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Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 07:35 AM
Hey,
I've been wondering about something for some time, so I figured I should ask people who knows better than me :)

My hair is, I believe, a bit in the 1c/2a territory, the hair at the top is making big awkward waves, more visible on the sides. But then, the hair under my "upper" hair is clearly wavy. I wish my hair was like that all over, but no. I am kinda hoping that it is my "real" type and that it will show up with more length, but I am not too sure about that.

I wonder if this is: 1. just a common thing (to have different hair types depending on placement), 2. a sign I am actually a wavy, or 3. a sign of that I am, somehow, damaging the hair that is more "facing the world".

A picture just to show how it looks compared to my outer hair, ridiculously hard to get a picture of that wavy texture, but atleast it shows in the picture.

http://oi60.tinypic.com/2ektclx.jpg



Thanks in advance!

Aderyn
July 16th, 2015, 07:40 AM
Completely normal to have different hair textures on one head! :)

You do look like you have a bit of wave! Have you tried any sort of styling/washing/plopping method to try and bring the waves out?

flickm
July 16th, 2015, 07:43 AM
Mine is the same - mine is 1c on top, soemtimes even straighter, but definitely 2a underneath, maybe even wavier, especially at the back. I have no idea why the overlaying part is straighter. Signature pics don't really give you much idea, as they were taken after my hair was blow dried (which i no longer do).

Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 07:45 AM
Completely normal to have different hair textures on one head! :)

You do look like you have a bit of wave! Have you tried any sort of styling/washing/plopping method to try and bring the waves out?

Alright :) Shame that it isn't a sign of something else. I have such a hard time believing that my hair is a type 1 when I have never considered my hair to be straight :p

I have only tried CO-washing, which made my hair fabulously soft, shiny, and flat (haha). I'm not sure what products there are that could bring out wave, I don't know much about styling/washing products in general. :shrug:


flickm, it is a bit odd, isn't it? If I wanted straight(ish) hair I guess I would be happy that it is slightly covered (not in the front where my quite grown out bangs and beginning of the sides show quite distinct waves... But yeah).

Shame I want the wavy :p

lapushka
July 16th, 2015, 07:55 AM
It's normal for the canopy to be less wavy or less textured and looser in wave. I still see a 1c/2a underneath, though. :)

Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 08:03 AM
It's normal for the canopy to be less wavy or less textured and looser in wave. I still see a 1c/2a underneath, though. :)

Wish it all had the same texture! But I guess one can't always get what one wants.

Out of curiosity, what do you count as 2a? The hair typing guide just says "loose, stretched out S-waves throughout the hair", and the underneath do have loose, stretched out s-waves.

lapushka
July 16th, 2015, 08:35 AM
There's a distinct difference between a "body wave" (1), where it's just a wave going through the bulk of the hair and different strands of very distinct individual waves, one next to the other (2).

diddiedaisy
July 16th, 2015, 08:40 AM
The magic of 2a hair. Sometimes you get bits of everything, I've got some lovely big fat ringlets underneath which I wish were everywhere. The canopy is not as nice and the waves are quite thin, I also have some straight bits mixed in. Uniform doesn't often live in the 2a world.

Aderyn
July 16th, 2015, 08:41 AM
Not to mention, the degree of curl/wave you get can easily change on a day to day basis, diddiedaisy!

scrivener827
July 16th, 2015, 08:44 AM
I have this going on, too, but to a lesser extent. I have always had very straight (1a) hair, but over the past year or so have noticed more and more occasional shed hairs that are wavy or even spiral curls. I finally realized a few weeks ago and when I let my hair air dry, it has a distinct wave going on, particularly in the back and underneath area. The front/sides are still pretty darn straight. I partially attribute the change to a change in hormonal balance or something of the sort, because I started noticing the wavy hairs about a year after getting my thyroid condition diagnosed and properly treated. But my mom and older sister also got increased waves/curls as they got older, so I guess that could have been my future all along!

neko_kawaii
July 16th, 2015, 08:47 AM
Welcome to the club!

If you like waves, go ahead and try Curly Girl methods for a bit, the might bring the waves out where they exist.

Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 08:47 AM
There's a distinct difference between a "body wave" (1), where it's just a wave going through the bulk of the hair and different strands of very distinct individual waves, one next to the other (2).

I can understand the body wave thing when it is just one bulk or easy to spot, but when there is several "bulks" after each other creating waves like ~~~ (was not sure how to say it), what is it that makes it body wave? Of all the 2a's I've seen I've not seen a single one where all strands go their own way, always seem to be some clinging together making their wave together.

