What if your hair isn't just one texture at all?
You could have Afro Kinky Curly (4B–4C) in one section, Kinky Curly (4A) in another, or Deep Curly (3C) somewhere else—all growing naturally from the same head.
Surprising? Maybe. Unusual? Not at all.
Understanding your unique mix of textures may completely change the way you care for your hair—and the way you texture-match your extensions.
Table of Contents
- The Short Answer
- Pekela Riley Takes a Deeper Look at Multiple Textures
- Why This Changes the Curl Pattern Conversation
- Texture Matching Extensions
- Match Closest Where the Hair Meets
- What If One Extension Texture Still Isn't Enough?
- Beyond the Curl Type
- Want to Go Deeper Into Your Texture?
The Short Answer
Yes, it is normal to have multiple hair textures or curl patterns on the same head. Texture can vary from the crown to the nape, around the hairline, or even between neighboring sections.
Instead of expecting every strand to fit perfectly into one curl-type classification, it can be more useful to understand where each texture appears, how it behaves, and which portions of your natural hair will actually be visible when styling or wearing extensions.
Pekela Riley Takes a Deeper Look at Multiple Textures
In her article "How Common Is It to Have Multiple Textures of Hair?" published on Medium, Pekela Riley, Founder of True + Pure Texture and Salon PK, celebrity hairstylist, texture educator, and co-author of Ulta Beauty's first texture education curriculum, explores something she has repeatedly seen behind the chair:
Women can have more than one distinct texture growing from the same head.
It's the kind of discovery that can make someone question everything they thought they knew about their curl pattern.
One section may have tighter coils. Another may have a looser curl. The hairline might behave completely differently from the crown or nape.
And importantly, different doesn't automatically mean damaged.
Riley explains how factors ranging from genetics and differences among hair follicles to heat, chemical processing, color, and manipulation can contribute to differences in how sections of hair look and behave.
The result? Your hair may have a much more complex texture story than a single number or letter can describe.
Why This Perspective Changes the Curl Pattern Conversation
For years, curl typing has given consumers a helpful vocabulary for understanding textured hair.
But there's a limitation:
Your entire head may not fit neatly into one box.
Someone who primarily identifies as kinky curly 4A, for example, may notice tighter afro kinky curly 4B characteristics in one area, or looser deep curly 3C characteristics somewhere else.
That matters because those sections may not only look different—they can behave differently.
A tighter area may experience greater shrinkage or tangling. A finer or looser section may respond differently to products, manipulation, or styling.
That's why Riley's professional approach goes beyond simply asking, "What's your curl type?"
She looks at the hair more holistically—including curl shape, scale, density, volume, movement, styling state, and where the texture is located on the head.
That creates a more complete understanding of what the hair actually needs.
Where This Gets Really Interesting: Texture Matching Extensions
Multiple textures can become especially important when choosing textured hair extensions.
Imagine that the majority of your natural hair is Afro Kinky Curly, but the section you plan to leave out is closer to Kinky Curly.
Which texture should you match?
The instinct may be to choose extensions based on the texture that dominates your entire head.
But Riley introduces a more practical question:
Where will your natural hair actually meet the extensions?
If most of your natural hair will be protected underneath an installation, the texture underneath isn't necessarily what determines the most seamless-looking match.
Instead, pay particular attention to the leave-out, hairline, or other visible areas where your natural hair and extensions will meet.
Think of it as the point of connection.
If two fabrics are being joined together, the eye notices the seam. Hair works similarly. The closer the textures behave where they meet, the less obvious that transition can appear.
Match Closest Where the Hair Meets
This creates a simple texture-matching principle:
Match closest where the hair meets.
For example, your protected natural hair underneath an installation might resemble True + Pure Texture's Jasmine Coil, an Afro Kinky Curly 4B–4C texture.
But perhaps your visible leave-out behaves more like Layla Curl, a Kinky Curly 4A–4B texture.
Depending on the desired finished look, matching more closely to the visible hair may create a more seamless transition.
This is also why understanding your styling state matters. The goal isn't always to match your hair exactly as it appears immediately after wash day. Consider how you actually plan to wear your natural hair alongside the extensions.
What If One Extension Texture Still Isn't Enough?
Here's another fascinating takeaway from Riley's Medium article:
Sometimes two textures can create a better match than one.
For certain clients with noticeably different curl patterns, Riley may combine complementary extension textures within an installation to better reflect the natural variation already happening on the head.
That doesn't mean everyone with multiple curl patterns needs two extension textures.
Quite the opposite.
The professional skill is knowing when that additional texture improves the finished result—and when it unnecessarily complicates an installation that already has a beautiful match.
This more customized approach is part of the philosophy behind True + Pure Texture's six professionally crafted textures, designed to complement a spectrum of waves, curls, coils, and blown-out textures rather than treating textured hair as a single category.
Beyond the Curl Type
Your hair doesn't have to choose just one texture.
Afro Kinky Curly, Kinky Curly, Deep Curly, Loose Curly, Loose Wavy, Kinky Straight—or characteristics that fall somewhere between them—can exist across the same head.
The bigger opportunity is learning to look beyond a single curl classification and understand how your individual textures actually behave.
And when extensions enter the conversation, remember three things:
What naturally grows from your head.
What hair will actually be visible.
What finished texture you're trying to create.
Those three factors can tell you far more about your ideal texture match than simply choosing one curl type and assuming it represents every strand.
Want to Go Deeper Into Your Texture?
Pekela Riley explores the subject further in her article "How Common Is It to Have Multiple Textures of Hair?" published on Medium, including her behind-the-chair perspective on why multiple textures occur, how different sections should be approached, and how she thinks about matching textured extensions when more than one curl pattern is present.
Read the full article on Medium: How Common Is It to Have Multiple Textures of Hair?
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