Being in between hair types

[mischka]

I have decided my hair type is an "in between." At this point I think I'm not really anywhere as far as knowing how to care for my hair specifically. The best thing I can say I'm doing is that I'm not putting heat in it anymore, but I can still see the condition of my hair is not where it needs to be. I am having pretty regular breakage, and my hair feels dry a lot of the time.

I have a looser curl type but the texture seems to be coarse and fine at the same time. I can't get my curls to stay defined. I usually end up with a big frizz ball bc I don't know the products and techniques to make it stay uniform/in one condition.

Do these issues sound familiar to anyone else? I look at women's avatar and sig pics with their hair laid sleekly to their head, shining, and I feel like my hair should be able to do that but I don't know how to get it in that condition.

I included some wet hair pics. My hair looks a lot denser than it really is once it dries. Even after combing with a wide tooth comb my hair stretches even lankier. This is a wack 8ss curl pattern I feel like It's not really coils/spirals, but it's not waves either. And I know my hair isn't heat damaged because I have heat damaged bangs and they are totally straight.

​

 

[alive]

i'm not sure my hair does what you described but i see you mentioned not using heat anymore. were you previously heat training?

 

[PearlyCurly]

yeah my hair is like that.
I really have to shringle for my hair to "mold" into a curl

Recently i found that shingling with Eco style(green), re-wet/soak it, then add a little more gel, hold the ends of my hair and shake it..i can get nice curls(as in NOT poofy)

 

[mischka]

Nope. I grew out my relaxer with sew ins for probably two years straight. Maybe even three. So whenever I combed my hair during my transition it was lacking moisture, was very coarse, and basically felt like I hadn't been combing or styling my hair regularly, you know what I mean?

So when I ditched the weave for good this past October, it took a while for my hair to be able to, like, calm down. I think it eventually thinned out some compared to the retention I was having before, and is generally more manageable because I have to style it regularly.

Since taking my hair down in October, I have straightened it probably 10 times. I straightened it like three or four times with my Sedu, I had it pressed once, and I had it blown out once. I'm sure there are a couple other times I used heat that I'm forgetting but generally I may have straightened my hair once a month or once every other month. I don't think that's heat training?

 

[mischka]

yeah my hair is like that.
I really have to shringle for my hair to "mold" into a curl

Recently i found that shingling with Eco style(green), re-wet/soak it, then add a little more gel, hold the ends of my hair and shake it..i can get nice curls(as in NOT poofy)

Do you find that your hair is coarser toward the scalp? I have pretty much a fro of roots but I think it's because I don't comb that close to my scalp as often as I comb the length of my hair.

I don't know what to do with this crap :heated:

 

[SheenaVee]

Some parts of my hair are JUST like you described and look like yours.

This is why I don't know if my hair is 3c or 4a. I mean the curl sizes vary between 3c size and 4a size, but my hair acts more like a 3c, but has the texture more associated with 4a.

I think there should be a type between 3c and 4a lol. 3D or something.

 

[bibs]

It looks and sounds like the front portion of my hair. I can easily say the back is a solid 4a but the front has it's own mind. It doesn't gel back (unless I put a CRAP ton in and then it gets hard) and frizzes when I manipulate it too much. When I try to do twist outs, the back looks amazing and the front poofs up. It's really soft and gets weighed down really easily.

The only thing I can say that's helped me manage it is less is more. The less I play in it (especially when wet) the better it looks for longer. And I found I can't put too much product in it or it'll get all weighed down and stringy looking.

 

[lovenharmony]

Hmm....so you grew out your relaxer for 2 - 3 years. If you don't mind me asking, did you cut off your relaxed ends? If you have not cut off your relaxed ends, then you won't really know your hair type because the relaxed ends will weigh the natural hair down, stretching out the natural curl pattern.

As for you being able to slick your hair back...this mostly has to deal with the texture of the hair, not the curl pattern. I know of some 3C hair types that cannot slick their hair back and some 4As that can. Usually those with finer hair strands can easily slick their hair back with gel or plain old water. Those with thicker, kinkier hair textures find it more difficult to slick their hair back with hair styling products alone...most of those with kinkier hair strands either use a styling tool (i.e. brush, flat iron, curlers and / or blow dryer) to smooth down the hair.

 

[iri9109]

I have decided my hair type is an "in between." At this point I think I'm not really anywhere as far as knowing how to care for my hair specifically. The best thing I can say I'm doing is that I'm not putting heat in it anymore, but I can still see the condition of my hair is not where it needs to be. I am having pretty regular breakage, and my hair feels dry a lot of the time.

I have a looser curl type but the texture seems to be coarse and fine at the same time. I can't get my curls to stay defined. I usually end up with a big frizz ball bc I don't know the products and techniques to make it stay uniform/in one condition.

