Curly Hair Types: A Chart From 2A to 4C and How to Find Yours
Curly hair types are usually sorted with one widely used chart: type 2 is wavy, type 3 is curly and type 4 is coily. Each type is split into A, B and C by how tight the pattern is, and you find yours by washing your hair, letting it dry untouched and comparing its shape with the chart.
How the typing system sorts curly hair types
The most widely used typing system, introduced by stylist Andre Walker, sorts hair into four types by shape. Type 1 is straight, which is why a curly hair type chart starts at 2. Type 2 is wavy, type 3 curly and type 4 coily. In everyday use, “curly hair” covers types 2 to 4, which is why wavy and coily patterns are often searched as 2A or 4C curly hair; in the typing system itself, “curly” starts at type 3. The letters A, B and C divide each type by size: A is the widest and loosest pattern within the type, C the smallest and tightest.
The system is informal and descriptive: it names what a pattern looks like; it is not a scientific classification, and no type ranks above another. Most heads also have more than one pattern, so it is normal for the chart to fit one part of your hair better than another.
Curly hair chart: types 2A to 4C
The chart gives the different types of curly hair one line each. Two terms in it need defining first. A curl clump is a group of strands that coil together and move as one. The pineapple method means gathering curls loosely at the very top of the head, so the lengths fall forward instead of lying under you.
| Type | Pattern | Common traits | Night care |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2A | Loose, gentle S-wave, often almost straight at the root | Tends to lie close to the head | Loose pineapple or loose braid |
| 2B | Clear S-waves from the mid-lengths | Root area often lies flatter | Loose pineapple or loose braid |
| 2C | Deep S-waves from near the root, some loose loops | Often more volume, and frizz in damp weather | Loose pineapple or loose braid |
| 3A | Wide loops about as wide as a stick of chalk | Curls often hang in separate clumps | Loose pineapple or a bonnet |
| 3B | Springy ringlets about as wide as a marker pen | Often full, with some shrinkage | Loose pineapple or a bonnet |
| 3C | Tight corkscrews about as wide as a pencil | Often volume at the root and noticeable shrinkage | Several small pineapples or a bonnet |
| 4A | Tight, springy coils with a visible S-pattern | Coils tend to clump and shrink as they dry | Loose twists or braids, bonnet or scarf |
| 4B | A Z pattern with sharp angles | Tends to look full; pattern shows most when twisted | Loose twists or braids, a bonnet |
| 4C | A very tight zigzag, often too small to see as separate curls | Tends to show the most shrinkage of all | Loose twists or braids, a bonnet |
Type 2: wavy hair (2A, 2B, 2C)
Type 2 hair bends in S-shaped waves, with loose loops appearing only at 2C, and it usually lies closer to the head than curls or coils do.
2A hair: loose S-waves
2A curly hair is a loose, gentle S-wave that is often almost straight at the root and starts to bend from the mid-lengths. The wave is wide and soft and tends to lie close to the head.
2B hair: clear S-waves
2B curly hair has clear S-shaped waves that start around the mid-lengths, while the root area often lies flatter.
2C hair: deep waves with loose loops
2C curly hair has deep S-waves that start close to the root, and some strands begin to turn into loose loops, on the line between wavy and curly. It often has more volume than 2A or 2B and tends to pick up some frizz in damp weather.
Type 3: curly hair (3A, 3B, 3C)
Type 3 hair forms full loops and ringlets that spring back when you stretch them, and the letter tells you how wide those loops are.
The difference between 3A, 3B and 3C curls is the size of the loop: 3A curls are wide, loose loops about as wide as a stick of chalk, 3B curls are springy ringlets about as wide as a marker pen, and 3C curls are tight corkscrews about as wide as a pencil.
3A hair: wide, loose loops
3A curly hair forms large, loose loops with a clear S-shape running through each one. The curls often hang in separate clumps.
3B hair: springy ringlets
3B curly hair forms springy, medium-sized ringlets, tighter than 3A. It often has plenty of volume, and the curls tend to shrink as they dry, so the hair looks shorter than its stretched length. Shrinkage is also why curly hair can seem to grow slowly, as our guide on how to grow curly hair explains.
3C hair: tight corkscrews
3C curly hair forms tight corkscrew curls packed closely together, on the line between curly and coily. It often has a lot of volume at the root and noticeable shrinkage.
