All 12 curl patterns
The hair types chart, done properly
All 12 curl patterns. Real texture descriptions. Porosity and density factored in. Plus a quiz that tells you which type you actually are - with an honest confidence range, because most people are between two types.
The Andre Walker system - and where it gets complicated
The hair typing system you see everywhere was developed by celebrity hairstylist Andre Walker, who created it to categorise his clients' textures - and later used it to market his own product line. It splits hair into four categories (Types 1-4) and three intensity levels (A-C), giving 12 types in total.
The system is useful shorthand. It is not gospel. Critics - including many Black hair scholars and writers - have pointed out that the system centres straightness as its implicit baseline and has historically given significantly less product development and editorial attention to Type 4 textures. We cover this honestly in our texturism debate page.
We use the Walker framework because it remains the dominant search shorthand. But we present all 12 types with equal depth, acknowledge the limits of the system, and present alternative typing frameworks too.
The complete hair types chart
Click any type to read the full guide. All 12 patterns shipped.
Type 1 - Straight
1A
Straight
Type 1A
Shrinkage: 0%
Completely straight, fine, and silky with no natural wave
Prone to oiliness; lightweight volumising products only
1B
Straight
Type 1B
Shrinkage: 0-5%
Straight with slight body and bounce at the ends
Most versatile straight type; holds a blowout or waves well
1C
Straight
Type 1C
Shrinkage: 0-5%
Straight but coarse and resistant with a slight tendency to frizz
Needs moisture to manage frizz and coarseness
Type 2 - Wavy
2A
Wavy
Type 2A
Shrinkage: 0-10%
Loose, fine S-waves that lie close to the head
Lightweight mousse or gel; avoid heavy creams that weigh waves down
2B
Wavy
Type 2B
Shrinkage: 5-15%
Medium S-waves with more definition and volume than 2A
Scrunch styling with curl cream; diffuse rather than air-dry for volume
2C
Wavy
Type 2C
Shrinkage: 10-20%
Coarse, thick S-waves bordering on loose curls
Treat like curly hair; the 'wavy girl method' applies
Type 3 - Curly
3A
Curly
Type 3A
Shrinkage: 20-35%
Loose, springy curls about the diameter of a large marker or thick chalk
LCO or LOC method; avoid sulphate shampoos; deep condition weekly
3B
Curly
Type 3B
Shrinkage: 30-45%
Medium, corkscrew curls about the diameter of a marker
Generous leave-in, curl cream, and gel; protective styles for length retention
3C
Curly
Type 3C
Shrinkage: 35-50%
Tight corkscrew curls about the diameter of a pencil
LOC method; co-wash weekly; clarify monthly; detangle wet with conditioner
Type 4 - Coily
4A
Coily
Type 4A
Shrinkage: 50-65%
Tight, defined S-coils about the diameter of a crochet needle
Heavy creams and oils; stretch styles; moisture before sealing with oil
4B
Coily
Type 4B
Shrinkage: 65-75%
Z-pattern coils with sharp angles rather than soft S-curves
LOC or LCO method; seal with heavy butter; protective and stretched styles for retention
4C
Coily
Type 4C
Shrinkage: 75%+
Tightly packed Z-coils with little visible pattern definition when dry
Maximum moisture; protective styles; gentle detangling; avoid manipulation when dry
Boundary cases
Am I 2C or 3A? Am I 3C or 4A?
Type-boundary confusion is the most common reason people get conflicting answers across quizzes. The Andre Walker system was never designed to give a clean answer on the edges. Two pieces of guidance to settle the most common ones:
2C vs 3A: the curl-not-wave line
2C is the deepest wave: well-defined S-shape, coarse-feeling strands, lies relatively flat against the head, only starts to ringlet at the very ends. 3A is the loosest curl: forms a defined loop (a recognisable spiral) starting somewhere along the length, often as wide as a piece of sidewalk chalk in diameter, with visible volume away from the scalp.
Quick test: hold a single strand straight, then let it relax. If it falls back into a wave (an S without forming a closed loop), it's 2C. If any part of it forms a closed loop or coil that you could trace a finger around, it's 3A.
3C vs 4A: the spring vs coil line
3C is the tightest defined-spiral curl: each spiral is roughly the diameter of a pencil or pen-cap, the curl reaches its shape from quite close to the root, and it stretches significantly when wet versus dry. 4A is the loosest coil: the coil pattern is much finer (about straw or chopstick width), forms more uniformly along the strand, and the shrinkage when wet-to-dry is dramatic, often 50% or more of the strand length.
Quick test: wet your hair fully and let it air-dry without touching it. If shrinkage from wet to dry is roughly 25-35%, you are most likely 3C. If shrinkage is 50% or more, you are 4A. Stretch ratio is the most reliable disambiguator on this boundary.
Most people's hair has more than one pattern, especially around the hairline, the nape, and the crown. If you sit between two types, name both - product choice rarely changes between adjacent sub-types, and accepting the mix is less frustrating than chasing a single label.
The second axis
Your hair type is only half the story
Curl pattern tells you the shape. Porosity tells you how to hydrate it. Two people with identical 3C curls can need completely different products - one is low porosity (water beads on top, cuticle is tight) and the other is high porosity (absorbs moisture fast but loses it just as quickly).
The float test takes 15 minutes and is the most useful thing you can do beyond finding your type. Read the full guide and take the test.
Porosity test guideLow
Water beads on top. Tight cuticle. Repels moisture - but holds it well once absorbed.
Medium
Balanced absorption. The ideal - moisturises easily and retains it reasonably well.
High
Absorbs quickly but loses moisture just as fast. Needs sealing with oil or butter.
Free tool
Still not sure of your type?
Our quiz asks 8 questions - wet pattern, dry pattern, shrinkage, strand appearance, porosity, density, and thickness. It outputs a primary type, a secondary type if you're between two, and a confidence range. No email required.
Take the hair type quizHow we built this chart
We built this site with a few commitments: cite primary sources (Andre Walker's own writing, not just summaries of it), credit the Black hair scholars and creators who have documented Type 4 textures in depth, and surface the texturism debate honestly rather than sidestepping it because it's commercially awkward.
Type 4 hair content has historically been dominated by Black-owned platforms and creators - Whitney White (Naptural85), Curly Nikki, Naturally Curly, and others. We link to and credit them rather than silently repurposing what they've documented. If you're a Type 4 reader, we'd particularly recommend exploring their communities alongside this reference.
The per-type photography on this site uses descriptive alt text now, with plans to source licensed stock or commissioned photography from diverse libraries (Nappy.co, Create Her Stock). If you notice gaps in representation, that's accurate - and we're working on it.