Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?....

[BlackMasterPiece]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Yea, I think a good example of this is Janet Jackson's hair. In that thread, she clearly looks like a 3c, but people are convinced that since her hair was more coarse as a child, then that means that she texlaxes.

I was one of the people that said she likely texlaxes, why? because her hair seems markedly different in smoothness shine and texture now, and she has altered many other facets of her body so its not much of a stretch to think she'd do the same with her hair

I've seen pics of my hair as a child, and people would assume that I was probably a 4b because my 'curls/coils' were NEVER defined back then. If you look at my hair now, it could look like a 3c or 4a depending on what products I use or how I manipulate my hair. It's vastly different than what you see in my kiddie pics.

I've been through several albums in your gloriously extensive fotki.....so many awesome albums in there btw! and I can say with certainty....you always look to be at the very most a 3c....your hair never looks type 4....never lol

Sometimes you can't accurately tell someone's hair type when their hair is just dry and frizzy alot of times I'll ask for dry hair and wet naked hair pix and even how it looks unmanipulated with product helps it gives the best indication of what someone's hair type is.

Most hair typing systems refer exclusively to curl diamater, its not about porosity, its not about coarseness, its not about nuance, its all about curl diameter. I find hair typing to be very straightforward, easy to understand and helpful.

There are some that are a mixture and there are some that are a bit more ambiguous but I think those that don't fall into the larger categories are the exception to the rule and people seem to wanna put a lazer focus on those individuals. I'm able to immediately type 98% of the heads I encounter, on LHCF, YouTube or Fotki......its a very simple straightforward system that I see many posters complicate imo.....there are also many posters that refuse to accept that they are the type they are as well which presents some problems lol

 

[Eritreladiee]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I never transitioned, but as my hair has gotten longer, as it's become more hydrated, better taken care of, etc. my curl pattern has gotten looser-- or so it seems. I knew my hair was curly, but I was anticipating a tighter curl-- like 4a, but I'm more a 3c.

 

[Solitude]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I was one of the people that said she likely texlaxes, why? because her hair seems markedly different in smoothness shine and texture now, and she has altered many other facets of her body so its not much of a stretch to think she'd do the same with her hair



There are some that are a mixture and there are some that are a bit more ambiguous but I think those that don't fall into the larger categories are the exception to the rule and people seem to wanna put a lazer focus on those individuals. I'm able to immediately type 98% of the heads I encounter, on LHCF, YouTube or Fotki......its a very simple straightforward system that I see many posters complicate imo.....there are also many posters that refuse to accept that they are the type they are as well which presents some problems lol

I am responding to these two parts of your post, so I cut some out.

@ the Janet Jackson response, as I wrote in that thread, there is no way to compare her texture as a child when afros were popular to today when "curls" are popular. Even if her hair type was 3c back then, it would have been picked out with a K-cutter to make an afro and I highly doubt moisture was concern. Anybody's hair can vary in smoothness and shine from day to day.

@ the hair typing - no offense, but just because you look at someone's hair and "type" it, doesn't mean that you're correct.....

Your comment about "accepting" your type is what I was trying to avoid. It's not a matter of acceptance, it's a matter of understanding. Your hair is very beautiful, but it is nothing like my hair at all, so you can't really type my hair for me.

I think a lot more people fall into the "exceptions" than people realize. The type 1-4 system clumps all tight curls together without considering other ways that Afro-textured hair can vary.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I was one of the people that said she likely texlaxes, why? because her hair seems markedly different in smoothness shine and texture now, and she has altered many other facets of her body so its not much of a stretch to think she'd do the same with her hair

I've been through several albums in your gloriously extensive fotki.....so many awesome albums in there btw! and I can say with certainty....you always look to be at the very most a 3c....your hair never looks type 4....never lol

Sometimes you can't accurately tell someone's hair type when their hair is just dry and frizzy alot of times I'll ask for dry hair and wet naked hair pix and even how it looks unmanipulated with product helps it gives the best indication of what someone's hair type is.

Most hair typing systems refer exclusively to curl diamater, its not about porosity, its not about coarseness, its not about nuance, its all about curl diameter. I find hair typing to be very straightforward, easy to understand and helpful.

