Hair Type WHAT?

[2buttonsnow3]

Can you ladies help me out. My newgrowth is feel's wavy . what kind of hair type has a wave to it?

 

[Tee]

Can you ladies help me out. My newgrowth is feel's wavy . what kind of hair type has a wave to it?

Type 2 has waves.
Type 3 is curly but MY new growth comes in ias waves.

I had a hard time figureing out what my hair type was also. I thought I was 2 then a 3 then a 4. Yes, I was kinda lost. I was just not getting it! lol

Anywho, I went to the library and picked up Andre' Walker book. (Andre' Talks Hair) It makes it so simple and has Pictures. I know now I am For Sure a 3B.

If you find his book, I know this will help you understand the hair types betters. The pictures really helped too.

HTH

 

[so1913]

It will be hard to determine true hair type until you have quite a few inches of new growth.

 

[MissFallon]

SO1913 what is your hair type?

 

[Hareitiz]

SO1913 what is your hair type?

I was going to ask the same question. Your hair is beautiful!

 

[so1913]

SO1913 what is your hair type?

Confused, LOL. It's different all over. I don't use the typing system. I don't think I fit in any of the "set" catagories. I usually just "describe" it or refer people to pics rather than use the #/letter names.

 

[Cheleigh]

Confused, LOL. It's different all over. I don't use the typing system. I don't think I fit in any of the "set" catagories. I usually just "describe" it or refer people to pics rather than use the #/letter names.

LOL. For Andre's system, most folks on naturallycurly.com would consider so1913 a 3c. I also think Andre's system is insufficient for your hair type too.

 

[curlilocs]

LOL. For Andre's system, most folks on naturallycurly.com would consider so1913 a 3c. I also think Andre's system is insufficient for your hair type too.

ITA. I prefer the LOIS system as far as typing is concerned. By Andre's system I could be a tight 3b or a loose 4a since 3c was 'made up' on nc.com. I have met people with whom it doesn't appear we are hair twins, but our hair responds well to a lot of the same products, so it really isn't that beneficial to most people IMO. You just have to learn to do what's best for you and your hair.

 

[Ms_Twana]

Okay. I soooo do not get this Hair Type thing either. I am 9 weeks post, and I have maybe 2 inches of new growth in some parts of my head. I was excited about stretching so that I could get an idea of what my natural hair would be like, and I am loving it. I saw a curl at the front part of my head, and I got sooo excited. But, unfortunately, I still can't figure out my hair type.

It could have something to do with the fact that I don't know what half the words mean in the descriptions. What are corkscrews??? And ringlets?? And what about tightly coiled?? I assume that means how close the curls are to each other. Or does that mean how big the curls are?? And how do you know when you've moved from one category to the next?? And what does kinky REALLY mean. I always thought of it as very tightly curled, like the letter "O." I think of the "kitchen" at the back of my neck when I hear kinky. Is this correct???

When I first joined the group, I thought I was a 4B, 1.) Because I assumed every black woman that needed a relaxer as often as me (every 6 weeks) fit into the 4 category because of the word "kinky," and 2. Because my new growth appeared to come in as waves. But now I can definitely see the "S" pattern. Okay, but the entire 3 group and 4A have curls or "S" pattern. So now what??? I don't really get the difference between 3c and 4a either. Both talk about tight curls and corkscrews (whatever they are).

So, as you can see, I am totally confused. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. TIA!!!

 

[Ms_Twana]

Bumping for responses!!!!

 

[Ms_Twana]

Come on ladies. I know you're tired of the hair type questions, but I am REALLY confused!! LOL!!!

 

[danimani]

Okay. I soooo do not get this Hair Type thing either. I am 9 weeks post, and I have maybe 2 inches of new growth in some parts of my head. I was excited about stretching so that I could get an idea of what my natural hair would be like, and I am loving it. I saw a curl at the front part of my head, and I got sooo excited. But, unfortunately, I still can't figure out my hair type.

oh can i relate. my new growth is wavy and soft. there is no curl in site.

i always thought i was 4a/4b, but there is definitely some 3 something in it. i give up on trying to classify it.

