Types of Curls

WAVES – This hair type falls between straight hair and curly hair. It includes slightly wavy curls to very wavy curls. Women whose hair falls into this category may think their hair is straight, but with the right technique they can achieve an “S Curl.” Wavy hair can be fine in texture and low frizz. It benefits from using a diffuser to achieve extra volume and enhance waves. Some celebrities with naturally wavy hair include Lorde and Carrie Underwood.

S-CURL – If you pull a strand of hair with this pattern you will see an S shape.  This hair type has medium texture and a slight tendency towards frizziness, especially in humid weather. It has a lot of body and can be somewhat dry. If S-Curls are dried using diffusers, they can achieve a Ringlet Curl. If being air dried we recommend applying straightener at the root, especially when hair is very long. Some celebrities with S-Curl hair include Shakira and Taylor Swift (before she straightened her hair).

RINGLET CURL – This hair type has corkscrew or bouncy ringlets of curls measuring the circumference of a sharpie marker. The curl starts directly from the root and has a medium to coarse texture. Similar to an S-Curl, this curl pattern can be frizzy in humid weather and is often densely packed, resulting in a lot of body. Ringlet curls have a slight spring back effect when cut and do not need the diffuser to dry unless you want a tighter Spiral Curl. Celebrities with ringlet curls include Julianna Margulies and Annalynne McCord.

SPIRAL CURL – Similar to ringlet curls, spiral curls have a corkscrew pattern. However, they are slightly tighter in that their circumference measures that of a pencil. The curls start directly at the root, are prone to frizz and are densely packed. Spiral curls tend to grow out before they curls start to grow down and have a significant spring back effect when cut. Celebrities with spiral curls include Keri Russell, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, Crystal Westbrooks and Tracee Ellis Ross.