Hair Typing Pages From Andre's Book

Tru_Mind

New Member
From "Andre Talks Hair" Chapter 2 "To Thine Own Self Be True"

****CLICK THE 4 ARROW BOX TO MAKE PICTURES LARGER ****

What's your type?

Cont. What's your type?

Cont. What your type?

TYPE 1


TYPE 2


TYPE3
TYPE 3 CONT.
Picture of short Type 3A
Cutting Natural Type 3
Cont. Cutting Natural Type 3
[size=+1]"Ony certain Type 3s are candidates for chemical straightening."[/size]


TYPE 4
CONT. TYPE 4
Cutting Natural Type 4
Cutting Relaxed Type 4
Cont. Cutting Relaxed Type 4
[size=+1]"Most type 4s are candidates for chemical straightening. Type 4s want ing straigher hair can do without chemical as well."[/size]

________________________________


[size=+1]As you can see TYPE 3C did not exists[/size]
The tight corkscrews has been pulled from TYPE 3B into it's on catergory which is TYPE 3C

[size=+1]A picture does not have to look exactly like your hair for it to be your hair type, because everybody hair looks different in some way...just follow the hair typing discription.[/size]

:lol:As you can see I'm no hair typing guru either I just pull Andre's book out to help me out.

[size=+2]I hope that this helps!!!:)[/size]

-tru
 
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Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

:yay: THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting pages out of his book!!! :kiss:

Now I definitely know that I am 4A!!! :woot:
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

weaveadiva said:
why do we keep re-hashing this topic? :confused:

Because some of us...or most of us really would like to know. ;) If you already know...or don't need or want to know...fine...and if you don't know then the pages can really help you out. I'm just trying to help.

As I've said before being able to type your hair is saying that you know what your hair does, what products you can or can’t use, how often to wash, etc. Which puts your hair in better condition. I believe that’s why we type our hair on this forum it also helps us relate better to one another’s hair in order to figure out what’s best for our hair. Most of all, it puts an end to that "GOOD HAIR" "BAD HAIR" saying. Typing… IMO, is a more educated way of viewing your hair and others hair.

Type 3 and 4 hair relates a lot, therefore, more than often we see type 3 and 4’s using the same products and the exact or similar regimes. Type 3 and 4’s have the same and/or similar problems.

I'm trying to help whom ever wants to know. It's better to do it this way instead of answering PM's.

-tru
 
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Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

Wow, That's the best hair-typing guide I've seen so far. thanx! :) I do believe I'm in the type 3 category.
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

[size=+2]Texturized Hair[/size]

If you are texturize and you are having trouble figuring out you hair type. Type 4b hair with a "Z" pattern, generally doesn't respond well to texturing: the hair relax to frizz rather than curl." Therefore, if you are texturized and your texturizer smooths your tight curls into a loose "S" pattern, than you are a 4a not a 4b.

"With a texturizer, many women are able to air-dry thier hair for a"natural" look that show of their springy curls. Of course, texturized hair can always be blown dry or wrap-set for a sleeker look."
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

I'm very familiar with Andre's book. And yes, 3c was not part of Andre's original guide.

To me "3c" and "4a" are extremely similar. Many "4a"'s have curlies just like the "3c"'s. And there are some "4b's" that don't have z patterns, but small "beads" that they know are tighter than a "4a".

Okay, what about the "beadybees" or "peas" as we call them? If a "4b" has tiny little beads in the kitchen, aren't those coily? And if you pull them, aren't they teeny tiny s's? They may not be as big as some other folk's s's, but they are s's.
I have a friend whose hair is very tight. She has extremely tiny beads, and her relaxed hair tends to be dry and hard. Where I get pencil sized or larger curls in the nape area, hers are not much larger than the head of a pin. But she doesn't have z shaped hair. She has done some inspection and swears she doesn't have z's .:(

If I have to categorize my hair, I'd say 4a. But it's not Jill Scott's 4a. and it's not the 4a that I see in the book. In fact, I have some "3" hair thrown in there with the "4" hair. When I was natural, I had a soft "type4 hair", but it is not like the corkscrew woman in the 3b category, so I am not a straight 3 by any means. But as Nay mentioned, some people have told me I have type 3 hair.:ohwell:

Okay, my daughter and sister have "3" hair, with some straight strands and some very long and slippery textured tight pencil sized ones. But to look at their hair, you would not say "4".:perplexed

Thus there is confusion, and will always be. For the purposes of hair care info and talk, typing is okay to do. We have to know what will work for our hair, and we do that by finding others with hair that behaves like ours. But there will always be confusion.
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

I agree Melodee, I have never seen z-shaped hair. My father was African with extremely tightly coiled hair, like tiny O-s, but when pulled out they were the shape of an S. I don't know what he means by Z-shaped. I think it's all curls just smaller.
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

FlowerHair said:
I agree Melodee, I have never seen z-shaped hair. My father was African with extremely tightly coiled hair, like tiny O-s, but when pulled out they were the shape of an S. I don't know what he means by Z-shaped. I think it's all curls just smaller.

Hi FlowerHair!

I see z-shaped hair and yes it can have a coil to it, but it's not as definite like 4a's coil. I have see "Z" pattern hair coil at the ends only and the rest is a definite "Z" pattern...when hair is dry of course. Your right FlowerHair, that's all it is "the coils are just smaller" that's why forms a "Z" instead of a coil.

