Do I have the correct hair typing?

[hennalonghair]

While answering another thread today it made me wonder if I have the correct hair typing in my profile .
I've hairtyped myself as a 2b/2c but after I wash my hair I get a head full of ringlets that later loosen up. Most of this is on the underlayer of my hair.

Unfortunately I'm on an iPhone and can't add any photos so my signature photo is all I have at the moment.

Do I have the right hair typing or am I more 2c/3a? My hair tends to curl more the longer it gets. The top outside of my hair looks mainly straight and it ls but the inside is all kiss curls.
I'm not sure if you have enough pics to tell but thanks all the same

Thank you !

[hennalonghair]

Nobody? :lol: I guess I'll just keep it the way it is then. Lol
I know without pics its hard to hair type.

[meteor]

I am not great at hair-typing, but I'd say you are a curly - somewhere in 3 range maybe?
You have absolutely gorgeous hair! Incredible thickness and awesome texture and color! :D

[hennalonghair]

I am not great at hair-typing, but I'd say you are a curly - somewhere in 3 range maybe?
You have absolutely gorgeous hair! Incredible thickness and awesome texture and color! :D

Ah thanks meteor. I'm obviously not very good at it either :lol:
I'm growing in my natural hair now and giving up the henna so I expect to go even curlier.
Its kind of exciting to see what my natural hair colour looks like after 35 years of using henna.

[blace]

I believe that you're right at a 3. Could be wrong though...this range is difficult for me to classify.

[hennalonghair]

I believe that you're right at a 3. Could be wrong though...this range is difficult for me to classify.

Thanks blace. I decided to change my typing to 2c/3a. It seems more appropriate.
Cool! I'm curlier than I thought. :thumbsup:

[ARG]

Have you tried doing the CG method or a modified CG method just to see if you could coax more from your hair? I'm a definite-not-even-near-the-closet straighty, so I have no idea how you would go about coaxing more curling, so maybe check out the 3's thread and see if they have info there. From your signature picture it does look like you're more in the 3's than 2's.

[hennalonghair]

Have you tried doing the CG method or a modified CG method just to see if you could coax more from your hair? I'm a definite-not-even-near-the-closet straighty, so I have no idea how you would go about coaxing more curling, so maybe check out the 3's thread and see if they have info there. From your signature picture it does look like you're more in the 3's than 2's.

Yes this is a good suggestion. I have tried the CC method for a few months with horrible results.
My hair hated being washed with cleansing conditioner. It turned my hair to being overly soft and super frizzy. And the no brushing tactic was just lost on my hair. For some reason I'm a curly that likes to be brushed. I know its bit the norm but .....the alternative just doesn't work for me, so I'm a bit divided on the CC method for me.
But thank ARG! It most certainly is the most logical approach for the curly girl. :D

[CurlyCap]

I've read a bit about your routine on various threads.

Is your hair brushed in the above photo?

[Dandelion6]

My thoughts just from your picture...firmly in 2c category. Going in to 3a there is usually more curl up at the root area. When you say that it is straighter on the outer layer it could just be that the canopy needs a bit more conditioner, which would bring you to 2c/3a. Also, if you are damp bunning that can straighten out the top a bit.

[hennalonghair]

I've read a bit about your routine on various threads.

Is your hair brushed in the above photo?No my hairs just been washed. I don't usually brush my hair in wash day. Later on I brush my hair and can get much of my curl back by just setting my hands and running them through my hair


My thoughts just from your picture...firmly in 2c category. Going in to 3a there is usually more curl up at the root area. When you say that it is straighter on the outer layer it could just be that the canopy needs a bit more conditioner, which would bring you to 2c/3a. Also, if you are damp bunning that can straighten out the top a bit.
No my hair is never ever damp bummed. With the inclusion of my bangs, my hair is close to 6 inches in circumference. I get major scalp issues if I start styling my hair when its wet because I went literally takes days to dry.
The top part of my hair has always been a bit straighter than the rest of my hair and has been my entire life.
I've seen others who have similar hair typing as mine and their hair isn't as curly on top as it is further down . Its just a certain type of curly hair. Its not at all under conditioned. Its just how my hair curls.
Thanks guys

[prankdemon]

I think I'd call you a 2c.

Is it your hairtype that makes it straighter on top or is it the weight of your hair? Anyhow, I think it looks absolutely gorgeous.

