THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURLY AND COILY HAIR

Curly? Coily? Which is it?

Both are considered textured hair, so how can you tell the difference between both of them?

The thing is; having a good understanding of your hair type will enable you to handle it better. And the better you handle your hair and the more love and care you give it, the stronger and healthier it becomes.

*This topic is covered in our Afro Curly Hair Courses

It is, thus, important for you to understand if your hair is curly or coily.

As earlier mentioned, curly and coily hair are both textured hair, but they have different characteristics.

We will introduce ourselves to these differences, but first, let us explore both types of hair.

Curly hair

Curly hair is also called type 3 hair. This is hair that has a definite “S” shaped curl pattern. Even when wet, it retains its clearly defined spirals. This particular hair type is not as shiny as wavy or straight hair because the cuticle doesn’t lay flat.

Also, this type of hair tends to be voluminous and bouncy. 3A curls tend to be S-shaped and thick, curlier than wavy hair, but with loose curls nevertheless. Type 3B curls are coarser and denser, more corkscrew-looking than spiral-looking. The third type, 3C hair is known as “coily-curly,” with much tighter and denser curls than 3A and 3B, but not quite tight enough to be type 4.

Coily hair

Coily hair is also called type 4 hair, and it is the last rung on the hair type spectrum. It is tightly curled hair, popularly called kinky hair. It is full of tight coils, extremely wiry and very fragile. It is very fragile because it does not have very many cuticle layers to stop it from drying out. Also, the natural oils from the scalp are not able to move down the strands efficiently, due to the turns and twists characterising coily hair.

While appearing coarse, this hair is actually several thin hair strands packed densely together. Coily hair can be wiry and harsh, soft and fine, or anything in between. These extremely tight curls take on somewhat of a zigzag pattern, and this is why coily hair usually has problems with shrinkage, tangling, and dryness.

Type 4A features bouncy, thin, tight coils. These coils are S-shaped but have a significantly smaller circumference than type 3. Type 4B coils are more Z-shaped than S-shaped, and are tight but not as defined as type 4A. Type 4C is the most coily, with not very well defined coils. This hair type is, however, very voluminous and dense.

So, what is the difference?

While curly is frequently used as an umbrella term for all kinds of textured hair, there are actually very specific differences between curly and coily hair. Curls are more of an S-shape while coils have more of a Z-shape. Coils are also different from curls because they are springier, tighter, and smaller than curls.

Curly hair is also more lubricratable (if there is such a word) than coily hair is. There are so many tiny twists and turns in coily hair that it is very hard (near impossible) for the natural oils secreted by the scalp to lubricate the hair shaft. This is why coily hair is much more drier than curly hair is, and needs much more moisturisation.

Curly hair does not willingly give up its shape easily, and does not curl upon itself. It will always retain its cylinder shape without the additional curl up. Meanwhile, coily hair will curl upon itself.

How to tell if you have curly hair or coily hair

Determining if your hair type is curly or coily can be easily done by observing your hair. One of the easiest ways to identify curly hair is that its curls are very easy to see and are less tight.

And the flip side of this is that coily hair is more coiled up and has way less defined curls. This makes it much more compact looking than curly hair.

Take care of your hair, no matter the hair type

At the end of the day, your hair type is not as important as the care you give to your hair after you have determined what type it is. So beyond identifying the general characteristics of your hair, go ahead and learn the hair care regimen that works for you. You will find lots and lots of articles on how to care for your hair type on our blog.

And once you find the regime that works, follow that regimen. It’s the only way to a head full of healthy hair, no matter the hair type.