1C Hair Type: A Complete Guide And Caring Tips

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Generally, Type 1 hair is not usually categorized among curly hair types because they are straight. However, type 1c hair has slight curls compared to other type 1s hair. You are probably wondering what 1c hair type is. Well, to make things easier for you, we have compiled a complete guide on type 1c hair. Read on to find out how to identify 1c hair types and how to care for them.

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What is 1C hair type?

1c hair type is straight hair with slight curls. Its texture is coarse or semi-coarse and it is prone to greasiness. Many people mistake type 1c hair with type 2a, however, they are different. While type 1c hair has slight curls, type 2a hair has a slight s-pattern wave. To know if you have a 1c hair type, here are some features you should look out for:

Its strands are straight but with a slight bend from the midshaft down to the end.
Its texture is usually coarse or semi-coarse.
Compared to other types 1s hair, this hair type is not shiny.
It is more voluminous than types 1a and 1b.
Because of its coarse texture, it holds curls easily.

Pros of 1C hair type

There are a lot of awesome things about 1c hair type. But, we will mention just a few in this article. Here are some of the pros of 1c hair type:

What Is 1C Hair Type — Source: pexels.com

Helps achieve your length retention goals

1c hair type strands are strong. This is because they are not fully curly, coil, or wavy. Thus, there is no weak point on the strand which makes it resistant to breakage. Therefore, you will be able to grow your hair to your desired length without the risk of breakage. For optimum results, mask your mane with a protein-based mask once a month.

Resistant to damage

The texture of the 1c hair type is coarse or semi-coarse, and hair with this texture is naturally resistant to damage. This is because coarse hair has a feature that other hair textures do not have. Fine hair only has two layers which are the cortex and cuticle. However, coarse hair has three layers, the cortex, the cuticle, and the medulla. The medulla is the layer that retains moisture thereby keeping the hair hydrated. Thus, making your mane resistant to heat damage.

Versatility in styling

If you have type 1c hair, you are in luck because you can style the hair anyhow you want. For instance, if you want to rock straight hair, just apply serum and straighten your mane. If you want to rock curly hair, apply heat protectant, and serum and curl your mane.

Cons of 1C hair type

Although there are awesome things about this hair type, there are downsides to it as well. Here are some of the drawbacks to having a 1c hair type:

Prone to oiliness

One of the downsides of this hair type is that it is prone to oiliness. Because type 1c hair is more of straight hair than curly hair, the oil you use on your mane travels easily to the scalp. This makes the scalp greasy, thus, causing you to wash your hair frequently. And when you wash your mane frequently, the essential natural oil on your scalp gets stripped away. Once the scalp notices a lack of oil, it produces more oil, thus leading to an endless cycle of oiliness. We will discuss how you can deal with this later in this article.

Prone to frizz

Because of the coarse texture of this hair type, it is more prone to frizz. Frizz makes your hair appear messy instead of smooth and sleek. To deal with frizz, make sure you invest in anti-frizz serum.

Gets tangled easily

Because it has slight curls towards the end of your hair, the 1c hair type is prone to tangles.

How to care for 1C hair type?

Now that you know more about 1c hair type, here are some care and maintenance tips for you to follow:

Washing

Avoid frequent washing

As we mentioned earlier, frequent washing makes type 1c hair prone to greasiness. Therefore, make sure you wash your mane every other day. You can opt for shampoos specially formulated for oily hair. This will help you extend wash days. On the other hand, you might use dry shampoos in between east days to keep your hair clean.

Avoid sulfate-based shampoos and conditioners

Make sure you avoid sulfate-based products. Although sulfate-based shampoos and conditioner tend to do a good job at making your hair clean, it strips your mane of its essential natural oil. For this reason, you tend to experience more frizz and dryness than normal. And this could in turn lead to hair breakage.

Drying

Air dry or blow-dry on cool settings

After washing your 1c hair type, you should ensure you air dry it. This way, there will be no risk of frizz. However, if you are in a rush, you can decide to use a blow dryer. But, you have to set it to cool settings. By doing so, you are saving your mane from the risk of heat damage, frizz, and even extreme coarseness.

Make use of a microfibre towel

Many ladies often dry their hair with the same towel they used to dry their body; this causes more harm than good to your mane. Using a normal towel could create friction on your hair, this causing frizz, and flyaways. Therefore, ensure you invest in a microfibre towel. This towel helps you dry your hair without any frizz or excessive dryness. Besides, with a microfiber towel, you can dry your hair faster.

Styling

Use serum to combat frizz

As we mentioned earlier, frizz makes your hair appear messy. To keep your style intact, make sure you use an anti-frizz serum. Besides, oils like coconut oil can also help you combat frizz.

Deep condition once in a while

Make sure you deep condition your mane once in three or four weeks. This will help you balance the natural moisture in your hair. Besides, deep conditioning helps keep the hair hydrated, thus, controlling the scalp’s oil production. This is because there will be enough moisture in the hair. Therefore the sebaceous gland will not feel the need to produce oil.

Moisturize your mane to get rid of dryness

Once you use oil on your mane, it travels straight down to your scalp, thus leaving your midshaft and end dry. To get rid of the dryness, you should moisturize your end and midshaft with conditioner after each wash. Make sure that you do not moisturize your scalp. If you do so, you are simply increasing the risk of oiliness on the scalp.

Always use heat protectant before using hot styling tools.

Although we mentioned earlier that this type of hair is damage resistant, that does not mean you should expose it to the risk of heat damage. For this reason, if you want to use hot styling tools, apply heat protectant. This will reduce the effect of heat from the styling tool on your mane.

Final thoughts

Just like there are awesome things about type 1c hair, there are also drawbacks. However, its ability to retain length, resistance to damage, and versatility in styling make up for any drawback. With the care and maintenance tips that we have shared in this article, we hope you will be able to keep your type 1c hair healthy.