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 guides cover the cut, the 3-step routine, and the beard-care overlap.
2a hair on a man is the loosest wave type: straight at the root, subtle S-bends through the length, under 10% shrinkage. It is wildly common - most men told their whole life that they have 'thick straight hair' actually have 2a - and vastly under-covered in mainstream grooming media. The right routine is intentionally minimal: a gentle shampoo, a light leave-in, a dab of light gel or mousse. The biggest mistake is using pomade, clay, or paste (they crush the wave) or treating the hair as straight hair that needs slicking down.
Read men's guide2b hair on a man is the middle stage of wavy hair: defined S-waves through most of the length, with the crown often frizzing instead of waving cleanly. Shrinkage sits around 10-15% - wet and dry length are close, but the pattern is clearly wavy once it dries. The right routine is intentionally minimal: gentle shampoo, a dime of light leave-in, a light gel or mousse scrunched in. The biggest mistake is treating it as straight hair with flyaways and packing on heavy pomade (which crushes the wave) or over-layering curl products (which weighs the S-pattern into nothing).
Read men's guide2c hair on a man is the deepest stage of wavy hair: defined S-waves through most of the head, with occasional ringlet clumps at the face frame and ends. It sits between 2b wavy and 3a curly, has roughly 20% shrinkage, and usually frizzes more than it curls. The right routine is intentionally minimal - water-based leave-in plus a light gel or mousse, scrunched not combed. The biggest mistake is using too much product (which kills the wave pattern entirely) or treating it as straight hair that needs taming.
Read men's guide3a hair on a man is loose, chalk-width ringlets - the widest of the curly types, one notch past wavy. Shrinkage sits around 30-40%, so dry length is roughly two-thirds of wet, and the hair stretches nearly straight when soaking wet (which is why most 3a men get misdiagnosed as wavy their whole lives). The routine is minimal (low-sulfate shampoo 2-3× weekly, light leave-in, medium-hold gel), the cut must be done dry or barely damp so the barber sees the real length, and the main enemy is heavy product - pomades and clays crush the ringlet flat.
Read men's guide3b hair on a man is Sharpie-width springy corkscrew curls - looser than 3c, tighter than 3a - that bounce back after sleep, rain, and light touch. Shrinkage sits around 30-40%, so dry length is roughly two-thirds of wet. The routine is intentionally minimal (low-sulfate shampoo 2-3× weekly, light leave-in, light-to-medium gel or mousse), the cut must be done dry or damp with no thinning shears, and the main enemy is product buildup - not dryness. Heavy creams and pomades flatten the bounce.
Read men's guide3c hair on a man is pencil-width corkscrew curls - tighter than 3b, looser than 4a - that pack densely and shrink to roughly half their wet length. The routine is three steps (low-sulfate shampoo 1-2× weekly, leave-in, medium-hold gel), the cut must be done dry or damp to account for shrinkage, and the same products usually work on the beard. Most men's grooming products (pomades, pastes, clays) flatten the pattern and should be avoided.
Read men's guide4a hair on men is the loosest coily pattern - defined S-shaped coils the width of a crochet needle, shrinking 50-75% when dry. The routine is three steps (low-sulfate wash, water-based leave-in, a cream or gel), the cut works best dry to account for shrinkage, and classic styles include the high-top fade, temple fade, and taper with a sponge-curled top. Durag or bonnet sleep is standard, not optional.
Read men's guide4b hair on men is the Z-pattern coil type - strands bend at sharp angles instead of curling in spirals, with about 75% shrinkage and a dense, packed feel. It is the most commonly misidentified coily type, often mistaken for 4a because people expect spirals, or for 4c because it reads dense at rest. The routine is a daily LOC baseline (leave-in, oil, cream), dry barber cuts only, and a durag or bonnet every night.
Read men's guide4c hair on men is the tightest coil pattern with no visible curl shape unstretched, up to 75% shrinkage, and the highest moisture needs of any type. It thrives on a daily L-O-C routine (water, leave-in, oil), weekly deep conditioning with heat, and dry line-ups that respect the natural hairline. Length retention is 90% of growth - 4c grows half an inch a month like every other type, but only consistent moisture and protective styling let you keep it.
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.