Do these issues sound familiar to anyone else? I look at women's avatar and sig pics with their hair laid sleekly to their head, shining, and I feel like my hair should be able to do that but I don't know how to get it in that condition.

I included some wet hair pics. My hair looks a lot denser than it really is once it dries. Even after combing with a wide tooth comb my hair stretches even lankier. This is a wack 8ss curl pattern I feel like It's not really coils/spirals, but it's not waves either. And I know my hair isn't heat damaged because I have heat damaged bangs and they are totally straight.

​

Some parts of my hair are JUST like you described and look like yours.

This is why I don't know if my hair is 3c or 4a. I mean the curl sizes vary between 3c size and 4a size, but my hair acts more like a 3c, but has the texture more associated with 4a.

I think there should be a type between 3c and 4a lol. 3D or something.

me too! my strands are fine in diameter, but then the texture/feel in some areas is silky, but alot of areas are cottony, but the curls are looser...this is why i hate hair typing

 

[mischka]

Yeah, my relaxed ends have been gone for over a year now. I'm completely natural.

 

[Roux]

from what I understand curl type is only that...type or size of curl. doesn't address texture: coarse, fine, thick, thin

 

[beana]

your hair is very pretty!

 

[EllePixie]

Yep, this is pretty much why I dislike hair typing - I don't find it helpful at all. My hair is coarse in texture, but is easy to slick back with a scarf and conditioner (I don't brush my hair) - and it will poof out like you described if it is not moisturized, which is why I always leave-in conditioner even if I am not using styling products that day. When my hair has the opportunity to poof out, it also tangles and mats much more.

Are you DC'ing? And how often do you moisturize your hair? Furthermore, you can get heat damage/training from straightening your hair one time if you do not protect it properly, it does not have to be frequent straightening, and the hair does not always come out straight. Please don't be taken aback, I'm not trying to tell you that you have heat damage (I don't know your hair), but it's not outside the realm of possibility.

 

[glamazon386]

Some parts of my hair are JUST like you described and look like yours.

This is why I don't know if my hair is 3c or 4a. I mean the curl sizes vary between 3c size and 4a size, but my hair acts more like a 3c, but has the texture more associated with 4a.

I think there should be a type between 3c and 4a lol. 3D or something.

This sounds like my hair. We also have to remember that 3c originally didn't exist. The people over at NC added it because there was too big of a gap between 3b and 4a. There's a lot more types that could fall into
that gap, IMO.

 

[lovenharmony]

Oh, I forgot to mention that if your hair is not ph balanced, that could make your hair appear frizzy all the time. Returning your hair to its natural ph balance lays down the cuticles so it will retain the moisture you place inside and your hair will appear smoother.

Attached are pics of my hair when it's ph balanced, and when it's not

 

[mischka]

Yep, this is pretty much why I dislike hair typing - I don't find it helpful at all. My hair is coarse in texture, but is easy to slick back with a scarf and conditioner (I don't brush my hair) - and it will poof out like you described if it is not moisturized, which is why I always leave-in conditioner even if I am not using styling products that day. When my hair has the opportunity to poof out, it also tangles and mats much more.

Are you DC'ing? And how often do you moisturize your hair? Furthermore, you can get heat damage/training from straightening your hair one time if you do not protect it properly, it does not have to be frequent straightening, and the hair does not always come out straight. Please don't be taken aback, I'm not trying to tell you that you have heat damage (I don't know your hair), but it's not outside the realm of possibility.

I always use a heat protectant, and I don't even have to turn the flat iron up that high to get my hair straight. My hair straightens pretty easily (one pass straight, 2 passes super straight) so I just doubt that's the case, especially since I know what my hair looks like if I used too much heat.

I deep condition like... irregularly. Not often at all. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh. I just felt like, if I knew something that my hair liked, I would do it all the time, but I haven't really found anything that my hair reacts really well to. It seems to stay in the same condition...

 

[EllePixie]

Well, I know that I HAVE to moisturize my hair thoroughly (meaning that I have to section so I get my roots and underlayers) or my hair is going to look dry and sad. I realized that I couldn't simply slap some product on in two sections when I would lift my hair up and there would be no product whatsoever on that area and it would be a ball of tangles.

 

[Embyra]

I always use a heat protectant, and I don't even have to turn the flat iron up that high to get my hair straight. My hair straightens pretty easily (one pass straight, 2 passes super straight) so I just doubt that's the case, especially since I know what my hair looks like if I used too much heat.

