Curl Guide

A guide for distinguishing, learning about & caring for your curly hair type

Discover more about our patterns by clicking the tiles below

TIGHT TEXTURES

4A-4C

COILY

3C-4B

CURLY

3B-3C

LOCS

Learn more about key curl type topics

DRYNESS / DAMAGE

TRANSITIONING

POROSITY

PROTECTIVE STYLES

CURL PATTERN

Where your originality is the standard; where you are your own prototype.

We like to think of our curly hair types & wavy hair patterns as constellations of coils, curves, curls, waves & the ringlet; where each different type of curl flourishes. At PATTERN, we're here to help you define which type your hair is & find the best hair products & hair routine to promote vibrant & healthy hair.

Our story

TIGHT TEXTURES

OFTEN DESCRIBED AS:dense, kinky, type 4 hair, cloud-like, gravity-defying…

Distinguishing Features

Tight textures & tight curls crave as much moisture as they can get; our delicate strands need care & protection to prevent breakage; they easily fluff into an afro with awe-inspiring volume; our hair loves to spend time in protective styles to remain moisturized (using the right styling product!) , to support our delicate ends & to aid in length retention.

4B hair
4B hair or 4B curls are luscious Z-pattern coils that bend & flare in a zig zag pose

4C hair
4C hair or curls are velvety coils with a tight curl that flows, breakdances & freestyles

We Recommend ...

  • shampoo for dry curly hair hydrating shampoo for curly hair

    Hydration Shampoo

    Hydration Shampoo

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $27.00
    $27.00 $27.00
    Size
  • curly hair detangler detangler for curly hair

    Detangling Nectar

    Detangling Nectar

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • deep moisturizer for curly hair deep conditioner

    Intensive Conditioner

    Intensive Conditioner

    for tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Deep Scalp Detox Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    formulated for curlies, coilies, & tight textures

    $17.40
    $17.40 $17.40
    Add to cart
  • Moisture Milk Moisture Milk

    Moisture Milk

    Moisture Milk

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • Curl Mousse curl mousse

    Curl Mousse

    Curl Mousse

    for curlies & coilies

    $13.80
    $13.80 $13.80
    Size
    Add to cart
  • Styling Cream curly hair lotion

    Styling Cream

    Styling Cream

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Size
  • jojoba oil on hair jojoba hair oil

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • curl custard curly hair custard

    Styling Custard

    Styling Custard

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
  • heavy conditioner heavy conditioner for curly hair

    Heavy Conditioner

    Heavy Conditioner

    for coilies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Leave-In Conditioner leave-in conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
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COILY

OFTEN DESCRIBED AS: springy, spongy, tight, type 4 hair, type 3 hair…

Distinguishing Features

Coily hair is tightly-packed corkscrew curls that scrunch up & and give extreme volume; tend to be finer in texture & weight; need extreme moisture to stay soft, defined & and resist tangles; our coils do well with twist-outs & stretched-style techniques.

4A hair
Type 4A hair has a supple S-pattern coil that leans & struts snap-back stuff

We Recommend ...

  • curly hair detangler detangler for curly hair

    Detangling Nectar

    Detangling Nectar

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • Curl Mousse curl mousse

    Curl Mousse

    Curl Mousse

    for curlies & coilies

    $13.80
    $13.80 $13.80
    Size
    Add to cart
  • Deep Scalp Detox Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    formulated for curlies, coilies, & tight textures

    $17.40
    $17.40 $17.40
    Add to cart
  • Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • Moisture Milk Moisture Milk

    Moisture Milk

    Moisture Milk

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • heavy conditioner heavy conditioner for curly hair

    Heavy Conditioner

    Heavy Conditioner

    for coilies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • hair gel for curly hair hair gel for curls

    Curl Gel

    Curl Gel

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Leave-In Conditioner leave-in conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Strong Hold Gel strong hold gel for curly hair

    Strong Hold Gel

    Strong Hold Gel

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Size
    Add to cart
  • Styling Cream curly hair lotion

    Styling Cream

    Styling Cream

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Size
  • wide toothed comb wide tooth comb for curly hair

    Wide Tooth Comb

    Wide Tooth Comb

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $9.00
    $9.00 $9.00
  • jojoba oil on hair jojoba hair oil

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
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CURLY

OFTEN DESCRIBED AS:bouncy, ringlets, springy, type 3 hair, frizzy…

Distinguishing Features

Frizz is our friend; big, buoyant spirals; our texture tends to be thick & coarse hair, & our curls often vary in shape around the head; dryness can creep in to tousle up our ringlet curl, so moisture is key for maintaining curl definition & shine.

3B hair
Type 3B curls or type 3b hair are stretchy curls with a bounce to the ounce that double dutch in the wind

3C hair
Type 3C curls are flexible S-pattern curls that turn, twirl, & twist into a two-step

We Recommend ...

  • Curl Mousse curl mousse

    Curl Mousse

    Curl Mousse

    for curlies & coilies

    $13.80
    $13.80 $13.80
    Size
    Add to cart
  • Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    Palo Santo Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • hair gel for curly hair hair gel for curls

    Curl Gel

    Curl Gel

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • shampoo for dry curly hair hydrating shampoo for curly hair

    Hydration Shampoo

    Hydration Shampoo

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $27.00
    $27.00 $27.00
    Size
  • argan oil for curly hair oil for curly hair

    Argan Oil Blend

    Argan Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • Deep Scalp Detox Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    formulated for curlies, coilies, & tight textures

    $17.40
    $17.40 $17.40
    Add to cart
  • lightweight curl conditioner lightweight conditioner for curly hair

    Lightweight Conditioner

    Lightweight Conditioner

    for curlies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Cleansing Shampoo cleansing shampoo for curly hair

