"I would never have touched a relaxer if I had pretty hair like that!?"

[Nonie]

I have never really envied any other hair type either, but did grow up always wishing for more of what I already had. We had so much pride in our fros and puffs back then, and the girls that were most admired (and women) had these huge halos that were so droolworthy! My hair was well cared for and pretty and very healthy, there just was the abundance of it that I wanted. It is a quest I am still on!

Bluwatersoul, we might've been separated at birth.

 

[LadyRaider]

I don't know what my hair type is because BMP and Nonie say my camera sux. Plus I haven't cut off my relaxed ends. But whatever it is, it's not coarse or hard to manage either. It did kind of freak out after almost a decade of color and "regular" relaxers. But other than that... I have "good" hair. It is well behaved and patient.

I'm a type 4a and my daughter is a type 4b also and neither one of our hair is coarse or hard to manage. I do wash n gos everyday with no problems at all and don't have to twist my hair everyday or have problems with tangles. I can smooth my hair back with no problem and don't need a scarf. I think people need to quit making generalizations about type 4 hair or any other hair type. All type 4 hair is not the same, there are different textures as well as other stuff. Not all type 3s are the same either. I've seen type 3 hair that was dry looking, frizzy, undefined without product. Not all 3s have silky, smooth, defined curls. I think the problem with people is that they are wishing for other people's hair instead of just learning how to take care of their own. If people would quit trying to make their hair do what it doesn't do naturally, then they wouldn't have any problems. Work with your texture and not against it. I have no problems at all doing my daughter's 4b hair cause I know what it can and can't do and what products to use. But her father's moron family have damaged her hair twice trying to make it do other things. I know her hair won't lay down, look smooth, or look super shiny. So I don't try to make her hair do those things cause I know it won't.

 

[glamazon386]

I think in a lot of cases it may not have been the person's choice to relax. Their mom or granny may have done it.

But type 3's have their reasons. Most of my mom's older relatives are in the three range - her sister, her mom, her grandmom, her aunts, etc. and many of them relaxed their hair to get rid of the bulk. My one aunt said her hair would always look wavy/curly but she needed the perm to thin it out.

My granny said that the perm helped her keep a style. When she was natural if she stayed in the shower too long, was outside on a humid day, etc. the waves would come back in and "mess up her style".

My aunt's hair is a frizz ball all day every day and I think it's because even though she relaxes like twice a year her hair overall is underprocessed. She asked me what I use to keep mine from frizzing in summer months. IDK why she just doesn't grow the perm out.

One of my little cousins is a 3 and her mom has a hard time with her hair. She recently started blowdrying it because the shrinkage and tangles were getting out of control. She keeps her hair braided up and still has a tangle issue. She's maybe 10 years old with hair past her butt.

My mom is relaxed but she's one of the few that are a type 4. They're always after her for style advice. Her hair will hold a style forever.

 

[BostonMaria]

I'd like to hear from people who actually have to deal with natural type 3 and type 4 hair regularly. Like OP who has her own hair and the hair of her children. I think they have the best vantage point on the pros and cons of different hair types and if any are easier than others. I personally believe that some are.

3b/3c here!!

The cons - My hair frizzes up like nobody's business OMG I literally have to race the clock and add my leave-in + gel before my hair dries up or else I'll look really scary. My hair is very dry too. Like other curlies, my hair is very unpredictable. I can add the same combination of gel+conditioner+Insert other product here and I will get a different result every time. Don't get me started on shrinkage

Pros - my hair grows very fast. Went from NL to WSL in less than 3 years. My hair is very versatile. I can rock a curly ponytail one day and straight hair the next. My hair can be detangled in less than 2 minutes.

As long as I embrace my hair for what it CAN do I'm alright. If I start to pretend I can use the products my DD's use (they are 2b & 3a) then I'll get myself in trouble.

I think in a lot of cases it may not have been the person's choice to relax. Their mom or granny may have done it.

You're right. It wasn't my choice and if I had known then what I know now I would've begged my mom not to do that to me. I was only 10 yrs old and didn't know what my mom did. My mom was tired and had two babies to take care of.

 

[wavezncurlz]

not all "type 3" curls are "beautiful" or easily handled. The strands stretch like crazy and then snap! It looks resilient but it is fragile - many of them wash (should wash) their hair in braids because it is unruly. And the longer it gets the more difficult it becomes. The reason they (curly curly 3's) wash it so much is because it has to be wet to comb - just like 4a/b. Type 3 can have bad shrinkage - curls tangle on each other, have fine/very fine strands, is prone to breakage (but you can't tell because its so voluminous), and doesn't handle chemicals well - NO highlights or high volume hair color for them.

So, everything on the surface, but once you see the reality.....

YES! You nailed it. Maybe this is why relaxers just didn't work in my hair.

