what exactly is the difference between 1a and 1b type hair?

[~honeyflower~]

Sorry if its somewhere in the forums,but the search engine didn't bring anything up.

I am still confused about 1a and 1b, they're both straight aren't they? But what makes one unique from the other?

Be specific please!

[Anje]

1a hair has almost never heard of frizz and hangs like a silky sheet. Even when it's thick, folks with 1a hair tend to think or be told that their hair looks thin when it's loose because it generally has no volume to it and the strands hang very close together, since they have no back-and-forth to hold them separate.

1b tries to do that, but has just a little bit of minor wave to it, maybe the ends flick this way or that, that sort of thing. It's still definitely straight hair (of course, I can't tell you how many 2s and 3s start off thinking they're straighties with frizz, so that might not be an obvious description), but it isn't mirror-smooth straight.

1c definitely is heading toward the wavy category, even though it's mostly straight. It tends to have a bit of frizz where individual hairs want to pop out of the pattern, and it often dips in at the neck, out by the shoulders, and maybe in and out once or twice more as it gets long. It might have an S curve near the face. Without having studied it, I'd guesstimate that 1c is particularly common among straightish-haired folks of european descent, more so than 1a or even 1b.

[Cheele]

What Anje said. I'm probably a full 1c, but I'm not sure some days, so I say 1b/1c. You can take a look at my siggy pic. 1a is slick straight. 1b is maybe some more flippy. 1c is shoopy without too many defined S waves.

[Bagginslover]

I'm 1b. I decided I was there as I can get root volume, and my hair when loose is big, yet still dead straight. Its my impression that 1a's have no root lift, and that 1c's have some visable, very loose wave.

[Anje]

All that said, how your hair looks tends to vary day to day, and it only gets more variable the more texture you get. Furthermore, if you've styled it (heck, brushed it) since it was last washed, it changes even more. That's why there's some fairly specific protocols for hairtyping.

For example, I'd say your hair looks pretty much 1a in your sigpic, Bagginslover, even if it isn't that way all the time. But your avatar definitely shows hair with more bounce to it.

[Bagginslover]

My hair has straightened even more since I started using henna, so you're probably right Anje, though I do still have root lift. I classified using my avatar pic (I keep it as its where I started from, as a reminder), which was my hair in its natural state, my sig pic had touching, and possibly even brushing before it dried fully, so would be bad for typing from ;)

[Accalia]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i3i3sYzrg2U/Ua4_F2ijXZI/AAAAAAAAH3s/vY1EQX-it0c/s200/photo%25203.JPG

And this is my 1a hair. I definitely recognize Anje's description! No volume and thin looking.

[faellen]

Anje's descriptions are pretty much perfect. I always think of 1a hair as absolutely dead straight like spaghetti whereas 1b has a very slight wave, ends flick a little bit, etc.

[Indigo Girl]

Anje's descriptions are pretty much perfect. I always think of 1a hair as absolutely dead straight like spaghetti whereas 1b has a very slight wave, ends flick a little bit, etc.

Agree with this. I am another 1a; my hair has no wave or body to it at all.

[vindo]

1a hair has almost never heard of frizz and hangs like a silky sheet. Even when it's thick, folks with 1a hair tend to think or be told that their hair looks thin when it's loose because it generally has no volume to it and the strands hang very close together, since they have no back-and-forth to hold them separate.
.....

I agree with this but wanted to say that "frizz" can also happen for 1a hair. It can be health related, or simply be slightly frizzy 1a hair, but still dead straight. It is likely rare, but possible :)


I'm 1b. I decided I was there as I can get root volume, and my hair when loose is big, yet still dead straight. Its my impression that 1a's have no root lift, and that 1c's have some visable, very loose wave.
Root volume has to do with the stiffness of your hair, meaning how well it holds itself away from the scalp, resistance when being bent. Asians often have 1a hair with root volume, which has to do with the hair being of a rounder, more resistant shape. Hair that has less resistance/ stiffness is often oval shaped.


Anje's descriptions are pretty much perfect. I always think of 1a hair as absolutely dead straight like spaghetti whereas 1b has a very slight wave, ends flick a little bit, etc.

I think dead straight describes it really well!

[chen bao jun]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i3i3sYzrg2U/Ua4_F2ijXZI/AAAAAAAAH3s/vY1EQX-it0c/s200/photo%25203.JPG

And this is my 1a hair. I definitely recognize Anje's description! No volume and thin looking.

Your hair is lovely.

[chen bao jun]

Agree with this. I am another 1a; my hair has no wave or body to it at all.
You have very pretty hair, also. It does not look thin.

[Anje]

Root volume has to do with the stiffness of your hair, meaning how well it holds itself away from the scalp, resistance when being bent. Asians often have 1a hair with root volume, which has to do with the hair being of a rounder, more resistant shape. Hair that has less resistance/ stiffness is often oval shaped.
That makes sense, though I think of the "average" Han Chinese person (still stereotyping big time, I know!) has having about 1b hair. It may be that their hair is just a bit coarser -- my mental image of 1a is typically quite fine. Most of the Blue Hmong people I knew growing up were more 1a.

