Curl Type Quiz
Find your curl pattern — wavy, curly, or coily
Answer 5 quick questions to find your curl pattern.
What is a curl pattern?
Your curl pattern is the shape your strands grow in — set by your follicle and visible the moment your hair dries untouched. Patterns run from loose S-waves through bouncy spirals to tight coils, and each one wants different moisture, products, and drying technique. Pattern is only half the story, though: pair it with your hair porosity to know what your hair actually absorbs.
The three curl families
Wavy (Type 2)
S-shaped bends that lie close to the head. The most flexible pattern — it straightens easily and curls up with the right product — but also the easiest to flatten with heavy creams.
Curly (Type 3)
True ringlets that spring back when stretched. Type 3 needs moisture constantly — oil from your scalp can't navigate the spiral — and rewards wet styling with serious definition.
Coily (Type 4)
The tightest patterns: small coils and zig-zags with major shrinkage (hair can be half its real length when dry). Beautiful, dense, and delicate — layered moisture and gentle handling are the whole game.
Styling your pattern
Whatever your pattern, definition follows the same recipe: style on soaking-wet hair, scrunch upward, and keep hands off while it dries. In our Online Hairstyling Course for Teens, Ksenia demonstrates the full routine for each pattern on real hair — $15, self-paced, ages 11–17.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my hair is wavy or curly?
Look at clean, air-dried hair with no product: waves form an S-shape that lies fairly flat, while curls form springs or ringlets that bounce back when gently pulled. If your "waves" wrap all the way around a finger, you have curls.
What are the curl pattern numbers (2a–4c)?
The number is the family — 2 is wavy, 3 is curly, 4 is coily. The letter is the tightness: A is loosest, C is tightest. A 2B has defined S-waves; a 3B has springy ringlets about marker-width; a 4C has the tightest zig-zag coils.
Do I have curly hair if it only curls when wet?
Probably, yes — a pattern that shows when wet is your real pattern. If it disappears as it dries, the curl is being weighed down, roughed up by towel-drying, or damaged by heat. Styling products applied to soaking-wet hair usually bring it back.
Why does my curl pattern look different in different spots?
Totally normal — most curly heads carry two or three patterns at once, often looser at the crown and tighter underneath. Style for your tightest sections and the rest follows.