    Cleansing Shampoo

    Cleansing Shampoo

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $12.60
    $12.60 $12.60
    Size
    Add to cart
  • medium conditioner conditioner with slip

    Medium Conditioner

    Medium Conditioner

    for curlies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Leave-In Conditioner leave-in conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Hydrating Mist curl refresher

    Hydrating Mist

    Hydrating Mist

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $11.40
    $11.40 $11.40
    Size
  • anti frizz spray for curly hair shine spray for curly hair

    Shine Spray

    Shine Spray

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $13.80
    $13.80 $13.80
    Add to cart
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Locs

Distinguishing Features


Locs love to grow tall, long & wide; Locs believe in growth, dimension, magnitude, & evolution; They love to take up space. Growing locs is a beautiful journey of coiling, twisting, palm rolling, braiding, or allowing the hair to organically grow & merge to create a fused hair strand which can range from micro size to larger free form; Locs curl types crave healthy scalp care & tender attention to their roots; they love products that provide moisture & hold such as our Hydrating Shampoo for curly hair without buildup & products that keep the scalp clean & hydrated.

Tips

-To prevent build up on the scalp & roots, add our Cleansing ShampooShampoo to your wash day routine.

-To moisturize & prevent dryness, apply Jojoba Oil Hair Serum or Argan Oil Hair Serum to the scalp.

-To stimulate & soothe each hair follicle, apply the Scalp Serum & massage in for added relief.

-Try using the Styling Cream for curly hair to create starter locs with braids, two-strand twists, comb coils & palm rolls.

We Recommend ...

  • Deep Scalp Detox Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    formulated for curlies, coilies, & tight textures

    $17.40
    $17.40 $17.40
    Add to cart
  • natural hair serum scalp serum for dry scalp

    Scalp Serum

    Scalp Serum

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
  • lightweight curl conditioner lightweight conditioner for curly hair

    Lightweight Conditioner

    Lightweight Conditioner

    for curlies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Hydrating Mist curl refresher

    Hydrating Mist

    Hydrating Mist

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $11.40
    $11.40 $11.40
    Size
  • Cleansing Shampoo cleansing shampoo for curly hair

    Cleansing Shampoo

    Cleansing Shampoo

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $12.60
    $12.60 $12.60
    Size
    Add to cart
  • argan oil for curly hair oil for curly hair

    Argan Oil Blend

    Argan Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • jojoba oil on hair jojoba hair oil

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
1 7
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DRYNESS / DAMAGE

PATTERN DEFINES IT AS:

dryness ( ˈdrī nəs), noun. a curl’s cry for hydration; an invitation to give your coils the moisture & hair treatment for curls they deserve; an opportunity for your natural texture to be restored & replenished to healthy hair.

damage (ˈda-mij), noun . when curls become vulnerable to dryness & weakness; a warning sign where unhealthy hair can be nourished back to health.

Hair Care Tips

- Dryness or damage can come from many factors, but with different approaches to caring for your natural hair & the regular use of deeply moisturizing products, hair can revive to be healthy & hydrated once again.

- Heat or chemical damage, dry environments, too-infrequent hair trims, hair product build-up, formulas with harsh ingredients & too much time out of protective styles are some of the factors that can contribute to dry, fragile strands.

- Use heat or steam to help our ultra-moisturizing formulas sink into your hair & receive the nourishment & hydration it craves.

- Pro tip: For dry or brittle hair, keep your leave-in conditioner on for 10 minutes as a repair treatment mask to help restore & revitalize your curls.

We Recommend ...

  • heavy conditioner heavy conditioner for curly hair

    Heavy Conditioner

    Heavy Conditioner

    for coilies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • jojoba oil on hair jojoba hair oil

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    Jojoba Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
  • Leave-In Conditioner leave-in conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    Leave-In Conditioner

    for curly hair, coilies & tight textures

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • Deep Scalp Detox Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    formulated for curlies, coilies, & tight textures

    $17.40
    $17.40 $17.40
    Add to cart
  • argan oil for curly hair oil for curly hair

    Argan Oil Blend

    Argan Oil Blend

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $16.80
    $16.80 $16.80
    Add to cart
1 5
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TRANSITIONING

PATTERN DEFINES AS:

transitioning (tran(t)-ˈsi-shən), verb. a season of growth; an opportunity to embrace the change in your curl type; a hair evolution; a welcome home to your natural curl pattern.

We Know It’s a Journey…

Curly on the top, straight on the bottom; our hair texture is adjusting as it moves from the chemical or heat relaxants we put on it back to its natural curl pattern; hair is often dry, fragile & a little confused as it starts to re-remember how the curls want to grow.

Visit our blog for a transitioning hair story spotlight.

Tips:

- Deep condition with one of our ultra-hydrating conditioners. Our Heavy or Intensive Conditioners seep into strands to help protect against breakage & dryness as you transition.

- Detangle before rinsing with our Wide Tooth Comb or Shower Brush & bring your curls together.

- Find your fave transitioning hair style – put it up! Less manipulation means less breakage.

We Recommend ...

  • hair mask to restore curls clarifying hair mask

    Transition Mask

    Transition Mask

    for curlies, coilies & tight textures

    $15.00
    $15.00 $15.00
    Add to cart
  • Deep Scalp Detox Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    Deep Scalp Detox

    formulated for curlies, coilies, & tight textures

    $17.40
    $17.40 $17.40
    Add to cart
  • heavy conditioner heavy conditioner for curly hair

    Heavy Conditioner

    Heavy Conditioner

    for coilies

    $29.40
    $29.40 $29.40
    Size
  • deep moisturizer for curly hair deep conditioner

    Intensive Conditioner