Hair FACTS: Facts About Human (Natural) and Synthetic Hair Types

Natural Hair Types:

Did you know there are various hair types or hair textures? Natural hair tends to range between 1a and 4c hair. But what does that mean or how do you tell which hair type or texture that you have? Well you've come to the right place. We are going to break down the hair types, also known as, hair textures; plus we will give you tips and ideas on how to maintain and style each type!

Please note* We borrowed much of our information from sources found using google. We strive to make sure we are however giving you actual facts and effective information. Please use the information gathered here cautiously and with good common sense. 

Believe it or not, your hair may fall between the line in any two of the following listed textures. The scale goes as follows:

    • 1a; Type 1A is “stick” straight hair that has no hint of curl or wave. In fact, it's hard for people with type 1A hair to even hold a curl. It's the rarest hair type and is common mostly among Asian women.
    • 2a; Type 2a hair types have a flat S-shape pattern that gives them their wave. 2a hair tends to be finer and flatter than any of the other type 2s.
    • 3a; 3a curly hair is the lightweight texture of its spiral curls. This is the type where the extreme sense of dryness and frizz begins: your hair, as well as the rest of curl types, needs always to be hydrated.
    • 1b; 1B is also called the soft black color. It usually looks so much like the natural black hair color. It's also the color preferred by those who have naturally black hair.
    • 2b; 2B Hair type is best described as wavy hair. This hair type is not quite curly and it's not quite straight. If your hair is mostly flat and straight at the roots but gets wavier and more “S” shaped toward the bottom, then you have 2B hair! 
    • 3b; Type 3b hair usually has ringlets that have the circumference of a Sharpie, and a big goal for 3b ladies is to fight frizz by using moisturizing products and to avoid drying ingredients. Most people have multiple textures on their head, so it is very common to have majority 3b curls, with 3a and 3c mixed in as well.
    • 4a; 4A hair has an 'S' shape and is tightly coiled. These cylindrical coils are quite defined and are the width of a pencil. They are also stretchy. 4A hair has a cork-screw texture that retains moisture well but is still prone to dryness.
    • 4b; Type 4b kinky hair refers to tightly coiled hair that is often wiry and has a fine texture. Owing to the fact that the kinky texture hinders the distribution of natural oils throughout the hair, type 4b hair tends to be quite dry and fragile by nature. It is also prone to getting damaged and breaking quite easily.
    • 4c; Type 4C hair can range from fine to thin to soft to coarse. In addition, this hair type shrinks more than 75 percent. So, if you have 3 inches of hair it may look like you have only 1 inch or less if the hair is not stretched. And, it is the most fragile out of all the 4 hair types.

Take a look at these photos. Which photo is similar to your hair texture?

Hair types by textureHair textures with pictures

Hair texture image with curly, coily, and wavy hair shown.

How to care for your natural hair:

CARING FOR 1A STRAIGHT HAIR
  1. Only shampoo your hair once every 2-3 days. Over washing can actually trick your scalp into producing more oils.
  2. Don't overcompensate with products. 
  3. Don't sleep on wet hair. 
  4. Don't wash your hair with hot water.
CARING FOR 1B STRAIGHT HAIR
  1. Only shampoo your hair once every 2-3 days. Over washing can actually trick your scalp into producing more oils.
  2. Don't overcompensate with products. ...
  3. Don't sleep on wet hair. ...
  4. Don't wash your hair with hot water.

CARING FOR 1C HAIR

Take advantage of the resilience of 1c hair by keeping your hair long and layered, parted down the middle. Use moisture rich organic shampoo and chemical free styling cream or gel. Due to the thickness, and sometimes unruliness of type 1c hair, avoid products that intend to volumize your hair.

CARING FOR 2A HAIR

  1. Wash your hair with the right shampoo. It's no secret that wavy and curly hair is prone to frizz and dryness. 
  2. Condition your locks regularly. 
  3. Towel dry your hair right. 
  4. Don't brush your wet hair. 
  5. Use leave-in conditioners. 
  6. Treat your locks with serum. 
  7. Define curls with mousse. 
  8. Use dry shampoo.

