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How To Know If You Have Curly Hair Or Wavy Hair

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Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if your straight locks might actually be curly hair or wavy hair? 

Believe it or not, it’s pretty common for people to think their hair is straight when in fact they have natural waves, loose curls, or even coily hair. If natural hair doesn’t get the care it needs, it can look more like frizzy straight hair, and you can easily be tricked by your own tresses.

But how do you know if you have curly hair?

In this article, I’ll tell you seven signs that your “straight hair” is actually wavy, curly, or coily hair. I’ll also share five simple tests to check for curly hair, and help you take the first steps towards achieving beautiful, juicy curls. 

You’ll be amazed how much difference a curly hair routine makes to how your hair looks and feels!

7 Signs You Have Wavy, Curly, Or Coily Hair

So, how do you know what curly hair looks like?

First, take a look through these common signs of curly, wavy, or coily hair. If you can say ‘Yes’ to one or two of them, you might just have straight hair in desperate need of more hydration.

But if five or more of these signs sound familiar, you can be pretty sure you’re a curly girl!

Your Hair Is Longer When Wet

Curly hair usually looks longer when it’s wet and shorter when it’s dry. That’s because the weight of the water on your strands elongates your curls and stretches them out. Then, as your hair dries, your tresses will lose inches again due to curl shrinkage. 

This change in length is a common sign of natural curls. 

Your Wet Hair Looks Wavy Or Curly

Have you ever noticed that your dry hair looks straight but then it starts to look wavy or curly when you wash it?

Blow drying curly or wavy hair pulls the strands straight and hides their natural texture, but wetting your hair on wash day tends to bring out those natural curls again. So, if your hair is curly, that’s probably when you’ll be able to tell!

Your Hair Is Dry, Frizzy, Or Flyaway

A healthy scalp produces a natural oil called sebum which helps moisturize and protect your strands. Curly hair types tend to be drier than straight hair, because the sebum finds it harder to travel all the way down a wavy, curly, or coily strand. 

If your strands aren’t getting the moisture they need from deep conditioners, hair oil, or other hydrating hair products, it can lead to frizz. 

So, if you’re constantly battling against frizz and flyaways or have dry, brittle hair, this could also be a sign that your hair is curly. 

You Get Big Hair In Humid Weather 

Remember when Monica visited Barbados in “Friends” and her hair got REALLY big? That’s the effect of humidity on natural curls!

Dehydrated curls react to rain, fog, or humid weather by absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. If your hair gets bigger, frizzier, and more difficult to manage in humid weather, it probably needs more moisture, and that could be a sign of your hair’s natural texture. 

Your Part Chooses Itself

If you’ve ever parted your hair in one place, only to find that it shifts over during the day, it can feel like your hair is choosing its own part.

That’s almost what actually happens when you have curly hair. Curls clump together and your part can be affected by where the curl clumps fall. If you have curly hair, you might also find that the position of your part changes when you wash your hair, or it might zig-zag over two places on your scalp. 

dry detangling curly hair

Your Hair Get Bigger After Brushing

If brushing your hair gives it more volume and even makes it look messier, you might have curly hair. 

Using a regular bristle brush will make curly hair look big and poofy, not sleek and smooth.  The best way to tame and detangle natural curls is by using your fingers, a wide-tooth comb, or a special detangling brush or Denman brush

Your Hair Is Hard To Straighten

It can be frustrating to spend hours blow drying and straightening your hair with a flat iron, just to see the kinks and frizz quickly reappear. 

If straightening your hair doesn’t work, this might be a sign that you’re trying to fight against the natural texture of wavy, curly, or kinky hair. Embracing your natural curls will take less effort and give you beautiful, healthy hair. 

By the way, if your hair is curly, you’ll probably want to cut down on using heat styling tools like a flat iron or curling iron. They can cause heat damage and make your tresses even drier and more prone to breakage.

selfie of curly hair

5 Ways To Check For Curly Hair

If you think you might have curly hair, here are some simple tests you can do at home.

Look Closely At Your Hair Texture

Examine the texture of your hair really closely. Does it look frizzy, feel coarse to the touch, or develop knots easily? These can all be signs of naturally curly hair. 

Curly hair types often have oilier roots and drier ends because the scalp’s natural oils struggle to travel all the way down the curves and bends in each strand. If your hair is naturally dry and prone to breakage, this could be another sign of curly hair. 

Air Dry Your Hair

Shampoo your hair with a gentle shampoo and allow it to air dry without applying any styling products. This will make it easier to see your hair’s natural state, and you might find your locks look very different than when you use a blow dryer on wash days. 

