Please don't hate me...

[swtpea]

I really need the help of you ladies. I have been lurking for a long time, and I've learned so much about hair care. I'm even air drying my hair as I'm typing, and that is something I would not have ever seem myself doing prior to this site.

I know you guys get sick of people posting pictures and asking for you all to "type" them. I promise I have done my research over and over again, but I just cannot for the life of me figure out my hair type. I didn't want to do this, especially on my first post, but could someone pretty please type me? I am one year post relaxer, and plan on doing a long term transition.

THANK YOU!

 

[Aireen]

Your hair looks a little wet. Word of advice, the ladies here like hair to be like... snap, crackle, and pop dry for them to determine your hair type with NO styling product.

 

[Cheekychica]

^^^Also, you need to wait until you cut off your relaxed ends. I was sure I had curls til I cut my relaxed ends off.

 

[QUEENJAMES231]

^^^Also, you need to wait until you cut off your relaxed ends. I was sure I had curls til I cut my relaxed ends off.

Ditto!

Sent from my Eris using Eris

 

[swtpea]

Oh ok. Thanks. My hair is wet, but when it dries it's the same texture unless I comb it out.

 

[swtpea]

^^^Also, you need to wait until you cut off your relaxed ends. I was sure I had curls til I cut my relaxed ends off.

Oh no! Now you have me scared. I'f I don't have a curl then I will relax tomorrow! What's then point of me going through this transition just to have straight hair? Thanks for the insight.

 

[silenttullip]

I think she means your curls might be more coils after the relaxer ends are trimmed but I could be so wrong lol. Right now you're a 2a/b but after you may be a 3-4 or it could go the total opposite way. I'd say wait 1 year or more after you remove the ends incase you have scab hair. btw welcome to the board.

Oh no! Now you have me scared. I'f I don't have a curl then I will relax tomorrow! What's then point of me going through this transition just to have straight hair? Thanks for the insight.

 

[KaramelKutie803]

I don't think she meant straight hair. Some naturals just don't have a definite curl pattern or curl definition.

 

[swtpea]

I think she means your curls might be more coils after the relaxer ends are trimmed but I could be so wrong lol. Right now you're a 2a/b but after you may be a 3-4 or it could go the total opposite way. I'd say wait 1 year or more after you remove the ends incase you have scab hair. btw welcome to the board.

Whew! Ok. Thanks! I was2 seconds away from going to walmart to get a kit, lol! It's been a year already, but I'm not going to bc. I'm doing a long term transition. I think I'll need 2 more years to transition fully, so I'll hit you guys back the.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[whiteoleander91]

Your hair reminds me of some of the hair near my crown. It looked like that when I was transitioning. I have to say, it never really curled up for me, it still just looks like waves even after I cut. Only the very ends of it curled (looks kind of like a hook at the end). If my hair was down, I'd take a picture. I call it my mystery patch lol. But honestly, it's hard to tell until you cut it. Pretty hair though

 

[LatterGlory]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=410134

:welcome3:

 

[swtpea]

Ok, I just ran across something in a relaxed thread that made me think. How do relaxed ladies know their hair type? Some people have been relaxed their whole life, but still have figured out their type. After a year of no relaxers I still dont know my type I see many ladies on here saying things like relaxed4a or relaxed 3c. How can they know this?

 

[ms-gg]

guessing if they have been relaxed all of their lives. You cannot know your "hair type" until you cut all your hair off. It's like trying to guess the sex of your baby without an ultrasound. It ain't accurate!

 

[danniegirl]

^^^^^ thats interesting and i wondered the same thing i have seen a few ladies say i am a 2-3-4 abc relaxed and i think to myself where they natural at on point then relaxed the same goes for telexed hair how do they know what type they are

 

[ms-gg]

I will say this though-I KNEW I was type four before I became natural, because type four=nappy hair. If you are claiming a broad category like that, yeah I could see it, but to specifically say you are 4a, 4b, 3c and haven't seen your natural hair since you were THREE? Naw son, it ain't happening.

There are people who are NATURAL and don't know their hair type, how you going to have a completely different texture and know for sure what yours is?

 

[pre_medicalrulz]

I was natural once and I am a type 4 and I don't think I have nappy hair. So I don't quite understand why type 4 has to be considered 'nappy hair'. I like the word 'tough' but h3ll no, my hair ain't 'nappy'. #IJS

 

[pre_medicalrulz]

I really need the help of you ladies. I have been lurking for a long time, and I've learned so much about hair care. I'm even air drying my hair as I'm typing, and that is something I would not have ever seem myself doing prior to this site.

I know you guys get sick of people posting pictures and asking for you all to "type" them. I promise I have done my research over and over again, but I just cannot for the life of me figure out my hair type. I didn't want to do this, especially on my first post, but could someone pretty please type me? I am one year post relaxer, and plan on doing a long term transition.

THANK YOU!

I don't know but you have a nice curl pattern.