 

[Braided~Beauty]

Okay. I soooo do not get this Hair Type thing either. I am 9 weeks post, and I have maybe 2 inches of new growth in some parts of my head. I was excited about stretching so that I could get an idea of what my natural hair would be like, and I am loving it. I saw a curl at the front part of my head, and I got sooo excited. But, unfortunately, I still can't figure out my hair type.

It could have something to do with the fact that I don't know what half the words mean in the descriptions. What are corkscrews??? And ringlets?? And what about tightly coiled?? I assume that means how close the curls are to each other. Or does that mean how big the curls are?? And how do you know when you've moved from one category to the next?? And what does kinky REALLY mean. I always thought of it as very tightly curled, like the letter "O." I think of the "kitchen" at the back of my neck when I hear kinky. Is this correct???

When I first joined the group, I thought I was a 4B, 1.) Because I assumed every black woman that needed a relaxer as often as me (every 6 weeks) fit into the 4 category because of the word "kinky," and 2. Because my new growth appeared to come in as waves. But now I can definitely see the "S" pattern. Okay, but the entire 3 group and 4A have curls or "S" pattern. So now what??? I don't really get the difference between 3c and 4a either. Both talk about tight curls and corkscrews (whatever they are).

So, as you can see, I am totally confused. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. TIA!!!

I am not going to be much help to you but I just wanted to say ITA!
I really am having a hard time figuring my hair type as well. There are some pictures on Robins site of various hair types here -http://www.growafrohairlong.com/hairtypes.html
I don't know if its that helpful however because a lot of the ladies pictured with type 4 have relaxed hair so you can't see the natural curl pattern

 

[Ms_Twana]

Hey, I've seen that site before and it did not help me at all. In fact, I can't understand how Halle Berry or Sade (I think that was her) are a 4 anything. I just don't see them as having kinky hair.

See, and someone said that Andre Walker's book has pictures. But are there pictures that I can relate to (black people)??? Because on NaturallyCurly.com, they don't have pictures of any everyday black female in the 3 category. I mean it jumped from Rachael True in the 3 category, to Nadia Turner in the 4's. There is sooo much more in between. And I believe my hair type is one of them. So, how is a person to know.

 

[MissFallon]

What is Mariah Carey's hair type in this picture? This is the hair type that my mother is and I am trying to get a regimen and a relaxer (unless I can convince her otherwise) that works with her hair type? I believe it is somewhere between a 2a-3a but not sure where, maybe 2a/b?

 

[Vshanell]

What is Mariah Carey's hair type in this picture? This is the hair type that my mother is and I am trying to get a regimen and a relaxer (unless I can convince her otherwise) that works with her hair type? I believe it is somewhere between a 2a-3a but not sure where, maybe 2a/b?

I would say Mariah's hair in this pic is a 3A.

To anyone interested here is another hairtype chart from Blended Beauty. I don't go by this one but it does have a lot of different pics of hair types. http://www.blended-beauty.com/Biracial_Hair_Types.html

 

[Ms_Twana]

Thanks Pokahontas. That website was cool. One thing that I noticed was that most of the ladies in those pictures seemed to have "spiral" shaped curls. See, I have "S" shaped new growth, but not spiral. Does that make sense?? One of my hair strands would look more like a snake that is slithering on the ground. It's flat. Rather than in a circular shape to form a spiral staircase or something. So, does that mean that my hair is actually wavy, rather than curly?? Huh, this is sooo confusing!!

 

[Cheleigh]

Thanks Pokahontas. That website was cool. One thing that I noticed was that most of the ladies in those pictures seemed to have "spiral" shaped curls. See, I have "S" shaped new growth, but not spiral. Does that make sense?? One of my hair strands would look more like a snake that is slithering on the ground. It's flat. Rather than in a circular shape to form a spiral staircase or something. So, does that mean that my hair is actually wavy, rather than curly?? Huh, this is sooo confusing!!

