Hair Classification System

Oprah's Hair Stylist, Andre Walker has classified hair into various hair types in his book "Andre Talks Hair". This system is the most commonly used to classify hair textures. It is always best to know your particular hair type before attempting to determine the best products to use for your hair.



Type 1a - Straight (Fine/Thin) - Hair tends to be very Soft, Shiny, difficult to hold a curl, hair also tends to be oily, and difficult to damage.



Type 1b - Straight (Medium) - Hair has lots of volume & body.



Type 1c - Straight (Coarse) - Hair is normally bone straight and difficult to Curl. Asian women usually fall into this category.



Type 2a - Wavy (Fine/Thin) - Hair has a definite "S" pattern. Normally can accomplish various styles.



Type 2b - Wavy (Medium) - Hair tends to be frizzy, and a little resistant to styling.



Type 2c - Wavy (Coarse) - Hair is also resistant to styling and normally very frizzy;tends to have thicker waves.



Type 3a - Curly (Loose Curls) - Hair tends to have a combination texture. It can be thick & full with lots of body, with a definite "S" pattern. It aslo tends to be frizzy.



Type 3b - Curly (Tight Curls) - Also tends to have a combination texture, with a medium amount of curl.



Type 4a - Kinky (Soft) - Hair tends to be very Fragile, tightly coiled, and has a more defined curly pattern.



Type 4b - Kinky (Wiry) - Also very fragile and tightly coiled; however with a less defined curly pattern -has more of a "Z" pattern shape.