How to Figure Out Your Curl Pattern
Curly girls rejoice: after decades of blow-drying and straightening and generally denying our natural hair, curly hair is finally having its day in the sun. Thanks to YouTube and TikTok educating people about how to coax the natural wave or curl out of their hair and make it look good while they’re at it, you finally feel like you can put down the brush and let your hair wild and free.
But before you can go full-on curly girl method, it’s important to know what your curl pattern is, since a slight wave and a kinky coil require completely different techniques and products. So here’s a quick guide to help you figure out your personal curl pattern.
The Curl Patterns
You can think of curly hair as being on a spectrum: from waves to curls to coils. The most common way to think of it is as belonging to a number-and-letter based classification system going from 2A to 4C. The 2s are wavy, the 3s are curly, and the 4s are coily. Here’s what it looks like.
Source: https://naturallclub.com/blogs/the-naturall-club-blog/the-ultimate-curl-pattern-guide
Source: https://www.justcurly.com/all/find-right-products-curls/
Finding Your Curl
The best way to figure out which curl pattern you have is to start with moisturized, healthy hair. If your hair is damaged from years of hot tool usage, you’ll have to leave it natural for at least a few months before you’ll be able to see what it really looks like under all that processing.
Also, you should know that it’s totally normal to have hair that is in between curl types or even has more than one curl type on the same head. We’re all different and this system is just meant to help; it’s no end-all-be-all.
Once your hair is as healthy as possible, wash it with a sulfate-free shampoo and let it air-dry, touching it as little as possible in the process and definitely not brushing it. After it dries, compare your curls to the photos above. If your hair has S-waves, look at the 2s. If you have spirals or ringlets, check out the 3s. And if it has tight corkscrews, you might just be one of the 4s.
If you’re not totally sure, consulting a knowledgable hairdresser or even internet forum can help you decode your hair. Once you have an idea of your curl type, you can get off to the races with finding the best combination of techniques and products that will bring out the best from your curls. Good luck!