Okay so this is going to be a trip on the controversial train, but I think its a journey worth taking, so buckle up! I’ll be showing you type 2 wavy hair, type 3 curly hair and type 4 coily hair. But also, why your curl type doesn’t matter when it comes to finding the best products that will work for your hair, and how to care for your curls.
Curl Types
Type 2 Wavy Hair
I figured I should probably explain what curl types are. Type 2 curls are wavy, swavy and loose, almost stretched out, tousled curls. Think of the hottest hair trend in recent years, boho waves, which everyone from celebs, models on the runway to the girl next door have all been trying to achieve! 2a – the most subtle curly hair pattern/type, a slight wave or kink to the hair. 2b is loose and bendy S-shaped strands but still more of a wave than a curl. 2c are more defined S-shaped curls which start from the root. It’s also worth saying, type 2 wavy hair is not failed curls!
Type 3 Curly Hair
Type 3 curly hair is springy, bouncy, defined curls and ringlets. 3a curls are more defined and less elongated than type 2 wavy hair, but rather a more compact, bouncy S-shape. 3b curls are more defined, bouncy spirals. 3c curly hair is tighter, corkscrew-like ringlets. My type 3 curly hair crush is Ayesha Malik, or @spisha on Instagram. Growing up and all through my teens I had healthy, type 3 curly hair. After years of heat and colour damage, I had type 2 wavy hair, barely! Now, after embracing my naturally curly hair, developing my Curl Maven Method, I’ve got my healthy type 3 curly hair back again!
Why Your Curl Type Doesn’t Matter
The first and biggest reason why your curl type doesn’t matter is because it can, and almost always will change. Buying products for your hair according to your curl pattern/type is like shopping for clothes according to your weight. Admittedly it’s not the best analogy, but it’s the best one I could come up with! We could go shopping for clothes together, both be a size 10 but our weight could be completely different. With diet, exercise and stress (or lack of) our weight can change.
You may start out with 2a or 2b waves, and after applying the curly girl method principles, your curl type could evolve to 3c ringlets! That’s why embarking on your curly journey is so exciting. Because it’s a journey, it’s a process. – wait until you see what my hair looked like before I started CG, picture at the end of the post!
Here’s another reason why it doesn’t matter, because you can have multiple curl types on one head of hair! I’ve been following the curly girl method for almost a year, I have a mix of all the type 2 waves and type 3 curls. Back in the day, pre-CG, heat and colour damage, I still had multiple curl patterns in my hair!
A lot of people have combination skin, most people have one breast larger than the other and one foot that’s bigger than the other. And don’t get me started on the brows! Treat them like sisters not twins, sometimes I feel like mine aren’t even friends! So the likelihood that all your curls are going to be the exact same type and pattern is pretty small, no matter where you are on your curly journey.
Here’s What Does Matter
Go with me on the clothes shopping analogy, because it’s all I’ve got. Just like we shop for clothes according to our size, we should learn how to shop for products and care for our curls according to our hair’s porosity. This is what really makes a difference when it comes to what products do and don’t work for my hair, and all the different curl types on my head. You can click here to read my ultimate guide to hair porosity, how to find out what your hair’s porosity is, and what products work best for each type of porosity too.
But this post is for anyone stressing over what curl type their hair is, especially for those starting out on their curly journey. It really doesn’t matter, it’s just a great way to measure your growth and progress. In ten months, I’ve gone from a solid 2a wave (see picture below) to a 3a curl (see picture above). Before I ruined it, my hair was a 3b – 3c, so I’m looking forward to getting to that point again, and appreciating every single one of those curls!
