DIFFERENT TEXTURES AND NATURAL?

[girlyprincess23]

I just wanted to know if there are any naturals here that have extremely different textures in different parts of their heads? One thing that is keeping me from going natural (besides that breakage at the line of demarcation thing) is figuring out how to deal with the different textures in my head. It's very weird but the last time I was natural (for a very short time) the front and a some of the sides were 4a and the back was somewhere between 3b and 3c. And I mean closer to 3b there were no coils just curls??? And I was like what?!?! I would love to go natural but how do you deal with frizzy curls that don't really curl in the front and curls in the back what styles can you do? Do you have to use two different sets of products?

 

[SignatureBeauty]

I have 3 different types of textures on my head, 3c/4a/4b, 3c in the back, 4a on the sides & 4b in the crown, I use all the same products, and it just all blends in, Alot of Naturals have to deal with multiple textures, I guess it is just something you have to deal with when going natural, but as it grows out I think it will get better.

Don't let that stop you from being natural, I understand how you feel though!

 

[Lucky's Mom]

Yes. I have 4 textures. My left back has my mom's texture ( 3c) and the other textures are a mix of all the other ancestors.....

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

http://newlynatural.com/blog/?p=229
Here is a post I made on my blog about how I go about living with my different textures. I do have to treat them differently.

 

[*closer*2*my*dreams*]

I noticed mine last night as i co-washed my hair...I have a different texture in the front area, the sides are curlier, and the back has coils (whatever the difference is...i still have not typed my hair lol)...anyway, i know that there are diffeernt textures and i treat them all the same until i can distinguish them lol

 

[naturalgurl]

I have the bullseye head of textures. The nape, sides and front hair line are 3c, the next level is 4a and the crown is 4b. Whenever I wear a bun or puff it looks like I have 3c hair, when I wear it down it looks like 4a hair with fullness at the top. I just wear it girl, why stress over it? I even thought about blow drying the top or stretching it so it'll blend in but since it's all black you really can't tell until you're right on top of me in my head.

 

[PhonyBaloney500]

I think it just blends in--no one will look that hard...probably. Though if it goes from extreme 3b to 4b then that might be a bit noticeable!

 

[dynamic1]

Yes, I have 4 different textures as well. I think Andre's hair typing was full of crap. He indicated that the curl patterns gradually change from one area to the next (4a next to 4b, 3a next to 3b, etc). This is not true for me in the least. I have 3a sitting smack in the middle of 4a (andre didn't have a 3c category). Also my type 4 is not fine, it is very coarse (diameter of the strand). The textures do not play well together. I have to break up fights between them on a regular basis.

 

[E. Princess]

Multiple textures comes along with being natural right a long with shrinkage. I just live with it, not that it's a hassle.

I use the same products on my different textures. Even though I have different textures, they like the same things. I mainly wear braids and twists, so I really don't have to deal with blending the textures. If I'm wearing a twist out, I make sure that I don't fiddle with the crown area too much its the loosest section and looses definition easily. With a wash and go, you can definitely see the texture differences, but I love it so I wear it lol.

 

[Choklatekiss79]

My hair is exactly like your's OP. 4A sides, 4B crown, 3B/C back and nape. It honestly is easier to deal with the different textures being natural. Trying to manage them all with a relaxer never really worked out for me. Don't get em wrong, I had nice relaxed hair, but I was always dealing with breakage/damage somewhere. I think it's because each texture needed its own processing time; which is why I always ended up either under or over processed depaending on the area and time of processing.

Since I don't do wash and go styles, it's not really an issue for me. But honestly, my shrinkage would disguise most of the differences. I always keep my hair stretched via twist outs to combat the knots and tangles.

HTH

 

[Ozma]

The back of my hair is 3a/b, the middle/crown is 4a, the front and sides are 3c. As someone already stated, they do not play well together. The good thing is that the back section grows FAST, no matter what I do, so I mainly focus on the less manageable areas. I am learning slowly but surely how to make it all work. Since I am determined to remain chemical-free, texlaxing or relaxing is no longer an option.

 

[LiberianGirl]

Yes!!!!! It's very annoying. My back has a looser texture than the front. I have not worn a wash and go because it just will not look right. Twists outs and braidouts give my hair a more unified look. I also I'm hoping as it grows it will blend together. Sorry, I don't have any concrete advice for you because I'm still figuring it out.

 

[SheenaVee]

the front of my hair is looser than the rest, dunno what texture it is maybe 3c? The rest is 4a with a few looser bits here and there. I dont really treat them differently but I have noticed the front part of my hair straightens a lot easier than the rest so if i use heat i should be extra careful on that section.

