Type 1C Hair: What It Is and How to Care for It (2025)

For a while now, the beauty community has been abuzz with curl typing, as it can assist in determining what products and styling techniques will work best for your strands. However, those who don't have a super-defined curl pattern but also don't have stick-straight hair may be wondering where they lie on the typing scale. That's where type 1C comes in.

Neither straight nor curly, type 1C hair is the waviest of the straight hair types without being actually full-on wavy. That means that type 1C hair tends to feature strands that lie flat at the root, with subtle body, arcs, and bends throughout the midsection. It can hold a curl, and air dries like a dream. Sound familiar?

Read on for everything you need to know about type 1C hair, from how to spot it to how to care for it and the best products to use.

What Is Type 1C Hair?

The last of the straight hair category, type 1C hair tends to feature hefty, coarser strands that lie flat at the root with a few arcs and bends throughout the mid-body section, hairstylist and Marc Anthony True Professional Haircare’s artistic director Marilisa Sears shares. In comparison, still predominately straight, type 1C hair has subtle body to it with ends that tend to curl inward toward the chin. Because of the coarse texture, type 1C hair tends to be more susceptible to frizz and flyaways, as well as poofy volume from the mid-lengths down. Sears says those with thicker type 1C hair tend to deal with knots,tangles, and drier ends, too.

Differentiating Between Type 1C and Other Hair Types

As always, it's important to note that people rarely fit perfectly into a single hair type. Rather, hair tends to be a mix of a few similar hair types. For that reason, it can be hard to differentiate between types 1B, 1C, and 2A.

Both experts stress that 1C hair is still within the straight hair category, so it tends to have more texture, body, and bend to it than outright, full-on waves. If we think of 1B hair as having more body than 1A hair without having any sort of wave pattern, then 1C hair has that body with more of a wave to it, hairstylist and Kérastase Global Pro Club Color Expert Shelley Gregory says. This subtle wave– along with being particularly susceptible to frizz– sets type 1C hair apart from other hair types within the 1 category, she explains.

Meanwhile, type 2A hair has a distinct S-wave pattern that is far more defined than the waves seen in type 1C hair. When left to dry on its own, type 2A hair tends to give off that classic beachy wave look, whereas type 1C hair hangs mainly straight with a couple of bends here and there, Sears explains.

Is It Possible to Have More Than One Hair Type?

It is not only possible but incredibly common for people to have more than one hair type. Those with curlier textures usually know firsthand about what it's like to be in between textures, with some strands exhibiting a tighter spiral while others show up as loose waves. This could be due to differences in the density or thickness of the strands as well as their individual porosity or growth cycles. Often, different parts of the scalp will have different textures, offering curlier formations around the hairline and at the nape of the neck.

How to Care for Type 1C Hair

Good news: When it comes to caring for type 1C hair, Sears says the rules are fairly simple. Aside from the usual straight hair woes (think an oily scalp and flatness on top), the typical concerns for type 1C hair are frizz and poofy strands. Both experts agree when it comes to caring for type 1C hair:

• Avoid over-washing hair and subsequently increasing oil production: To avoid the vicious cycle of daily hair washing and ramping up oil production, Sears suggests paring back and washing hair three to four times per week or roughly every other day.
• Opt for lightweight, nourishing products that'll dial down frizz and dryness without flattening hair or adding oil to the scalp: Gregory says type 1C hair can be easily managed, so long as you're gentle and keep it moisturized without weighing it down. Type 1C hair tends to get drier at the ends as the hair gets longer, especially thicker 1C hair. As a result, conditioning and nourishing the ends becomes more important as the hair grows longer. Apply lightweight leave-in products and serums to the mid-lengths and down (avoiding the scalp area) to fight frizz and brittleness without weighing down strands.
• Use a silk or satin pillowcase and microfiber towels to minimize knots, tangles, and snarls: Both experts are firm believers in using silk or satin pillowcases to minimize frizz and tangles. They also suggest drying hair with microfiber towels to avoid the friction and abrasiveness that can be caused by using regular cotton ones. And, of course, always use a heat protectant before applying heat to the hair.

The Best Hairstyles and Cuts for Type 1C Hair

To keep it simple, Gregory says those with type 1C hair should subscribe to the notion that the longer the hair, the easier it is to maintain. Because long hair is heavier, the added weight helps keep frizz and poof at bay, she explains.

Meanwhile, Sears says that layers will help add volume and movement to the hair. If your hair is on the thinner side, she suggests being a bit more aggressive with the layering (though she cautions against outright short layers, as they can lay a little flat). She also lightly shatters the ends with her scissors to give hair a bit more natural texture and body.

While both experts agree that longer lengths are ideal for type 1C hair, Gregory says short styles are still totally doable as long as the cut is well-blended and has some hidden layers to help the hair lay nicely.

Type 1C hair has great body and texture that can be played up with styling and texturizing products, so both experts are proponents of letting hair air dry and rocking a natural finish. (We love Bumble and bumble's Surf Texturizing Finishing Foam to zsush up the hair's natural texture and give that effortless, beachy wave we all crave. The formula is super lightweight and buildable, making it easy to get that lived-in look.) Post-shower, scrunch and tousle in a lightweight curl-defining or volumizing product (for thicker hair, opt for a cream; thinner hair should go for a spray) to enhance texture and let air dry, and you're pretty much good to go. Sears swears by the Marc AnthonyInstantly Thick + Biotin Styling Cream for adding body and texture to 1C hair, especially for those on the finer side. It adds thickness and gives hair a natural finish that's as great air-dried as it is blown out.

Before bed, apply a leave-in serum to the ends to fight frizz overnight. Gregory recommends the Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum Hydrating Treatment, which nourishes and softens strands overnight. She swears by it for fighting frizz without weighing down hair—massage it into the lengths and ends of dry hair, and you're good to go. No rinse is needed in the morning.

The Final Takeaway

Not having a significant curl pattern does not mean you have straight strands. Pin-straight strands are actually one of the rarest hair types, so if you're neither wavy nor straight, you're in pretty good company. You probably have type 1C hair, which is characterized by flat roots with some slight bends and volume from the mid-section down.