What do your hair ends do without the relaxed ends?

My hair looked wavy when I was transitioning because my strands were weighed down by the relaxed hair, but is actually curly/coily.

And curl pattern (like wavy, straight, corkscrew, coil) has nothing to do with hair texture (kinky, silky, thready, spongy, wiry, cottony, etc.). I have coils, corkscrews, and some straight hair, but my texture is kinky and spongy, which in turn alters what my coils, corkscrews and straight hair look like.

Hair typing can never really be figured out because it was imprecise when it was created (not like Andre talked to hundreds of hair experts and tested on thousands of women) and it's even less precise when we apply it to our own hair. Some would consider my hair comprised of type x and y while I might consider myself type y and z. Not to mention that FME, hair texture plays a much larger role in what will work for my hair than curl pattern.

 

[Ms_Twana]

What do your hair ends do without the relaxed ends?

I have no idea. I've had a relaxer since I was a kid.

And curl pattern (like wavy, straight, corkscrew, coil) has nothing to do with hair texture (kinky, silky, thready, spongy, wiry, cottony, etc.).

Okay, so describe all of that for me, please. Because I have no idea what those would be like. I see the word "corkscrew" so often. I really want to know an example of that.

 

[Cheleigh]

Okay, so describe all of that for me, please. Because I have no idea what those would be like. I see the word "corkscrew" so often. I really want to know an example of that.

Let's use the blended beauty chart.

On the blended beauty chart, 3b.5 is a perfect example of a corkscrew curl. If you think of the twists of a wine bottle's opener, then you have a perfectly defined corkscrew.

However, 3b.3-3c can ALL be consider corkscrews as well, because all of those curl patterns change in appearance simply because the size of the corkscrew and the texture of the hair changes. That's what I mean by hair typing being inprecise.

Her examples of 3a-3b.6 probably have thready, wiry, or silky textures. When wet, these hair textures TEND (not always) to straighten when wet. The hair also TENDS to grow down, not out.

Examples 3b.7-4b are more spongy, cottony, or kinkier textures (it's hard to tell without feeling the hair). These hair textures tend to stay very coiled when wet, and hair growth tends to be out first, then down.

She doesn't have an example of coily hair, but coils are shaped like tubes (think a watch spring coil). They're essentially a tighter corksrew (there is no space between the bends in the curl, unlike corkscrews). Many 4a's (and 4bs and 3cs in some cases) have coils in their hair.

 

[Ms_Twana]

On the blended beauty chart, 3b.5 is a perfect example of a corkscrew curl. If you think of the twists of a wine bottle's opener, then you have a perfectly defined corkscrew. However, 3b.3-3c can ALL be consider corkscrews as well, because all of those curl patterns change in appearance simply because the size of the corkscrew and the texture of the hair changes. That's what I mean by hair typing being inprecise.

Okay, so since my hair doesn't have the spiral look (that's how I think of it), then that means my hair doesn't have corkscrews?? Or should I not judge it now because I have relaxed ends pulling my hair??

Her examples of 3a-3b.6 probably have thready, wiry, or silky textures.

I think I know what silky would be like, but what would thready and wiry be like??

Examples 3b.7-4b are more spongy, cottony, or kinkier textures (it's hard to tell without feeling the hair). These hair textures tend to stay very coiled when wet, and hair growth tends to be out first, then down.

Okay, when I do have new growth and I wear my hair down, even when flat-ironed, my hair is really thick and puffy at the roots. So does that mean that my texture is probably spongy, cottony, or kinky??

She doesn't have an example of coily hair, but coils are shaped like tubes (think a watch spring coil). They're essentially a tighter corksrew (there is no space between the bends in the curl, unlike corkscrews). Many 4a's (and 4bs and 3cs in some cases) have coils in their hair.

Okay, can you give me another example of coils, because I don't get this one.

Thank you sooo much for taking the time to break all of this down for me. I really do appreciate it.

