What would you say my hair type was please? :)

[Hairicome]

Hello!
I was advised on the welcome page to share a photo of my hair so you clever lot can advise me on my type etc... so here it is! Can anyone advise? My top half is always horrible and frizzy but my bottom layers are smooth and wavy and sometimes I get little curls <3 I so want to stop using straighteners and dryer but until I find a wonder product that stops my wild top half from going astray I'm too afraid to stop!!

Also can you tell me what each acronym stands for with hair length, some are obvious like BSL but others have me truly stumped lol :)

Anyway here's my mop Lol, unmanipulated and air dried!

https://s17.postimg.org/3khcyt9bz/Blur_Image_18-2-2018-1-56-3.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://s17.postimg.org/3khcz21ov/Blur_Image_18-2-2018-1-55-39.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://s17.postimg.org/6rbwipopr/20180218_135706.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jas]

There are people better at hair typing than I am but I can help with the acronyms!

CBL - Collarbone Length, APL - Armpit Length, BSL - Bra Strap Length, MBL - Mid Back Length (somewhere between bra strap and waist), WL - Waist Length, HL - Hip Length, BCL - Butt crack length, TBL - Tailbone Length, CL - Classic Length, FTL - Fingertip length

[Hairicome]

There are people better at hair typing than I am but I can help with the acronyms!

CBL - Collarbone Length, APL - Armpit Length, BSL - Bra Strap Length, MBL - Mid Back Length (somewhere between bra strap and waist), WL - Waist Length, HL - Hip Length, BCL - Butt crack length, TBL - Tailbone Length, CL - Classic Length, FTL - Fingertip length

Oh thank You!! I would never have guessed some of them haha :D

[AutobotsAttack]

You look to be a 2b/2c

And I would say your hair length is a very full Waist length, or a bit longer.

[lapushka]

I have to agree with AutobotsAttack, and go with 2b/c, especially since I see a few ringlets.

[Lady Stardust]

Your hair is beautiful!

Personally I don't think you need to blow dry or straighten it for it to look good, but it's your hair so do what makes you happy :-) I have straight hair so I'm probably unaware of how frustrating texture can be, but I love your natural texture.

[LadyCelestina]

I second 2b/2c in this pic, but I think if you encouraged your texture, you could get a lot wavier or even curlier.


The problem with hairtyping and texture is that there are two systems - the LHC one which types your hair according to how it looks airdried with no manipulation. And the naturallycurly (and others) system, which types your hair according to how it looks with the "best" treatment - with gels and leave ins and scrunching and plopping and what not. (There is some logic to it, as curly and wavy hair often dries looking somewhat looser when left alone )

I think most curlies, even on LHC, go by the NC system :)

It's up to you of course!

[lapushka]

I think most curlies, even on LHC, go by the NC system :)

It's up to you of course!

I've never known us here at LHC to go by the NC system, TBH. We've always maintained Fia's system and rules, AFAIK.

[LadyCelestina]

I've never known us here at LHC to go by the NC system, TBH. We've always maintained Fia's system and rules, AFAIK.

The way I meant it is that it's automatic for many curlies to put what their hair looks like when styled as their hairtype, since as I said, curly hair often looks looser than it really is when airdried with no touching :shrug: At least mine definitely does :)


ETA: Maybe it's just me ! :)

[spidermom]

I love your natural texture, too, but I was the same before I joined LHC. My texture is a lot like yours, and I believed that it was messy and only looked good when I straightened or curled it. Now I love it and wouldn't wish for anything else, although I do enjoy occasionally changing it up by blow-drying to be straighter or curling it on hot rollers or sponge rollers. For me, wetting my hands, rubbing gel between them, then stroking my palms over the surface of my hair tames the frizzies, although they reappear once I comb or run my fingers through my hair or when the wind hits it. Good thing texture is in!

[Hairicome]

Thank you all!! Its good to see every ones had the same response so I know what I'm working with now :)

@lapushka I do indeed have the odd ringlet and certainly when I scrunch after a towel dry i get a few more :D

@Lady Stardust thank you that's so kind! I've struggled with my hair as I guess I never found the right products for me and as a teenager didn't have the money to experiment with lots of expensive brands so I settled on using flat irons which solved the problem of dealing with my natural style Haha but now I want it healthy and I've started to love the curls I just need to find a product to tame the wildness that is the top half as that irritates me so much especially when my underneath hair curls so nicely.

