Your hair's curl pattern - or lack of curl pattern - is referred to as its wave pattern or its form. Confusingly, some hairdressers use the term "texture" - the same term used to describe hair's fineness - when talking about wave pattern. You can tell what kind of hair you have by allowing hair to dry naturally.

Many people have two or even three different wave patterns interspersed through their locks. This is normal l, for instance, have straight hair through the top and crown; everywhere else, strands are tightly waved.

Straight hair can have a slight bend to it or be completely without curviness. It hangs like a curtain, making it swingy, glossy, and great in barely layered or one-length styles, such as wedges, bowl cuts, bobs, and pageboys. Wavy hair features an S-pattern curve that travels the length of the strand. The wave can be tight or loose. Because wavy hair is loaded with body and movement, it looks great with longer layers and splicing, a technique used to add a slightly choppy finish to hair's ends. Shags of all lengths work especially well with curvy locks, as do short-layered cuts.

I love ringlets so much that at the age of 17 (right before school pictures) I begged my sister to give me a home perm. The results were disastrous enough that I vowed from then on that I'd get my curl fix by looking at other people's heads. With that in mind, I offer the secret to beautiful curls: moderation. Go too short and your hair looks severe, grow hair too long and strands look fuzzy and unkempt. Your best bet is a medium-­short to medium-long 'do with a rounded shape and enough strategic-layering to remove weight and keep ringlets springy.

Considering your lifestyle

I realize this is strange advice coming from a beauty writer, but the more we listen to these "authorities," the less time we'll have for life. This is my preachy way of saying your lifestyle - not a magazine, not a celebrity - should be among the first things you consider when choosing a hairstyle. If there are no friends, lovers, pets, or children in your life and if you have absolutely no hobbies and no interest in meditating or exercise, go ahead and get a high-maintenance coif. If your life is full-up, ask your hairdresser for a low-maintenance style. By the way, low maintenance doesn't mean frumpy - the best low-maintenance cuts are flattering and yes, even sexy.