Curl types run from 2a (wavy) to 4c (tight coily). The number tells you the family (2 wavy, 3 curly, 4 coily) and the letter tells you how tight the pattern is. Most people have two or three types at once.
Curl typing is a shorthand, not a diagnosis. Andre Walker's 2a-4c system was built to describe hair shape, not to tell you who you are. It still helps - once you know roughly where you land, the right products, the right routine, and the right refresh method stop being a guessing game.
Three quick rules before you self-identify:
Below: every type from 2a to 4c, what each one actually looks like, and the routine that works for it.
Wavy (2a, 2b, 2c) · Curly (3a, 3b, 3c) · Coily (4a, 4b, 4c). Most people land in more than one - type by the dominant pattern for product decisions.
2a hair is the loosest wave type - a subtle S-pattern that stays straight-ish at the root and bends gently through the length. It looks almost straight when brushed or weighed down, which is why most 2a heads get misdiagnosed as straight hair with flyaways. The trick is using less product than you think.
Read guide2b hair is a defined S-wave that starts closer to the root than 2a and holds its shape better through the length. The signature 2b problem is crown frizz - the top of the head goes fuzzy even when the rest of the waves look good. It needs more definition help than 2a but lighter product than 2c.
Read guide2c hair is the wavy-curly border - deep S-waves with occasional corkscrew ringlets, especially around the face and at the ends. It needs more definition help than 2a/2b waves but lighter product than 3a curls. Most 2c heads have a mix of waves and curls across the same head of hair.
Read guide3a hair is the loosest curly type - large, open ringlets about the width of a piece of sidewalk chalk. It needs more moisture than wavy 2c but a lighter touch than springier 3b, holds a defined shape with a single styling product, and stretches nearly straight when fully wet before bouncing back as it dries. The two biggest 3a problems are canopy frizz and roots that read flat while ends look defined - both fixable with technique, not more product.
Read guide3b hair is corkscrew curls about the width of a Sharpie marker. It's the classic 'bouncy curly' look - springs back fast when pulled, holds a defined ringlet shape, and needs a moisture balance somewhere between 3a's lighter approach and 3c's richer one.
Read guide3c hair is tight, dense, corkscrew curls - each strand about the width of a pencil. It frizzes faster than 3a/3b because the pattern is tighter, and it needs richer moisture than 3a/3b but lighter styling products than 4a/4b. The shape is the main identifier; everything else (frizz, shrinkage, dryness) is downstream of that.
Read guide4a hair is the first of the coily family - defined S-shaped coils roughly the width of a crochet needle, tighter than 3c's pencil-width corkscrews but with more visible pattern than 4b. Shrinkage runs 50-75%, moisture demand is high, and the routine is built around water first, then sealing, then holding the definition.
Read guide4b hair is the Z-pattern coil type - strands bend at sharp angles instead of curling in visible spirals. It sits between 4a's defined S-coils and 4c's tightly packed zig-zag. Expect ~75% shrinkage, dense feel, and the highest moisture demand of any type short of 4c. Creams, butters, and oils are the baseline, not extras.
Read guide4c hair is the tightest coil pattern - no visible ringlet on the strand without stretching, extreme shrinkage (often 75%+), and maximum moisture needs. The routine centers on moisture layering, gentle detangling, and protective styling. 4c is not fragile; it's specific.
Read guideMost men's curly-hair advice is generic grooming content with a curly label slapped on. These three guides consolidate the type-specific cut, routine, and product guidance without repeating near-identical pages.
Wavy hair on men spans 2a (loose waves) through 2c (deep waves with occasional ringlets). Most men with wavy hair have been told they have 'messy' or 'frizzy' straight hair their whole lives. The fix is acknowledging the wave pattern, using less product than curly-hair guides recommend, and getting a cut that does not over-thin the length.
Read men's guideThe men's curly hair routine is three steps: cleanse 1-3 times a week with a low-sulfate shampoo, condition every wash and finger-detangle with conditioner in, then style on soaking-wet hair with a leave-in plus a medium-hold gel. Total active time is under 5 minutes once you have done it twice.
Read men's guideMen's curly hair needs five product categories: a low-sulfate shampoo, a slip-heavy conditioner, a water-based leave-in, a medium-hold gel or curl cream, and (for coily textures) a sealing oil. That is the entire cabinet. Brand does not matter as much as ingredient quality and matching the product weight to your curl type.
Read men's guideThe full men's hub: routine, products, barbershop scripts, and growing-out guides - beyond curl type.
The 8-question chat quiz outputs your specific type plus a starter routine. Takes about 3 minutes.
Typing a single head? Normal to have two or three types at once. Original research from 372 users.