Ruth Negga is pictured above.  Ms. Negga has 3C Curly Hair Type.  Wet or dry, Ms. Negga's S-curls are discernible (clearly visible).  Keep in mind, the differentiation between Type 3 Curly and Type 4 Kinky is in curl discernment.  People who are Type 4 require product to accentuate and define curls.  People who are Type 3 may use product to reduce frizz and add definition to their curls but product is not required.

Type 3C Curly Hair Recap

S/s-curls that are tighter and more compact like corkscrews with a discernible pattern (the individual curl strands work in unison and are visible).

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KINKY HAIR DEGREES

Kinky hair types, like Wavy, suffer from middle child syndrome.  Where Wavy is stuck between Straight and Curly Types, Kinky is stuck between Curly and Nappy. 

Kinky hair requires product for curl definition.  Kinky hair clearly has curls, they do not however work in tandem without assistance of product or hair styling (two-strand twists, coils, double strands, etc...) 

The Case of Two Strands
A woman with Curly or Kinky hair will notice that when in two-strands, the hair draws onto itself (curls and behaves like a corkscrew).  With curly hair, their will be shrinkage but the two-strands will retain their elongated shape.  However when kinky hair is in two-strands, it's as if your hair has actually lost several inches as the two-strand structure encourages kinky hair's curls to work together.  When the curls work together, the "corkscrew"/springy nature of kinky hair emerges.

Like Curly Hair, Kinky Hair is very responsive to humidity.  This hair type has difficulty holding a Press for example.  In the presence of humidity, it will "grow"/poof/frizz so flat-ironing often results in a temporary, and easily reversible straight hair styles.  In humid weather, flat-ironed kinky hair will have difficulty holding a curl and will naturally want to revert back to its natural state.  Thus hot combing produces better results for this hair type and when doing so, heavier pomades and higher heat settings are best when trying to maintain straight hair styles.  In other words, the more stuff (coating) on your recently straightened hair, the greater barrier there is between your hair and humidity.

Another example of Kinky hair's humidity susceptibility is seen when the hair is styled in an Afro.  Where Nappy hair will maintain and retain its compact shape, Curly hair will have clearly visible, but highly frizzy S/s-curls, Kinky hair (like all hair actually), elongates in humid weather (hair is longer in humid climates, shorter in dry climates) and looks more like cotton candy.  A Kinky Afro in humid weather is therefore more collapsible.  Its wispy/cotton-candy-like appearance and feel will cause it to depress more readily.

Kinky Hair Textures


I'm citing the above photos from the original L.O.I.S. system for consistency and to help you see how the naani system and L.O.I.S. correlate.

Type 4A is...
Dense, spongy, fluffy.

Short-medium length s-curls that are more compact like corkscrews.

Little-medium discernible pattern when dry (the individual curl strands work individually) without the addition of product.  On shorter lengths, the pattern is more discernible.

With the addition of product, 4A can mimic 3C Curly Hair.

4A Kinky hair requires a greater deal of product than curly hair to accentuate and define curls.

Laura Ibizor

naaniMODEL tubby

Dense, cottony-spongy, fluffy.

Short length s-curls that are more compact like corkscrews.

Little discernible pattern when dry (the individual curl strands work individually) without the addition of product.  On shorter lengths, the pattern is more discernible.

With the addition of product, 4B mimics 3C Curly/4A (with product) Kinky Hair.

4B Kinky hair requires a greater deal of product than curly hair to accentuate and define curls.  The differentiation between it and 4A is the way the curls behave once the product is added.

With 4A, once product is added, the hair will form fewer uniform s-curl sets. Look at the 4A picture and notice how the curls uniformly work their way from root to tip.  You could glide your hand over 4A hair with product and the waves/curls would ebb and flow in the same relative pattern.

With 4B, the s-curls have uniform sets but there are far more of them (sets).  In the case of 4B, the curls are still doing their own thing but a greater number of the curls strands are working together allowing the hair to form a multitude of curly tendrils/corkscrews that give the hair a afri-curly appearance. 

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NAPPY HAIR DEGREES

Nappy Hair is a little bit more difficult to depict via photos.  Of all hair types, category 5 is largely dependent upon degrees...the Texture, the feel of the hair. 

In terms of appearance, Nappy Hair differentiates itself from Curly and Kinky hair in one simple way, Nappy hair's curl pattern is not easily discernible (not clearly visible).  The curls exist, they just do not work in tandem. 

When product is applied to Nappy hair to differentiate and accentuate curls, you may see a little definition but in general, once the product dries, Nappy hair may (or may not) be able to achieve definition similar to Type 4B-without product.

Nappy Hair does not have a natural shine.  If there is no additional heat, artificial shine via hair products does little to increase Nappy Hair's sheen.


Somewhat coarse, dense, very short z-curls that are the most compact, fall in odd, zigzag patterns and no discernible pattern (the individual curl strands work individually).



Cotton-like, slightly rough, fine hair, very short z-curls that are the most compact, fall in odd, zigzag patterns and no discernible pattern (the curls individual curl strands individually).


Wiry, coarse, wide strand hair in diameter with very short z-curls that are the most compact, fall in odd, zigzag patterns and no discernible pattern (the curls individual curl strands individually).

This type is more likely to have far more circular coils at the nape and temples.

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WHAT IS YOUR TYPE?  WRITE IT DOWN.

If you're still unsure of your hair's type, here's a simple review...

Type 1 - Straight:  No Curls.  No Visible Curl Pattern.

Type 2 - Wavy:  Few-Moderate Waves.  Low-Moderate Visibility with or without product.  Loose Wave Pattern.

Type 3 - Curly:  Moderate-High Curls.  High Visibility with or without product.  Loose-Compact Curl Pattern.

Type 4 - Kinky:  Moderate-High Curls.  Moderate-High Visibility with product. Compact Curl Pattern.

Type 5 - Nappy:  Moderate to High Curls/Coils.  No-Low Visibility with or without product.  Dense and Compact Curl Pattern.

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Two or More Degrees?

In some cases, you may actually have two or more types.

Usually, this occurs at the nape of the neck, at the crown or near the temple area.

In such cases, you would designate your hair based on the isolated area.  In the photo on the right, JetCityGirl's hair is Type 3c (based on the naani system) at the neck-line area and appears to be Type 4b elsewhere.  So 4b-3c is her type with the predominant type appearing first.


Straight Hair, Wavy ad Some Curly Photos Courtesy of Ben Goldstein/Studio D; Marie Claire