How to See if You Have Curly Hair

Reviewed by Jasmin Todd

Last Updated: September 30, 2024 Approved

Knowing your hair type is incredibly important in the realm of hair care. Here are several signs that you have curly hair, and a few tips for effective maintenance.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Determining Your Hair Type

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Is your hair more on the coarse side? Frizzy after brushing? Knots often? These are all signs that indicate natural curly hair. Naturally curly hair is more prone to breakage and dryness as the natural oils from the scalp have difficulty coating the strand because of the pattern of hair.
Take a small strand of your hair and wrap it around your finger. This is also known as 'finger curls'. If your hair holds the pattern or ringlet then you more than likely have curly hair. If it holds the curl but loosens into more of a wave pattern, you have wavy hair. If your hair doesn't hold the ringlet at all you more than likely have straight hair.

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Wet your hair by either washing or spraying it with water. Make sure your hair is thoroughly wetted before grabbing the ends and bring them towards your roots. Squeeze the excess water and slowly lower your hand and release the section of hair. If your hair curls or waves this is another indicator that you have naturally curly hair. It may take a few tries, but if your hair curls while wet, you have curly hair.
Have you ever gotten out of the shower and noticed your hair's part zig zagging or placing itself in a completely different line? Curls normally clump together and can often have an impact on your part. Curls find and lay what feels best, a strange phenomenon with no science.
Straight hair often struggles with volume as the strands lay neatly and easily. Curly hair patterns often struggle with keeping their hair flat and 'perfect' as the curls practically have a mind of their own.
Curls can cause 'shrinkage' which means you lose inches or length when your hair is dry or curly. If you've noticed that your hair is longer when wet or straightened, this could signal natural curls.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Curly Hair Maintenance

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It can be daunting to form a hair routine based on your curls, however despite the multitude of products, it's important to know the basics.
Shampoos that have sulfate normally weigh down the strands, dry out the scalp and cause a lot of product build up. Sulfate-free shampoo is lightweight on strands, hydrating for the scalp and moisturizing for the strands. It's important to hydrate curly hair as natural oils struggle to coat strands completely.
Similar to shampoo with sulfate, using conditioners with heavy ingredients such as sulfate and parabens can weigh down a curly and cause product build up. Conditioner with hydrating ingredients such as aloe vera, shea butter and argan oil is incredibly helpful.
Almost every hair type can benefit from a leave-in, however, it's incredibly important for curly hair to utilize and incorporate this product into their routine.
Using a bowl, lean forward and dunk your hair into the bowl. You'll go through your wash routine while dunking and scrunching (see step 3 in method 1) to preserve the shape of your curls. No bowl? No problem. You can wash your hair with your head tilted in the shower while also scrunching.
After washing and with your hair still wet or damp, apply curl cream and spread evenly between both hands. Run your fingers through your hair and be sure to continue scrunching with this product in your hands. Curl cream helps hold the natural shape of your curls and prevents fall or loosening. A great brand of curl cream would be It's a 10 Miracle Defrizzing Curl Cream.