@lady celestina as I just posted above to Lady Stardust, I do have better curls with some scrunching even with no product but my top half is so frizzy and wild compared to the hair underneath- ultimately I want to stop drying and straightening it's timely and ruining my hair but I just need to find that right product ...

So now I no my type hopefully I can find some wonderful UK based products so I can ditch the hot appliances :)

[Ligeia Noire]

I would go for 2a. But you might get wavier when you change your routine.
Lady Celestina mine is the complete opposite it only curls when left alone air drying. All manipulation leaves it stretched and straight like in my signature picture. Hair is funny.

[lapushka]

The way I meant it is that it's automatic for many curlies to put what their hair looks like when styled as their hairtype, since as I said, curly hair often looks looser than it really is when airdried with no touching :shrug: At least mine definitely does :)


ETA: Maybe it's just me ! :)

Oh yeah, that way! :)

[nycelle]

Hello!
I was advised on the welcome page to share a photo of my hair so you clever lot can advise me on my type etc... so here it is! Can anyone advise? My top half is always horrible and frizzy but my bottom layers are smooth and wavy and sometimes I get little curls <3 I so want to stop using straighteners and dryer but until I find a wonder product that stops my wild top half from going astray I'm too afraid to stop!!

Also can you tell me what each acronym stands for with hair length, some are obvious like BSL but others have me truly stumped lol :)

Anyway here's my mop Lol, unmanipulated and air dried!

https://s17.postimg.org/3khcyt9bz/Blur_Image_18-2-2018-1-56-3.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://s17.postimg.org/3khcz21ov/Blur_Image_18-2-2018-1-55-39.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://s17.postimg.org/6rbwipopr/20180218_135706.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I'm not familiar enough with various textures and curls to hair type yet, but wanted to say you have lovely hair!

[nycelle]

I would go for 2a. But you might get wavier when you change your routine.
Lady Celestina mine is the complete opposite it only curls when left alone air drying. All manipulation leaves it stretched and straight like in my signature picture. Hair is funny.

Mine too, only curls when left to dry naturally, with no manipulation. Using even my fingers or a WTC to detangle makes it look 1C. Until I was hairtyped here, I always thought
my hair was straighter.

[LadyCelestina]

Oh yeah, that way! :)

Yay! Glad you understood what I meant :flower:

I just wanted to add, and it's up to everybody to agree or disagree, just my opinion and I'm very much up for discussion!


Fia's is amazing for straight hairtypes since it allows for any natural wave (which would normally be loosened by combing/brushing or otherwise manipulating hair) to surface.

But curly and wavy hair often reaches it's full potential after following certain care recommendations, not after airdrying with no products and no manipulation - if anything, this typically loosens the texture, especially if it's a looser curl like 3a or if the hair is fine. Not to mention that often the hair gets even curlier over time with the right care, so if somebody takes a no manipulation, clarified and airdried hairtyping pic when just starting to learn about haircare and likely with some damage, their hair might appear a lot looser than it really is.

So if looser curls and hair with damage gets typed as wavier than it really is, what happens is that most people still treat their hair somewhat as straight hair (brushing, little to no product, no stylers), with all the problems that treating textured hair as straight hair brings, like fluffiness and tangles and what not. It's like... really common... even on LHC sometimes....imo

I think a proper hairtyping pic for people with texture (especially those who want more texture) should be of hair that is scrunched and has leave in and mousse or gel on. Or at least scrunched.




(Of course there's nothing wrong with brushing curls/waves or with not using leave ins or gels or anything! I myself sometimes brush and often don't use styling products and can have my hair look almost wavy sometimes, if I don't put in products. But at the end of the day, it's quite curly, and if I want nice, long, healthy hair, I have to treat it as the 3a/3b thing it is :))


TLDR- If you were typed as 2-something by Fia's system, but struggle with a lot of poofiness, frizz, or tangles, chances are you are curlier than 2-something :)

[LadyCelestina]

I would go for 2a. But you might get wavier when you change your routine.
Lady Celestina mine is the complete opposite it only curls when left alone air drying. All manipulation leaves it stretched and straight like in my signature picture. Hair is funny.


Mine too, only curls when left to dry naturally, with no manipulation. Using even my fingers or a WTC to detangle makes it look 1C. Until I was hairtyped here, I always thought
my hair was straighter.

