Tru_Mind
New Member
[size=+1]What's your hair type without using Andre's number system on your un-processed hair (new growth)?
Our Hair article, "What's My Hair Type?" by Ms SNIPS
Hair is quite varied due to our genetic makeup which in many cases incorporates different races. However, this diversity which is responsible for the wide and beautiful range of hair types in African American women, can make proper hair care frustrating.To ease this frustration, some hair care professionals developed hierarchical systems to categorize hair types. Unfortunately, while those system extensively describe some hair types, it lumps African Americans into a single category unintentionally encouraging the old "good hair" "bad hair" mindset.
Here at OurHair, our goal is to encourage healthy hair as well as a healthy mindset which has led to the creation of a new system of hair typing called LOIS. We are very excited about LOIS because she incorporates all aspects of African American hair types, eliminates the need for a hierarchical system and breaks away from the "good hair" "bad hair" routine. Before you begin, please keep in mind that a healthy, undamaged, virgin hair strand, meaning one that is not processed, relaxed or colored, is needed.
[size=+2]STEP 1: Examine Your Hair Strand[/size]
Select a single strand of the most common type of hair on your head. Aim for the most common texture on your head if you have different hair textures. The hair should be freshly washed without products applied to it and rinsed in cold water. Or, gently rinse a single hair with a little dish detergent and rinse in cold water. Allow the hair to dry on a bit of paper towel so that you can look at the pattern without touching it.
[size=+2]STEP 2: Find Your Pattern[/size]
(The bends, kinks and coils of your hair will resemble one of more of the letters L, O, I or S.)
L - If the hair has all bends, right angles and folds with little to no curve then you are daughter L.
O - If the strand is rolled up into the shape of one or several zeros like a spiral, then you are daughter O.
I - If the hair lies mostly flat with no distinctive curve or bend you are daughter I.
S - If the strand looks like a wavy line with hills and valleys then you are daughter S.
You may have a combination of the L,O,I,S letters, possibly with one dominant. If you cannot see one letter over the others, then combine the letters. Example: LO or IL or OS.
[size=+2]STEP 3: Find Your Strand Size[/size]
A strand of frayed thread is about the thickness of a medium sized strand of human hair. If your strand is larger than this, then your hair is thick. If your strand is smaller than this, hair is thin, or fine.
[size=+2]STEP 4: Find Your Texture[/size]
(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.
http://ourhair.net/content/view/29/40/
****I ADDED FIA'S THIRD CLASSIFIER****
[size=+2]STEP 5: Third classifier - Your overall volume of hair[/size]
Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don't bother with the way it looks - the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there.
Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can't get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.
i - thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)
ii - normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)
iii - thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)
[/size]
Our Hair article, "What's My Hair Type?" by Ms SNIPS
Hair is quite varied due to our genetic makeup which in many cases incorporates different races. However, this diversity which is responsible for the wide and beautiful range of hair types in African American women, can make proper hair care frustrating.To ease this frustration, some hair care professionals developed hierarchical systems to categorize hair types. Unfortunately, while those system extensively describe some hair types, it lumps African Americans into a single category unintentionally encouraging the old "good hair" "bad hair" mindset.
Here at OurHair, our goal is to encourage healthy hair as well as a healthy mindset which has led to the creation of a new system of hair typing called LOIS. We are very excited about LOIS because she incorporates all aspects of African American hair types, eliminates the need for a hierarchical system and breaks away from the "good hair" "bad hair" routine. Before you begin, please keep in mind that a healthy, undamaged, virgin hair strand, meaning one that is not processed, relaxed or colored, is needed.
[size=+2]STEP 1: Examine Your Hair Strand[/size]
Select a single strand of the most common type of hair on your head. Aim for the most common texture on your head if you have different hair textures. The hair should be freshly washed without products applied to it and rinsed in cold water. Or, gently rinse a single hair with a little dish detergent and rinse in cold water. Allow the hair to dry on a bit of paper towel so that you can look at the pattern without touching it.
[size=+2]STEP 2: Find Your Pattern[/size]
(The bends, kinks and coils of your hair will resemble one of more of the letters L, O, I or S.)
L - If the hair has all bends, right angles and folds with little to no curve then you are daughter L.
O - If the strand is rolled up into the shape of one or several zeros like a spiral, then you are daughter O.
I - If the hair lies mostly flat with no distinctive curve or bend you are daughter I.
S - If the strand looks like a wavy line with hills and valleys then you are daughter S.
You may have a combination of the L,O,I,S letters, possibly with one dominant. If you cannot see one letter over the others, then combine the letters. Example: LO or IL or OS.
[size=+2]STEP 3: Find Your Strand Size[/size]
A strand of frayed thread is about the thickness of a medium sized strand of human hair. If your strand is larger than this, then your hair is thick. If your strand is smaller than this, hair is thin, or fine.
[size=+2]STEP 4: Find Your Texture[/size]
(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.
http://ourhair.net/content/view/29/40/
****I ADDED FIA'S THIRD CLASSIFIER****
[size=+2]STEP 5: Third classifier - Your overall volume of hair[/size]
Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don't bother with the way it looks - the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there.
Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can't get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.
i - thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)
ii - normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)
iii - thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)
[/size]
Last edited:
I took Andre's system out. Let's only do LOIS.
