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Hair Type Quiz: What Type of Hair Do I Have?
Two taps find your hair type on the Andre Walker chart, from 1A to 4C. Tell it what your hair does when it air-dries, then pick the closest of our drawings, out of all 12 if none fits. You get your curl type, its neighbors and a care routine for it, for men and women alike.
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TimeUnder 1 min
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Wash your hair, skip the product and let it air-dry without brushing. What does most of it do?
Air-drying shows the true pattern: brushing, heat and product all change it. Most heads mix two neighboring types, so answer for most of yours.
The science
What is my hair type? The Andre Walker system
01
The hair types most people mean are the Andre Walker Hair Typing System. Walker, Oprah Winfrey’s stylist, made it in 1997 to sort hair for his product line into four types by shape: 1 straight, 2 wavy, 3 curly and 4 coily. The lettered subtypes most charts use today, A for the loosest of each type to C for the tightest, were filled in after the original, which gives 12 types from 1A to 4C.
02
This hair type quiz takes two taps. First, what your hair does when it air-dries untouched, which gives the type from 1 to 4. Then you pick the closest of three drawings for that type, or of all 12 if none fits. The drawings are our own, so the answer is your closest match to a drawing: nothing is measured and no photo is read.
03
The chart is a styling convention, and no study drew its lines. The measured version comes from L’Oréal’s researchers: De La Mettrie and colleagues measured curve diameter, curl index, waves and twists on hair from 1,442 people in 18 countries and found eight curl types (Human Biology, 2007). The chart also leaves out what changes care the most, porosity, strand thickness and density, which is why the result sends you to the hair porosity test next.
Hair type chart: 1A to 4C
All 12 hair types, drawn by us, one row per type. Inside each type, A is the loosest and C the tightest. Most heads mix two neighboring types, so expect parts of yours to look like the drawing beside your match.
Type 1 · straight
- 1AFine straightThin, soft strands, straight from root to tip, that will not hold a curl.
- 1BMedium straightStraight with more body, and a slight bend at the ends.
- 1CCoarse straightThick straight strands with a slight bend or kink at the ends, prone to frizz.
Type 2 · wavy
- 2ALoose wavesA loose, stretched S that starts below the ears and lies close to the head.
- 2BDefined wavesA clear S from mid-length down, flatter at the root, with some frizz.
- 2CDeep wavesStrong S-waves from near the root, thick, frizzing easily, a few strands looping.
Type 3 · curly
- 3ALoose curlsBig, loose loops, shiny and well defined.
- 3BSpringy curlsMedium spiral ringlets with plenty of volume.
- 3CTight curlsTight corkscrews packed closely together, with a lot of volume.
Type 4 · coily
- 4ASoft coilsTight, defined S or O-shaped coils.
- 4BZ-pattern coilsSharp zigzag bends rather than round curls, less defined, very soft.
- 4CTight coilsVery tight zigzags with little visible pattern and the most shrinkage.
What curl type do I have? 3A to 4C
Type 3 hair forms loops and spirals: 3A big, loose, shiny loops, 3B springy ringlets with more volume, 3C tight corkscrews packed close together. A common home check compares a curl with things at hand: 3A loops are about as wide as sidewalk chalk, 3B as a marker, 3C as a pencil or a straw. It is a rule of thumb from curl communities, not a measured standard.
Type 4 hair coils so tightly it looks much shorter dry than wet. 4A coils are still clearly defined S or O shapes, 4B bends in sharp zigzags rather than round curls, and 4C zigzags so tightly that little pattern shows until you stretch a strand. Its care, below, puts conditioning and gentle handling first.
How to find your hair type at home
The pattern your hair takes with nothing done to it is your type. Everything else, heat, brushing, product and how long it is, changes how it shows.
- Step 1Wash with shampoo and conditioner, and rinse well. Skip leave-ins, gels, creams and oils.
- Step 2Let it air-dry fully without brushing, combing or touching it. A towel blot is fine.
- Step 3Look at a section at the back and one at the crown in daylight. Most of your hair decides the type.
- Step 4Take the quiz: tell it what the hair did, then pick the closest drawing.
Hair type for men: what type of hair do I have?
Men’s hair sits on the same chart. The catch is length: very short hair shows little of its pattern, so judge it after a few weeks of growth, when waves and curls have room to form.
