How Rare is Curly Hair? Answer Revealed!

Hey, you!

Did you know that only 11% of the world population has curly hair? Statistically, we are super rare, so no wonder that hairdressers are still getting nervous when we come to get a haircut.

However, 65% of the U.S. population has coily, curly or wavy hair. Many curlies want their hair to have more volume, less frizz and more moisture, so you are not alone in this battle.

Is curly hair dominant or recessive?

Straight hair is recessive and curly hair is a dominant trait. How does it work, you might wonder. If one of the parents has curly hair and the other has straight hair, their kid would probably be curly.

It’s not always 100% true all the time, but curly hair genes are overall stronger.

Fun fact: scientists and genetics found out that we inherited the trait of curly hair from our ancestors while straight hair evolved later.

Is curly hair rare?

As I mentioned before, curly hair is pretty rare globally (only 11% of the population has curly hair), but there are more curlies, wavies or coilies in the U.S. (65%) than straight-haired people.

Anyway, every curly girl or boy is different and has different hair-related problems, so you are still unique.

What is the rarest hair type?

Surprisingly, the rarest hair type is 1A which means having super straight and fine hair without any hint of a wave.

This hair type (1A) is widespread among women of Asian descent. It’s usually very flat but shiny as the natural oils from the scalp can easily travel down the hair shaft.

If you wonder about the most common hair type, I have an answer for you, too. It’s type 1B! Type 1B is similar to 1A but has a little volume.

Can white people have curly hair?

Yes, caucasian hair can be curly and wavy, too. However, Caucasians would never have coily hair (or it’s extremely rare).

45% of caucasian hair is straight, 40% are wavy, and only 15% of Caucasians are curly. The vast majority of Caucasians’ hair color would vary from blonde to dark brown. Having naturally black-colored hair is mission impossible for Caucasians.