 

[Cheleigh]

Okay, so since my hair doesn't have the spiral look (that's how I think of it), then that means my hair doesn't have corkscrews?? Or should I not judge it now because I have relaxed ends pulling my hair??

You shouldn't judge because you can't tell really until your relaxed ends are cut off.

I think I know what silky would be like, but what would thready and wiry be like??

I cannot describe it, but this is how it's describe on the LOIS hair typing system.

Find Your Texture
Shine is a sharp reflection of light while Sheen is a dull reflection of light.

* Thready - Hair as a low sheen, with high shine if the hair is held taut (as in a braid), with low frizz. Wets easily but water dries out quickly.
* Wiry - Hair has a sparkly sheen, with low shine and low frizz. Water beads up or bounces off the hair strands. Hair never seems to get fully wet.
* Cottony - Hair has a low sheen, a high shine if the hair is held taunt and has high frizz. Absorbs water quickly but does not get thoroughly wet very fast.
* Spongy - Hair has a high sheen with low shine with a compacted looking frizz. Absorbs water before it gets thoroughly wet.
* Silky - Hair has low sheen, a very high shine, with a lot or low frizz. Easily wets in water.

More info on LOIS (which is more accurate than Andre's, although harder to visualize for some) can be found at Our Hair

Okay, when I do have new growth and I wear my hair down, even when flat-ironed, my hair is really thick and puffy at the roots. So does that mean that my texture is probably spongy, cottony, or kinky??

Probably, but not for sure. Most people who feel like their new growth grows "out" when it's relaxed tend to have cottony, kinky, or spongy hair. But again, you can tell most easily when your hair is natural and well moisturized. ETA: You know, you can probably have thick, "poofy" hair and still have thready or wiry hair too. I've just not seen silky textures have a whole lot of poof, but their hair can be thick too.

Okay, can you give me another example of coils, because I don't get this one.

I've added a link to a photo of my hair. The hair on the side of my head that looks like...well coils (or worms, if you want to be inelegant about the whole thing) are coils. See how there's no space between each bend of the hair--it's just one solid looking tube of hair. Compare that to the examples in the blended beauty chart, where you can see space between each bend of the curl. BTW, you can have both coils and corkscrews on the same head, as well as multiple textures. If you look at most of the natural hair albums on LHCF, you can see that most of us have more than one texture and curl pattern.
http://pic13.picturetrail.com/VOL484/2350068/12252043/176250309.jpg

 

[Ms_Twana]

More info on LOIS (which is more accurate than Andre's, although harder to visualize for some) can be found at Our Hair

Yeah, I had been looking for this site. But did't remember what it was called, so I couldn't find it.

ETA: You know, you can probably have thick, "poofy" hair and still have thready or wiry hair too. I've just not seen silky textures have a whole lot of poof, but their hair can be thick too.

What does ETA mean???

I've added a link to a photo of my hair. The hair on the side of my head that looks like...well coils (or worms, if you want to be inelegant about the whole thing) are coils. See how there's no space between each bend of the hair--it's just one solid looking tube of hair. Compare that to the examples in the blended beauty chart, where you can see space between each bend of the curl.

Ahhhh, now I get it. Okay, I understand coils now. Thanks!!!

 

[MissFallon]

Ok that's even more confusing

 

[Cichelle]

ETA = Edited to add...

 

[Vshanell]

Thanks Pokahontas. That website was cool. One thing that I noticed was that most of the ladies in those pictures seemed to have "spiral" shaped curls. See, I have "S" shaped new growth, but not spiral. Does that make sense?? One of my hair strands would look more like a snake that is slithering on the ground. It's flat. Rather than in a circular shape to form a spiral staircase or something. So, does that mean that my hair is actually wavy, rather than curly?? Huh, this is sooo confusing!!

Yes it is confusing but I know exzactly what you mean about the flattened out curls, you described that very well when you said it was like a snake slithering on the ground. I was like oooh, I have those too. I have a lot of those on my crown and when it gets to my nape it spirals like small shirley temple curls. I'm not sure how to clasify those snake curls though, they do look like big waves.