The type then guides the cut, and these are the cuts barbers usually reach for. Straight type 1 hair holds a textured crop or a side part and takes a light matte product. Wavy type 2 hair looks best with a few inches on top, scrunched with a light cream rather than brushed flat. Curly type 3 hair suits a taper with length on top, so the curls have room. Coily type 4 hair takes a taper, a high top, twists or locs, with a leave-in to keep it soft. Face shape decides the rest; the hairstyle finder for your face shape takes it from there.
How to care for your hair type
The curlier the hair, the less often it needs shampoo and the more of its length needs conditioner: the American Academy of Dermatology says to shampoo an oily scalp with straight hair as often as daily, and dry, curly or coily hair when needed but at least every 2 to 3 weeks. Its advice by type is below, for type 4 from its tips for Black hair; your result adds the styling step for your subtype.
| Type | Pattern | Care |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | straight | Wash: As often as your scalp gets oily, daily if it needs it, shampoo on the scalp rather than the lengths. Condition: The ends only: fine or straight hair does not need it higher up. Detangle: Let it dry a little first, then comb from the ends upward. Heat: Low or medium heat, with a heat protectant first. |
| Type 2 | wavy | Wash: As often as your scalp gets oily, shampoo on the scalp rather than the lengths. Condition: Mid-lengths to ends; the full length if your waves feel dry. Detangle: On wet hair, with a wide-tooth comb, not a brush. Dry: Blot with a towel or a T-shirt rather than rubbing; low heat with a protectant if you diffuse. |
| Type 3 | curly | Wash: When it needs it, and at least once every 2 to 3 weeks, shampoo on the scalp. Condition: The whole length, every wash; comb it through in the shower before you rinse the conditioner out. Dry: Blot with a T-shirt or towel, never rub; low heat with a protectant if you diffuse. |
| Type 4 | coily | Wash: Once a week or every other week, which limits the product buildup that dries hair out. Condition: Every wash, focusing on the ends, the oldest part of the hair; a hot oil treatment twice a month. Protect: Braids, cornrows and weaves must not hurt: if styling is painful, ask for it to be redone, because pain means damage. Heat: A heat protectant first; press no more than once a week, at the lowest heat that works. |
What your hair type leaves out
The chart describes shape only. Two people with 3B curls can need opposite products, because what decides how hair takes up water and product is porosity, and the hair porosity test reads it. Strand thickness (fine, medium or coarse) decides how much weight hair can carry, and density, how many strands you have, decides how much product a wash takes.
Color is the other half of a look. The hair color for your skin tone matcher picks the shades that suit your undertone, and the darker or lighter you go from your natural level, the more care your pattern needs: bleach raises porosity on every hair type.
FAQ
Common questions
What type of hair do I have?+
Wash your hair, skip the product and let it air-dry without brushing. Straight from root to tip is type 1, S-shaped waves type 2, loops and spirals type 3, tight coils or zigzags type 4. The letter, A to C, says how loose or tight the pattern is within the type. This quiz asks the first question and shows you drawings for the second.
What curl type do I have?+
Curl types are the type 3 and 4 hair types. 3A is big loose loops, 3B springy ringlets, 3C tight corkscrews, 4A soft defined coils, 4B sharp zigzag bends, and 4C the tightest zigzags with little visible pattern and the most shrinkage. A common home check: 3A curls are about as wide as sidewalk chalk, 3B as a marker, 3C as a pencil.
Can you have more than one hair type?+
Yes, most people do. It is normal to have tighter curls at the nape and crown and looser ones around the face, or waves underneath straight top layers. Go by most of your hair, and use the care for the neighboring types on the parts that match them.
Can your hair type change?+
How your pattern shows can change. Heat and chemical straightening loosen curls on the lengths, while the new growth comes in with your natural pattern, and long, heavy hair can pull curls looser than the same hair cut short. If your texture changes suddenly along with shedding or scalp symptoms, see a dermatologist.
What is my hair type as a man?+
The same chart applies to men. Very short hair shows little pattern, so let it grow out for a few weeks before you judge. Your type then guides the cut, from textured crops for straight hair to tapers with length on top for curls.
Who created the hair type chart?+
Andre Walker, a hairstylist best known as Oprah Winfrey’s, created it in 1997 for his hair care line. The lettered subtypes, including 3C and the 4 subtypes most charts show, were added to it after the original.
Is the hair type quiz accurate?+
It is as accurate as the chart, which is a styling convention rather than a measurement. Air-dried hair with no product, compared with the drawings in daylight, gives the closest match. A stylist looking at your hair in person sees more, and so does the hair porosity test for how your hair takes up product.