Type 4: coily hair (4A, 4B, 4C)
Type 4 hair forms tight coils or a zigzag pattern, and it tends to shrink the most as it dries.
Coily hair is often worn in styles that last several days, such as twists, braids or locs, and many people keep those under a bonnet at night. What a bonnet changes, and how to find one that stays on, are set out in our guide to silk bonnet benefits.
4A hair: tight, defined coils
4A curly hair forms tight, springy coils with a visible S-pattern, each coil about as wide as a knitting needle. The coils tend to clump together and shrink noticeably as they dry.
4B hair: a zigzag pattern
4B curly hair bends in a Z pattern with sharp angles instead of round coils, so the strands zigzag rather than spiral. It tends to look full, and the pattern often shows most clearly when a section is twisted or clumped.
4C hair: the tightest zigzag
4C curly hair has the tightest pattern on the chart, a very tight zigzag that is often too small to see as separate curls until the hair is twisted into sections. It is often described as having the most shrinkage of all the types, so the hair can look far shorter when dry than when stretched. It is worn in a wide range of styles, from twist-outs and puffs to braids and locs.
What type of curly hair do I have? A self-check
Your type shows in the shape your hair takes on its own.
- Wash your hair with only a little conditioner, or none, and leave out any styling product.
- Let it dry in the air without touching, brushing or scrunching it.
- Once it is completely dry, look at the mid-lengths and ends rather than the roots, and check several places: the front, the crown, the back and the nape.
- Match the shape to the number: S-waves are type 2, loops and ringlets are type 3, tight coils or a zigzag are type 4.
- Match the size to the letter: the wider and looser the pattern within its type, the closer it is to A; the smaller and tighter, the closer to C.
- If different parts match different types, name the one that covers most of your head and add the others, for example “3B with some 3C”.
Night care by curl type
Whatever your type, gather the hair loosely at night and keep any tie soft enough to hold rather than grip. What changes with curl type is how you gather it:
- Type 2 waves usually go into a loose pineapple, or a loose braid if you don't mind it setting its own wave overnight.
- Type 3 curls usually suit a loose pineapple or a bonnet, and 3C often suits several small pineapples.
- Type 4 coils are often kept in loose twists or braids, on their own or under a bonnet or loosely tied scarf.
Length matters as much as type: a pineapple needs curls long enough to gather on top, and shorter or layered curls suit several small ones. Whatever your type, lie on a smooth pillowcase rather than a textured one. If yours is silk, our guide to mulberry silk explains the terms on its label. Step-by-step methods, including what to do with damp curls at bedtime, are in our guide to how to sleep with curly hair.
What your curl type does not tell you
A curl type describes shape and nothing more. It does not tell you how much hair you have, how fine each strand is, or how your hair will take to a product. Fine or sparse curls are a question of their own, covered in our guide to thin curly hair.
Frizz is a condition, not a hair type, so a frizzy day does not move you into a different category; what sets it off is explained in our guide to frizzy hair.
Your type does not change the steps of a curly hair routine either: they are the same for waves, curls and coils, and what changes from head to head is how much product the hair wants and, at night, how you gather it.
The same head can also look like a different type over time. The pattern often looks different as hair grows longer and heavier, after heat styling, or after chemical treatments.
Our silk bonnet and pillowcases
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Frequently asked questions
What are the curly hair types?
The curly hair types are 2A, 2B and 2C for wavy hair, 3A, 3B and 3C for curly hair, and 4A, 4B and 4C for coily hair, from the loosest pattern to the tightest.
What type of curly hair do I have?
To find your type of curly hair, wash it without styling product, let it dry without touching it, then compare the mid-lengths and ends with the chart: S-waves are type 2, loops and ringlets type 3, and tight coils or a zigzag type 4.
What is the difference between 3A, 3B and 3C curls?
3A, 3B and 3C curls differ in loop size: 3A forms wide, loose loops, 3B forms medium-sized, springy ringlets and 3C forms tight corkscrews.
Can your curl type change?
Your curl pattern often looks different as hair grows longer and heavier, after heat styling, or after chemical treatments.
Can you have more than one curl type?
Yes, most people have more than one curl type on the same head, so a result such as 3B with some 3C is normal.
Does your curl type decide your hair routine?
Your curl type does not decide your hair routine: the steps are the same for every type; what changes is how much product the hair wants and, at night, how you gather it.
RENESSY · Updated September 2026