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Hair Texture: Finding Your Hair Type for Men

Knox Beasley, MD

Reviewed by Knox Beasley, MD

Written by Rachel Sacks

Published 12/30/2020

Updated 07/26/2024

Figuring out how to best care for your hair isn’t just for the ladies — hair care for men is important, too. And one critical but often overlooked step is knowing the different types of hair textures, and how to categorize your own. 

Your hair texture and type of hair have unique needs regarding care and attention. Whether you have thick hair, wavy hair, curly hair, coily or kinky hair, understanding male hair types can help you choose better hair care products and routines, setting you on the path to healthy hair growth.

Each male hair type can benefit from specific products and care practices to ensure hair grows to its full potential. But no need to look up, “different hair types men” to figure out which one you have. We’ve got you covered right here.

When it comes to hair texture and type, there’s no exact science that dermatologists and other experts in hair use to sort hair into different categories. 

Historically, hair has been classified based on people’s ethnic backgrounds, with different hair types sorted into subgroups of African, Asian and Caucasian hair, or European hair.

However, this classification system is generally considered inadequate and outdated, since it’s not an effective way to take into account the huge range of hair types and textures that exist in each group.

If you spend any amount of time Googling about “hair texture” or “different hair types men,” you’ll likely come across a typing method from Andre Walker, who is none other than Oprah’s hairstylist.

Walker’s system defines hair based on texture and curl pattern and suggests products from his hair care line accordingly. While it isn’t totally scientific, the Andre Walker hair typing system has become increasingly popular.

Generally, each hair type is matched with a laundry list of hair care best practices and products. 

Knowing your curl (or lack of curl) type can be useful in choosing specific hair products, but this isn’t the final word, and Walker’s system isn’t without criticism. 

It’s been suggested that the use of the system favors folks with straighter (lower numbered) hair, an age-old point of contention in the Black community. Many other hair typing systems also rely on things like density and diameter, not solely texture. 

Put simply, there’s no perfectly objective way to work out your hair type or determine which hair products are likely to give you the best results. Instead, the process is partly scientific and also partly subjective, with opinion and perception playing major roles.

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All about hair, here

In general, the best way to know what hair type you have is to simply ask your stylist or barber for their opinion. These professionals encounter all sorts of hair textures and types on a daily basis, and they’ll likely have a good idea of your hair’s type based on its relative thickness and density. 

Depending on your hair’s texture, density, and other characteristics, they may mention one of the following hair types.

Type 1: Straight Hair

Type 1 hair is straight, with a tendency to become shiny or greasy, in part because the natural oil from your scalp travels down a straight follicle more quickly. 

This type of hair is divided into three major subcategories, 1A, 1B, and 1C. Subcategory “A” is the least voluminous and thick, while “C” has more volume and thickness,  with the hair follicles more coarse and the hair larger in diameter.

Type 1A is fine hair, with a very straight appearance. Type 1B hair is straight, but shows some bends, while type 1C hair is straight, but with a slightly more coarse texture.

Type 2: Wavy Hair

Type 2 picks up where Type 1 ends — the hair in this category tends to have a subtle wave to it, and likewise is usually thicker than hair from the previous category. 

Like other hair types, type 2 hair has three subcategories. Type 2A hair is wavy and fine, with a limited diameter. Type 2B hair is wavy, but has a more defined S-shape to its curl pattern, while type 2C is wavy with a clearly defined S-shaped pattern. 

Type 3: Curly Hair

The next type of hair determines the difference between wavy vs curly hair men.

Type 3 hair is usually full of bouncy, ringlet curls that may be easier to style, but are more prone to frizz, dryness, and shrinkage.

Like other hair types, it has three subcategories, ranging from type 3A to type 3C.

Type 3A hair is loosely curled, with a flowing curly pattern when it grows longer. Type 3B hair is tight and springy, with a closer curl type. Finally, type 3C hair has an S-shaped or corkscrew curl that straightens when pulled on but jumps back to its naturally curly shape when it’s released. 

Type 4: Coily Hair

Type 4 represents the curliest and kinkiest hair shape of them all. It typically boasts the most coarse texture. This type of hair is often referred to as coily hair, as each strand of hair tends to form into a tight curl with a zig-zag pattern.

Like other hair types, type 4 hair has three subtypes. Type 4A hair is defined as loosely coiled, meaning it has medium-sized coils that are loosely packed. Type 4B hair has a zig-zag shape, while type 4C is the most densely packed, with the tightest zig-zag pattern. 

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Your hair texture, determined by the shape of your hair follicles and hair shaft, is in your DNA.

Research suggests your hair texture — whether that’s straight, wavy, curly, or coily hair — is largely determined by your genes.

Over several decades, researchers have identified many genes that could affect the shape and texture of your hair. The specific genes that affect your hair may vary based on a variety of factors, including your ethnic background.

For example, variations in the gene TCHH are thought to affect the texture of hair in people with northern European ancestry, while other variations in the genes EDAR and FGFR2 are linked to differences in hair thickness amongst people with Asian ancestry. 

