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LuLu said:
What type is her hair?
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Lulu ~
I think the difference in "S" shapes has to do with the intensity of the curl. I explain more below.
According to Andre Walker, the lady in the picture above would be a 3B or a 4A texturized to have 3B characteristics. If I were you, I wouldn't take everything he says to heart b/c I found that my hair didn't fit neatly into any of his Types or their subcategories! He claims Cree Summer is a 3B, so that's what I'd be, I guess, but I also have some parts that look like 4a - so I do 3c (even though he didn't create a 3"c").
Anyway ~
Mr. Walker says this about <font color="red">
Type 2:</font>
Type 2 falls between Type 1, straight hair, and Type 3, curly hair. Type 2 is a relatively unusual type, is coarse, and is defined by a definite "S" pattern - meaning that
the wave forms *throughout* the hair in the shape of a letter "S." In addition, the curves of the "S" shape lay flat against the scalp, instead of standing away from the head the way curly hair does. Type 2s often get confused with Type 3s b/c it's easy to get curly hair to lay flat and look wavy -BUT- the difference is that wavy hair stick close to the head: when you cut it in layers, it won't bounce up.
<font color="green"> Type 2A </font> = fine and thin
<font color="green">Type 2B </font> = medium textured (whatever that means, lol)
<font color="green">Type 2C </font> = thick and coarse.
Type 2A Type 2A is very easy to handle, blowing out into a straighter style with no problem or taking on a curlier style with ease.
Types 2B and
2C hair are a little more resistant to styling and have a tendancy to frizz. (Here's where looking at the book helps you because he has photos that correspond to each subtype so you have an idea what he has in mind when describing the Types and subtypes.
)
<font color="red">
Type 3</font>
Also has a definite "S" pattern because it's loopy and curvy, and when you stretch it out it looks like a Slinky (remember those?) - an elongated spiral or corkscrew. Curly hair is typically baby soft and very fine in texture but there tends to be a lot of it. Since Type 3 hair cuticle layers don't lie as flat as Type 2 cuticle layers, Type 3 isn't as shiny as straight or wavy hair because it lacks a very smooth surface for light to reflect off of.
When curly hair is wet, it usually straightens out. As it dries, it absorbs water and contracts to its curliest state (I'm sure most of us are familiar with "shrinkage."
). Type 3 hair can be easily straightened with a blow-dryer into a smoother style.
Healthy Type 3 is characterized by soft, smooth curls that are well defined and springy: if you pull a strand of hair and stretch it, it won't snap in two. Damaged Type 3 hair tends to be dull, hard, and dry to the touch, with fuzzy, ill-defined curls.
<font color="green"> Type 3A hair </font>= very loosely curled like
Julia Roberts's or
Susan Sarandon's (according to Walker); usually very shiny with big curls; the
shorter the hair the straighter it gets.
<font color="green"> Type 3B </font>= medium amount of curl, ranging from
bouncy ringlets (e.g.,
Nicole Kidman) to
tight corskrews (e.g.,
Cree Summer or jazz singer
Cleo Laine).
It's not unusual to find both subtypes coexisting on the same head. Curly hair usually consists of a combination of textures, with the crown being the curliest part.
<font color="red"> Type 4 </font>
Type 4 is kinky, or very tightly curled. Type 4 hair is very wiry,
very tightly coiled, and very, very fragile. Like Type 3, Type 4 hair appears to be coarse but is actually quite fine, with lots and lots of thin strands densely packed together.
Healthy Type 4 hair doesn't shine but has sheen. It is soft to the touch and feels more silky than it looks shiny. Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg, and Angela Bassett are all Type 4s. Type 4 hair looks tough and durable but actually it is
the most fragile hair of all - because
Type 4 hair has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair type, which means it has less natural protection from damage inflicted by curling, blow-drying, and straightening it. Each instance of heat or chemical application robs Type 4 hair of critical moisture.
<font color="green"> Type 4A</font> = tightly coiled hair, that when stretched, has an "S" pattern, much like curly hair; tends to have more moisture than Type 4B.
<font color="green"> Type 4B</font> = "Z" pattern, where, instead of curling or coiling, the hair bends in sharp angles like the letter "Z." Type 4B has a wiry texture and has less moisture than Type 4A.
Phew! That was a lot of work to type out, but I hope it helps clarify!