 

[pisceschica]

I just wanted to know if there are any naturals here that have extremely different textures in different parts of their heads? One thing that is keeping me from going natural (besides that breakage at the line of demarcation thing) is figuring out how to deal with the different textures in my head. It's very weird but the last time I was natural (for a very short time) the front and a some of the sides were 4a and the back was somewhere between 3b and 3c. And I mean closer to 3b there were no coils just curls??? And I was like what?!?! I would love to go natural but how do you deal with frizzy curls that don't really curl in the front and curls in the back what styles can you do? Do you have to use two different sets of products?

Most people have different atleast two different textures in their hair. Sometimes its very noticeable sometimes its not especially when its wet.

I can tell you that I discovered my 3c curls when I was natural for 4 years. All of my hair is mostly 4a/b and its really tight at the crown. But at my nape my hair is very loose 3c curls. So when its wet everythink shrinks except for that nape area. Even now that I am relaxed I am noticing that the hair at my nape is "softer" than the rest.

 

[Junebug D]

Multiple textures is a fact of natural life. I am mostly 4b, have a horrible patch of 4a in the crown, and something that looks like it may be in the 2s crawling around the base of my neck.

 

[LoveLiLi]

If I had three wishes, one of them would be to have one curl pattern on my head, maybe.

My edges are 4a. The right side of my hair seems to be 3c/4a - very uniform in that area of my head and I love the way it looks.

The left side of my head is 3c, mostly wavy and parts of that section refuse to curl up (and this was before I started flat-ironing).

The back is 3b/3c. No kink, just loose curls and it hangs much lower than the rest and either grows faster or can take more abuse than the rest and has better length retention - I can't tell which at this point.

My crown is solid 4a.

I didn't straighten my hair for the longest time because I wanted to preserve my curl pattern. Noticing that my curls/kinks are pretty much all over the place helped me make the decision to start flat-ironing on a regular basis (I still use Sabino MB though ) . If I had a more uniform curl pattern I think I would straighten my hair less often.

 

[kblc06]

I just wanted to know if there are any naturals here that have extremely different textures in different parts of their heads? One thing that is keeping me from going natural (besides that breakage at the line of demarcation thing) is figuring out how to deal with the different textures in my head. It's very weird but the last time I was natural (for a very short time) the front and a some of the sides were 4a and the back was somewhere between 3b and 3c. And I mean closer to 3b there were no coils just curls??? And I was like what?!?! I would love to go natural but how do you deal with frizzy curls that don't really curl in the front and curls in the back what styles can you do? Do you have to use two different sets of products?

You sound like my hair twin (I have texture shots in my fotki). For the most part my hair is type 3a,b,c (the 2c/3a just looks puffy, but with products its straight and limp. My edges are 4a and behave totally different than the 2c/3a hair that's right next to it (in the very front). I can literally section of my into 5-6 different textures based on its location on my head

To define my curls I normally leave in a little conditioner, and use a curl activating gel (long-aid or fantasia IC), and diffuse with cool. air. Other styles that I like to do include rollersets, braids, and puffs . I almost always have to use 2-3 different leave-ins, because some products are too heavy for one section, and others too light. Once you construct an effective regimen, its smooth sailing

 

[TeaKyoo]

It honestly is easier to deal with the different textures being natural. But honestly, my shrinkage would disguise most of the differences.

Ditto... I have three different textures all over my head. But over time and using different styles I work with it. Also if you do get a haircut from someone that knows different textures and curling patterns they can work with what you have for a possible wash n go.

Also I found the longer my hair is the more the differences are less noticable cuz on section covers up other.

I enjoy my different kinds of hair. Just makes it more fun. --TQ

 

[LyndseyJK]

I have different textures. I hate it cause it makes it so I cant wear many wash-n-gos (at least where my hair it out....I can pull of ponytales). The texture on my right side is 3a and the texture on my left side is like 1c. Stylist cant explain it to me other than asking if i sleep on my left side. As far as products I dont treat them differently. But i can straighten the left side much faster than the right side.

 

[suburbanbushbabe]

I think it's almost impossible to tell what your texture is from new growth that still has relaxed ends on it. The relaxed part distorts the new growth and keeps the natural strands from mingling together the way they would if the ends were natural too. Based on my experience transition, you will never know what your true texture is until you are completely natural.

 

[SouthernTease]

My sides and back are 3C ish and the crown/middle has really no curl pattern. It's very bizarre but not uncommon. You can see for yourself in my siggy... it's very evident. I keep trimming that section thinking it's damaged or whatever but no matter how much I trim it doesn't curl up. I actually cut off more in the top crown section than I should have when I self-BC'd because I thought I hadn't gotten all of the relaxed hair. It is frustrating because I love the sides and back... I'm hoping that as is gets longer it will co-operate more and be less noticeable. I don't really wear wash 'n go's in public just around the house... I do wear lots of flexi rod/perm rod sets... it's better than getting relaxers and better than straightening with the flat iron.

