Texture and type: decoding your hair ID
Not knowing your hair ID can be costly, embarrassing and frustrating to care for.
TEXTURE
A simple strand test–running two fingers through a strand of your hair–can help determine how to care for your hair and how to style it. Feel for its thickness. Still not sure? Another way to check your texture is by looking at a strand and comparing it to a sewing thread. If your strand is wider, you've likely got coarse hair.
Fine
We've already talked about fine hair, but the gist of it is to go easy on the heat styling. Using lightweight products will avoid the flat and greasy look.
Medium
Medium hair is a bit more resilient than fine hair and easy to style. Most people typically have this texture.
Coarse
Coarse hair is the thickest width and the most resilient of the three types. It can take a lot of abuse, but that doesn't mean you should test its limits! Heat styling doesn't damage it as much as the other two textures.
TYPE
There are four main hair types. To find which one you fall into, photos help! Photos of your hair as well as comparison shots of your hair against your favorite celebrities.
Straight
Straight hair is pin straight and resistant to styling. If your hair is healthy, it's ridiculously easy to care for!
Use a heat protecting spray and our cordless hair straightener to create the waves or curls you dream of. Use as high a temperature that you can stand and set with hairspray.
Wavy hair: 2a, 2b, 2c
This category can vary wildly depending on where you are on the spectrum. This type is the easiest to shift from straight to curly. Use the cordless hair straightener to flat iron your waves or clean up your waves.
2A hair is the easiest to transform. These gentle S waves can go back to straight or curl even more with little effort.
2B hair has tighter S waves and has a bit more volume at the crown.
2C hair is still wavy but has a few curls interspersed around your head.
Curly hair: 3a, 3b, 3c
Curls from here on in need of moisture and more care. Curls are prone to tangling and breaking with too much force. Try finger combing hair and refrain combing or brushing hair when it's dry.
When straightening your hair, make sure to use a temperature that isn't too hot.
General hair care tips for these types include finding a curl-friendly hairstyle that will define your curls; moisturizing your hair with a hair mask and using styling products.
Clips near the root while air drying will boost volume. Gentle snag-free ties won’t damage your curls.
Tightly coiled hair: 4a, 4b, 4c
These are the most fragile hair types. Make sure to take care of it by keeping it well moisturized and babying it. Masks and leave-in conditioners are the way to go!
