At a glance
- Term
- Hair type chart
- Area
- Hair
- Measurable from a selfie
- Yes: curl pattern as it dries without product
- Evidence
- Established
- Related
- Hair porosity, Hair density, Cowlick
How to read the numbers and letters
The hair typing system groups curl patterns into these categories:
- Type 1: straight hair.
- Type 2: wavy hair.
- Type 3: curly hair.
- Type 4: coily hair.
The A to C labels give more detail within the chart. Read the label as a description of shape. A higher number doesn't mean healthier hair, thicker strands or a better pattern.
What a selfie can measure
A selfie can show the curl pattern you want to classify. Let your hair dry without product, then compare the visible shape with the curl pattern chart.
Keep the task narrow. You're looking at whether the hair appears straight, wavy, curly or coily. You aren't measuring every feature of your hair from that image.
If the pattern isn't clear in the photo, leave the label broad. Don't force a precise letter onto an unclear view.
What the chart leaves out
Your curl category doesn't tell you how dense your hair is or how thick each strand is. Those are separate questions. If you're trying to describe fullness, read about hair density rather than using a curl label as a substitute.
Hair porosity and a cowlick are separate terms too. The straight-to-coily scale doesn't replace them. Use each term for the feature it describes.
How to use the result
Use your label to describe the pattern when discussing a cut. For example, saying your hair is wavy answers a different question from saying it looks sparse.
The common mistake is reading one number from one photo as a fixed fact about your face. A curl label describes your hair's visible pattern. It doesn't rate your face.
The free hairstyle try-on shows cuts on your own photo; it does not diagnose hair loss. For other hair terms, use the glossary.
Questions people ask
- Does a hair type chart measure thickness?
- No. It describes curl pattern, not the thickness of each strand or the density of your hair.
- Can I find my hair type from a selfie?
- Yes. Assess the visible curl pattern as your hair dries without product. An unclear photo doesn't justify a precise label.
- Does established evidence mean the chart is a medical test?
- No. The established status applies to its use as a curl-pattern classification. A label doesn't diagnose hair loss or explain every feature of your hair.
Written from the measurements and ingredient facts on this site, then checked for the usual mistakes. Not medical advice.
Related pages
The closest pages in this section, picked by topic rather than by date.
- cowlick meaning: What your hair's growth direction tells youLearn the cowlick meaning, how growth direction shapes your parting and fringe, and what a selfie can show at your crown and hairline.
- hair density meaning: How much hair grows on your scalpLearn the hair density meaning, how it differs from strand thickness, and what visible scalp in a selfie can tell you without an exact hair
- hair porosity meaning: How your hair takes in and holds waterLearn the hair porosity meaning, what low and high porosity describe, and why a home float test is a styling guide rather than a diagnosis.
- finasteride meaning: What the tablet doesLearn the finasteride meaning, how this prescription tablet helps male pattern hair loss, why a selfie can't assess it, and what to ask a pr
- Hairline recession meaning: what a moving hairline tells youUnderstand hairline recession meaning, how it differs from a mature hairline, what a selfie can measure, and when to ask a GP about hair los
- male pattern baldness meaning: What the pattern tells youLearn male pattern baldness meaning, what temple recession and crown density show in photos, and why a selfie can't diagnose the cause of ha
- Mature hairline meaning: what changes and what to measureLearn the mature hairline meaning, how a selfie shows centre and temple height, and why a single measurement can't diagnose hair loss.
- minoxidil meaning: What the hair treatment doesLearn minoxidil meaning, how this topical hair treatment works, why results take four to six months, and what a selfie can and can't tell yo
- norwood scale meaning: what the chart tells youLearn the norwood scale meaning, what its seven stages describe, how selfies help, and why a chart score cannot diagnose your hair loss.