Haha :D But even with scrunching? If yes then that's really weird and funny :D Mine is also straighter if I fingercomb it or mess with it too much, but scrunching always makes it curl more, sometimes even too much :D

[nycelle]

Haha :D But even with scrunching? If yes then that's really weird and funny :D Mine is also straighter if I fingercomb it or mess with it too much, but scrunching always makes it curl more, sometimes even too much :D

Hiya LadyCelestina-

Scrunching with gel gives me more waves, and makes them last longer. Scrunching alone, I dunno? I guess my waves would be more pronounced, but they wouldn't last for more than an hour or two. It also entails more manipulation than just detangling..lol

I also don't use gel anymore. It's just easier to let it dry and do what it wants to these day. And what it does, mostly depends on the weather..lol..

[Dendra]

Oh wow you have lovely hair Hairicombe! You're definitely in the 2s...maybe 2b?

[lapushka]

Yay! Glad you understood what I meant :flower:

:thumbsup:


I just wanted to add, and it's up to everybody to agree or disagree, just my opinion and I'm very much up for discussion!


Fia's is amazing for straight hairtypes since it allows for any natural wave (which would normally be loosened by combing/brushing or otherwise manipulating hair) to surface.

But curly and wavy hair often reaches it's full potential after following certain care recommendations, not after airdrying with no products and no manipulation - if anything, this typically loosens the texture, especially if it's a looser curl like 3a or if the hair is fine. Not to mention that often the hair gets even curlier over time with the right care, so if somebody takes a no manipulation, clarified and airdried hairtyping pic when just starting to learn about haircare and likely with some damage, their hair might appear a lot looser than it really is.

So if looser curls and hair with damage gets typed as wavier than it really is, what happens is that most people still treat their hair somewhat as straight hair (brushing, little to no product, no stylers), with all the problems that treating textured hair as straight hair brings, like fluffiness and tangles and what not. It's like... really common... even on LHC sometimes....imo

I think a proper hairtyping pic for people with texture (especially those who want more texture) should be of hair that is scrunched and has leave in and mousse or gel on. Or at least scrunched.




(Of course there's nothing wrong with brushing curls/waves or with not using leave ins or gels or anything! I myself sometimes brush and often don't use styling products and can have my hair look almost wavy sometimes, if I don't put in products. But at the end of the day, it's quite curly, and if I want nice, long, healthy hair, I have to treat it as the 3a/3b thing it is :))


TLDR- If you were typed as 2-something by Fia's system, but struggle with a lot of poofiness, frizz, or tangles, chances are you are curlier than 2-something :)

Hmm, I don't agree for types 1 & 2; 3 & 4 might be different and difficult to do a typing picture for without manipulation. True.

[Hairicome]

Oh wow you have lovely hair Hairicombe! You're definitely in the 2s...maybe 2b?
Aww thank you Dendra :)

[spidermom]

I'm the same - drying with no leave-in makes my hair look straighter and more poufy than it is if I use something like gel or curl creme.

[littlestarface]

Yea I agree with celestina my hair when left to naturally air dry is 2a but when I plop and add in creams and custards leave ins and such my hair gets wurls and spirals everywhere.

[Hairicome]

What products available in the UK would you guys recommend for keeping curls in and flyaways at bay? I looked at the curly girl method I saw someone mention and the article I came across was a few years old and the gel they recommended is now nla in the UK, doh!

[Beeboo123]

I would go for 2a. But you might get wavier when you change your routine.
Lady Celestina mine is the complete opposite it only curls when left alone air drying. All manipulation leaves it stretched and straight like in my signature picture. Hair is funny.

Looks like 2a to me too! My hair gets wavy wurly and forms ringlets if I don’t touch it while airdrying, manipulation makes it straightish but crazy frizzy

[unheardletters]

If I leave my hair alone to dry it is a frizzy, poofy, very messy looking 2c with curls in the front and the last 6-8 inches in the back but the rest is crazy. If I scrunch when soaking wet without using product and let it airdry it is mostly 3a. If I defuse it is definitely 3a. I wonder what product would do to it, but I never had any success with trying product in my hair, it makes my hair feel gross and often leaves a white, sticky film; low porosity hair issue. I’d have to wash daily insead of weekly. I gave up trying products at least 15 maybe 20 years ago.

