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Type 3B is what most people picture when they hear the words curly hair: well-defined, springy ringlets with plenty of volume. Each curl is roughly the width of a marker pen. It is a pattern with real presence, and a real thirst.

How to recognize it

  • Spiral ringlets that form complete loops from the root.
  • Curls about the width of a marker or your index finger.
  • Significant volume, especially when dry.
  • Shrinkage: hair that looks several inches shorter dry than wet.
  • Dryness, most noticeable at the ends.
  • Frizz in humid weather and when touched while drying.

Looser, larger loops the width of a piece of chalk suggest 3A. Tight corkscrews the width of a pencil are 3C. Having two of the three on one head is entirely normal.

What 3B hair needs

The oil from your scalp has a long, winding route to the ends of a 3B curl and rarely completes it. So the routine is built around moisture first, then enough hold to keep each ringlet intact. Unlike wavy hair, 3B curls can carry a reasonable amount of product. Unlike coily hair, they can still be weighed down by too much.

The routine

Cleanse

Once or twice a week, with a sulfate-free shampoo on the scalp.

Condition and detangle

Apply conditioner generously and detangle in sections from the ends upward, with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb. This is the only time anything should go through your curls. Squeeze water into the hair before rinsing.

Once a week, replace your usual conditioner with a deep treatment, left on for twenty minutes.

Style

On soaking wet hair, in this order:

  1. Leave-in conditioner, raked through.
  2. Gel, smoothed over each section and scrunched upward.

A cream between the two is optional, and worth adding only if your hair still feels dry.

Define, if you want to

For the most uniform ringlets, brush-style each section while wet, turning your wrist as you reach the ends.

Dry

Scrunch out water with a microfiber towel. Air dry, or diffuse on low heat. Do not touch until fully dry, then scrunch out the cast.

3B curls are rarely short of shape. What they are short of is water.

Common 3B problems

Frizz with no definition. Nearly always products applied to hair that was not wet enough, or too little gel. Start with Why Is My Curly Hair Frizzy?

Dry, rough ends. Deep condition weekly, use a leave-in every wash, and trim regularly. Ends that stay rough whatever you do are usually damaged and need cutting.

The triangle. Flat on top, wide at the bottom. This is a haircut problem; layers cut for curls resolve it.

Curls that last one day. Protect them overnight and refresh with water in the morning instead of restyling.

Loose, stretched curls. Check your protein and moisture balance. Limp ringlets often want protein.

What to avoid

  • Brushing or combing dry hair.
  • Terry towels.
  • Skipping gel and relying on cream alone.
  • Regular high heat, which loosens the pattern over time. See How to Repair Heat-Damaged Curls.
  • Washing every day.

Making it last

A 3B wash day should last three or four days.

A note on your haircut

3B hair should be cut by someone who understands shrinkage. A curl that hangs to the collarbone wet may sit at the chin dry. Many curl specialists cut the hair dry, curl by curl, so the shape is designed as it will be worn. Ask for layers to distribute volume, and be cautious with short layers at the crown, which can stand upright.

For the wider family, see the Curly hair guide.