Type 1 hair is hair that lies flat, or straight. Straight locks tend to be on the shinier side because the hair's natural oils are able to travel from root to tip. This hair category includes divisions 1A, 1B, and 1C. Type 1A is “stick” straight hair that has no hint of curl or wave.
Unlike type 1a hair, which happens to be the rarest hair type, type 1b hair isn't 100% straight from root to tip. In this article, you'll learn how to differentiate type 1b hair from the other straight hair types. You'll also discover the common struggles of this hair type and how you can overcome them with ease.
1A is the rarest hair type. It is usually found on people of Asian descent. 1B hair, on the other hand, is the most common hair type.
Hair Texture
If it dries straight without a bend or curl, then you have straight hair (or type 1 hair as it is commonly referred to). If it dries with a slight curve or “S” shape, then it's considered wavy hair (type 2). If your hair dries with a defined curl or loop pattern, you have one of two curl types.
Type 1a hair is 100% straight. There is no hint of curl pattern or wave, it's simply straight and flat as a pin. Another defining feature of type 1a hair is its thinness. Each strand of type 1a hair is extremely fine and therefore, easily falls out or sheds.
Breakage: As mentioned earlier, type 1a hair is pretty thin — code for fragile. As you may have personally experienced, these fine hair strands are prone to breakage and they also shed easily.
Even though type 1c hair may not feature the deep waves and ringlets that wavy and curl hair types do, this curl type is still pretty fabulous. After all, it sits in the sweet spot between 100% straight and 100% wavy, making it easy for you to swing your hairstyle either way.
1A - Your hair is completely straight and can be quite fine in texture, it can also fall out or drop easily. 1B - Your hair is still very straight, but it has a very subtle wave and a slight bend at the end. It tends to be thicker than your friends with straight hair.
Type 1: Straight Hair
Type 1A hair is very straight and fine, with no hint of wave or curl. As it is so straight and fine, when the natural oils travel to the ends, it tends to cause it to look like oily hair. It is the rarest hair type and is common among women of Asian descent.
Hair morphology is one of the more conspicuous features of human variation and is particularly diverse among people of European ancestry, for which around 45% of individuals have straight hair, 40% have wavy hair, and 15% have curly hair.
“One way to identify 1A hair is that the hair strand (diameter) is extremely fine and it does not hold a curl, even when styled with a curling iron,” says Saviano. “Type 1A hair is completely straight, no wave pattern to it—not even when it's wet—and most of the time it's very flat, with no body to it.”
Coily Curls
The last, but most rare type of curl is the coily curl. This curl type is similar to that of an afro and when observed carefully, looks like the angular letter 'Z'. These curls require the most amount of moisture, as the hair type is much thicker than the other curl types.
Type 1B hair is thicker – it is still very straight, but has medium texture so it has more volume. Hair that is type 1C is very thick and coarse, but still straight and shiny so it can be hard to make curls last. Type 2 hair is naturally wavy, with more curl than some types of hair but less than others.
Hair types by numbers and letters
Most Asians rate a 1 on this scale. Caucasian heads likely fall into 1-3, while African hair gets the highest scores, ranging all the way up to 4C for the kinkiest natural hair.
Many Asians have naturally straight hair, but there is a significant group of us who do have naturally curly or wavy hair! However, because it's the norm to see straight and sleek hair, curly haired boys and girls tend to think that their hair is some kind of unruly straight hair that isn't behaving.
There are two shades of black hair; 1 and 1B. Hair color #1 is jet black, the blackest of all blacks, whereas 1B is as dark as natural black hair can be.
Thick (Coarse)
Thick or coarse hair texture is the strongest hair texture and typically feels coarse or thick to the touch. Coarse hair contains all three hair layers – the cortex, cuticle and medulla.
If you have type 1, 2a, 2b, or 2c hair, you may not be able to get the waves to work. You can try, but you'll have much better luck if your hair is at least a 3a.
Yes, only 11% of the population have curly hair.
The least common hair type, 1A hair is extremely fine and perfectly straight. Consequently, it can look a bit flat and limp and might prove difficult to style. Dry shampoo can be your ally in the fight against excessive oil and thick hair products that might weigh your hair down are best avoided.
They tend to be straight at the crown and start forming a defined wavy texture at the midpoint of the locks that continues down to the ends. It has a moderate amount of volume and thickness and doesn't lose its shape easily. Even wet hair still maintains a noticeable wavy pattern.
Understanding Hair Colour Charts
The level system is made up of 10 numbers which help determine the depth level of your natural hair. 1 is black, 5 is light brown, 6 is dark blonde, 7 is blonde and 10 is the lightest blonde.
Meet type 1C hair: the waviest of the straight hair without being definitively wavy (confusing, we know). So what exactly does that mean? Type 1C hair tends to feature strands that lie flat at the root with subtle body, arcs, and bends throughout the mid-sections. It can hold a curl and air dries like a dream.
The 1B hair type is naturally smooth and shiny, thanks to the straight strand shape and medium strand texture. Coarser hair types have to deal with frizz and “fluffy” volume, but 1B hair gets a natural sleekness and shine. You can thank your abundant scalp oil (sebum) for that. What is this?
SheaMoisture Deep Moisturizing Shampoo
This gentle shampoo is perfect for coarse, 1C strands. It has enough cleaning power to cut through stubborn buildup without stripping your strands of crucial moisture.