[~honeyflower~]

Thanks everyone!

All your descriptions and photo's had finally gotten me out of the fog. While I was waiting for my damp hair to dry, I looked at it very closely and I saw clumpy hair and it was flat,so I thought it fit the 1a description perfectly. Thanks!

[Annibelle]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i3i3sYzrg2U/Ua4_F2ijXZI/AAAAAAAAH3s/vY1EQX-it0c/s200/photo%25203.JPG

And this is my 1a hair. I definitely recognize Anje's description! No volume and thin looking.

I had to stop reading just to give this photo a :thudpile:

[Accalia]

Your hair is lovely. :toast:


Thanks everyone!

All your descriptions and photo's had finally gotten me out of the fog. While I was waiting for my damp hair to dry, I looked at it very closely and I saw clumpy hair and it was flat,so I thought it fit the 1a description perfectly. Thanks!

Well, hello hair twin! :)



I had to stop reading just to give this photo a :thudpile:

Ahhw thank you!

[leslissocool]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i3i3sYzrg2U/Ua4_F2ijXZI/AAAAAAAAH3s/vY1EQX-it0c/s200/photo%25203.JPG

And this is my 1a hair. I definitely recognize Anje's description! No volume and thin looking.

:thud:

Your hair and Indigo Hair do not look thin to me at all! It's so silky and luscious! Beautiful!

[Indigo Girl]

You have very pretty hair, also. It does not look thin.

Thank you! :flower: It can get very thin when I go through a shedding period. I am gaining a bit of thickness back now after a very recent shed.


Your hair and Indigo Hair do not look thin to me at all! It's so silky and luscious! Beautiful!

Did you mean me here? Thank you if you did! :flowers:

[leslissocool]

Did you mean me here? Thank you if you did! :flowers:

Yes I meant you! Actually looks thicker than mine, it's just gorgeous!

[vindo]

That makes sense, though I think of the "average" Han Chinese person (still stereotyping big time, I know!) has having about 1b hair. It may be that their hair is just a bit coarser -- my mental image of 1a is typically quite fine. Most of the Blue Hmong people I knew growing up were more 1a.

Oh wow, that is very specific :lol:. I get what you mean, but shouldn't the body wave solely state how much wave or lack of a wave you have? I know some Asians have much coarser hair than others, but I don't think hair that is more coarse turns hair into a 1b, since a 1b not only has a body wave, but also a little flip near the ends, correct?
I have seen people with very coarse hair that had dead straight hair and would classify them as 1a then :)

[Indigo Girl]

Yes I meant you! Actually looks thicker than mine, it's just gorgeous!

Thank you so much! :flowers:

I think my hair generally tends to look thicker than it really is in photos, for some reason I can't understand. Either that or my perception of it is just off. :p

I've always loved your hair - the color and the body are stunning. :flower:

[Cg]

You have one gorgeous head of hair!

[lapushka]

You have one gorgeous head of hair!

This thread is almost 3 years old, BTW. Just so you know, in case you might have missed it. ;)

[maborosi]

This is still a pretty nice thread! I'd wager I'm 1b, but I just put 1a/1b because I don't have too much wave- my hair's pretty straight, but it holds curls and waves very well.

[Elbereth]

Ok, now I'm starting to wonder my hair type. :lol:
I've always considered myself to be a 1b. But my hair has very strong lift- meaning, that when I wake up, it looks like overgrown lion's mane with front of the hair sticking straight up until its weight pulls it back down. :silly: To me, it looks rather 1b-ish when down. But, when I put it up in a bun, another real surprise emerges: the short hairs in the nape of my neck form a couple of perfect curl loops. The kind you want to pull a bit just to see if they curl back when you let go (they do!).
Sorry, no picture since my minion is on work trip, but what does this sound like to you?

[Arctic]

Sounds like you need to take hair typing photo ;) I retook them myself too, over 7 years between the photos sets. Yes there had been changes during that time.

Other than that, it's good to remember the hairtyping system is pretty crude and "unnatural" way to try and box into neat categories something that is clearly too multifaceted to really ever fit. If your hair's otherwise looking and behaving like 1b, bar few small sections at the nape, then you simply might have several hairtypes growing in your hair, which might not be neighbours on the Fia's scale. Ringlets sound like 2c or more.

