Hair Type Quiz
Find your exact hair profile - curl type, strand thickness, density, porosity, scalp type, and more - and get one of 50+ personalised routines grounded in hair science.
This tool is in beta — if your profile doesn't feel right or you don't see yourself represented, I'd love to hear from you!
What is hair type, and why does it matter?
Hair type is not one thing — it is a combination of factors that together determine how your hair behaves, what products work for it, and what it needs to thrive. Most hair quizzes and product recommendations focus on curl pattern alone, which is why so many people end up with a routine that does not work.
A complete hair profile includes your curl pattern (straight, wavy, curly, or coily), your strand thickness (fine, medium, or coarse), your porosity (how your hair absorbs and retains moisture), your scalp type, and your damage history. Each of these changes what your hair needs.
Fine wavy hair and coarse wavy hair, for example, need entirely different products — even though the curl pattern is the same. Fine hair is easily weighed down by anything heavy, while coarse hair often needs richer products to stay hydrated and defined. Getting this right is the difference between a routine that transforms your hair and one that just keeps it tolerable.
Hair porosity explained
Porosity is arguably the most important factor in building a routine that actually works — and it is the most frequently misunderstood. It refers to how open or closed your hair's cuticle layer is, which determines how easily moisture gets in and how long it stays there.
The cup test — dropping a strand of hair into a glass of water and seeing whether it floats or sinks — is commonly recommended as a way to test porosity. It is not reliable. Whether a strand floats or sinks is affected by product residue, water temperature, air bubbles, and strand thickness — not just cuticle structure. Fine hair, in particular, may always float regardless of its actual porosity.
A far more accurate approach is to observe how your hair actually behaves. The quiz above uses your real-world observations — how your hair feels when wet, how long it takes to dry — to derive a porosity picture that is grounded in how your hair works, not a single unreliable test.
Why buildup is the most overlooked cause of hair problems
Product buildup — from styling products, natural oils, hard water minerals, and silicones — accumulates on the scalp and hair shaft over time. It prevents moisture from penetrating the hair, makes hair feel heavy, dull, or unresponsive to products, and in its worst form, can clog follicles and contribute to hair loss.
The curly hair community has long advocated avoiding sulfates entirely. For thick, high-porosity, or coily hair, this can work well. But for fine, wavy, or easily-weighed-down hair, sulfate-free cleansers often make things worse — they contain conditioning agents that layer rather than lift, creating the very buildup they are supposed to prevent.
The important distinction is between sulfate types. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is harsh and strips the scalp. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) is milder and effective for most hair types. Sodium coco-sulfate is stronger and useful for removing heavy oils or silicones. Periodic clarifying with one of these is beneficial for all hair types — the frequency is what varies.
Frequently asked questions
-
Your hair type is determined by your curl pattern (straight, wavy, curly, or coily), strand thickness (fine, medium, or coarse), and porosity (how your hair absorbs and retains moisture). The most accurate way to find out is to observe how your hair behaves — how it dries, how it absorbs product, and how it feels when wet — rather than relying on tests like the cup test, which can be inaccurate for many hair types.
-
No. The curly girl method works well for thick, high-porosity, dense curly and coily hair. It is less effective — and can actively cause problems — for fine, wavy, or easily-weighed-down hair. Sulfate-free cleansers contain conditioning agents that layer rather than lift on fine or low-porosity hair, causing buildup that makes hair feel limp, sticky, and unclean.
-
Hair type refers to your curl pattern — straight (type 1), wavy (type 2), curly (type 3), or coily (type 4). Hair texture refers to the thickness of your individual strands — fine, medium, or coarse. Both matter significantly for choosing the right products. Fine wavy hair needs very different products from coarse wavy hair, even though the curl pattern is the same.
-
Yes — mixed porosity is very common, especially in longer hair or hair that has been coloured or heat-styled. Roots tend to have tighter cuticles (lower porosity) while ends, being older and more exposed to damage, tend to have more open cuticles (higher porosity). The quiz accounts for this with a specific mixed porosity profile.
-
Hair that appears not to grow is usually one of two things: it is growing but breaking off at the ends at the same rate (a retention problem, not a growth problem), or there is a genuine growth issue at scalp level caused by stress, nutritional deficiency, hormonal changes, or scalp health problems. Stress-triggered shedding, known as telogen effluvium, typically occurs 2–4 months after a stressor. Persistent changes in growth rate warrant a visit to a GP or dermatologist.
-
There is no universal answer — the right wash frequency depends on your scalp type, how quickly your hair becomes greasy, and what products you are using. Washing when your hair starts to feel greasy is the most reliable guide. Waiting too long allows buildup to accumulate on the scalp, which can contribute to scalp issues and hair loss over time. Washing on a fixed schedule regardless of how your hair feels often leads to either over-washing or under-washing.
-
Yes. Chronic stress triggers telogen effluvium — a condition in which hair follicles prematurely enter the resting phase, causing diffuse shedding typically 2–4 months after the stressor. This is well-documented and the shedding is usually reversible once stress reduces. No topical product can address stress-related shedding — the cause is systemic, not superficial.
-
Your hair type is determined by four key factors: your curl pattern (straight, wavy, curly, or coily), your strand thickness (fine, medium, coarse, or very coarse), your density (how much hair you actually have — sparse, average, or a lot), and your porosity (how your hair absorbs and retains moisture). The most accurate way to find out is to observe how your hair actually behaves rather than relying on tests like the cup test, which can be inaccurate for many hair types.