Quel est mon type de boucles ?

You find your curl type by looking at clean, product-light hair once it's fully dry and unstretched, then matching that shape to the 2A-4C chart. Mixed patterns across your head are normal. Porosity and density are separate traits that affect product choice but not the shape itself. The fastest way to confirm a result across your whole head is a photo scan in Curltine, which reads pattern alongside porosity and density in one pass. For the complete curly hair routine guide, start there.

Most people land here after a chart, a quiz, or an influencer video gave them three different answers. That's usually a testing problem, not a hair problem: wet hair, one strand, and indoor lighting each push the result in a different direction. Fix the test and the confusion mostly disappears.

Curl type vs. porosity vs. density (don't mix them up)

These three terms get used interchangeably online, and that's where most routines go wrong. Curl type is shape. Porosity is moisture behavior. Density is how much hair you have. You need all three to build a routine that actually works.

Trait	What it measures	How to check it	Changes your...
Curl type	Strand shape: wave, curl, or coil (2A-4C)	Dry, product-light visual check	Hold strength, styling method
Porosity	How fast hair absorbs and releases moisture	Porosity test	Product richness, wash frequency
Density	Strands per square inch of scalp	Ponytail width, part visibility	Product amount, layering

A 3A curl with low porosity needs lighter products than a 3A curl with high porosity, even though both share the same shape. Read curl type vs porosity if products keep underperforming despite matching the "right" type on a chart.

At-home curl pattern test (step-by-step)

Run this on hair you haven't styled heavily in a few days, ideally right after a wash.

Cleanse lightly. Use a sulfate-free shampoo or a light co-wash. Skip anything marketed as "extra moisturizing" for this specific check — you want a clean baseline, not a coated one.
Apply a light leave-in only. No gel, no cream, no mousse. Product hold can mask your natural clump size.
Air dry or diffuse without touching. Scrunching, re-wetting, or finger-combing while wet reshapes the pattern before it sets.
Compare mid-lengths in natural light. Overhead indoor lighting flattens shadows and hides clump definition. A window during daytime works better than any bathroom light.
Check more than one zone. Crown, sides, and nape can each read differently. Note all three before picking a single label.

Once dry, hold a section between two fingers and look at the shape it forms on its own, not the shape you can pull it into.

Visual decision guide: wavy, curly, or coily

Use this as a fast sort before you get into A/B/C precision.

Mostly S-waves that lie close to the head → Type 2 (2A-2C). Compare against curl type 2A and the rest of the curl type chart.
Spirals that spring back when stretched → Type 3 (3A-3C). See curl type 3A and curl type 3C for the range.
Coils or Z-shaped bends with high shrinkage → Type 4 (4A-4C). Check curl type 4C for the tightest end of that range.

If your result sits between two families — say, deep waves that almost curl — you're likely at the loose end of the tighter type (2C leaning 3A, for example) rather than stuck between charts. The full curl type chart breaks down every letter with care notes.

Curl pattern test mistakes that skew your result

Judging wet hair. Wet strands stretch under their own weight and look looser than the dry result. Always wait for a full dry.
Comparing to a celebrity or influencer photo. Filters, extensions, and professional styling change what's on screen. Compare to your own dry baseline, not someone else's best photo.
Ignoring damage. Heat damage, chemical services, and breakage can loosen or flatten a pattern that used to read tighter. A damaged 3B can test closer to 2C until the damaged length grows out.
One-strand obsession. Testing a single piece near your part and applying that result to your whole head misses zone differences that change product needs.

Hair type AI and detectors: what actually helps

Search interest in "hair type AI," "hair type detector," and "scan hair type" has grown because manual charts leave people unsure. Some of that traffic goes to gimmick filters that guess from a single blurry photo and stop there, with no follow-up and no product logic behind the label.

Curltine's AI hair scan works differently: it reads pattern, porosity, density, and frizz from a photo, then combines those into a Curl Score and a wash-day routine, rather than a novelty label with nothing behind it. Curl Score tracks over time, so a scan after a haircut or a humid month shows you what actually changed instead of leaving you to guess. Read how the Curltine AI hair scan works for the mechanics, or see curly hair scanner for the scan walkthrough.

None of this replaces the dry-hair check above. Think of the two as cross-checks: the at-home test teaches you to read your own pattern, and the scan catches the zones or lighting mistakes that skew a mirror check.

Scan your hair with Curltine once you've done the at-home check above — comparing both gives you a more reliable answer than either alone.

Prefer a quiz?

If you'd rather answer a short set of questions than photograph your own hair, the curl type quiz walks through pattern, shrinkage, and product feel and maps your answers to a 2A-4C result, then points you to the same scan for confirmation.

After you know your type

Your curl type points you toward a starting routine, not a finished one.

Build a wash day routine sized to your type and density.
Confirm porosity with the hair porosity test before buying products.
Use the Curltine product scanner to check whether a label matches your profile before you commit to a full-size bottle.

Frequently asked questions

What curl type do I have?

Wash with a light cleanser, skip heavy stylers, and let hair air dry untouched. Compare the dry result to the 2A-4C chart, checking crown, sides, and nape separately since mixed patterns are common. A photo scan gives a faster, repeatable read of the same thing.

How do I figure out my curl type?

Reset your hair with a light wash and no heavy product, then look at clump shape once it's fully dry. S-bends point to Type 2, spirals to Type 3, tight coils or zig-zags to Type 4. Letters A-C move from looser to tighter inside each family.

Is there an AI hair type identifier?

Yes. Curltine's AI hair scan reads pattern, porosity, density, and frizz from one photo and turns that into a Curl Score and routine, instead of just a letter-number guess.

Can I test my curl type on wet hair?

No. Wet hair stretches under its own weight, so waves look straighter and curls look looser than they really are. Always judge pattern once hair is fully dry and unstretched.

Why do I get a different result every time I check my curl type?

Lighting, product buildup, humidity, and which section of hair you check all change the read. Test in natural light on clean, product-light hair, and check more than one zone before you settle on an answer.

Can I have more than one curl type?

Yes. Crown, sides, and nape often differ, especially where heat, friction, or past damage varies. Note each zone instead of forcing one label onto your whole head.

What's the difference between curl type and porosity?

Curl type describes the shape your strand forms — wave, curl, or coil. Porosity describes how fast that strand absorbs and loses moisture. Two people can share a curl type and need opposite products because their porosity differs.

Do hair type quizzes actually work?

They're a reasonable starting point for learning the 2A-4C system, but a handful of multiple-choice answers can't see your actual strand. Pair a quiz with a dry-hair check or a photo scan before you commit to a product lineup.

Confirm your curl type with a real scan

You've done the dry-hair check. Curltine's AI hair scan reads your pattern from a photo, adds porosity and density, and builds the wash-day plan that follows from your actual profile — not a guess.

Start your free Curltine scan, or get Curltine on iPhone and Android.