[hennalonghair]

I think I'd call you a 2c.

Is it your hairtype that makes it straighter on top or is it the weight of your hair? Anyhow, I think it looks absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you very much. I ve got a strange hair typing.Its not all one hair type. Its multi textured. Believe it or not its not straight at the top due to the weight. You'd think so but if I cut my hair real short and

and cut off most of my hair , my hair straightens out. :confused::shrug:
You'd think the opposite would happen

[CurlyCap]

Knowing you didn't brush, I'd say you were 2c/3a. 2c now with your length, but I've seen a lot of 3as on LHC lose their spirals with length, especially up top.

And as the / indicates, you're somewhere in between.

[hennalonghair]

Knowing you didn't brush, I'd say you were 2c/3a. 2c now with your length, but I've seen a lot of 3as on LHC lose their spirals with length, especially up top.

And as the / indicates, you're somewhere in between.
Thank you CurlyCap. That's the conclusion I came up with.

Btw..... I've always loved your tighter curls. So pretty:D

[BlazingHeart]

While we use the hair typing stuff, most people are a mix of types, not quite the same thing all over. Most of my hair is 2a/2b tight waves (if I don't brush or comb it - my wave pulls out easily), but the hair at my nape is coarser and stiffer, almost stick-straight. I also have a lot of variety in the fineness/coarseness of individual hairs. At my hairline and in my bangs, I'm medium to fine. Most of my hair is medium to coarse. The hair at my nape is pure coarse.

I think you're on the 2c/3a border, personally. It's hard to tell for certain with your little siggy pic, but it looks like your hair is in very loose, long ringlets rather than waves (so the shape is more 3 dimensional, where my waves mostly go back and forth).

[Wildcat Diva]

Wouldn't the the henna be pulling some of your curls out too? I remember reading that henna can kill some of the curl.

[lapushka]

It would help if we had a clearer picture than the one in your signature... I would guess 2c/3a.

[hennalonghair]

While we use the hair typing stuff, most people are a mix of types, not quite the same thing all over. Most of my hair is 2a/2b tight waves (if I don't brush or comb it - my wave pulls out easily), but the hair at my nape is coarser and stiffer, almost stick-straight. I also have a lot of variety in the fineness/coarseness of individual hairs. At my hairline and in my bangs, I'm medium to fine. Most of my hair is medium to coarse. The hair at my nape is pure coarse.

I think you're on the 2c/3a border, personally. It's hard to tell for certain with your little siggy pic, but it looks like your hair is in very loose, long ringlets rather than waves (so the shape is more 3 dimensional, where my waves mostly go back and forth).
Yes most people's hair is multi textured. Most people, especially the curly have a different texture at the nape of their neck thats very different from the rest of their hair. i completely understand this. The thing with my hair is that I have an entire under coat that's ALL coarse , wirey Curly like you mentioned. It likes to stick out when it breaks off and it usually doesn't grow as long . ( breaks off at SL or APL. Because of this hair I have a hard time with things like inversion braids of half ups. Anything that turns my hair inside out causes my hair to turn into a hideous frizzy mess. Its the outer 2b canopy that helps smooth all this down.
If I don't brush my hair it just turns into a dry tangled mess. Its the brushing that smooths it down. I've tried oils, gels, leave ins ,gelatin, flax , aloe .... You name it; I've pretty much tried it. Because my hair is soooo different in texture its sometimes difficult to have a set routine. Do I care for the course under layer of 3a curls or do I care for the outer canopy that's 2b/2c.
I'm pretty sure its my inner 3a canopy that helps define my curl after a wash. I DO really like my curl pattern but its just not practical to try and keep this from wash to wash. Even keeping my hair up all the time has broken off most if my underlayer of hair. Its just super fragile. If I had the ability to show pics I think you'd be very surprised at he difference in textures between the inside and outside of my hair.

Wouldn't the the henna be pulling some of your curls out too? I remember reading that henna can kill some of the curl.
Most definitely. That's one of the main reasons I started using henna was to relax my inner curly hair and prevent frizz and it works . Now that I'm going to be 55 in 5 weeks I want to start growing in my natural hair which is vastly different from the colour you see . I have very mixed feelings because I'll have my original hair back which I haven't seen in 35 years but I'm not quite sure how its going to behave or how to now care for it. I'm going to need a new hair care routine .
Thanks for your help ladies
Its much appreciated.

