Most people spend a small fortune on "miracle" shampoos that do absolutely nothing. It’s frustrating. You see an ad for a glossy smoothing cream, buy it, and three days later your hair looks like a grease slick or a tumbleweed. The problem usually isn't the product. It’s that you’re treating the hair you wish you had instead of the hair actually growing out of your scalp. Honestly, the industry makes this way harder than it needs to be.
Decoding the Andre Walker System
Back in the 90s, Oprah’s stylist, Andre Walker, created a hair typing system that basically became the gold standard. It’s the 1A to 4C scale you’ve probably seen on TikTok or Reddit. While it isn’t perfect—and some stylists argue it’s a bit reductive—it’s the best starting point for how to figure out what type of hair you have.
Type 1 is bone straight. If you curl it and the ringlets fall out in twenty minutes, you're a Type 1. Type 2 is wavy. This is that "S" shape that usually needs a bit of sea salt spray or mousse to really pop. Type 3 is curly—think distinct loops and corkscrews. Type 4 is coily or kinky, which is characterized by tight "Z" patterns and significant shrinkage.
The letters (A, B, C) just tell you the diameter of the pattern. "A" is a wide, loose version, while "C" is the tightest. A 3A hair type looks like large sidewalk chalk curls, whereas 3C looks more like a pencil-sized circumference.
The Strand Test for Diameter
Texture and thickness are not the same thing. You can have a massive amount of hair—what we call high density—but each individual strand might be thinner than a silk thread. This is "fine" hair. Conversely, you can have very little hair, but each strand is thick and wire-like. That’s "coarse" hair.
Try this: Take a single strand of hair from your brush. Roll it between your thumb and index finger. If you can barely feel it, it’s fine. If it feels like a piece of sewing thread, it's medium. If it feels stiff, rough, or distinctively thick, you've got coarse hair. This matters because coarse hair can handle heavy butters and oils, while fine hair will just collapse under the weight of a heavy conditioner.
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Porosity Is the Real Secret
This is where most people get it wrong. They focus so much on the curl pattern that they ignore porosity. Porosity is basically your hair’s ability to soak up and keep moisture. It’s determined by the cuticle, which is the outer layer of your hair. Think of it like shingles on a roof.
If those shingles are clamped down tight, you have low porosity. Water literally beads off your hair. It takes forever to get wet in the shower and even longer to dry. On the flip side, if the shingles are wide open (high porosity), your hair drinks water instantly but loses it just as fast. This is common in hair that’s been bleached or heat-damaged.
How to test it at home
Grab a glass of room-temperature water. Pull a clean strand of hair—no products, no leave-ins—and drop it in. Give it two to four minutes.
- Sinks to the bottom? High porosity. The hair absorbed water immediately.
- Floats in the middle? Normal/Medium porosity. You’re the lucky one.
- Stays on the surface? Low porosity. Your hair is stubborn and water-resistant.
Scalp Chemistry and Oil Production
You can’t talk about hair types without talking about the "garden" it grows in. Your scalp is skin. If your face is oily, your scalp probably is too. This determines your washing frequency.
Type 1 and 2 hair types usually deal with more oil because the sebum from the scalp can slide down a straight or wavy shaft easily. If you have Type 4 coils, that oil has to travel a "corkscrew" path, which is much harder. That’s why curly and coily hair is naturally drier. It’s not that your scalp isn't making oil; it's just that the oil is stuck at the roots.
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If you’re oily by 5:00 PM after a morning wash, you have an oily scalp. If you can go a week without washing and your hair still looks matte, you have a dry scalp. Simple.
Why Your Hair Type Changes
It’s a myth that your hair type is permanent. Hormones are a massive factor. I’ve talked to women who had stick-straight hair their whole lives until they got pregnant, and suddenly they had 2B waves. Puberty, menopause, and even certain medications can flip the switch on your follicle shape.
Environment matters too. If you move from a humid climate like Florida to a desert like Arizona, your hair might "drop" a level in its curl pattern because there isn't enough moisture in the air to support the hydrogen bonds that create curls.
Also, damage isn't a hair type. If your hair is "frizzy," that’s usually just a curl pattern that hasn't been hydrated or a cuticle that's been blown open by heat. Stop calling "damaged" a hair type. It’s a condition, and it’s fixable.
The Density Check
Ever wonder why your ponytail holder has to wrap around four times while your friend only needs two? That’s density. It’s about how many follicles you have per square inch.
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To check this, look in the mirror with your hair down in its natural state. Can you see your scalp without touching your hair? If yes, you have low density. If you have to part your hair and really dig to find skin, you have high density. This is crucial for choosing styling products. High-density hair needs "sectioning" and more product than you'd think. Low-density hair needs lightweight sprays so it doesn't look "stringy."
Putting the Pieces Together
When you're trying to figure out what type of hair you have, you need a full profile. It’s not just "I have curly hair." It’s "I have 3A, high-porosity, fine-diameter, high-density hair."
That sounds like a mouthful, but it changes everything. For example, if you know you have low-porosity hair, you’ll stop using cold water to rinse your conditioner. Cold water closes the cuticle, but your cuticle is already closed! You actually need warm water and steam to open it up so the nutrients can get in.
If you have high-porosity hair, you need a protein treatment. Your "shingles" are gaps, and protein (like keratin or silk amino acids) acts like spackle to fill those holes. Without it, your moisture just evaporates.
Practical Next Steps for Your Hair Routine
Stop buying products based on the "scent" or the "pretty bottle." Now that you know your type, look for these specific ingredients:
- For Low Porosity: Look for humectants like glycerin or honey. Avoid heavy proteins and thick waxes. Use heat (like a shower cap or a steamer) when deep conditioning to force the hair to accept the moisture.
- For High Porosity: You need sealants. Look for oils like jojoba or almond oil. Use ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) rinses to help flatten the cuticle and lock in shine.
- For Type 4 Coils: Focus on the "LCO" method—Liquid, Cream, Oil. This layering process ensures the moisture is trapped deep in the tightest coils.
- For Type 1 & 2: Focus on volume. Avoid putting conditioner on your roots. Use clarifying shampoos once a week to remove the buildup that weighs down waves.
The goal isn't to have "perfect" hair according to a magazine. It’s about understanding the biology of what’s on your head. Once you stop fighting your natural pattern, your "bad hair days" basically disappear. Get a glass of water, find a loose hair, and do the test today. It takes five minutes and will save you hundreds of dollars at the drugstore.