Was your texture REALLY different when you BC'ed?

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Next week I will be 4 months post BC and 40 weeks post relaxer. I wasn't surprised when I did my BC but I was when it started to grow out.

I have various textures, thicknesses, and curl patterns. I am 4a/b I say 4a because I do have alot of coily goodness going on.... I think my crown is 4b because there's no curl pattern, it's just coarser and dry with a weird wave.

My nape is what surprised me most. I always thought it was difficult because it would break with relaxers no matter how hard I tried to hold onto it. It broke because it was an entirely different texture than the rest of my hair. It's more 3c-ish with bigger curls and VERY soft/fine in comparison. If I put a heavier product on it, it will be stick straight as are other parts of my hair.... but they are coarse. That's why I was telling some of the ladies NOT to cut their hair just because of the fact that they might be mistaking a texture for heat damage. I don't use heat but with heavier products some portions of my hair will straighten out completely.

I understand everyone's position and opinion, but this is what I've experienced with my grass. It's a bit odd but I love it just the same. I've finally found a happy medium for it so yay.

 

[preciouslove0x]

REALLY??!! I was pretty sure that's what it was when I first cut my hair! Perhaps I'm not entirely sure what 4b looks like. erplexed I thought it was hair that did not have a distinct curl pattern.

Wrong. I definitely have 4b hair. Visualize a picture of the smallest coils you've ever seen. That's what I have.

.....then again some people who don't have a curl pattern at all are claiming 4b... I must say I do have a few patches... but I really feel like people who have mostly that should be in another category. Also, I know my 4b hair looks NOTHING like any of the 4a's here claiming that they are in fact 4a. If you think of a #2 pencil, my coils are significantly smaller in diameter than the pencil. They would actually coil comfortably around a toothpick.

 

[LoveCraze]

Next week I will be 4 months post BC and 40 weeks post relaxer. I wasn't surprised when I did my BC but I was when it started to grow out.

I have various textures, thicknesses, and curl patterns. I am 4a/b I say 4a because I do have alot of coily goodness going on.... I think my crown is 4b because there's no curl pattern, it's just coarser and dry with a weird wave.

My nape is what surprised me most. I always thought it was difficult because it would break with relaxers no matter how hard I tried to hold onto it. It broke because it was an entirely different texture than the rest of my hair. It's more 3c-ish with bigger curls and VERY soft/fine in comparison. If I put a heavier product on it, it will be stick straight as are other parts of my hair.... but they are coarse. That's why I was telling some of the ladies NOT to cut their hair just because of the fact that they might be mistaking a texture for heat damage. I don't use heat but with heavier products some portions of my hair will straighten out completely.

I understand everyone's position and opinion, but this is what I've experienced with my grass. It's a bit odd but I love it just the same. I've finally found a happy medium for it so yay.

Sounds like we're hair twins!

While I was transitioning, I had a good idea of what my nape curl pattern was but I thought that because the front of my hair did not appear to have a definite curl pattern or clump, then it must be 4A/4b-ish. Well after my BC, I find out that I'm mostly 4A with some 3C that I already knew about(in the nape). So I don't know if I will experience more curl pattern changes as my hair grows longer or if I will see changes as I trim my hair and therefore possibly trim away hair that could be considered scab hair. Time will tell I guess.
Oh and also what I do find interesting is that my 3C hair is also dispersed and intermixed with my 4A hairs. It makes my hair appear to have a slight frizz when it's actually the longer 3C's pushing past the 4A's.

 

[JustSimplyTish]

Yes...mine was 100% different...they were longer and more wavy...after I Bc'ed they now more spiral and super curly

 

[ChangedByAdmin10]

This is such an interesting discussion for me because I am just starting my transition to natural hair. I am 10 weeks or so post relaxer (actually texturizer) and I'm really starting to notice that my hair around the nape of my neck and middle of the back of my head is much curlier. It was also harder to relax that hair but now that my hair is growing out and I am starting to see my natural hair pattern, I absolutely LOVE the texture of that hair. I wish it was like that all over. Funny how the hair I didn't like when I relaxed appears to be the hair I will appreciate when I'm natural!

My hair up top and on the sides is definitely 4a (S pattern) but the curls are smaller and tighter. It will be interesting what my head will look like when I have a good 6-10 inches of natural hair.

 

[Sianna]

Wrong. I definitely have 4b hair. Visualize a picture of the smallest coils you've ever seen. That's what I have.

.....then again some people who don't have a curl pattern at all are claiming 4b... I must say I do have a few patches... but I really feel like people who have mostly that should be in another category. Also, I know my 4b hair looks NOTHING like any of the 4a's here claiming that they are in fact 4a. If you think of a #2 pencil, my coils are significantly smaller in diameter than the pencil. They would actually coil comfortably around a toothpick.

Well crap! I'm just all confused! perplexed! When I first went natural and discovered this hair typing system (which BTW, I find extremely inadequate in describing the many variations of afro textured hair) I was left with the impression that some of us have hair that, while not like Caucasian hair, was relatively straight, does not coil or clump and in fact does not have any distinctive shape at all. I also believed that some hairs could have a 'Z' pattern. These, I believed, fell into the category of 4b, whereas any curl pattern with coils ranging from the size of a pen spring to the size of a pencil, was 4a.

We have GOT to get a better typing system! I am so lost!

 

[MOTHEROF3NATURALLY]

That is kind of true. But I think my hair is great anyway. I like my BC better than when I had relaxers. Maybe because I love "BIG HAIR!" And I can't wait until my hair gets so big!