These genes all have an impact on the structure of your hair, from your hair follicles to each hair shaft, which is the physical hair fiber that gives each of your hairs its physical form.

Each hair on your scalp is made up of cells formed into separate layers. The bulk of these cells are found in the cortical layer, or cortex, of your hair — a structure that’s made of keratin proteins and is surrounded by dead, overlapping cells that form the cuticle, or protective layer.

The cortical layer of your hair plays a major part in determining its shape and texture. Based on the structure of your hair’s cortex, you might have perfectly straight hair, loose curls, a wavy hair type, or Afro-textured hair that grows in a helix shape.

In addition to determining the shape of your hair, your hair’s cortex and cuticle structure can also affect the strength and feel of your individual hair strands. 

Some people have finer hair that’s small in diameter, while others may have thick hair that’s far larger in size. 

In one study, researchers compared loose hair strands from people of a variety of different backgrounds and found that they varied in diameter from just 30 ± 3 micrometers (µm) to 74 ± 7 µm.

It’s not just your genes that can have an impact on your hair’s texture. Plenty of environmental factors, such as the climate in your region (humidity hair, anyone?) and the way you care for your hair, can also have a significant effect on its appearance, texture and feel. 

Certain hair treatments, such as bleaching or straightening your hair or using heat or chemicals, can change your hair texture by degrading the hair cuticle, resulting in breakage. This may result in dry hair, frizzy hair or common issues such as split hair ends. 

Certain styling products, such as oil-based pomades, gels or hair wax, contain ingredients that could leave you with a greasy scalp and oily hair. 

Simple activities, like swimming in a pool can leave you with more than just wet hair — they can also make it harder to maintain healthier hair in general, as the chlorine in many pools can dissolve the lipids that protect your hair’s internal structure. 

Even the weather in your region can affect your hair health and texture. For example, exposure to UV radiation — the same type of radiation that can damage your skin — can break down your hair’s proteins and cause you to develop brittle hair that’s more likely to break.

Read more in our blog on seasonal hair shedding.

Hair loss treatments, delivered

Figuring out your hair type and texture is an important part of discovering which styling products are best suited to your natural hairstyle.

  • Based on Andre Walker’s system, there are four different hair types for men: straight or type 1, wavy or type 2, curly or type 3, and coily or type 4 hair.

  • There are three lettered subcategories for each male hair type — A, B, and C — with each progressive letter gaining volume and thickness. For example, type 3B is tight and springy, with a closer curl type.

  • Your hair type is largely determined by your genes as well as environmental factors, and can either be helped or hindered by certain products like shampoos, leave-in conditioners, and more.

Our guide to men’s hair care tips goes into more detail about how you can use different products to take care of your hair, whether you have hair that’s light in texture and straight, thick and curly, or coily and coarse hair that needs some extra hydration.

One important thing to keep in mind is that all men, regardless of their hair type, can be affected by male pattern baldness — a common form of hair loss that can cause a receding hairline, bald patch, or, when severe, near-total loss of hair on your scalp. 

We offer a range of hair loss treatments online that can slow down, prevent, or reverse this type of hair loss, including FDA-approved medications such as finasteride and minoxidil

Not sure where to start? Our guide to the signs of balding covers early symptoms to look for, as well as your options for preventing thinning and maintaining a full, thick head of hair regardless of your specific hair type. 

7 Sources

  1. Is hair texture determined by genetics? (2022, July 13). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/hairtexture/
  2. Hoover, E., Alhajj, M. & Flores, J.L. (2021, July 26). Physiology, Hair. StatPearls. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499948/
  3. Yang, F.C., Zhang, Y. & Rheinstädter, M.C. (2014). The structure of people’s hair. PeerJ. 2, e619. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4201279/
  4. Yang, F.C., Zhang, Y. & Rheinstädter, M.C. (2014). The structure of people’s hair. PeerJ. 2, e619. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4201279/
  5. Must-Try Summer Hair Care. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair/summer-hair-care
  6. De la Mettrie, R., et al. (2007, June). Shape variability and classification of human hair: a worldwide approach. Human Biology. 79 (3), 265-281. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18078200/
  7. The Hair Chart. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-hair-chart/
Editorial Standards

Hims & Hers has strict sourcing guidelines to ensure our content is accurate and current. We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We strive to use primary sources and refrain from using tertiary references. See a mistake? Let us know at [email protected]!

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.

Knox Beasley, MD

Dr. Knox Beasley is a board certified dermatologist specializing in hair loss. He completed his undergraduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and subsequently attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA. 

Dr. Beasley first began doing telemedicine during his dermatology residency in 2013 with the military, helping to diagnose dermatologic conditions in soldiers all over the world. 

Dr. Beasley is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Originally from Nashville, TN, Dr. Beasley currently lives in North Carolina and enjoys spending time outdoors (with sunscreen of course) with his wife and two children in his spare time. 

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  • Dermatology Residency. San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium

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