In part one of the hair typing series, I broke down the various aspects of hair typing: curl pattern, porosity, texture, density, and elasticity. But now the question is...how do you put this information into practice?
The easiest way to explain this is to use myself as an example.
When I first went natural. I was quite confused. Everyone was throwing around terms, products I had to try, and declaring curl types left and right. Needless to say, I purchased product after product...that didn't work.
That is when I started to take the time to truly understand my hair. And not just the Andre Walker Typing System, which is limited in its utility. I learned about various aspects of hair typing so I could better understand how to moisturize and style my hair. And that is when I had my major breakthrough.
For the record, I am a 3C (in my crown), 4A and 4B in some sections. But honestly, all you need to know is that I have kinky hair. From that, you know that it is more difficult for hair sebum to reach the ends of my hair. Other than that, it is just aesthetics. The size of my curl.
For me, the most useful information is "porosity". I guess if I had normal porosity, it wouldn't be so important to me. But since I have low porosity. It is. Let me explain low porosity a little more so that you can better understand my dilemma. I was that girl who kept the relaxer in longer, because it just woudn't "take". And today, I'm that girl who stands under the shower head FOREVER because it takes forever for my hair to feel wet. Products that others rave about just sit on top of my hair without "penetrating". It is truly an art to get moisture into my hair. But as I studied more about porosity and perked up my ears when others described having the same issues, a whole new world opened up for me. [And I must point out, I learned about moisturizing my hair from those whose hair looked NOTHING like mine. ]So armed with this information, I'm an aloe vera, mimosa hair honey, spritz bottle toting gal. All because I KNOW how to moisturize my hair. Think about it this way. You wouldn't buy makeup foundation without knowing whether your skin is dry, normal, or oil would you? So why would you do that when buying hair products?
To me, the second most useful is hair texture. I have medium-thick strands. You know all those people who fear heat damage? I'm not one of them. I'm not saying I can't heat damage my hair -- because I have -- but it is harder for me to do so. Why, you ask? Because my strands are thicker. They are more resilient. Due to trial and error, I've learned my heat limits. In fact, for me, wash and gos cause way more damage to my hair. But for some, with finer strands, heat can seriously wreak havoc on their hair. But if you know your hair texture, you are better prepared to deal with heat and mechanical damage concerns.
The other two typing, I don't really think about it. My hair has a lot of shrinkage and I've embraced it. My hair is dense. Very dense. I've embraced that too. Detangling is more of a challenge for me, but I have a very full and vibrant head of hair.
So I guess you would say this is more of a testimonial...
Each hair types with its own their pros and cons. But if you take the time to learn your hair, the pros will far outweigh the cons.
What questions do you have about hair typing? What additional information would you like me to provide on this blog?
