First Things First Ladies.. When you have made the decision to be done with the dreaded relaxer hair, you have to learn your own. There are many different textures of hair which requires special needs. Andre Walker, who has won numerous Emmys for his work on the Oprah Winfrey Show, has worked out this hair classification system. It should help you find out what hair type you have so your transition can move smoothly.
1.Type 1 Hair- Type 1 hair is straight with no discernible curl or wave pattern. This type of hair tends to get oily and is usually shiny.
Type 2 Hair- Type 2 hair is hair that has some soft waves, but little to no real curl. It doesn’t form rings, just waves. It typically is more coarse than Type 1 hair and will cling to the scalp in long “S” shaped waves.
Type 3 Hair- Type 3 hair has a more definite “S” pattern to it with the “S” being more tightly formed. It will typically be relatively soft and will have less shine than type 1 or 2 hair. It will straighten out or form ringlets when wet but will draw up into a curlier pattern when it dries. This hair type is typical of biracial (African and Caucasian mix) people and of Blacks of a more mixed heritage.
Type 4 Hair- Type 4 hair will have kinks and twists and possibly coils but does not form an “S” shape. It may be “L” shaped with bends in it. It may form tight coils or “O” shapes (not really the same as the “ringlets”formed by Type 3 hair. This type of hair generally doesn’t change shape much wet or dry. It can be wiry and usually is fragile. It tends to be drier than other hair types because the bends and twists not only provide points that are more fragile, they actually make it hard for the natural oil (sebum) produced by the scalp to reach the ends of the hair shaft. Because the cuticles do not lay flat on Type 4 hair, the hair tends to be less shiny than Types 1, 2 and 3 and people will often think natural Black hair is dry or dull looking. Most African-Americans have Type 4 hair, which is why this designation alone is not really super descriptive. It seems we are the ones most concerned with categorizing our hair and by this pretty crude system, most of us fall into basically the same category.
and if you are relaxed.. ( which we were)
Chemically Straightened Hair- Chemically Treated or Permed hair is a hair type we think we have to add. Perming the hair changes the natural structure of the hair creating its own hair type. It is going to be anywhere from a Type 2 to a Type 1 in terms of straightness (depending on the strength of the perm). In spite of the fact the hair shaft is slightly thinner due to the action of the perming chemicals, it might still be a relatively thick hair shaft. It will have more shine than natural hair because the cuticles lay more flat. But, it will tend to be dry.
This should help... So what type are you? I'm a 3 B 3C.. mixed in.. Tania is 3C all over ..soooo lucky.. post pics soon.
Yanicka*