 

[LilMissSunshine5]

whiteoleander91- I have the EXACT mystery patch you described in the front of my head SMH It won't do ANYTHING! It has a slight wave and holds no styles You are not alone! I call it Type X

 

[whiteoleander91]

LilMissSunshine5 right?!! I would look at it and be like...protein? do I need protein?? is it heat damage?? I looked at sooooo many youtube vids trying to find somebody else who had it. And it doesn't clump either! looks lifeless! lol

 

[Raspberry]

^^^^^ thats interesting and i wondered the same thing i have seen a few ladies say i am a 2-3-4 abc relaxed and i think to myself where they natural at on point then relaxed the same goes for telexed hair how do they know what type they are

Yea I was natural before, but like ms-gg said, even as a natural I had trouble with identifying my hair type. I just go with 4a because my hair fits the general description; however I've seen so much diversity within those who call themselves 4a that typing didn't help me much.

Relaxed ladies who stretch for long periods can definitely get a good idea of their general hair type IMO. But again, I'm not sure how helpful it is in the long term to be able to definitely say one's hair is 3b vs. 3c or whatever.. you still have to experiment with what products or techniques work best for you.

 

[LilMissSunshine5]

whiteoleander91- OMG! You are preaching tonight Since it has a wave to it (and a curl on the end once in a blue moon), I thought it needed protein, moisture, was scab hair, maybe left over heat damage I tried everything, then decided to do a coil out on that portion to match it to the rest of my 4a hair, but it refuses to curl SMH I am so excited to find someone else with this wack patch of hair

OP, bottom line, there is no way to forecast what curls you will or won't have or what they will look like *tear* My assumptions were all wrong, so eventually I just decided to accept my hair for what it is and work with what I had! Typing wasn't useful for me until I had cut off all my relaxed ends. HTH

 

[whiteoleander91]

LilMissSunshine5 lmao @ wack patch hahaha and yass! glad to know there really isn't anything wrong with it. It concerned me lol :3

 

[ms-gg]

I was natural once and I am a type 4 and I don't think I have nappy hair. So I don't quite understand why type 4 has to be considered 'nappy hair'. I like the word 'tough' but h3ll no, my hair ain't 'nappy'. #IJS

And "tough" is not accurate. There are people who have fine type four hair, and nothing is "tough" about fine hair. Maybe the problem lies in the fact that you may find the word nappy offensive, whereas I do not have a problem and embrace the term and see it as a positive one.

Kinky, highly textured, afro textured, nappy-a rose by a different name is still sweet. I love my nappy hair.

 

[abcd09]

imo sometimes you can tell what type you are even when relaxed. for example, if your relaxed hair needs extra heat or product for shine despite being moisturized properly and water beads off your new growth, you're probably a 4. I think the difference between 3 and 4 is three tends to have shine, whereas 4 tends to have sheen. I think many 4bs experience dryness more often. 4as have a combination. note, this is just sometimes.

I don't mind hair typing because then it points you in the right direction if you are looking for inspiration and a regimen. for example, I had no idea what my type was, and I kept looking at albums of 3bc women wondering what I was doing wrong. this also translates into hair thickness as well. I am probably a 4b with thin, fragile strands, doing the same regimen as a 4b with thick strands was also disheartening. once I limited my hair type down to4ab with thin strands, it is easier to find inspiration that is actually attainable.

 

[CrissieD]

^ I beg to differ. I dont know about relaxed hair but 4 can shine and my 3c hair doesnt shine w/o product

Sent from my Super Kewl EVO... Please blame the phone for the typos

 

[kupenda]

OP, there's no way to tell. But honestly, your relaxed hair is only a shade or two straighter than your natural hair. IMO. It's not easy to tell at this point but I am relaxed/underprocessed. I know my type is 4a because I have spiral curls that spend their time cuddling with each other. I also have a patch of 3c and possibly 4b in my crown. I know this because I stretch and because I was natural before relaxing. In your case though, you may get the curls you want after cutting the relaxed ends. Maybe mini chop a small section that can be easily hidden? I do that to individual strands sometimes *shhhh!* don't tell!


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[abcd09]

^ I beg to differ. I dont know about relaxed hair but 4 can shine and my 3c hair doesnt shine w/o product

Sent from my Super Kewl EVO... Please blame the phone for the typos

interesting. I think 4a has shine and 4b has sheen (without heat). 3s seem to lean on the silkier side and 4 s are on a spectrum of cottony. this is just coming from my attempt to understand the differences.

 

[swtpea]

OP, there's no way to tell. But honestly, your relaxed hair is only a shade or two straighter than your natural hair. IMO. It's not easy to tell at this point but I am relaxed/underprocessed. I know my type is 4a because I have spiral curls that spend their time cuddling with each other. I also have a patch of 3c and possibly 4b in my crown. I know this because I stretch and because I was natural before relaxing. In your case though, you may get the curls you want after cutting the relaxed ends. Maybe mini chop a small section that can be easily hidden? I do that to individual strands sometimes *shhhh!* don't tell!


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

Umm I'm reaching forth scizzors right now, lol!