There are some that are a mixture and there are some that are a bit more ambiguous but I think those that don't fall into the larger categories are the exception to the rule and people seem to wanna put a lazer focus on those individuals. I'm able to immediately type 98% of the heads I encounter, on LHCF, YouTube or Fotki......its a very simple straightforward system that I see many posters complicate imo.....there are also many posters that refuse to accept that they are the type they are as well which presents some problems lol

Sense you seem to have declared yourself as the hair-typing expert, can you please type me? I think I'm 4a but I've had people try to tell me I'm 3b/3c and I think they're totally nuts! I even think I have some 4b up in there!

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I am responding to these two parts of your post, so I cut some out.

@ the Janet Jackson response, as I wrote in that thread, there is no way to compare her texture as a child when afros were popular to today when "curls" are popular. Even if her hair type was 3c back then, it would have been picked out with a K-cutter to make an afro and I highly doubt moisture was concern. Anybody's hair can vary in smoothness and shine from day to day.

@ the hair typing - no offense, but just because you look at someone's hair and "type" it, doesn't mean that you're correct.....

Your comment about "accepting" your type is what I was trying to avoid. It's not a matter of acceptance, it's a matter of understanding. Your hair is very beautiful, but it is nothing like my hair at all, so you can't really type my hair for me.

I think a lot more people fall into the "exceptions" than people realize. The type 1-4 system clumps all tight curls together without considering other ways that Afro-textured hair can vary.

I think it is a matter of acceptance. And the way I interpreted her comment is that people don't want to accept that their hair will never look like Lisa's because Lisa is a 3b/3c while they may be a 4b. Understanding the typing system is much different but even if you don't understand that flawed system, you should still accept the way your hair grows and not try to will it to look like Lisa's or Jasmines.

 

[Solitude]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I think it is a matter of acceptance. And the way I interpreted her comment is that people don't want to accept that their hair will never look like Lisa's because Lisa is a 3b/3c while they may be a 4b. Understanding the typing system is much different but even if you don't understand that flawed system, you should still accept the way your hair grows and not try to will it to look like Lisa's or Jasmines.

But, who said that anyone was trying to have a different hair type???? My original post was about people who TRULY are a different hair type than they thought they were.

People are so quick to assume that everyone wants type 3 hair....I think that assumption says a lot about the person making it.

I don't have coarse, dry hair. I just don't and I'm tired of everyone acting like all type 4's or all people with "true" afro-textured hair have these characteristics. I don't know my hair type with certainty. I would assume I am a 4, but there is more to it than just curl size!!!!!

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

But, who said that anyone was trying to have a different hair type???? My original post was about people who TRULY are a different hair type than they thought they were.

People are so quick to assume that everyone wants type 3 hair....I think that assumption says a lot about the person making it.

I don't have coarse, dry hair. I just don't and I'm tired of everyone acting like all type 4's or all people with "true" afro-textured hair have these characteristics. I don't know my hair type with certainty. I would assume I am a 4, but there is more to it than just curl size!!!!!

I wasn't answering in reference to your op I was answering in reference to what blackmasterpiece said about acceptance...idk maybe I misinterpreted your analysis about her comment but if that is true, then I think you actually misinterpreted blackmasterpiece's comment because now that I think about it in reference to your op, I don't think her comment was about people who mis-typed their hair before they fully BCed.

And I truly hope the bolded wasn't about me because I obviously dont think that way as I JUST said I think I'm type 4 while others have told me I'm type 3. Otherwise, I would just go along with claiming 3 if that was the way I felt.

 

[Solitude]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I wasn't answering in reference to your op I was answering in reference to what blackmasterpiece said about acceptance

Ok, I may have misunderstood. My response to you was more in response to what she said as well.

I have to take a deep breath and remember it's just a discussion. lol

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Ok, I may have misunderstood. My response to you was more in response to what she said as well.

I have to take a deep breath and remember it's just a discussion. lol

Just wondering why it's so importan for you to feel the need to categorize your hair anyway? I read your second post on the first page but I still don't understand. I know for me, I like to type hair so I can just stalk pictures and dream about how my hair might look (since I seem to have forgotten in the past 3 years). But why do you?

