Hair Types

My favorite part of being a curly girl is touching my curly spirals. I enjoy finger detangling them in the shower and moisturizing them. It gives me a chance to feel what my hair craving. If my roots are frayed, it may be time to get my ends clipped or maybe my hair is not as moisturized as it should be.  

While doing this you will get to know your hair and you can start to figure out your hair type. Knowing your hair type is important to every hair journey, and the already natural babes, because you will be able to better achieve your hair goals. Doing tests to determine the porosity and elasticity of your hair will help determine your hair type.

The Porosity Test

The porosity test is to see how well your hair takes liquids.

• Put you hair in a cup of water

• If it floats its non-porous and doesn’t easily absorb products

• Thus, you should use heavier products

• If your hair sinks it is porous and easily absorbs products 

The Elasticity Test

How your hair coils back from where it started.

• Wet your hair either in a shower or a sink

• Take a strand of hair, hold it securely, and stretch your hair.

• If it bounces back to its original length you have good elasticity

• If your hair breaks or doesn’t return to its original size, you have low elasticity.

• Tip: Never use oil on wet hair because the oil will sit on top of the hair and cause it to become dry and brittle.

Taking these steps to figure out your hair porosity and elasticity is key to determining your unique hair type. There are four different hair types most also having three individual subcategories.

Type 1: Straight Hair

              Type 1A                                       Type 1B                                          Type 1C

Type 1 straight hair happens to be the most oily and limp of all hair types because of its genetic makeup. Natural oil produced in the sebaceous glands of the scalp, called the sebum, gently works without the interference of curls and kinks. 

• Type 1A

• While this hair type is usually soft and shiny it is also thin and wispy. It’s easy to manage and style but can be dried or frayed at the root.

• Type 1B

• Type 1B usually has more volume and body than 1A and is even more easy to manage

• Type 1C

• This hair type is usually stick straight and difficult to style. It is also the most resilient of all hair types and is unfortunately difficult to manage. 

Type 2: Wavy Hair

Type 2A                                 Type 2B                                Type 2C

Wavy hair has more sheen than curly hair yet less than straight. This hair type is also extremely prone to frizz. While the subcategory A has waves that can easily alternate between hairstyles, subcategory B and C’s waves are more resistant to styling.

• Type 2A

• This waved hair resembles an “S” shape that sticks closely to the head and also tends to be fine in density while lacking volume and definition.

• Type 2B

• These waves have the same “S” shape but tend to be closer to the head; it’s frizzier on the crown and loses curl definition easily.

• Type 2C

• The final wave pattern is the coarsest and more resistant to styling. This hair type also has problems holding curl definition.

Wavy Hair Tips:

• Products that have anti-frizz or anti-humidity components are important for creating and keeping beautiful waves.

• Try to avoid running your fingers through your wavy tresses because the more you tousle the hair the more frizz.

Type 3: Curly Hair

Type 3A                           Type 3B                              Type 3C

Curly hair has a more defined “Ss” shape that’s curl pattern is defined with or without products. It is often full bodied, climate dependent and damage prone hair type and lack of proper care renders dull curls.

• Type 3A

• Defined, loopy “S”-shaped curl that is well defined and springy. These curls have the same circumference as a piece of sidewalk chalk.

• This hair type can be easily straightened or retextured and is also more prone to frizz.      

• Choose a daily cleansing conditioner with Rice Amino Acids.

• Type 3B

• These curls are more voluminous and its circumference is the size of a sharpie marker.

• While it’s not as shiny as 3A’s curls, its texture can also be coarse and dense.

• Type 3C

• Resembling tight corkscrews, 3C hair can be the circumference of a pencil or straw.

• It’s highest in density and coarser giving it more volume yet finer in texture.

Curly Hair Tips:

• Applying too much product will cause hair to look weigh down and greasy.

•  In contrast, curls lacking product will result in dryness.

Type 4: Kinky Hair

                            Type 3A                              Type 3B                              Type 3C

Kinky hair is tightly coiled hair that is quite delicate by nature. It’s usually has a zigzag pattern and is also the driest hair type, so it’s more prone to breakage if not treated properly.

• Type 4A

• This kinky hair is often tightly coiled with a visible curl pattern. The circumference of this kinky hair group is about the size of a crochet needle.

• This hair type has fewer cuticle layers than most hair types causing it to have less natural damage protection.

• Type 4B

• Having a z shape that is tightly coiled and can feel wiry to the touch is the overall behavior of 4B hair.

• Type 4B ranges from fine and thin to wiry and coarse with strands packed densely together experiencing a total of 75% shrinkage.

• Use a t-shirt or microfiber towel to dry hair to not risk losing natural moisture or tension.

• Type 4C

• Type 4C hair is typically composed of strands that will never clump without the use of styling techniques.

• They are almost identical to 4B coils except 4C is tightly kinked with less definition and can also experience 75% of shrinkage.

Kinky Hair Tips:

• Since type 4 hair is dry by nature it is important to keep it moisturized.

• Start with a creamy, sulfate free moisturizer, follow with a super hydrating conditioner, prep with a rich moisturizer, and style with a rich cream full of natural oils and rich butters.

• Moisturizing humectants, natural conditioning agents and exotic extracts for added moisture are also helpful for beautiful hair.

• Stay away from minerals, petrolatum oil, and heavy waxes.

Love Always,

Jamie Elise

P.S.

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