Understanding your kids curl type is so critical to properly care for their curly hair! There’s a lot to consider in curly hair care – the curl type, texture, porosity, hair elasticity, and sebum production of the scalp. As a parent, knowing your child’s hair type will ultimately help you choose better natural curly hair products for kids. Who wouldn’t want that?!

What are the Different Curly Hair Types?
When determining your child’s curl type, consider the following:
1. Curl type: Knowing your kids curl pattern is essential to choosing the right hair products and styles. Without this knowledge, you might be mistreating your kids hair without realizing.
2. Hair texture: Texture comes down to fine, medium, or coarse. It’s determined by the diameter of each individual strand of your kids hair. Hair texture helps determine how well your child’s hair holds in certain styles.
3. Porosity: Determining how porous your kids hair is tells us how much moisture it needs to stay hydrated. If their hair is porous, it requires a lot of moisture to avoid being dry.
4. Hair Elasticity: Elasticity is how easily kids hair breaks or how flexible it is. If your child has low hair elasticity, then it’s prone to breakage, which needs specific products that focuses on strengthening.
5. Sebum Production of the Scalp: Sebum, or oil, production of your scalp can determine whether or not a child has an oily (can make scalp look greasy), balanced, or dry scalp (prone to dandruff flakes). Knowing what issues your kids scalp experiences on the daily can help treat it with the right hair care products.

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s talk more about curl types! Parents, we understand the many, MANY different types of hair each person has, so knowing your child’s hair type will help build a natural curly kids hair care that caters to their needs.

From straight to kinky, each hair has its own category:
1a = Straight (Fine/Thin) – very soft, shiny, can be hard to hold a curl, hard to damage, hair tends to be oily
1b = Straight (Medium) – Has lots of body such as more volume and fuller
1c = Straight (Coarse) – Tends to be hard to curl, bone straight
2a = Wavy (Fine/Thin) – Can accomplish various styles and has definite “S” pattern
2b = Wavy (Medium) – A bit resistant to styling, hair tends to get frizzy
2c = Wavy (Coarse) – Hair has thicker waves, resistant to styling, hair tends to get frizzy as well
3a = Curly (Loose Curls) – Thick and full with lots of body, definite “S” pattern, hair tends to get frizzy, can have a combination texture
3b = Curly (Tight Curls) – Medium amount of curl, can have a combination texture
3c = Curly (Corkscrews) – Tight curls in corkscrews, curls can be either kinky or very tight, has lots of strands densely packed together
4a = Kinky (Soft) – Tightly coiled, very fragile, has a more defined curl pattern
4b = Kinky (Wiry) – Tightly coiled, very fragile, less defined curly pattern, has more of a “Z” shaped pattern
4c = Kinky (Zingy) – Curls are so tightly kinked

Why Should You Care About Curly Hair Types?
There are loads of information on how to take care of kids curly hair that all parents should check out if you’re interested in natural hair care. We all want the best for our children, so why not start with their hair? Understanding your kids hair type is the first step you can take towards ensuring healthy hair throughout their lives. It’ll also help make sure you’re using the proper kids hair products that will cater to their scalp’s needs.

If you're looking for a simple resource that has everything you would want to know about kids curly hair, please check out our: Complete Guide for Curly Hair Kids

To find natural curly hair products for kids, Fairy Tales Hair Care offers Curly-Q, a product line that caters to curly kids hair care! The shampoo, conditioner, and styling gel spray are free of harsh chemicals, like sulfate, paraben, and phthalate, and allergens like gluten, soy, dairy, and nuts.

Stay safe, be smart and be well.



Risa Barash, Founder & Owner & the entire Fairy Tales Hair Care Family