It's the same with all hair types. IMO, curly hair 3 or 4 is curly because the wave pattern is tighter which forms a curl/coil. Wavy hair...the wave is much looser which forms more of a wave and less of a curl. That's they way I see it.:)
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

melodee said:
I'm very familiar with Andre's book. And yes, 3c was not part of Andre's original guide.

To me "3c" and "4a" are extremely similar. Many "4a"'s have curlies just like the "3c"'s. And there are some "4b's" that don't have z patterns, but small "beads" that they know are tighter than a "4a".

Okay, what about the "beadybees" or "peas" as we call them? If a "4b" has tiny little beads in the kitchen, aren't those coily? And if you pull them, aren't they teeny tiny s's? They may not be as big as some other folk's s's, but they are s's.
I have a friend whose hair is very tight. She has extremely tiny beads, and her relaxed hair tends to be dry and hard. Where I get pencil sized or larger curls in the nape area, hers are not much larger than the head of a pin. But she doesn't have z shaped hair. She has done some inspection and swears she doesn't have z's .:(

If I have to categorize my hair, I'd say 4a. But it's not Jill Scott's 4a. and it's not the 4a that I see in the book. In fact, I have some "3" hair thrown in there with the "4" hair. When I was natural, I had a soft "type4 hair", but it is not like the corkscrew woman in the 3b category, so I am not a straight 3 by any means. But as Nay mentioned, some people have told me I have type 3 hair.:ohwell:

Okay, my daughter and sister have "3" hair, with some straight strands and some very long and slippery textured tight pencil sized ones. But to look at their hair, you would not say "4".:perplexed

Thus there is confusion, and will always be. For the purposes of hair care info and talk, typing is okay to do. We have to know what will work for our hair, and we do that by finding others with hair that behaves like ours. But there will always be confusion.

Exactly Melodee, 4a and 3c look the same. That's my opinion too. I think that that's part of the confusion. I don't know why they had to pull it out. IMO if you are a 4a than you could very well be a 3c. Maybe some of those 4b's that don't have a "Z" pattern aren't actually 4b's.

Yes!:lol: 4b's coil too. I've seen 4b's coil only at the ends...and those "small beads" are ends(it beads b/c the hair is at it's shortest). Those are their ends. Grown out those "beads" from a "Z" pattern...and of course they do coil at the ends.

Naturally we have more than one texture on our heads.
 
Thanks for posting this. I had never seen the original pages.

I'm guessing 3c arose because people didnt want to be classified as 4a :ohwell:
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

FlowerHair said:
I agree Melodee, I have never seen z-shaped hair. My father was African with extremely tightly coiled hair, like tiny O-s, but when pulled out they were the shape of an S. I don't know what he means by Z-shaped. I think it's all curls just smaller.

Hey FlowerHair, uhm, I have some 4b z-shaped hair. It's on the sides and is very spongey and shrinks like nobody's business. When I stretch it it has a distinct z pattern and feels ziz-zaggy to the touch if that makes since. In some ways this hair is even easier to care for (at least for me) because of it's spongey nature it holds moisture really well and holds braids and twists really well too. A large section of my hair in the crown area is maybe 3c (not sure) but it is loosely coiled and does not hold braids or twists very well. Most of my hair is 4A though and pretty much does whatever I need it to do without too much of a fuss--but it does get more tangly than the other two types...It's funny how all three types play well together on one head though--that's what I call good hair.:)
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

FlowerHair said:
I agree Melodee, I have never seen z-shaped hair. My father was African with extremely tightly coiled hair, like tiny O-s, but when pulled out they were the shape of an S. I don't know what he means by Z-shaped. I think it's all curls just smaller.

I've got z shaped hair all over. No mix here. I can take a strand right now and it'll look like z's. Z shaped hair is just crinkly and frizzy. You can pile all the products you want on it and you won't see nary a curl....just frizzzzzzz. Think of it this way: On a strand of hair, instead of it being in a nice s shape, imagine those edges on the s more sharp. That's 4b. Hope that makes sense!
 
@Melodee

As you can see 3b and 4a hair is very similar. IMO, the only difference b/w 3b and 4a it that the 4a wave pattern is tighter than 3b which causes the curl/coil to curl tighter. Also, I believe that the only difference b/w 4a and 4b it that 4b's wave pattern is tighter which prevents the coil/curl from forming...that's all. :)

:lol: Excuse my illustration...but it's hard drawing with a mouse.

Unstretched and Stretched 4b and 4a hair.

4a4b.bmp
 
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Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

My 4b hair looks and feels like mini waves... I mean, really really tiny waves. I can run my finger over my NG and feel each ripple. But no, no curl to it. That's the best way I can describe it.
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

baglady215 said:
My 4b hair looks and feels like mini waves... I mean, really really tiny waves. I can run my finger over my NG and feel each ripple. But no, no curl to it. That's the best way I can describe it.

Hi!

That's the way that I see 4b as being "tiny waves."

Don't you get a curl at the very end though...am I right about 4b only curling at the end?

-tru
 
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Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

OK, you've proved me wrong. I guess there actually is z-shaped hair, it's just another way of looking at it. Whatever it is, it's cute :) Mini-curls!
 
Re: To Thine Own Self Be True

tru_mind said:
Hi!

That's the way that I see 4b as being "tiny waves."

Don't you get a curl at the very end though...am I right about 4b only curling at the end?

-tru

I agree!! My hair has these waves, and then at the ends, say the last inch or so is like little corkscrew curls. It's the oddest thing!
 
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