 

[GoldenBreeze]

Another 3c, 4a, 4b checking in. I don't have a lot of problem taking care of my different textures. No, I don't buy three different sets of product. I simply can't afford to do that, so I use the same basic product on all of my textures. I try to get products that work well with my 4a texture, and either water them down for my 3c, or add oils and aloe vera for my 4b. I've been natural for a very long time, so taking care of the texture combo is second nature for me.

Girl don't be scurred, because you will learn as you go. If you listen to your hair, then you'll know what to do.

 

[girlyprincess23]

My hair is exactly like your's OP. 4A sides, 4B crown, 3B/C back and nape. It honestly is easier to deal with the different textures being natural. Trying to manage them all with a relaxer never really worked out for me. Don't get em wrong, I had nice relaxed hair, but I was always dealing with breakage/damage somewhere. I think it's because each texture needed its own processing time; which is why I always ended up either under or over processed depaending on the area and time of processing.

Since I don't do wash and go styles, it's not really an issue for me. But honestly, my shrinkage would disguise most of the differences. I always keep my hair stretched via twist outs to combat the knots and tangles.

HTH

This is EXACTLY what I was whining about last night and why I was going to start doong my own relaxers because stylists do NOT want to take the time to do 1 section first another section third and another section last, if they are not in the 4 little quadrants they like to put them in.

 

[girlyprincess23]

If I had three wishes, one of them would be to have one curl pattern on my head, maybe.

My edges are 4a. The right side of my hair seems to be 3c/4a - very uniform in that area of my head and I love the way it looks.

The left side of my head is 3c, mostly wavy and parts of that section refuse to curl up (and this was before I started flat-ironing).

The back is 3b/3c. No kink, just loose curls and it hangs much lower than the rest and either grows faster or can take more abuse than the rest and has better length retention - I can't tell which at this point.

My crown is solid 4a.


I didn't straighten my hair for the longest time because I wanted to preserve my curl pattern. Noticing that my curls/kinks are pretty much all over the place helped me make the decision to start flat-ironing on a regular basis (I still use Sabino MB though ) . If I had a more uniform curl pattern I think I would straighten my hair less often.

Yes my back is exactly the same!! Like another poster said, grows faster and retains better, but it's curl pattern is well defined.

 

[glamazon386]

My hair is a weird mixture of what I would consider 4a with a little 3c mixed in. The longer my hair gets it's appearing that the top half of my hair and the bottom half of my hair are different textures. I also have both sizes mixed throughout in the middle. The bottom/back shrinks a lot more than the front/top. The curls are also a little smaller. Overall my hair's curls are too small to be 3c but too big to be 4a so I'm some weird in between texture. My hair at the very edge of the nape is the loosest of all. I would consider it 3b. It looks like fine baby hair. I have some in the front around the edge on both temples like that too. It doesn't really bother me though. Once it's styled you can't really see the differences unless you're right up on my head.

 

[Maksi]

My crown is much looser than the back and sides. I makes wash-n-go's impossible, due to the different shrinkage in each area. It is normal, even for people with non kinky curly hair. I'm still trying to find out what works for my different textures.

 

[Likeyouneverseenme]

Mine has several, 3a-b-c and 4a.
I have a small patch in the back of my head that is 4a (driving my nuts)
I have 3a on my crown, barely curls up
3b on my nape and everywhere else it's 3c.
My hair, like a lot of others I'm sure, has it's own personality; some days she is little miss goody two shoes, and other days she's a real B**ch.
What can, I do? Like SO1913 says; I listen to my hair and do whatever it tells me to.

 

[Born Again Natural]

My texture has changed since my long stretch of constant pressing...before it was a strong 4/b (i'm guessing..according other 4/b's just by comparison) now I don't know what it is


very upset about the change cause now that I'm doing the bootcamp my options have slimmed with my limp hair that wont curl up, just intense waves


before in attachment current in siggy....ugh!

Honestly the hair types confuse me, I don't know what I was or am??? Can anyone advise?

 

[Shandell]

I have mostly 4b/cnapp thick, with a few strands of 4a, and like 2 strands of 3c...I am loving the 4b.

 

[Muffinz05]

I have 2 different textures on my head. The front and crown is 3c while the back and sides are 4a. It can be frustrating sometimes because there are days when I want to wear my hair out but it doesn't come out right because of the different textures. After fighting with it for 4 years, I just learned to deal with it.