Sunday, June 9, 2013

How On Earth Do I Know My Hair Type????

If you're anything like me, you are confused by this hair typing system often referenced to by hair bloggers and vloggers across the nation. I had only been a few weeks into my natural hair journey when I realized that part of "going natural" was being able to assign a number and letter to your curl. Fortunately, three years later, I have been able to decrypt a system that once boggled me and should be able to help those of you who have no clue what your hair type is.

Essentially, the hair typing system is a 4 point scale, further divided into letters a to c. Type 1 hair is the straightest hair and most common, naturally, among Asians. I have yet to see a black woman born with bone straight hair, so that's all the reference I am going to make to Type 1 hair. Type 2 hair is wavy hair. The hair is neither straight nor curly but floats in the middle ground. This look and straight hair have become the most sought after hair types in recent years.

The four hair types from left to right: Type 1 (straight), Type 2 (wavy), Type 3 (curly) and Type 4 (coily). At the very least, you should know what number you fall into. 
The next hair type is Type 3 hair, which essentially, is the curly hair. This hair type is not uncommon in the black community. Let me remind you that I am talking about hair in it's natural state, with rolling, curling, flat ironing, relaxing or any other form of styling. Type 3 hair is most often (though not exclusively) seen on bi-racial people who have some black heritage. Again, it's seen in other races. Curly hair ranges from loose curls (Type 3a curls) to really tight curls (Type 3c).

Finally, there is Type 4 hair. It's basically the coily hair. This is the hair type that is most common (though not exclusively) seen on black people. The term "kinky" was coined for it several years ago, and it has been branded by many as dry, wild, stunted, undesirable and unmanageable. Turns out it's not any of those things but dry. Your hair type is determined by the shape of your cuticle, which is why it's congenital. The shape of Type 4 cuticles results in tight coils, which are more prone to shrinkage and make it difficult for the sebum from sebaceous glands on the scalp to reach the tips of a hair strand. Why is that problematic? Well, sebum is a waxy substance every human being produces to lubricate the hair and keeping hair lubricated strengthens the entire shaft of hair. The result of poor sebum distribution on hair is the hair ends up dry and fragile. That is why people with Type 4 hair struggle to retain length. The hair grows just as rapidly as other hair types but the older, dryer ends of the strand break off. It's a vicious cycle that many are unaware of. You may be surprised to find that Type 4 hair can even be found naturally on white people.  It was more common to see a white woman with a frizzy head of hair decades ago, simply because, like black women today, they go to incredible lengths to hide it. 

Finding a white person with afro
textured Type 4 hair is possible,
but rare. White women with this
 hair type go to extreme lengths
to change it.
Type 4 hair is further divided into 4a, 4b and 4c. This is where it gets complicated. Identifying which of these three you are is challenging because the differences are subtle and many of us have never taken the time to look closely at our natural hair. I always tell the story of my sister and a friend of hers called Lynn. They are both black. A year after I went natural, my sister followed suit. Like me, my sister had no memory of her natural hair since we both had our hair relaxed at a young age. She loved the results. After her big chop, she pranced around for months with a well-cared for, unparalleled TWA. She was a junior in college and had the cutest coils. She was no stranger to compliments on her hair, people of all races seemed fascinated by how "bouncy" her hair was. One day, a black man ran after her as she left the library and said, "I'm sorry. I have seen you around a few times and didn't want to approach you because I thought it would seem weird. I really want to know how you get your hair to look like that. My wife straightens her hair and I'm always telling her there's this girl at school with the nicest hair and she should try to style it like that!" Just like that, my sister walked away with one of the most unexpected compliments she had ever received. On another day, she was with Lynn, when Lynn said, "I really like your hair... I can't go natural. I know my afro would never look like that- so curly." The problem is Lynn had never really seen her natural hair. Chances are, with a little TLC, her natural hair would look way better than she expected.
It's important to use this illustration when determining your
hair type. 

Now, back to the crux of the issue: what's the difference between 4a, 4b and 4c. They are basically a scale. Type 4a are the loosest coils and closely resemble curly hair but tighter. An afro of 4a hair will look like curly hair with a lot less definition and more frizz. Type 4c are the tightest coils. I am 4c. To determine that I looked closely at a strand of hair near the crown of my head after I had deep conditioned and had a damp head of hair. I didn't strain the strand since that would lead to a looser coil than I naturally have. It is important to note that some people have two types of hair on one head. The hair type on the crown of their head differs from that on the edges of their head. If that's the case for your, accept that. You are Type 4b/4c or whatever the case may be.