I deep condition like... irregularly. Not often at all. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh. I just felt like, if I knew something that my hair liked, I would do it all the time, but I haven't really found anything that my hair reacts really well to. It seems to stay in the same condition...

you need to find out your texture and porosity these will help you with products more than your curl size

i personally think the problem with hair typing is people hardly ever take texture density etc into account for why your hair ''wont do something'' thats supposed to be typical for your ''hair type''


alot of people seem to think you can just leave type 3 hair no product nothing and you will have nice defined curls for most curly heads thats just not true you will need something on your hair to stop the poof thats what products are for


Cree Summer and Cleo Laine andre walker classes these as 3b he also types himself as a 3b apparently

based on your pics your 3 just without the silkyness that is always associated with 3s

your hair i lovely there are definetly more people with your hair curl and texture than you would prob think

 

[CurlsBazillion]

yeah I think a lot of us are between 3c and 4a and we should just say f the system and start a 3D hair club lol

 

[appplecidder]

Lol... I'm stilling that 3d

Sent from my MB200 using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[Ms. Martina]

I totalllllly think there should be a 3D category too...lol.

 

[mischka]

I think I'm going to start using hair gel like eco-styler in my hair. Idk why I'm so scared to try it. I think I'm scared of having the "wet look"

I wish a seasoned lhcfer could come and fix my hair one good time and I could just copy the technique from then after lol

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

I think I'm going to start using hair gel like eco-styler in my hair. Idk why I'm so scared to try it. I think I'm scared of having the "wet look"

I wish a seasoned lhcfer could come and fix my hair one good time and I could just copy the technique from then after lol

Don't be scared to try Ecostyler. try using the blue one if you can find it at your local BSS. I like the green one, too, but I have to use a glycerin based spray over it in order to not have hard hair, LOL.

 

[beanie44]

I understand what you are talking about. My hair is somewhere in the 4a/3c range and strands are thin/medium/and a sprinkle of course hairs, I used Curl Keeper a lot last summer its liquid like water but I always used leave-in Jessicurl Too Shea daily conditioner under it, defined my curls and I had less frizz but because of shipping I tried other local products I could find in the BSS or walgreens, target, walmart...etc.

I also tried ECO styler white but same principle used leave-in under it, my hair still has some frizz but I like big hair. Based on the water floating porosity test I must be high porosity cuz I sink like a submarine, I read that aloe vera gel or porosity control at BSS might help with the PH balance. I still can't tell if it works for me I still get a little frizz but for me it all good. Go big or go home!!!! :2cool:

 

[iri9109]

I think I'm going to start using hair gel like eco-styler in my hair. Idk why I'm so scared to try it. I think I'm scared of having the "wet look"

I wish a seasoned lhcfer could come and fix my hair one good time and I could just copy the technique from then after lol

when i use gel my hair is alot tamer and less frizzy than if i just use conditioner...i think the wet look is from using too much product, or wrong application...and i find that applying on damp hair vs soaking wet hair helps your hair dry faster, and prevents the soul glo look lol...then when your hair is dry you can fluff with a moisturizer/hair milk or apply a light oil or pomade...the blue ecostyler is hands down my favorite gel, but it's hard to find on the ground where i live.

 

[Incognitus]

I think I'm going to start using hair gel like eco-styler in my hair. Idk why I'm so scared to try it. I think I'm scared of having the "wet look"

I wish a seasoned lhcfer could come and fix my hair one good time and I could just copy the technique from then after lol

Me Too!!!!

 

[knt1229]

What does your hair look like when it's not wet? Water weighs hair down so once it's dry and shrinks the wave/curl you see when wet can disappear or become smaller and tighten. It also sounds like you may have a porosity problem. Try doing an ACV rinse and using a sulfate free shampoo doing these things will eliminate frizz. The ACV rinse can help your hair appear smoother, also it gets rid of frizz and helps your hair retain moisture. If porosity is the problem once you fix it your curls should be easier to define because your hair will retain moisture better.

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

Do you find that your hair is coarser toward the scalp? I have pretty much a fro of roots but I think it's because I don't comb that close to my scalp as often as I comb the length of my hair.

I don't know what to do with this crap :heated:

I have that "fro" look the first couple inches as my hair grow out too--it's very hard to get it defined, but the rest of the length defines well with product. My texture between 3c/4a--it doesn't act like a full 3c head of hair, neither does it act like 4a--it's somewhere in the middle.

I have fine hair, but a lot of it which make it appear thicker than it really is and the crown area of my hair is very thick--there's like too much hair in that area. And because my strands are thin, my hair tangles very easy, that's why I wear twist-outs over 90% of the time.

The only way to define my hair to make it look like a wash n go, is to shingle products in section by section. Esp. now that my hair is longer, when it was shorter I could rub the products in all together, but those days are over.