I'm just slightly confused, I suppose. If I had that underhair texture all over my head I would never be able to call my hair straight because "it's just body waves" :shrug:

Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 08:52 AM
Thank you all for your replies :) It is nice to see others experiencing this (for some reason I never notice this on others, maybe most just straighten it?).

I thought the curly girl method was a bit similar to CO washing, is it not what it is? If it is CO-washing I'm not sure if I want to try it again. It made my hair flat and made me shed more :/

Aderyn
July 16th, 2015, 08:58 AM
CO-washing is typically CG-friendly, but you don't have to co-wash to do CG (or at least a variant of CG), if I remember correctly. Things like the LOC method, cone-free, sulfate-free, plopping, etc. are all CG friendly. :)

Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 09:31 AM
CO-washing is typically CG-friendly, but you don't have to co-wash to do CG (or at least a variant of CG), if I remember correctly. Things like the LOC method, cone-free, sulfate-free, plopping, etc. are all CG friendly. :)

Oh, I see. I don't think my scalp would like me if I tried to go without sulphates, but I suppose I could try LOC and plopping. Not sure if I want to throw away all my things with cones. I will look it up a bit more :)

flickm
July 16th, 2015, 09:41 AM
Alright :) Shame that it isn't a sign of something else. I have such a hard time believing that my hair is a type 1 when I have never considered my hair to be straight :p

I have only tried CO-washing, which made my hair fabulously soft, shiny, and flat (haha). I'm not sure what products there are that could bring out wave, I don't know much about styling/washing products in general. :shrug:


flickm, it is a bit odd, isn't it? If I wanted straight(ish) hair I guess I would be happy that it is slightly covered (not in the front where my quite grown out bangs and beginning of the sides show quite distinct waves... But yeah).

Shame I want the wavy :p

Yeah, I'd prefer the waves too :(

flickm
July 16th, 2015, 09:43 AM
Oh, I see. I don't think my scalp would like me if I tried to go without sulphates, but I suppose I could try LOC and plopping. Not sure if I want to throw away all my things with cones. I will look it up a bit more :)

I've had way more waviness since i stopped using commercial shampoos and/or conditioners.

diddiedaisy
July 16th, 2015, 10:58 AM
Not to mention, the degree of curl/wave you get can easily change on a day to day basis, diddiedaisy!

That as well lol. They change throughout the day too, just freshly air dried....quite nice. Three hours later....what happened??? Where did these rats tails come from??? They have absolutely no stamina whatsoever.

LemonFizzy
July 16th, 2015, 11:21 AM
I partially attribute the change to a change in hormonal balance or something of the sort, because I started noticing the wavy hairs about a year after getting my thyroid condition diagnosed and properly treated.

Now this is interesting...I was going to get around to posting a question on just this subject. After being on thyroid meds for 2-3 years now, my hair texture is changing. An increasing amount of new growth has texture, not curly, but different than the fine, smooth, completely 1A hair I'm used to. Now I have coarser, textured hairs popping in all over and some of them have wave?!? My perspective could be off, since I had a pixie or a shag cut for so long, but I've always played with my hair and the feel of it is changing.

Good thing I'm here on the forum now, I keep adding in moisture to my routine. I would suggest that to anyone with wave now.

lapushka
July 16th, 2015, 11:32 AM
I can understand the body wave thing when it is just one bulk or easy to spot, but when there is several "bulks" after each other creating waves like ~~~ (was not sure how to say it), what is it that makes it body wave? Of all the 2a's I've seen I've not seen a single one where all strands go their own way, always seem to be some clinging together making their wave together.

I'm just slightly confused, I suppose. If I had that underhair texture all over my head I would never be able to call my hair straight because "it's just body waves" :shrug:

Just because you have that "mixture" IMMHO, it is 1c/2a, but YMMV. You eventually call it yourself. ;)

Arctic
July 16th, 2015, 11:36 AM
I have wavier underside and straighter canopy too. It's normal :) We are lucky because we can easily manipulate our hair to one direction or another.

Estrid
July 16th, 2015, 11:46 AM
Just because you have that "mixture" IMMHO, it is 1c/2a, but YMMV. You eventually call it yourself. ;)

I would not call myself 2a, not with how my hair looks at this point, no way :p I just ment that the hair underneath is showing 2a tendencies, but yeah... Still hoping for a miracle when I reach bsl (or wl, or hip..) that'll make me turn into a wavy ;) My mothers hair got wavier as she aged, from rather straight to 2c, so I suppose it is possible.


