.

Porosity — how it holds moisture

Porosity is the most useful trait for choosing products. Test it: drop one clean, product-free strand into a glass of water and wait a minute.

• Floats on top = low porosity. Cuticle is tight; products sit on the surface. Use lightweight, water-based products and a little warmth (warm towel) when deep conditioning.
• Sinks slowly = medium porosity. Balanced — easiest to manage.
• Sinks fast = high porosity. Cuticle is open or damaged; soaks up and loses water fast. Use richer creams/oils to seal, and finish washes with a cool rinse.

How to find your type at home

• Wash with a clarifying shampoo so there is no product or buildup.
• Let it air-dry fully with no heat, no brushing, no gel.
• Look at the dried pattern and match it to the chart above — that is your curl type. Then run the thread, scalp, and water tests for texture, density, and porosity.

What this means at Taper Shop

The same fade or length sits differently on straight vs curly hair, and perms, straightening, and color all react differently by type and porosity. When you book, just tell us your pattern and how your hair behaves at home — or bring a reference photo. That lets us pick the right cut, the right products, and a realistic result the first time.