Wash your hair and let it air-dry without products
Check your natural curl pattern
Straight hair lies flat with no bend
Wavy hair forms loose S-shapes
Curly hair forms defined ringlets or spirals
Coily hair forms tight coils or zigzags
Feel the thickness of a single strand
Fine hair feels thin and delicate
Medium hair feels neither thin nor thick
Thick hair feels strong and coarse
Check your hair density
Low density means fewer strands on the scalp
Medium density means moderate coverage
High density means very full coverage
Notice how your hair behaves with moisture
Dry hair may feel rough or frizzy
Oily hair may look greasy quickly
Normal hair stays balanced longer
Observe how easily your hair breaks
Fragile hair breaks or sheds more easily
Strong hair resists breakage better
Look at how your hair holds styles
Hair that holds curls easily has more texture
Hair that falls flat quickly is usually straighter or finer
Compare your roots, lengths, and ends
Different sections may have different hair types
Identify whether your hair is low, medium, or high porosity
Low porosity hair resists absorbing water
Medium porosity hair absorbs and retains moisture well
High porosity hair absorbs quickly and loses moisture fast
Use your curl pattern, strand thickness, density, and porosity together to identify your hair type