If you have fine, pin-straight hair, it may sometimes feel like you’re adrift in a sea of waves, curls, and kinks. There’s a reason for that: It’s the rarest of all hair types, so you may actually be the only person in the room with the thin, straight strands that Andre Walker (Oprah’s longtime hairstylist) has sorted into a category called 1A hair.
Just as with category 2 hair (wavy) or category 3 (curly), straight hair has its own rewards and challenges. Ahead, learn more about how to tell if you’re a member of the 1A club, how hairstylists recommend caring for your hair type, and 1A haircut ideas.
What does 1A hair look like, and how do I know I have it?
This hair category is the straightest of all the hair types. “It lies flat, with no natural wave or curl,” says Vanessa Ocando, a hairstylist in New York City. “It’s typically very soft and can sometimes appear almost slippery.”
Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York City, adds that its effortless shine can be a boon to some. “Because of [1A’s] smooth structure, oil from the scalp can easily travel down the hair shaft, often resulting in shinier hair compared to more textured types,” says Dr. Engelman. The downside? It tends to get overly greasy quickly. Here’s a hypothetical situation that might help you determine if this is your hair type: You’re away for a long weekend with your girlfriends, and all of you washed your hair before you left home on Thursday. If you’re aghast and reaching for a beanie at the mere thought of waiting until you’re back home on Sunday to shampoo again, you might have 1A hair.
Still not sure if you have this hair type? Think back to the last time you let your hair air-dry with zero assistance from products or styling tools. If it dried completely straight, it’s likely you have 1A. Because 1A hair is so fine and thin, you may also notice that you can see through your strands to your scalp, says Raven Hurtado, a stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. (A dear friend with 1A hair calls the areas of scalp that show through “holes” in her hair.)
How to keep 1A hair healthy
“This hair, because it’s fine and delicate, you want to treat it like silk,” says Sanae Furutani, a stylist at Jerome Lordet Salon in New York City. Our hairstylists have tips for that.
First, let’s talk brushes. You want a gentle brush for use at all times, but especially when your hair is wet. Ocando recommends a brush like the Tangle Teezer The Ultimate Detangler (which has soft, flexible teeth), a wide-tooth comb, or a boar bristle brush. The latter options can run the gamut on pricing, but Allure editors recommend the Mason Pearson Boar Bristle Hair Brush (if you’re ready to make an investment) or The Hair Edit Boar Bristle Finishing Brush (if you’re looking to give boar bristles a try on a budget).
After your hair is washed, brushed, and ready for styling, make sure the products you’re reaching for aren’t so heavy that they weigh down the hair. According to Ocando, that might mean avoiding creamy styling products entirely, as well as oils or oily serums. (With so much natural shine, you won’t need those oils anyway.) Instead, “opt for lightweight serums or mists to enhance shine without compromising movement,” Furutani says. Try a spray like the Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning Fekkai Full Blown Volume Dry Texturizing Spray, which adds bounce and absorbs excess oil, or Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist, which protects hair from heat and enhances the volume you’ll get from a blowout.
Lastly, plan to visit the salon every 10 to 12 weeks for a trim. This will “prevent split ends from traveling up the hair shaft,” Furutani says.
Tips for washing 1A hair
You might have heard your friends or favorite content creators say that you don’t need to wash your hair every day. If you have 1A hair, that advice might not be for you. “Because type 1A hair is more prone to oiliness, it typically needs to be shampooed more frequently,” says Dr. Engelman. “This varies, though, based on the individual.”