Thank you all for your replies! I do not think that I could stop using shampoos again, not with my scalp, sadly. My hair did not get wavier when I tried CO for 4 months, it got more flat. I could try LOC and plopping (looking at what that is it looks like cheating :redgrin: but I suppose that is what I need :whistle: ). Would have to look up what products I could use for LOC too.

I've tried a bunch of different shampoos, conditioners etc and nothing, except CO washing, has changed the normal texture my hair got.

Arctic
July 16th, 2015, 12:13 PM
Diffusing and some styling products might help too.

Your wave pattern looks really nice on both canopy and under layers, lucky you! If I leave my hair natural, my hair looks like an aging rock star, lol.

lapushka
July 16th, 2015, 12:22 PM
I would not call myself 2a, not with how my hair looks at this point, no way :p I just ment that the hair underneath is showing 2a tendencies, but yeah... Still hoping for a miracle when I reach bsl (or wl, or hip..) that'll make me turn into a wavy ;) My mothers hair got wavier as she aged, from rather straight to 2c, so I suppose it is possible.

I wouldn't sell yourself short. 1c/2a is pretty wavy, if you ask me! :)

Hairkay
July 16th, 2015, 01:16 PM
Yes I've got different hair types on the outside, tighter curls. On the inside the curls are a little looser.

Wosie
July 16th, 2015, 01:38 PM
Your hair is so pretty (I feel like I've said this to you umpteen times before :o)! Anyhoodles, I think you definitely can fall into the 2a category when your hair has gotten longer, it looks like it has the potential. :D

(I don't particularly feel like a 2a either, as it's only wavy right after I've washed my hair... I comb/brush my hair a lot and it looks 1c most of the time. Your hair in the first post looks wavier than my hair looks normally. :) [Yup, I confess, I'm a comb addict.])

HintOfMint
July 16th, 2015, 01:50 PM
The underlayer of my hair is about 1b/c, whereas the canopy is 2a/b, and the hair closest to my hairline is 2b/c. Yeah, and people wonder why I damp bun and can't just accept my texture. It's more like, "accept which texture???"

meteor
July 16th, 2015, 05:34 PM
I have wavier underside and straighter canopy too. It's normal :) We are lucky because we can easily manipulate our hair to one direction or another.

Same here! :hifive: I agree, it's pretty great for getting hair looking anywhere from poker-straight or quite wavy... heck, when my hair was at waist or shorter, it held even tight spiral curls really well throughout a day... Ah, those were the days! :cloud9:
But a big downside of multi-textured hair is that, I think, it can tangle more easily. Oh well... :)

elsieivy
July 16th, 2015, 06:31 PM
I wouldn't sell yourself short. 1c/2a is pretty wavy, if you ask me! :)

I agree. Even though 1c is technically in the "straight" category I describe my hair as "slightly wavy" or "wavy-ish." I figure hair typing is meant to be more of a continuum than neat categories.

I think your hair looks really pretty OP!

littleghost
July 16th, 2015, 07:39 PM
Looks exactly like my hair texture!

scrivener827
July 17th, 2015, 08:43 AM
I have wavier underside and straighter canopy too. It's normal :) We are lucky because we can easily manipulate our hair to one direction or another.

Interesting, because I can't seem to manipulate my hair in either direction! It does better straightened, but still wants to flip out weird in spots after a while. I've never managed a wavier style, with or without heat. Maybe I need to try some new methods, but my hair just seems to reject any attempt at changing its texture for more than an hour or two!

Arctic
July 17th, 2015, 08:48 AM
Interesting, because I can't seem to manipulate my hair in either direction! It does better straightened, but still wants to flip out weird in spots after a while. I've never managed a wavier style, with or without heat. Maybe I need to try some new methods, but my hair just seems to reject any attempt at changing its texture for more than an hour or two!

Well, if your hair type is correct, as 1a (or close to), and F type (or close to) having curls is very difficult. When my hair was straight any curling attempts just dropped off after 10-15 minutes, if they even took. And like always there is no universal truths, but MANY 1c/2a/mixed texture types can manipulate their texture. I get my hair quite straight with just cold blow drying, for example. And having french braid gives me nice waves that last all day.

Platzhalter
July 17th, 2015, 12:32 PM
Well, if your hair type is correct, as 1a (or close to), and F type (or close to) having curls is very difficult. When my hair was straight any curling attempts just dropped off after 10-15 minutes, if they even took. And like always there is no universal truths, but MANY 1c/2a/mixed texture types can manipulate their texture. I get my hair quite straight with just cold blow drying, for example. And having french braid gives me nice waves that last all day.

Indeed... it's one of the very few advantages of having 1c/2a hair :)