 

[Ediese]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I was one of the people that said she likely texlaxes, why? because her hair seems markedly different in smoothness shine and texture now, and she has altered many other facets of her body so its not much of a stretch to think she'd do the same with her hair

I've been through several albums in your gloriously extensive fotki.....so many awesome albums in there btw! and I can say with certainty....you always look to be at the very most a 3c....your hair never looks type 4....never lol

Sometimes you can't accurately tell someone's hair type when their hair is just dry and frizzy alot of times I'll ask for dry hair and wet naked hair pix and even how it looks unmanipulated with product helps it gives the best indication of what someone's hair type is.

Most hair typing systems refer exclusively to curl diamater, its not about porosity, its not about coarseness, its not about nuance, its all about curl diameter. I find hair typing to be very straightforward, easy to understand and helpful.

There are some that are a mixture and there are some that are a bit more ambiguous but I think those that don't fall into the larger categories are the exception to the rule and people seem to wanna put a lazer focus on those individuals. I'm able to immediately type 98% of the heads I encounter, on LHCF, YouTube or Fotki......its a very simple straightforward system that I see many posters complicate imo.....there are also many posters that refuse to accept that they are the type they are as well which presents some problems lol

Thanks! I do have a few..um albums. lol I can't help it..I love snapping hair pics. I give up with this typing stuff. It confuses the heck out of me. I have coarse hair with different size curls throughout my head. I've had people tell me that I'm 3c, and others that I'm 4a. To be on the safe side, I've stuck with 4a. lol I don't want anyone saying that I'm claiming something that I don't have. They look so similiar to me anyway.

 

[classychic1908]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Like ms. feliz posted. Coarseness is about strand size, not curl diameter. You can have type 1 coarse hair, like someone of asian descent. Or you can have type 4 fine hair. Coarse doesn't mean unmanageable.

I have thick strands of hair, so I consider it coarse, but it's not unrully or hard to deal with, but it does have a tendency for dryness. Andre's system only considers curl size in determining hairtype, not strand thickness.

 

[bedazzled]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I see many people stated that when they learned how to take care of their hair better, their curls looked more defined so their 4b hair became 4a & 4a became 3C. With my hair however, when i started transitioning my nape was clearly 4b. My name has fallen out 3x due to harsh relaxers and each time it grew back 4b. Well, its been almost 1 year since my last relaxer (and i've since bc'd)...I could've sworn my nape is 4b, but now as its growing in its becoming 3c/4a. So the roots are 4a, and midshaft to the ends its 4b. I think it could be either scab hair or something....not sure.

 

[Solitude]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Just wondering why it's so importan for you to feel the need to categorize your hair anyway? I read your second post on the first page but I still don't understand. I know for me, I like to type hair so I can just stalk pictures and dream about how my hair might look (since I seem to have forgotten in the past 3 years). But why do you?

It's not important to me to type my hair. For one thing, my hair is relaxed...so my texture has been altered. I love my hair - it's always been thick, easy to manage and very resilient. It's important to me to make a point that there is more than one way to type hair and that a lot of people are uncertain about where they fall in the 3's or 4's.

However, if it was important to me to type my hair, I don't see anything wrong with that.

Curl pattern/size in only ONE feature. People on here talk about what is good or bad for one hair type without taking any of the other features into account. The LOIS system someone posted earlier, for example, takes into account curl pattern, strand size, and texture.

You can take a look at the past threads that I've started and see that I often challenge common topics here on LHCF. It's not just hair type. The threads that I've started have been about heat usage at Dominican salons, what does "damage" mean, and so on. I even purchased Diva Smooth to try it out for myself. I don't like to just "accept" what people write on here - that's why I said it's not about acceptance, it's about a personal understanding.

 

[Natural Glow]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

When I was transitioning I thought my natural texture was more like the 3c/4a girl Dani.Nicole posted

I think it was cause my relaxed hair was so different than my relaxed hair that I thought it was much more tighty curled than it is. I never wore a curly pony tail or anything. I wish I would have found LHCF when I was in high school.

 

[maysay]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I haven't been relaxed but I have had a similar experience. Growing up I was under the impression that my hair was a cotton ball. I really thought that was my hair type because that's what my hair looked like when it wasn't pressed. Once I found hair boards and learned how to take care of my hair I learned that it was actually curly (well, coily) and not just a mass of fluff.

On a somewhat related note, this is how I understand hair typing...
Hair type: Straight, wavy, or curly (with coily being a subset of curly). Andre's system attaches numbers to those categories but I don't like them. IMO, there are way too many unique hair patterns to use anything but broad categories. It's like trying to categorize all the possible shapes of human nail beds or something...just confusing and futile. Straight, wavy, and curly/coily makes it simpler.

Hair density: Average (I think science books state 120,000 strands), thin (fewer than average), thick (more than average). I agree with you Solitude, that's why thickness challenges don't make sense to me because you can't add follicles to your scalp.

Strand size: Fine (thinner than 1 ply thread), average (equal to 1 ply thread), coarse (thicker than one ply thread). Strand sizes vary because of the amount of cuticle layers.

Of course because of all the different combinations of characteristics (including porosity) you get all the different heads of hair.

 

[Enyo]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

People are so quick to assume that everyone wants type 3 hair....I think that assumption says a lot about the person making it.

Not really. I've been on and off these type of forums since 2000-ish and I've consistently seen people who were desperate for "3" type hair and were disappointed when they didn't have it after all. I've seen it so much that I do assume most people are hoping for a looser curl pattern. And the fact that many naturals are endlessly looking to stretch/pull/loosen/weigh down/define their hair without chemicals only supports the suggestion that people prefer the looser curl pattern despite abandoning the relaxer.

I only wandered in here because I'm bored. But I initially passed this thread by because I thought it was another "please tell me I got gud hur" thread. I've seen sooooo many since I started going to sites like these that it's become a part of the scenery.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Sense you seem to have declared yourself as the hair-typing expert, can you please type me? I think I'm 4a but I've had people try to tell me I'm 3b/3c and I think they're totally nuts! I even think I have some 4b up in there!

LOL! Absolutely, PM me pics of your hair in its natural state wet or dry unmanipulated and I'll tell you which you are

I think it is a matter of acceptance. And the way I interpreted her comment is that people don't want to accept that their hair will never look like Lisa's because Lisa is a 3b/3c while they may be a 4b. Understanding the typing system is much different but even if you don't understand that flawed system, you should still accept the way your hair grows and not try to will it to look like Lisa's or Jasmines.

Thanks for this post you broke it down so well, this is exactly what I meant.

Thanks! I do have a few..um albums. lol I can't help it..I love snapping hair pics.

Your fotki is tha bomb!! I love how extensive it is...its awesome. I'm still in love and in awe of that Halley's Curls install you got....it fit you and your hair texture so seamlessly.

I give up with this typing stuff. It confuses the heck out of me. I have coarse hair with different size curls throughout my head. I've had people tell me that I'm 3c, and others that I'm 4a. To be on the safe side, I've stuck with 4a. lol I don't want anyone saying that I'm claiming something that I don't have. They look so similiar to me anyway.

Awe don't give up hun and don't worry about what other people are saying, if your hair is a looser curl, its a looser curl, 3c is whats natural to you, don't worry about what others say .

 

[Caramel Jewel]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

b/c of the hair texture of my special places i thought id be a 3 but im not....

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

/\





​

 

[Bene]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

When I first started typing my hair, I thought I was a 2c/3a. Then I figured since most of my hair had some curl in it, I might as well go ahead and say I was 3a. I airdried yesterday, and there was no curl, just some coarse waves. I don't even know what I am anymore.

 

[gymfreak336]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Janet Jackson uses Elasta QP relaxer......

 

[Filmatic]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I thought I was a full 4a when I was texlaxed but when I BC I realized I am 3/4 mix. The back is more of a 3c. It's also finer.

 

[Irresistible]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Thanks for answering! I asked for a few different reasons....

1. One, because I am relaxed and people always say you can't tell your hair type based on your new growth, and I'm not sure if I agree with that.

2. I was thinking about how some of use had puffy very kinky hair as children, so we assume we are 4's, but with proper hair care, one may have a more defined texture.

3. I have a hard time distinguishing between coarse vs. soft hair, kinky vs. curly, curly v. nappy, nappy v. coily, and so on....there seem to be too many ways to define hair to "hair type" correctly without considering all the different factors.

4. I'm wondering does the amount of heat needed to straighten one's hair correlate to hair type or coarseness?

I don't know, it just seems like the majority of people claim to be a 4a/b and I'm wondering if that's true or are a lot of us who are relaxed unsure.....a lot of the women in my family are 3's.

I hope all of this makes sense.

Perfect sense

because #2 applies to me

 

[Irresistible]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I agree!!!!!

I have thought it or figured it to be true too

 

[Irresistible]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Thank you for your response.

Yes! I hear people say things like "our hair is the coarsest" only my hair is not coarse. It's soft and straightens easily. Reading the definition another poster posted, I think my hair would be "medium."

Growing up, people said I had thick hair and they say my sister has thick hair as well, only my sister's hair is THICK - there was a clear difference in hers and mine and now I think her hair is a coarse type 4, but now that she is conditioning her hair really well, it's just as manageable as mine.

The bolded is why I realized I might not get a lot of responses. There's a kind of taboo about claiming 3-something when you may actually be 4-something or vice versa. It is confusing and I guess that's why some choose not to "type" at all. Some people may be reading this thread wondering if I'm trying to make more 4's into 3's so I can be a three or something like that. I would have to transition to truly determine my hair type, I guess - so that's not my reasoning.

For those wondering what does this have to do with hair types 1-4, I'm beginning to think this is part of the confusion when someone says "she is not a true type ____." There are other factors besides curl diameter that determine how someone's hair looks and behaves.

dang should have read through and multi quoted

but YES, The 'HAIR TYPE PARANOIA' is madness around here at times

 

[Dani.Nicole]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Thanks! I do have a few..um albums. lol I can't help it..I love snapping hair pics. I give up with this typing stuff. It confuses the heck out of me. I have coarse hair with different size curls throughout my head. I've had people tell me that I'm 3c, and others that I'm 4a. To be on the safe side, I've stuck with 4a. lol I don't want anyone saying that I'm claiming something that I don't have. They look so similiar to me anyway.

To me, I think your hair is another anomaly to the hair typing madness lol I always thought 3c hair had a "shine" that 4a hair doesn't have. For example this is my definition of 3c:

Their hair a has a natural shine that most 4's do not have. I would have never thought you were a 3c but I would not necessarily pin you as 4a. Your curls are the width of 3c texture and hangs as such, but it does have the shine that 3c textures possess. So to me, you would be that texture in between.

JMO

 

[Ediese]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

To me, I think your hair is another anomaly to the hair typing madness lol I always thought 3c hair had a "shine" that 4a hair doesn't have. For example this is my definition of 3c:


Their hair a has a natural shine that most 4's do not have. I would have never thought you were a 3c but I would not necessarily pin you as 4a. Your curls are the width of 3c texture and hangs as such, but it does have the shine that 3c textures possess. So to me, you would be that texture in between.

JMO

Thanks! Yep, my hair certainly does NOT shine. lol It has a more matte/coarse finish, but some of the curls are pencil size. It seems like as it gets longer, it's getting looser too.

 

[Solitude]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Not really. I've been on and off these type of forums since 2000-ish and I've consistently seen people who were desperate for "3" type hair and were disappointed when they didn't have it after all. I've seen it so much that I do assume most people are hoping for a looser curl pattern. And the fact that many naturals are endlessly looking to stretch/pull/loosen/weigh down/define their hair without chemicals only supports the suggestion that people prefer the looser curl pattern despite abandoning the relaxer.

I only wandered in here because I'm bored. But I initially passed this thread by because I thought it was another "please tell me I got gud hur" thread. I've seen sooooo many since I started going to sites like these that it's become a part of the scenery.

I certainly respect your opinion. I've only been on LHCF since 2008, but I've lurked on hair boards since 2005 and I've seen the dominant opinions take over a board. Thankfully, I'm not that susceptible to other people's opinions. I take in information and filter it.

I've also noticed how comments have gotten jazzier since LHCF added the "thank you" button. Not aimed at you, but there are a lot of "reachers" who come into a thread just to garner thanks with jazzy comments that don't add anything to a discussion.

BTW, like I said earlier I know I have "good hair." It's healthy, growing and retaining, and very easy to manage. It doesn't matter if I'm 4b or 2c. Nobody in real life is looking at my hair type. When I log off, I don't even think about this anymore.

 

[kblc06]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

Based on my younger pictures with an afro and super thick hair when I was younger, I just knew I was probably a 4a or 4a/b. My grandpa actually nicknamed me Rudy due to the sheer amount of hair I had. I couldn't wait to get back to that texture and do all the super cool hairstyles and fros that I saw on nappturality. As it turns out, my hair behaves nothing like I imagined. I'm mostly in the 3s with some 4a around the perimeter and some 2c/3a around the crown and sides, which is why I guess I was mislead looking at my baby pics. I used stretch my relaxers for months at a time with no issues. I also remember my mother rollersetting my hair to get it straight, so that should have given me a hint as well. I didn't realize my hair would so many different textures and I honestly think that relaxers may have affected my hair follicles. My hair is still no where as dense as is it was when I was younger (~12-14 yrs old). One of the reasons my mother relaxed my hair in the first place is because it was so thick and got messy very easily. The unruly part definitely hasn't changed - my hair doesn't last no more than a week and a half with cornrows.

 

[kblc06]

Re: Did anyone think they were a 4, then discover they were a 3 after transitioning?.

I'm confusing myself too but it seems like the looser hair types have fine strands and the tighter types have thicker/dryer strands.

When I look at my hair, the strands that are fine have bigger curls than the strands that are thicker, most of my thick strands are really tightly coiled and are smaller than the size of a pen spring. I have no clue what would be the exact definition of coarse hair so I just keep it at 3c/4a/4b.

Actually, this tends not to be the case, hence the reason why so many 4a/b hair types suffer from breakage. I have seen very few 4a/bs with coarse, thick stranded hair. Most of the time, they are fine or medium but with densely packed strands (which implies that they have more hair follicles). Likewise, there are type 3s like Lynnieb and EmpressRi who have very thick individuals strands of hair with high density, making their hair appear even thicker than average. This breakdown may help to explain things a bit:

1.) Hair Texture: Silky, thready, cottony. This actually measures how the hair feels to the touch and can give you more information about how the hair behaves and the potential porosity of the hair. Silky strands of hair typically feel very smooth along the hair strand with lower porosity. Thready and cottony are a little harder to distinguish. Typically, thready hair may have a slightly larger diameter and feels uneven but still smooth along the hair strand. Sometimes, it even has a halo-y appearance, much like a strand of thread. This type of hair generally has a lower porosity and can "feel" coarse even though the strands may be fine. Cottony hair usually feels soft to touch and feels uneven along the hair shaft due to kinks along the hair strand- this hair texture is generally associated with type 4 hair, but this is not always the case. Some type 3s can have cottony hair and some type 4s can have silky or thready hair.

2.) Strand size: Fine, Medium, or Coarse. Fine hair generally has very small diameters. Coarse strands are generally very thick, almost like thread, and very durable. Medium hair strands are in between these two

3.) Curl Diameter: Type 1, 2,3 or 4. The only thing hair typing measures is curl size, NOT hair texture. It is based on the assumptions that people with a certain curl size have a certain type of texture, i.e. type 1 hair is silky. This simply not true- you can have any curl size and have hair that varies along any texture dimension or strand size dimension.

4.) Density: The amount of hair follicles/strands per square inch. Hair that appears very thick may mislead one to think that it's coarse. This is not true. Many people have fine or medium strands but with a high density, making their hair appear thicker than if they have a lower density.

It is important to note that these factors can influence how hair is appears and behaves. Someone with fine, silky 4a medium density hair can appear and behave like someone with a much looser texture and curl size. My mother is an example of this. TaraDyan (a member here) is also an example of how smaller curls can appear much looser due to the texture and strand size. My hair on the other hand is mostly fine-medium, thready type 3b/c highly dense and can appear to be a tighter 3c/4a due to the texture and density. Some of my curls are as loose as 2c/3a but appear very frizzy and highly textured, even though they are barely waves. It's an interesting paradox because may products that work for type 4a hair can weigh my hair down and make it look stringy. But products for silkier type 3s can leave my hair thirsty and dry.