Hair Type Guide: How to Care for Your Specific Hair Texture
, by Gilded Grace Editorial, 5 min reading time
Generic hair advice is why your hair never looks like the bottle promised. Here is the type-specific guide: how to identify your hair texture, what products it actually needs, and the routine that works for it.
Most hair advice on the internet was written for fine, straight European hair — then sold as universal. That's why so much of it fails on curly, coarse, oily, or color-treated hair. The single highest-leverage thing you can do for your hair is identify your actual type and follow a routine built for it. Here is the complete guide to figuring out yours and choosing products that work.
The Four Hair Type Categories
The Andre Walker system, adopted by most stylists, classifies hair texture into four main types:
- Type 1: Straight — no natural curl or wave. Subtypes 1A (fine), 1B (medium), 1C (coarse).
- Type 2: Wavy — S-shaped waves. Subtypes 2A (loose), 2B (defined), 2C (strong waves with some curls).
- Type 3: Curly — defined curls or ringlets. Subtypes 3A (loose curls), 3B (springy curls), 3C (tight corkscrews).
- Type 4: Coily / kinky — tight coils. Subtypes 4A (defined coils), 4B (Z-pattern), 4C (very tight, fragile coils).
Most people are a mix — 2B at the crown, 2C underneath, etc. That's normal. Treat the dominant type.
The Three Things That Actually Matter
Beyond type, three traits determine which products work:
1. Porosity
How easily hair absorbs and holds moisture.
- Low porosity: Cuticles lay flat. Water beads on the hair before absorbing. Products sit on top. Needs lightweight oils, heat to open the cuticle.
- Medium porosity: The ideal. Absorbs moisture and holds it.
- High porosity: Cuticles raised (often from damage). Absorbs moisture fast but loses it just as fast. Needs heavy oils, sealing products, protein.
The test: Drop a clean strand in a glass of water. Floats = low porosity. Sinks slowly = medium. Sinks fast = high.
2. Density
How much hair you have, not how thick each strand is.
- Low density: Scalp visible through hair.
- Medium density: Scalp barely visible.
- High density: Scalp invisible.
3. Strand thickness
- Fine: Thinner than a sewing thread.
- Medium: Similar to a sewing thread.
- Coarse: Thicker than a sewing thread, easy to feel between fingers.
Routines by Type
Straight hair (Type 1)
Main concerns: Gets oily fast; volume hard to maintain; doesn't hold styles.
- Shampoo: 2–4 times per week. Daily washing strips oil and makes the scalp overproduce.
- Conditioner: only on mid-lengths and ends; never the scalp.
- Avoid heavy oils, butters, and creams — they weigh hair down.
- Use volumizing mousse at the roots for lift.
- Dry shampoo between washes for oil control.
- Heat styling lasts; use heat protectant.
Wavy hair (Type 2)
Main concerns: Frizz; waves losing definition; oily roots and dry ends.
- Shampoo: 2–3 times per week. Skip days even more if you can.
- Co-wash (conditioner only) on non-shampoo days for hydration without stripping.
- Apply leave-in conditioner and a light mousse or gel to damp hair.
- Scrunch upward to encourage waves; avoid brushing dry hair.
- Air-dry when possible. Use a diffuser if you blow-dry.
- Avoid heavy silicones — they coat hair and prevent moisture from getting in.
Curly hair (Type 3)
Main concerns: Dryness; frizz; defining curls; preventing breakage.
- Shampoo: 1–2 times per week, OR use only sulfate-free cleansers.
- Co-wash between shampoos. Curly hair thrives with moisture, not stripping.
- Always condition. Deep condition weekly.
- Apply leave-in + curl cream + gel to soaking-wet hair, finger-coil.
- Never brush dry curly hair — brush in the shower with conditioner only.
- Sleep on satin or silk pillowcase; pineapple ponytail or bonnet.
- Embrace the LOC method (Leave-in, Oil, Cream) or LCO order depending on porosity.
Coily / kinky hair (Type 4)
Main concerns: Severe dryness; shrinkage; breakage; preserving moisture.
- Shampoo: 1–2 times per week max, always sulfate-free.
- Deep condition every single wash. This is non-negotiable.
- Pre-poo with oil before shampooing to protect from stripping.
- Use rich butters (shea, mango) and oils (jojoba, argan, castor).
- LOC method or LCO method consistently.
- Protective styles (braids, twists, buns) reduce manipulation and breakage.
- Trim every 8–10 weeks — coily hair shows split ends late, so they spread further.
- Sleep on satin/silk every night.
- Detangle in sections, when wet and conditioned, with fingers or a wide-tooth comb.
Ingredients to Look For (by Type)
Fine, oily hair
Niacinamide, salicylic acid (clarifying), lightweight humectants (panthenol, glycerin). Avoid heavy oils.
Wavy, frizzy hair
Light oils (argan, jojoba), hydrolyzed proteins, glycerin. Some silicones OK in moderation.
Curly, dry hair
Shea butter, coconut oil (if it works for you — some hair hates it), aloe vera, slippery elm, hydrolyzed wheat protein.
Coily, very dry hair
Castor oil, shea butter, mango butter, glycerin, honey, hydrolyzed quinoa, ceramides.
Color-treated hair
Bond-builders (Olaplex-type ingredients), color-protectant UV filters, low-pH formulas, sulfate-free.
Ingredients to Be Cautious With
- Sulfates (SLS, SLES): Strip color and natural oils. Fine for some Type 1 hair; problematic for everyone else.
- Drying alcohols: SD alcohol, alcohol denat, isopropyl high in the ingredient list.
- Heavy silicones: Dimethicone, cyclomethicone. Cause buildup. Curly Girl method excludes them entirely.
- Synthetic fragrance: The #1 cause of scalp irritation.
Weekly and Monthly Treatments
- Deep conditioner: Weekly for most hair types. Twice weekly for damaged or very curly hair.
- Protein treatment: Every 4–6 weeks for high-porosity, color-treated, or heat-damaged hair. Avoid over-doing it — too much protein makes hair brittle.
- Clarifying shampoo: Once a month for everyone. Removes buildup that regular shampoo can't.
- Scalp exfoliation: Monthly. Improves circulation and removes dead skin.
Tools That Actually Help
- Wide-tooth comb: For wet hair, especially curly/coily.
- Boar bristle brush: Distributes natural oils. Best for straight and wavy types.
- Microfiber or cotton T-shirt: Replaces terry cloth towels — reduces frizz for waves/curls.
- Satin pillowcase: Reduces breakage and friction overnight. Universal upgrade.
- Diffuser: Maintains wave/curl pattern during blow-drying.
The Universal Rules
- Less is more. Most people over-wash.
- Always condition. Even oily hair needs it on ends.
- Heat damages. Always use heat protectant.
- Trim regularly. Split ends travel up the shaft.
- Hair grows from the inside. Diet, sleep, and stress matter more than products.
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