What Are the Four Types of Hair?
Searchers asking what are the four types of hair want the big buckets before the alphabet soup of 1A, 3B, or 4C. In the Andre Walker system taught on HairTypes.org, the four numbers describe the dominant curl geometry on clean, minimally manipulated hair. Letters A/B/C zoom one level deeper inside each number.
Type 1 — Straight hair
Fibers fall with little to no natural S-curve. Oil travels easily from scalp to ends; volume and heat damage are frequent topics. Explore Type 1 straight hair types for 1A, 1B, and 1C nuances.
Type 2 — Wavy hair
Visible S-bends, usually without full 360° spirals. Frizz and root lift show up sooner than on Type 1. Deep waves that flirt with curls land in 2C. Start at the wavy hair hub.
Type 3 — Curly hair
Distinct spirals or ringlets; curl diameter shrinks from 3A to 3C. Moisture-protein balance and gel casting matter more than for waves. Read curly hair types and, if you are deciding among 3A–3C only, what is type 3 hair.
Type 4 — Coily hair
Tight coils or zig-zag patterns; shrinkage and delicate handling dominate care talk. This is the family people mean when they ask what is type 4 hair. Open the coily hub for 4A–4C.
Where the twelve codes come from
Multiply four types × three letters → twelve hair types. For the exhaustive list with links, see what are the different hair types. The chart shows all rows at once.
Why four types still need nuance
Four buckets help beginners, but product fit still depends on porosity, climate, and damage. A 2C person in desert air may need heavier leave-in than a 3A person in humid coastlines. Use numbers as a compass, not a cage.