[Ligeia Noire]

I think accurate typing it's hair with no manipulation left to air dry. All the rest won't be very factual due to whatever you apply. Mine with scrunching gel or butters would be a 3a or so. When I know it's not. Even straight hair types can get waves by doing that. It is merely the effect of the gel. You can see how the hair goes back to its natural state a couple of hours throughout the day. That's why that method recommends people to redo the scrunching through the day and week. But hey that's my opinion and I understand why people eould like more defined textures. I just think for accurate typing should be simply your own texture at work. Than what it could be with this or that it's great but not permanent.

[LadyCelestina]

I think accurate typing it's hair with no manipulation left to air dry. All the rest won't be very factual due to whatever you apply. Mine with scrunching gel or butters would be a 3a or so. When I know it's not. Even straight hair types can get waves by doing that. It is merely the effect of the gel. You can see how the hair goes back to its natural state a couple of hours throughout the day. That's why that method recommends people to redo the scrunching through the day and week. But hey that's my opinion and I understand why people eould like more defined textures. I just think for accurate typing should be simply your own texture at work. Than what it could be with this or that it's great but not permanent.
Yeah great point, it's true that hair loosens over time. (There's also probably that we put it into buns and other hairdo's which loosens any curl even further)

And also that the styling on curly hair (scrunching, conditioner, and what not) could be understood as equivalent to combing straight hair, ie. artificialy altering the texture.

But I guess the deal for me is that... just how I see it... is that for a lot of straight haired to slightly wavy people, just shampooing and airdrying is a perfectly acceptable routine that leads to hair that's at least presentable and the combing or brushing afterwards doesn't really change the hair all that much from the original, airdried state.


For wavier people and curlies, the mere act of clarifying and not adding moisture afterwards not only loosens the curls, thus leading to hair that is already looking slightly looser than it would normally be *, but also the hair usually looks nowhere near presentable and a longterm routine of shampoo only would be very difficult if not impossible and damaging for many curlies.

Meaning that what the hair looks like clarified and airdried w. no touching is irrelevant, since it would likely never be actually worn by the person and even if it were, it could be somewhat damaging (much more than for straighter hair).

To add to that, once a curly haired person introduces a conditioning agent (be it conditioner, but also oil or sometimes just a gentler shampoo), the hair can look drastically different from the clarified, airdried w.o touching state used for hairtyping. Often with time and with enough conditioning and as healthier hair grows in, it gets even curlier.

And well if you type someone as 2b/2c but they start conditioning more and after a few months they have ringlet curls, then what's the point of typing them as 2b/2c in the first place? They will likely never ever see those 2b/2c waves again, only in the hairtyping pic.

The other thing is that many people who have been typed as 2 something often tend to find a routine that's somewhat closer to caring for straight hair than caring for texture. That's fine if it works for you and your hair is thriving and looking great! It often works for "true" wavies and can be both easier and bring better results when it comes to how the hair looks.

But if you experience issues such as excessive fluff, frizz and tangles, then it's quite possible that you are not a 2b or 2c or whatever you were typed as, and have a lot more texture. Which just didn't show on the hairtyping pic. Your hair is not faulty or weak or damaged or just poofy, it was just mistyped.


BTW: I looked at the system right now and it says wash and condition as usual. I swear in the past, it was clarify and airdry, and there are even older threads which mention the clarify and airdry method. Huh! Mandela Effect!

But regardless, I think most of what I wrote still applies :) As people typically don't come to LHC with perfect routines and most are adviced to take hairtyping pic when they first join :)

ETA: changed some wording :)

[nycelle]

This is so interesting - how to hair type.
Maybe start a new topic?

[Ligeia Noire]

Lady Celestina I think you edited your post to add what I was going to write and yes I meant keep your usual routine. Do not clarify and do use conditioner for me to clarify and not moisturise it is not accurate either. I meant, of course, use your regular shampoo follow it with conditioner or even a mask. Apply oil when towel dried even that's fine. What I am not in agreement with it's applying styling gels serum or butters and then type the hair. The whole curly girl method. That's fine to keep your curls fresh, to encourage waves but not when trying to find your hair type, it will be misleading. Again I am not against that routine I am against typing hair that has been styled beyond your usual routine of washing and conditioning. Of course all hairs will be wavier with creams. Your every day texture is what counts for me.