 

[Strangefruittree]

Probably been said already, but i have 3 c hair, but it was growing up with other peoples frustration in doing my hair, the frizz and humidity in NYC, and the type 4 crown area that made my mo think that a relaxer would do the trick for my desire to where my hair straight... Now that i live in dry california, mostly wear my hair curly anyways, and when i do straighten, its easier- I know alot more_ and it lasts, no humidity out here.
Relaxer does offer some type of reliabilty

 

[Miss_C]

I'm loving this thread ladies! It seems all of us have had some type of "hair type envy" in our lives. And all of us see our hair type as something different. A coworker of mine (mixed white/latina, WL hair that can't be more than a 2b) pulled out a bottle of
Got2b "Kinky" serum to smooth her hair down. I was suddenly all full of questions like wait...what? They make that? You have kinky hair? What about me? WTF do I have? Wanna trade?

 

[Hairsofab]

I haven't read through this thread but yeah I'll be honest I don't know why some people in the 3 range get relaxers. It does seem like it would be easier to straighten with a blowdry and flat iron. And if I can snap my fingers and change my hair type to a 3 I would do it in a minute. My 4bz hair has really been a struggle for me.

 

[leleepop]

Im type four and I dunno y I relaxed so, type 3 I havent a clue why someone would either. I'm lovin my hair today.

 

[LunadeMiel]

not all "type 3" curls are "beautiful" or easily handled. The strands stretch like crazy and then snap! It looks resilient but it is fragile - many of them wash (should wash) their hair in braids because it is unruly. And the longer it gets the more difficult it becomes. The reason they (curly curly 3's) wash it so much is because it has to be wet to comb - just like 4a/b. Type 3 can have bad shrinkage - curls tangle on each other, have fine/very fine strands, is prone to breakage (but you can't tell because its so voluminous), and doesn't handle chemicals well - NO highlights or high volume hair color for them.

So, everything on the surface, but once you see the reality.....

You've just described my hair I just laugh when people say how easy it is to be a type 3

 

[SignatureBeauty]

not all "type 3" curls are "beautiful" or easily handled. The strands stretch like crazy and then snap! It looks resilient but it is fragile - many of them wash (should wash) their hair in braids because it is unruly. And the longer it gets the more difficult it becomes. The reason they (curly curly 3's) wash it so much is because it has to be wet to comb - just like 4a/b. Type 3 can have bad shrinkage - curls tangle on each other, have fine/very fine strands, is prone to breakage (but you can't tell because its so voluminous), and doesn't handle chemicals well - NO highlights or high volume hair color for them.

So, everything on the surface, but once you see the reality.....

You have described my Daughters hair to a T!

 

[Ediese]

I posted this in another thread, and thought it would be helpful here too. After I got my BKT, my 4a curls did loosen drastically. I think I was a 3c.

With my 4a hair, it was prone to single strand knots, dryness even when I overmoisturized, and it started tangling more since my hair was longer. On the other hand, my curls were perfectly uniformed, and my hair was much thicker. There was a lot of frizz when I wore my wash n gos, but I could tone it down a bit with product. I could also manipulate it to look like a 3c or 4b.

With the 3c bkt hair, I'm happy to say that I didn't have any issues with tangling, dryness or single strand knots. However, my hair was limp and kinda lacked body. The frizz was definitely gone, but it seemed too thin. I could sleep with my hair out, and it didn't tangle when I got up. However, I had the same issues with my wash n gos not lasting. I didn't have second day hair. When I got up, the curls were just as flat as my 4a curls.

Anyway, I'm saying all of this to say, that we always want what we don't have. It's the grass is always greener complex. Experiencing it personally, I know that there are pros and cons to each. You just have to learn to work with what you have.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wavezncurlz
I really like your pre-BKT hair because as someone with looser curls, I admired your perfectly tight spirals.

But hey, I don't have to deal with the detangling and ssk's. I will be watching for your progress. I want to see if your spirals come back!

Congrats on your growth!

It's so funny that you posted this. On my drive home yesterday, I was thinking about an old thread where some members felt that one texture/type was easier to maintain/grow versus the other texture/type. I'm in a position now where I can experience both. I know it's a bit premature, but I'm already finding that there are definitely pros and cons to each type. Having a certain type doesn't make it easier, and every style/technique can't be achieved with every type. I think that this will be a great experiment.

 

[Ltown]

3b/c here too!

The only good thing is easy to detangle. I followed the trends, jheri curl was floppy, relaxer did not hold a style for nothing. Now 6 months into being natural for the 4th time I know more from LHCF and others. The magazine back in the day did not give us much information and like others said whatever your family wanted to do with your hair that was it. My mother get's D for hair care/style. I'm the same as Boston Maria pro/con's.

I've wasted so much money getting my hair done in salon and then hours later it don't hold the style, so for me personally I would love to have 4a/b hair just to hold a style for a week would be great.

 

[shunta]

kbragg, get out of my head!!

 

[LatterGlory]

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