[Elbereth]

After this discussion, a hairtyping photo session is definitely on my weekend to-do list! It's been many years since I've taken a length shot anyway.
What you say about multiple hairtypes in one head might be the right answer indeed. I've always associated ringlets with 2c or 3's, but my hair in general does not look as wavy as that of 2's. It's definitely bouncy and the ends are flippy, but I'd be very surprised to see any S waves going down the length. The neck curls appear only when my hair is up.
It'd be cool to have a "1b/3a" in my profile, though! :face:

[lapushka]

It'd be cool to have a "1b/3a" in my profile, though! :face:

That seems a little bipolar. :toofers: :smirk:

[mermaiden_hair]

1A is literally pin straight. No body, no waves, nothing. It is like a silk sheet.
1B is straight but with body, with maybe the ends flipping in a different direction. Still no waves.
1C is straight with body, flipped ends, and very few waves, usually in the nape of the neck or around the face.

[lapushka]

1A is literally pin straight. No body, no waves, nothing. It is like a silk sheet.
1B is straight but with body, with maybe the ends flipping in a different direction. Still no waves.
1C is straight with body, flipped ends, and very few waves, usually in the nape of the neck or around the face.

1b & 1c has more like a "body wave", the entire length moving in one direction, instead of individual pieces, which is what the distinction is with the 2s.

[mermaiden_hair]

1b & 1c has more like a "body wave", the entire length moving in one direction, instead of individual pieces, which is what the distinction is with the 2s.

I also hear that 1C can do that tousled beachy look if the person scrunches their hair a bit. Not exactly wavy, but kind of wild and pretty. I can't describe it, forgive me, LOL!

[lucid]

I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering about the difference between 1a and 1b hair.

I'm very certain that my hair is 1a. It is completely straight, doesn't hold curl/wave well, no root lift/volume, never frizz, etc. People that don't know me usually assume that I straighten my hair.
However, my hair do flick slightly at the ends, something that only started happening as my hair grew longer (past hip), and I think it is due to the fact that I'm sitting down when my hair dries, so the ends dries while laying "curled up" in my lap.


This is a picture of my hair, air dried and not brushed (I'm not fond of this pic), would you guys say that this is 1a or 1b hair?
https://s26.postimg.org/pfp5563yh/16809201_10158154300890109_1905079144_n.jpg

[Arctic]

You've been plopping :D

I'd say 1a, I am comparing to my own hair the way it was before my hairtype change. I am pretty sure it was 1b and I had more bend/body in my hair than you do.

[Deborah]

I think 1a.

[lapushka]

Nope, that's 1a if ever I saw it! :) Very pretty!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering about the difference between 1a and 1b hair.

I'm very certain that my hair is 1a. It is completely straight, doesn't hold curl/wave well, no root lift/volume, never frizz, etc. People that don't know me usually assume that I straighten my hair.
However, my hair do flick slightly at the ends, something that only started happening as my hair grew longer (past hip), and I think it is due to the fact that I'm sitting down when my hair dries, so the ends dries while laying "curled up" in my lap.


This is a picture of my hair, air dried and not brushed (I'm not found of this pic), would you guys say that this is 1a or 1b hair?
https://s26.postimg.org/pfp5563yh/16809201_10158154300890109_1905079144_n.jpg

Totally gorgeous 1a hair! :)

[Joyful Mystery]

Looks 1a to me as well. Very pretty!

[Rosamaria]

This hair-classifying can be such an in-exact science!

I classify my hair as 1b, because looked at from a distance, it is basically straight, but has some body waves to it. However, when I look closely at each individual hair, I have:
- straight, fine, almost translucent hairs
- hairs that are thicker and within a length of 6 inches, will look like an upside down question mark
- hair of the same medium thickness, that in a length of 6 inches will form an S shape
- hairs that are coarse, and in a length of 6 inches, will curl back and forth six or seven times.

The fine, straight ones and the curly, coarse ones are rarer than the medium, wavy ones, but the curly ones seem to be seem to be increasing in number as I get older and perhaps in time I will have to reclassify as 1c!

Perhaps we shouldn't worry too much about correct classifications. Human beings are infinitely variable and difficult to classify and put into boxes, and it seems that the same is true of our hair - and thank goodness for that! Vive la difference!

[lucid]

Looks like everyone agrees - 1a it is. :D and I'll continue "plopping" my ends, maybe I'll manage to get even more "wave" in as it gets even longer :p

And thanks so much for the compliments, guys :)

[lizardspots]

Definitely 1a hair, lucid. :) So silky and beautiful!

Only on joining LHC did I realise my hair is not dead straight. It actually has a body wave and my ends flick in different directions, and the wispies around my face tend to have a bit of curl and wiggle.

[samanthaa]

Same, lizardspots! I can "ditto" everything you've said. We might be close to hair twins despite the color difference! My goal is also TB with a blunt hemline.

[fairy_hair]

Anje's descriptions are pretty much perfect. I always think of 1a hair as absolutely dead straight like spaghetti whereas 1b has a very slight wave, ends flick a little bit, etc.

Omg I've been trying to figure mine out - my hair is very straight but the ends have always flicked and my roots don't sit flat at the front.... I do have a cowlick so it's hard haha, but I think I might actually have 1b hair, especially since I've found some loose hairs that have a very slight wave (unless caused by bunning)...