CARING FOR 2B HAIR

For type 2b hair, it is best to use a smoothing and frizz free shampoo and conditioner. If you are looking to put in the least amount of effort possible, it is best to keep type 2b hair at a medium length to avoid the weigh down of long waves or frizziness of short waves.

CARING FOR 2C HAIR

Since type 2c hair is thicker you can be prone to having hair that seems weighed down and lifeless. Try adding in a clarifying shampoo once a week to your haircare routine and minimizing hair wash to about three times a week.

CARING FOR 3A HAIR
  1. Shampoo once a week and co-wash mid-week if needed. 
  2. Opt for light oils to seal in your moisture. 
  3. Deep condition every week or bi-weekly. 
  4. Detangle with your fingers. 
  5. Pay attention to how you layer your products.

CARING FOR 3B HAIR

  1. Shampoo once a week and co-wash mid-week if needed.
  2. Opt for light oils to seal in your moisture. 
  3. Deep condition every week or bi-weekly. 
  4. Detangle with your fingers. 
  5. Pay attention to how you layer your products.

CARING FOR 3C HAIR

  1. Step 1: Wash and condition thoroughly. With curly or textured hair, the first day always begins with good washing.
  2. Step 2: Deep-condition. For Dry Hair.
  3. Step 3: Choose a curl cream. For Natural Hair.
  4. Step 4: Apply a curl refresher.

CARING FOR 4A HAIR

Wash your type 4A hair only 2 – 3 times per week and follow every shampooing with conditioning. Make sure you use cold or lukewarm water as high temperatures strip your hair of its moisture. Deep condition your hair because your hair's health depends on it. Do this regularly to take out too much scalp build-up.

CARING FOR 4B HAIR

  1. Treat your hair to a hot oil massage with coconut oil, castor oil or almond oil at least once a week to deeply nourish it from within.
  2. Condition your hair every time you wash it and go for a deep conditioner at least twice a month to add and retain moisture in your hair.

CARING FOR 4C HAIR

  1. The kinks and coils of 4C curls prevent the distribution of sebum (natural oil produced by your scalp) throughout your hair. This allows your hair to dry out faster than other curl patterns, so you need to take extra precautions to keep your hair moisturized. Find a good moisturizer AND a good sealant. 
  2. Yes, you still need to shampoo regularly to keep your scalp and hair clean- but if you have 4C hair you can lengthen the time between washes to 2, 3, or even 4 weeks. Avoid shampoos that contain sulfates.

Wigs:

Before you wear any wig be sure to properly style and care for your natural hair. This is to make sure you have less damage while wearing your wig. Usually, a good braided protective style (corn braids/cornrows) is the best option for maintaining your hair while its underneath your wig. Try to avoid using too much gel which naturally dries out your scalp and hair.

Is there a difference in caring for a human hair wig and a synthetic wig?

The difference between synthetic and human hair wigs is in the fiber. A synthetic wig can be better at holding it's style even after washing. Human hair wigs are made out of real human hair so they look and feel real, but they also have to be re-styled after washing just like real hair.

With every purchase of a Hair Plus ME Unit; Your hair will arrive with a "How To Care For Your Hair Guide."

 

Updates A/O 1/11/23;

Did you know that perming or straightening your hair with certain chemicals and/or relaxers could be making you sick? Hair Plus ME does not give legal advice. As a courtesy to the community and in an act of solidarity plus transparency; if we have heard something.. you will too, we would like to inform the public of the risks of using such products by visiting this link:

https://www.youhavealawyer.com/hair-relaxer-lawsuit/

Due to these accusations, Hair Plus ME will refrain from adding Perm Kits or Chemical Relaxers to our store for purchase. Hair Plus ME has never actually sold these types of products and will not begin to do so in the near future. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, however, we take this action for the betterment of the community we serve. We do hope that our customers will take caution and look into such accusations before attempting to purchase these products from other retailers as well.