 

[Anew]

my hair is exactly what I thought it would be, mostly 4a and 4b mixed here and there. I think I have scab hair, I guess that's what it is. I straightened one part of my hair in the front and in one pass it got really straight, but the ends are another story. they're like rough or something, I don't know its not the same.

Should I trim the ends?

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Sounds like we're hair twins!

While I was transitioning, I had a good idea of what my nape curl pattern was but I thought that because the front of my hair did not appear to have a definite curl pattern or clump, then it must be 4A/4b-ish. Well after my BC, I find out that I'm mostly 4A with some 3C that I already knew about(in the nape). So I don't know if I will experience more curl pattern changes as my hair grows longer or if I will see changes as I trim my hair and therefore possibly trim away hair that could be considered scab hair. Time will tell I guess.
Oh and also what I do find interesting is that my 3C hair is also dispersed and intermixed with my 4A hairs. It makes my hair appear to have a slight frizz when it's actually the longer 3C's pushing past the 4A's.

YES!!! What's weird with mine is that I'll have beautiful lil spirals then balls of cotton scattered throughout with sections of 3c that looks like wonky relaxed ends when I have a heavier product on it. If I use something light it looks fuzzy. Finding a happy medium is going to be interesting. I just got to the point where it's happy with my glycerin/con/water/oil mix (very little breakage if any.) When I detangle my hair (It varies between 3-5 inches) I might get a dime sized amount of shed hair...... but most of the time it's less than that.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

That is kind of true. But I think my hair is great anyway. I like my BC better than when I had relaxers. Maybe because I love "BIG HAIR!" And I can't wait until my hair gets so big!

Girl YES!!! I'm sooo looking forward to the day when I can rock a monster sized fro!

 

[NikStarrr]

Yep, mine was different. I had a tighter curl, but now I'm assuming because of length my curls are a bit bigger/stretched.

 

[davisbr88]

Thanks for all of the responses ladies!
I am in the process of moving so I didn't have internet access until just a few minutes ago. I have read all of the responses and think they are all helpful.
Please keep them coming!
Right now, it seems mixed, and it would definitely be good to find out the truth behind this!
Maybe I should have done a poll....

 

[Zaz]

I think maybe if you have less than 4 or so inches before you BC it might look like one thing and then grow into another. I transitioned for a lil over 12 months and expected to have really tiny 4b coils. Once I cut it I had tiny 4b coils there wasn't much of a surprise.

 

[Boujoichic]

I think maybe if you have less than 4 or so inches before you BC it might look like one thing and then grow into another. I transitioned for a lil over 12 months and expected to have really tiny 4b coils. Once I cut it I had tiny 4b coils there wasn't much of a surprise.

^ agreed I have seen some with like 2 mos of new growth trying to type their hair the little "crinkles" you get at the root are really not much of an indicator of what your natural hair will look like. But when get a good amount length on your natural hair I dont beleive the relaxed ends effect the pattern of the natural hair much

 

[bablou00]

I dont think my texture changed at all. I honestly thought I would be 4b all over but was surprised to see some 4a and some 3c curls up in my head. Not that they take over my head and it hard to find them but they are there. My texture is unique and me. I dont think it will ever change....however Im ok with that!!

 

[preciouslove0x]

Well crap! I'm just all confused! perplexed! When I first went natural and discovered this hair typing system (which BTW, I find extremely inadequate in describing the many variations of afro textured hair) I was left with the impression that some of us have hair that, while not like Caucasian hair, was relatively straight, does not coil or clump and in fact does not have any distinctive shape at all. I also believed that some hairs could have a 'Z' pattern. These, I believed, fell into the category of 4b, whereas any curl pattern with coils ranging from the size of a pen spring to the size of a pencil, was 4a.

We have GOT to get a better typing system! I am so lost!

Yes we definitely need to get a better hair typing system. I feel like with all the brilliant heads around here, we could come up with our own. There are soooo many women on this board that are "3c" and "4a" and "4b" and somehow the diameter of their curls and coils are not anything alike. African American hair is toooo diverse for this simple and ineffective system.

 

[luvn_life]

My natural hair OWNS my relaxed hair.... I don't think it weights it down anymore... But we'll see. I am cutting next week!!!

ETA: NikStar YOU BETTER WORK!!!

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

my hair has been acting a complete dayuuum fool since i chopped in feb (think it was anyway)
I always had curly wavy textures in the relaxed days....the middle area never ever ever would straighten....MY MOM REFERRED TO THIS AS MY SKUNK HAIR
it was bouncing back just as curly as pre relaxer practically!

now...my twa is totally A DAY TO DAY PROCESS!!! rarely is it curly...just a short frizzy "soft" birds nest! kinda laugh to keep from crying!!!

what happen to that wavy curly iish i had going on? lol

oh don't get me started on that "ignant" section in the far back---right area above the nape that continues to hang completely straight like a 2b/2c LIKE WTF!!!

MY HAIR IS MORE 4A than anything
somebody's playing a joke on me (smh....god? u there?)

 

[L.Brown1114]

That is REALLY interesting! Everyone kept saying, if your hair is 3b when you're transitioning, it's actually 3c when you're natural. It's so interesting that yours did the opposite! I had always been sort of skeptical of the logic that your hair would absolutely go down a hair-type automatically and was wondering if there were exceptions.



Very interesting! I can see what you're saying though. I am going to 17 months ultimately before I chop.

yeah as you can see everybodys hair is different. when i was transitioning i had zig zags and everyone said it was 4b but when i BC'd the zig zags were long gone and became waves. the very frot of my hair is 3b VERY loose spiral curls to the point when i texlax i wont have him touch that part so my hair can match it. you really cant guess you just gotta accept your texture is unknown until you BC. once my hair grows out im sure the texture will change because gravity will do its thang