Know Your Hair Type!

I've been getting more questions from friends about how I keep my hair healthy, but there isn't a simple answer. It takes patience and knowledge to maintain healthy hair and reach your hair goals. There was a time where my hair was thin and fell out with every stroke of the comb, but once I started to understand my hair needs and cater to them it began to grow back amazingly healthy. The first step to getting healthy hair is easy, know your hair type!

The Andre Walker Hair typing system is the most commonly known method to categorize hair types that range from straight hair to kinky hair. I've listed each type and description so you can determine which one best fits your hair.

Type 1: Straight hair is simply defined as hair that is straight.

• Type 1A hair: Fine, very thin and soft with a noticeable shine.

• Type 1B hair: Medium-textured and has more body than Type 1A hair.

• Type 1C hair: Most resistant to curly styling and relatively coarse compared to other Type 1 hair types.

Type 2: Wavy hair defined as hair that usually isn’t overly oily or very dry.

• Type 2A hair: Fine and thin. Relatively easy to handle from a styling perspective because it can easily be straightened or curled.

• Type 2B hair: Characteristically has waves that tend to adhere to the shape of your head.

• Type 2C hair: Will frizz easily and it is fairly coarse.

Type 3: Curly hair defined as hair textures have a definite “S” shaped curl pattern.

• Type 3A hair: Very shiny and loose.

• Type 3B hair: A medium amount of curls, ranging from bouncy ringlets (spiral like curls of hair) to tight corkscrews (spiral-shaped corkscrew curls).

• Type 3C hair: Tight curls or coils that look like corkscrews.

Type 4: Kinky hair defined as hair full of tight coils (tightly curled hair). Typically Type 4 hair is also extremely wiry and fragile.

• Type 4A hair: Hair is full of tight coils. It has “S” pattern when stretched, much like Type 3 curly hair.

• Type 4B hair: A less defined pattern of curls and looks more like a “Z” as the hair bends with very sharp angles.

• Type 4C hair: A more "challenging" version of 4b hair. Some say 4c looks identical to 4b except that the curls are so tightly kinked, there is seemingly no definition.

I decided not to include pictures because I find that many can get confused by images if their hair isn't exactly like the picture. It's okay if your hair is more than one type, many people's hair is made up of several textures. So now that you know what type of hair you have you can cater to your hair's needs and begin your journey to healthy hair.

    Signing off, a true naturalista.