[Johannah]

IMO those aren't all curls, but also some waves. So I'd say 2c/3a.

[Ambrielle]

yep, i'd say you are mix of 2C and 3A if you're getting ringlets, judging by your siggy the ends seem to spiral a bit. You hair is definitely a bit curlier than mine and i am in the 2C category leaning towards 2B as it gets longer/heavier :grin:

[LadyCelestina]

IMO your hair at it's curliest isn't your true hairtype as much as your hair at it's straightest isn't your true hairtype.For curls (and for any hair type) it's normal to curl up a bit more after wash and loosen as time goes.

[Dandelion6]

I second the idea that the henna is pulling out some of the curl. Would love to hear an update down the road as your natural color comes in.

[hennalonghair]

Yes I'm starting to realize that I had the wrong hairtyping which is why I changed it but since I brush my hair I make it more 2b wavy because its much easier to manage. I don't know how you people in the 3's and 4's manage to wear updos!(?) how do you braid all that hair and make it sleek enough to hold it up in any kind of manageable state.
I've read that is the reason why many women with frizzy curls like to henna, because it helps relax the hair. I wish I could honestly say I'm looking forward to all those extra defined curls because they often wind up getting matted at the back if my neck.

BUT the GOOD news is I didn't have LHC before. NOW I have like minded people to ask:cheer:
Wow! The world certainly has changed huh. That goodness for the Internet.:happydance:


IMO your hair at it's curliest isn't your true hairtype as much as your hair at it's straightest isn't your true hairtype.For curls (and for any hair type) it's normal to curl up a bit more after wash and loosen as time goes.

Would you mind elaborating on 'this' ^^^^ some. I don't quite understand what you mean.
I know I'm not completely curly because I have a lot of wave so I'm actually somewhere between 2b/3a.
Aren't I? But the hair typing doesn't have this as an option.

Does this make me a 'wurly / curly?
I do like the sound of that!
A wurrrrly currrrrly gurrrrrl! YESLll :applause: :lol:

[lapushka]

I'm not a curly, just a wavy, but I just don't comb/brush the entire week, and it gets put up as is. Best way to do it, IMO.

[LadyCelestina]

Would you mind elaborating on 'this' ^^^^ some. I don't quite understand what you mean.
I know I'm not completely curly because I have a lot of wave so I'm actually somewhere between 2b/3a.
Aren't I? But the hair typing doesn't have this as an option.

Does this make me a 'wurly / curly?
I do like the sound of that!
A wurrrrly currrrrly gurrrrrl! YESLll :applause: :lol:
Sure :)!

I've hairtyped myself as a 2b/2c but after I wash my hair I get a head full of ringlets that later loosen up. Most of this is on the underlayer of my hair.
This is quoted from your original post.Curly hair has a tendency to be a bit curlier after a wash,especially while it's still slightly damp,then it slowly gets looser.You can type your hair as the curliest it can get,especially if you are planning to do the CG method which relies on styling techniques and products which help the hair keep the post wash curliness and even perhaps encourage more curling.On naturallycurly.com the hairtyping system was based on this.

On this site,I noticed that the hair typing was often supposed to be done on clarified hair that is left to dry without manipulation.Then it got some critique as some felt it doesn't truly reflect the hairtype.

A sort of a compromise would be going with what your hair mostly looks like :lol: And what it behaves like. But seriously even if you decide type yourself as a 2c/3a,your experience probably won't differ too much from 3a's and 2b/c and so on :)

[LadyCelestina]

Forget it,I'm making it too complicated.Skip the whole text if you still can and read this instead ----)if you want to know your hairtype so that you can tailor your routine to fit your hair needs,work with the hairtype your hair normally looks like most of the time.

[hennalonghair]

Forget it,I'm making it too complicated.Skip the whole text if you still can and read this instead ----)if you want to know your hairtype so that you can tailor your routine to fit your hair needs,work with the hairtype your hair normally looks like most of the time.

Ok thanks cause this is what I do. Sure my hair is much curlier after a wash and I do know how to care for the curls while I wear it this way BUT most of the time, my hair is wavy so I usually treat it as wavy and as a wavy it responds best to being brushed once a day . I've tried the curly girl method and it just doesn't work for me. I can't imagine not brushing my hair out before trying to do an updo. I just can't do it.

I completely understood that last post perfectly
Gracious!:flower: