Hair is generally divided into four chief categories: type 1 that stands for straight hair; type 2 that signifies wavy hair; type 3 that refers to curly hair and type 4 that symbolizes kinky hair. Type 3 and 4 are hair texture types for African-American hair.
In this post
What are types of black hair?
Terminology
| Type | Hair texture | Hair description |
|---|---|---|
| 1C | Straight (coarse) | Hard to curl (i.e. bone straight). |
| 1B | Straight (medium) | Has much body. (i.e. more volume, fuller). |
| 1A | Straight (fine) | Very soft, shiny, hard to hold a curl, hair tends to be oily, hard to damage. |
What is the most common type of black hair?
Type 4 hair
Type 4 hair is the most common type of Black hair. Though each is a little different, all Type 4 hair is extremely fragile, dry and prone to breakage. Type 4 hair is grouped into three categories based on the kind of curl pattern it forms.
Is my hair 4b or 4c?
4a hair has sweet S-shaped curls, 4b hair has juicy zig-zagged curl strands and looks like cotton candy, and 4c hair has thick coils that form massive afros.
Are there different shades of black hair?
Black, the deepest hair color shade, is also the most striking. It may seem like a simple shade, but there’s a whole rainbow of black hair color shades that mean you can personalize your black hair color.
How do I know my hair type?
Hair Texture
If it dries straight without a bend or curl, then you have straight hair (or type 1 hair as it is commonly referred to). If it dries with a slight curve or “S” shape, then it’s considered wavy hair (type 2). If your hair dries with a defined curl or loop pattern, you have one of two curl types.
Why is African hair so different?
African hair produces plenty of protective oils, called sebum, which keeps our hair healthy. In fact, African hair actually produces more oils than Caucasian and Asian hair. However, due to the tight curls, the oil doesn’t spread evenly along the hair fiber. Without lubrication, the fibers can become dry.
What type is my afro hair?
Type 4 (Coily)
Coily hair, commonly referred to as Afro-textured or kinky hair, is naturally very dry and spongy in texture and can be soft and fine or coarse and wiry. Strands form very tight, small curls of zig-zags right from the scalp and are prone to major shrinkage.
What does 3C hair mean?
Curly With Coils
3C hair is made up of well-defined, tight corkscrews or coils with lots of strands densely packed together. Their circumference is the size of a pencil or straw. 3C curls have a fine to medium texture. This curl type is prone to dryness, tangles, and lack of curl definition.
What is the hardest hair type to maintain?
Type 1 is straight hair that doesn’t curl. This hair type also has the most sheen, is the most resilient and is hard to damage. It is also immensely difficult to curl this type of hair because the scalp sebum spreads easily from the scalp to ends, making it the most oily type of hair and difficult to style.
Do black people’s hair grow slower?
A 2005 study in the journal International Journal of Dermatology also found a difference among races in the rate of hair growth. For example, Asian hair grows the fastest, while African hair grows the slowest.
Why is black hair better?
Thick, glossy strands go a long way toward making hair look healthy—even when it’s not. “Because the hairs are thicker naturally, dark hair is better at camouflaging damage than light hair; it weighs down flyaways and split ends,” notes Adrian Wallace, senior colorist at Rita Hazan Salon in NYC.
What is 5C hair type?
What Is 5C Hair Type? 5C hair refers to hair that has been relaxed or chemically straightened to remove or loosen the curl pattern. 5C hair is initially very dense, with thick and tight curls, coils, or kinks.
What is 1C hair?
1C hair is straight but thick and coarse. It has a natural tousled look and tends to frizz. Type 2 is wavy hair. Wavy hair follicles tend to have an “S” shape. Wavy strands are bendable, lay flatter than curly or coily hair, and can be fine, coarse or in between.
Does 4C hair grow slower?
It’s a common misconception that 4C hair doesn’t grow, or can’t get long. This is a myth! Because 4C hair experiences so much shrinkage, it can feel like your hair is growing very slowly or not at all. However, if you take care of your hair, you will notice growth when you stretch out your hair.
What ethnicity has black hair?
Black hair is most common in Asia and Africa. Though this characteristic can also be seen in people of Southern Europe it is less common. People of Celtic heritage in Ireland with such traits are sometimes known as the “Black Irish”. Hair is naturally reflective, so black hair is not completely dark in bright light.
What do you call a girl with black hair?
Thus, brunette includes the range of hair colors from brown to black. There is no specific and separate term for someone with black hair. However, people have suggested the term noirette. Note, also, that although the term brunette includes those with black hair, not everyone may agree.
Is black a rare hair color?
Black is the most common hair color worldwide.
This may come as a surprise to anyone living in the U.S., where only around 7.5% of women have black hair. But among high-population continents like Asia (4.6 billion people) and Africa (1.2 billion people), black hair color is the most common.
What is the weakest hair type?
“Type 4 hair is the most delicate hair type,” Castillo said. “You have to be very gentle with it, and it needs a lot of moisture.” But getting moisture doesn’t necessarily mean using oils. Deep conditioning masques, butters, and creams are good options for preserving hair health.
Which type of hair grows fastest?
Asian hair
Asian hair is also the fastest growing, at over half an inch per month. Caucasian hair can be stick straight, wavy, or curly. The follicles have a slight oval shape, making it quite dense with an average hair growth of just under half an inch a month.
Can you change your hair type?
Since your hair texture is hardwired in your DNA, there isn’t much you can do to change your hair texture from one type to another. What you can do however is improve the current texture of your hair to guarantee that it’s the healthiest possible.