Did you know that there are twelve major hair types? The differences between them call for specific products to bring out your hair’s fullest potential. Figuring which type you may have seems like an intimidating feat, but we are here to help! We’ll share everything you need to know about determining your hair type and what it means for your hair styling routine. You must first consider hair pattern and texture.
Hair pattern is the natural shape of your hair strand.
Straight hair (Type 1) lies flat on the scalp with little to no pattern. As a result, the hair’s natural oils can easily travel from the scalp to the ends, creating the most shine out of all the hair types.
Wavy hair (Type 2) forms an “S” shape. This type of hair is thicker than straight hair with a slight texture and shape, making it less oily than straight hair.
Curlyhair (Type 3) forms spiral curls and ringlets that are naturally defined and more prone to tangles and breakage. As the hair does not lie flat, oil cannot travel down the hair strand. This makes curly hair more vulnerable to dryness and frizz. This hair type tends to be more voluminous than straight and wavy hair. However, curly hair is not as dense as coily hair.
Coily hair (Type 4) is the most common among African Americans. Unlike curly hair, this hair type is tightly curled with defined ringlets and zigzags, maintaining its hair type whether it is dry or wet. This hair type is fairly coarse in texture and is more fragile, being prone to damage and breakage. Due to the coils, hair oil is unable to travel down the hair, making people with this hair pattern prone to dry and itchy scalps.
To identify your hair pattern, allow your hair to air-dry without any product.
If it dries with coils or compacted spirals, it’scoily.
Hair texture is the thickness of an individual hair strand. This affects how well your hair holds different hairstyles.
Fine(Type A) hair looks and feels delicate and will not hold onto curls very well.
Medium(Type B) hair is easy to style and will hold onto curls for a longer period of time.
Coarse (Type C) hair can hold curls very well but can be difficult to style as it’s typically less flexible and more susceptible to frizz.
To identify your hair texture, roll a single strand of hair in your finger.
Thehair type naming system considers both your hair structure and texture and is as follows: “Hair Texture, Hair Structure.” For example, 2A would be a “Wavy, Fine” hair type. The following chart shows the twelve hair types:
Just because two people have curly hair doesn’t mean they have the exact same hair type; one may have 3B hair (Curly, Medium), while the other has 3C hair (Curly, Coarse).
Here is a breakdown of alltwelve hair types:
Once you have identified your hair type, you must understand which hair tools are right for you.Someone with naturally thin hair has different hair needs than someone with super curly hair.How do you know what is the best styling tool for you? Luckily, we have recently launched our NEWHair Quiz, which gives you product recommendations based on your hair type, as well as your hair goals and pain points. Try it out HERE!
The Power of Fabulous Hair
The relationship between a woman's hair and her confidence is both intimate and transformative. At FHI Heat, we celebrate and enhance this connection with our Innovator Collection. Each tool in this collection is engineered not just to style hair, but to craft confidence, empowering women with every curl, wave, and straight strand they create.
FHI Heat has made a name for itself in the hair styling industry by expertly utilizing the best materials and cutting edge hair technology, constantly sitting at the forefront of hair innovation.
FHI loves to reach for ceramic enhanced with the addition of tourmaline when crafting majority of their hot tools. This approach is crucial because ceramic distributes heat more evenly than traditional metal-only plates, thereby reducing the risk of hair damage. This even heating avoids the problematic hot spots typical of other materials, leading to more uniform styling results.