Find your pattern
Curl Types
The numbers and letters on the back of the bottle, explained. Start with your family, then read down to your pattern.
Type 2A – 2C
Wavy
S-shaped bends that sit close to the head and lose their shape under anything heavy.
Type 3A – 3C
Curly
Springy spirals, from loose loops to tight corkscrews, that want moisture and definition in equal measure.
Type 4A – 4C
Coily
Tight coils and zigzags with the most shrinkage, the most fragility and the greatest need for moisture.
How the system works
Curl typing sorts hair by the shape of the strand. The number is the family: 2 for wavy, 3 for curly, 4 for coily. The letter is how tight the pattern is within that family, from A, the loosest, to C, the tightest. Type 1 is straight hair, which is why you will not find it here.
To find yours, wash your hair, leave it free of product and let it dry without touching it. Then look at a few strands from different parts of your head. Most people have two or three patterns at once, usually tighter underneath and looser at the crown, so choose the one that covers the most ground.
The system has limits. It describes shape and nothing else. Two people with identical 3B ringlets can need quite different products if one has fine, low-porosity strands and the other coarse, high-porosity ones. Treat your curl type as the first question, and porosity as the second.