What are the main hair types?

Plus get tips to manage yours 💁‍♀️

Quick summary 📝

1️⃣ Hair care depends on your hair type, which falls into 4 main categories: Type 1 (straight), Type 2 (wavy), Type 3 (curly), and Type 4 (kinky)

2️⃣ Each category has 3 subtypes (A, B, C) based on texture and thickness

3️⃣ Type 1A-C: straight hair with variations in thickness and curl-holding ability. Brushing helps maintain its appearance

4️⃣ Type 2A-C: wavy hair with varying degrees of wave definition. Volume and moisture-boosting products are essential

5️⃣ Type 3A-C: curly hair with increasing tightness of curls. Minimal touching, leave-in conditioners, and hair masks preserve curls

6️⃣ Type 4A-C: kinky hair with springy coils. Hydration, gentle detangling, and oils are crucial for managing this hair type

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Hair comes in loads of colours, textures, lengths and curl patterns. This means there are also loads of different products and techniques that can be used to care for it. But choosing what’s best for you can be difficult if you don’t know your hair type 😕. That’s why luna's rounded up the main ones out there, plus some top tips to manage it.

There are 4 main categories of hair, these are:

👉 Type 1: straight

👉 Type 2: wavy

👉 Type 3: curly

👉 Type 4: kinky

In each of these categories there are 3 subtypes (A, B, C) that separate hair according to its shape and thickness. It’s helpful to know these because what may work for straighter hair may not be best for curlier hair (and vice versa).

Type 1: straight

This won’t typically have any curls or waves once air dried. You can identify which subtype your hair is closest to by checking how well the strands hold a curl.

👉 Type 1A: fine and thin hair that usually doesn’t hold a curl very well

👉 Type 1B: fuller and thicker hair than 1A, may curl at the ends

👉 Type 1C: thickest hair subtype, can hold curls very well but is also likely to frizz (become fuzzy and irregular from normal hair pattern)

💡luna tip: hair brushes are your best friend! Take a few minutes to brush your hair for a clean, silky look.

Type 2: wavy

Wavy hair contains S-shaped curls, meaning it’s neither straight nor curly hair, but somewhere in between. 

👉 Type 2A: thinner hair with loose waves that are on the straighter side

👉 Type 2B: thicker hair than type 2A, more defined waves with a bit more frizz

👉 Type 2C: thickest hair subtype, waves are more on the curlier side

💡luna tip: using products that help to improve volume and moisture is key to bringing out those waves.

Type 3: curly

Curly hair ranges from larger and looser spirals to smaller, tighter and more bouncy curls. 

👉 Type 3A: largest curls and spirals, some waves may also be within the hair, hair strands are also finer and thinner

👉 Type 3B: tighter curls than type 3A, they can hold their curly shape after being pulled out, fuller and frizzier hair

👉 Type 3C: thick, tight and well-defined curls that hold their shape well

💡luna tip: avoid touching your hair too much. It’s better to style it when wet with fingers, and use products such as leave-in conditioners and hair masks to help curls naturally maintain their shape.

Type 4: kinky/coily

This hair type tends to be very textured and has springy, S-patterned coils.

👉 Type 4A: small curls with semi-defined coils that are good at retaining a bit more moisture than other hair types

👉 Type 4B: tighter coils with a zig zag pattern in many different directions, prone to lots of frizz

👉 Type 4C: dense, very tightly packed coils with no well defined curls

💡luna tip: type 4 hair can be very dry and tangle a lot. Gently detangle with your fingers and wide tooth combs when damp. Also try using conditioners and oils to maintain good hydration and moisture.

It may take some trial and error before finding the best hair care routine that meets your needs, but that’s okay – what works for others may not work for you. Take some time to familiarise yourself with your hair, and why not Ask luna or check out Learn for more content if this has sparked questions 💖

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