If your air-dried mane has lots of volume and bouncy curls, it likely has a natural texture. 

Check Your Natural Curl Pattern With A Strand Test

Take a few strands of hair and wrap them around your finger to make a “finger curl”. Now, gently remove your finger and see how well your hair holds the shape of the curl. 

If the curl holds well in a ringlet, you likely have curly hair. If it holds a loose ringlet, you probably have wavy hair. Naturally straight hair won’t hold the curl at all. 

Try Another Strand Test

Another way to check for naturally wavy or curly hair is to take a single hair strand and gently stretch it out without breaking it. 

If the hair curls back into a ringlet, you probably have one of the curly hair types. If it forms a soft S-shaped wave, your hair is probably wavy. 

Use The Scrunch Test

Finally, the scrunch test is a great way to check for natural curl formation. You can either do this test after you’ve washed your hair or use a spray bottle to thoroughly wet your locks.

Lean your dripping wet locks to the side, and use the palm of your hand to grab hold of the ends of your hair. Scrunch the hair up towards your roots, squeezing out any excess water, and then slowly lower your hand and release the hair.

It might take a few tries to get a result, but if you have natural wavy or curly hair, your wet hair will form curls or waves.

squish to condish

What To Do If You Have Curly Hair

If you’ve just discovered you have naturally curly hair, our quick Curly Hair Type quiz will help you identify your individual curl type. Just answer a few simple questions, and you’ll soon know for sure whether you’ve got a slight wave, loose curls, tight corkscrews, or even tighter ringlets. 

Your next step is to check out our guide to the Curly Girl Method, which is a very popular way of caring for curly hair. This will help you give your hair the moisture and care it needs to look its best. 

Your Curly Hair Routine

Once you know your hair type, you can develop a curly hair routine that will help bring your dehydrated curls back to life. 

To start, you might make some simple changes to stop your strands getting drier, like washing your hair less frequently and avoiding heat tools. 

Blotting your hair with a cotton t-shirt or microfiber towel will cause less damage than rubbing with a regular towel, and you could also try a diffuser attachment on your blow drier or curly hair plopping methods to dry your curls. 

If you have tight coils or curls, sleeping on a satin pillowcase or putting your hair up in protective hairstyles can help stop your hair getting tangled. 

Choosing Curly Hair Products

Knowing your hair texture will also help you choose the best products to pamper your hair. 

You can make a big difference to how your hair looks and feels by switching to a curl-friendly sulfate-free shampoo, adding a leave-in conditioner to your wash-day routine, and choosing a styling product like curl cream to boost curl definition.

You can take your time to work out your new favorite products, and you don’t need to buy lots of different hair products at once. There’s plenty of time to try out curly hair products such as hair oil, hair masks, and protein-rich products to care for different hair types.

FAQs

Still not sure if you have curly hair? The answers to these frequently asked questions could help you on your quest!

Is It Possible To Have Curly Hair And Not Know It?

Many people have curly hair without being aware of it. When you don’t know how to care for curly hair, it’s very easy to confuse your curls with frizz or think that your hair is just hard to straighten. Learning how to work with your natural hair texture makes caring for your curly locks much easier. 

Is My Hair Curly Or Just Frizzy?

There are some key differences between curly and frizzy hair. Depending on the type of frizzy hair you have, frizz tends to look messy, without a defined curl pattern. It can also feel dry and hard to manage. Curly hair has a distinct curl pattern, and when it’s kept in good condition, it will usually have natural bounce. 

Can My Hair Be Both Wavy And Curly?

Many people have a combination of hair textures. You might have ringlets at the back of your head and loose natural waves at the front, or any other mix of textures. Finding the right products and techniques for your hair can take trial and error, as you need to find options that will suit both curl patterns. 

The Bottom Line

As you can see, it’s easy to mistake natural curls for dry, frizzy, straight hair, especially if you aren’t following good curly hair care guidelines. But it’s easy to identify your natural hair type by looking out for some of the common signs of curly hair and carrying out a few simple DIY tests.

If you’re still unsure which hair type you have, it’s worth seeking out a hair stylist who has experience in caring for curly hair. They will be able to assess your tresses and tell you for sure. 

Once you know you have a curly hair type, you can take your first steps towards achieving beautiful curls, soft waves, or tight coils that are full of vibrant health.

How To Know If You Have Curly Hair Or Wavy Hair HE text overlay on Woman with dark curls smiling with hands in her hair

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