Hair Typing 1A to 4C for Stylists: A Salon Cheat Sheet

The 1A to 4C grid sorts hair by how it looks: 1 straight, 2 wavy, 3 curly and 4 coily, with the letters A to C usually marking a tighter pattern within each number. It’s handy shorthand with clients and colleagues. It describes pattern only. Use it to start the conversation, then assess the head in front of you.

What do the four families describe?

Each family names a visible pattern. The letters usually move from looser to tighter inside it. Charts draw the boundaries differently, so the same head can sit at the edge of two codes.

Family	What you see	What it leaves open
1, straight	From very little bend to the most visible body	Strand thickness and density
2, wavy	From a loose wave to a pronounced one	Where wave stops and curl starts, because charts differ
3, curly	From loose spirals to tight corkscrews	Curl group size and condition
4, coily	From small coils to very tight coils or zigzags	How far it shrinks, plus density and condition

The grid is popular consumer and salon shorthand, and publishers and communities draw its boundaries a little differently. Treat it as shared vocabulary, not a measurement.

What does a code not tell you?

Five things change your cut, and the code answers only the first. Note each one separately.

1. Pattern: what you see, zone by zone. The crown and the nape can differ.
2. Density: how many strands grow in an area. Straight hair isn’t automatically sparse, and tight curl isn’t automatically dense.
3. Strand thickness: fine and coarse strands appear in every family. A fine strand can sit on a dense head.
4. Condition: colour, heat and weathering history. Processed ends can behave differently from the roots.
5. Spring-back: where a section settles after tension. This is individual, so test it. Our first-cut guide shows how.

Pattern is commonly described as changing with length, moisture, product, heat and processing. If you write a code down, add the state you saw it in.

How do you use the grid in a consultation?

Treat it as a conversation tool. Clients often arrive with a code from social media, and it tells you how they see their hair.

1. Ask how they describe it

   “How would you describe your hair?” If they give a code, note it as their word for it, and move on to how it behaves.

2. Look at it as they wear it

   See it dry, in their usual parting and style. Check it in more than one zone.

3. Write the pattern by zone

   Use the closest code for each zone, and add the state, for example dry and without product. Don’t force a mixed head into one letter.

4. Add density, thickness and condition

   Compare small, equal areas in the same light. Scalp showing through is a cue, not a measure.

5. Agree the finish

   Settle how they want to wear it, and what length they expect once it’s dry. Our plan-and-check guide has the questions.

If a client says “I’m 3B” and the hair in front of you looks different, don’t argue about the code. Ask how it behaves on a normal day and let that guide the plan.

Does the code choose your scissors or technique?

No. Every pattern is cut with the same baseline: a sharp, well-adjusted pair and controlled sectioning. Edge types, blenders and dry-cutting shears are options for particular methods. They suit techniques, not codes. Our edge guide explains what each edge does.

Use the code as one observation among several, and let the line you want choose the method. For curl-led cutting, our curly and coily hair guide covers the principles. For weight removal, our texturising and thinning guide and cut ratio guide show why you check each tool’s own numbers.

If a section snags, folds or pulls, check the scissors before you blame the hair type. Look at tension, residue at the pivot and the edge, as our post on scissors that fold or drag hair describes.

Common mistakes

• Reading density from the code. A coarse, dense head can be 1A, and a fine, sparse one can be 1C.
• Assuming a higher number means more fragile or more porous. The code doesn’t say either.
• Forcing a mixed head into one letter. Note it by zone.
• Choosing a tooth count from a type. Use the tool’s own cut rate, and start light.
• Treating a chart picture as a diagnosis. Look at the real hair.
• Skipping the dry look. The pattern shows when the hair is dry and settled.

Common questions

Is 1A the finest hair and 1C the thickest?

Not by definition. The code describes pattern. Check strand thickness and density on the client.

Can I tell density from the hair type code?

No. Compare small, equal areas under the same light and note density beside the code.

A client says they’re 3B. Do I need to agree?

No. Note it as their word for their hair, then look at how it behaves and plan from that.

Does the code decide wet or dry?

No. Use a spring-back test and the finish you want. Our wet or dry guide compares the two.

What should I write on the client card?

The pattern by zone and the state you saw it in, density, strand thickness, condition, spring-back and the finish they want.

Next step

At your next consultation, write the pattern by zone and add the other four notes. Then look up any unfamiliar term in the hairdressing scissor glossary.