Curl Types · Wavy · 2A

2A Hair Examples: What Does 2A Hair Look Like?

See 2A waves on long, short, styled and unstyled hair, compare them with 2B and 2C, and find out if this is your type.

Long, fine, blonde hair seen from the front, straight at the roots with a soft bend from the chin down — Straight at the roots, with a soft bend that starts around the chin.Long · Front view

In profile, the bend is open and stretched: more of a ripple than an S.Long · Side view

Long hair seen from behind, smooth and flat over the crown, with a loose wave through the ends — From behind: smooth and flat over the crown, with a loose wave through the ends.Long · Back view

11 photos

What to look for

A soft, stretched bend rather than a clear S
Flat, straight roots, with the wave from ear level down
Fine hair that loses its shape by the afternoon

More examples of 2A hair

Long, short, unstyled and defined, from the front, side and back

Very long hair seen from behind, nearly straight at the top and gently waved towards the ends — On long hair, the weight stretches the wave out, so it shows most at the ends.Long · Back view

A gentle ripple from just below the ear, with flat roots above it.Long · Side view

Shoulder-length black hair seen from the front, in soft, tousled bends — Cut shorter, 2A hair has less weight pulling on it and shows more of its bend.Shoulder length · Front view

A black lob seen from the side, with soft, loose bends through the ends — Cut to a lob, the 2A bend shows clearly: soft, loose turns through the ends.Lob · Side view

Long hair air-dried with no product, with an undone, tousled bend — Air-dried with no product: a tousled bend that is easy to mistake for straight hair that won't behave.Long · Unstyled

Long hair styled with mousse and diffused, with soft, defined bends and some lift at the root — Styled with a light mousse and diffused: the same bend, with more shape and a little lift.Styled · Diffused

Hair seen from above, smooth and flat at the parting, with the bend starting near the jaw — Smooth and flat at the parting, with the bend not starting until around the jaw.Long · Parting

Long hair the day after washing, mostly straight with a slight bend left at the ends — By the next day, a 2A wave has mostly dropped, leaving a slight bend at the ends.Long · Second day

2A vs 2B vs 2C: See the difference

2A hair with a gentle bend through the lengths, nearly straight at the top

2ALoose waves

A loose bend rather than a full S
Fine, and often nearly straight at the top
Falls flat easily

2B hair with a clear, repeating S from the mid-lengths down

2BDefined waves

A clear S from the mid-lengths down
A flatter crown
Some frizz on the surface

2B guide

2C hair with deep waves from near the root and a few ringlets

2CDeep waves

Deep waves that start near the root
A few ringlets underneath
Thicker, with more frizz

2C guide

A visual guide to the patterns, not a clinical chart. Hair type is a description, and plenty of heads sit between two.

Do I have 2A hair?

Check on clean hair that has air-dried with no product

Does your hair dry with a bend, not a full S?
Let it air-dry with no product and look at a single section. 2A hair forms a soft, open bend through the lengths. A clear, repeating S from the mid-lengths down is 2B.
Are your roots flat and straight?
2A waves start around ear level or lower, with the first few inches lying flat. Waves that form higher up point to 2B or 2C.
Does the wave fall out by midday?
A 2A bend is weaker than gravity and most products. If it is gone by the afternoon, or after a single brush, that is typical of 2A.
Does scrunching bring the wave back?
Scrunch a damp section upward and let it dry untouched. If a bend appears that wasn't there when you brushed it straight, your hair has a 2A wave under the weight.

More than one pattern? That is normal. Many people have a mix, often looser at the crown and tighter underneath or around the face. Go by the pattern over most of your head, and treat the rest as part of the same routine.