Progress pics - hair type changed?

[Katze]

It is so hard for me to take pictures of my own hair, for some reason! So, these aren't the nicest, but they are the best I could get. I wonder why my hair looks so much better in real life than it does in pics?

The first is freshly washed hair (CW), dried loose while sleeping, pic taken the next morning. It looked really straight in the front, so I was surprised to see all that wavy stuff going on in back!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=31480

The second is this morning, day 3 after washing. Worn in a claw clip for sleeping. Yes, I did comb it! The sun was shining in our window (a rare event) so I felt I had to take a pic in natural light (indirect sunlight)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=31481

Compare with this pic from several weeks ago - clean hair, artificial light. I think I might have brushed my hair just before taking this pic, not sure. It definitely does look very different!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=31482

Since I can't see the back of my head (need to get some kind of extendo-mirror) it is hard to see how my hair really looks in back. I am working on this, but still need help.

So, has my hair type changed? I feel like it is straighter and blonder, but these pics seem to show something else. With all the messiness, it is almost impossible to get an idea of length. :silly:

What do you think?

[Calista]

Regarding the quality of the pictures: You might want to use some kind of dummy for yourself to set up in the approximate place where you want to stand and then focus the camera on that. Then set the timer, take away the dummy and sit down in place. That way the pictures will be focused on your hair and not on the background.

Regarding the hairtype: Is it possible that the first pictures are of untouched hair, but in the last one your hair is combed out?

ETA: Scratch that, I see you mentioned that you brushed it out. I think that would be enough to explain the difference.

[Katze]

sorry, the first pic is untouched, the second fingercombed, the third is brushed.

I do use the timer on my camera, but it takes so long (especially so at 8.5 months pregnant!) to get both myself and my hair into position. I am not sure of a way around this...my hair ends up looking stringy rather than "arranged."

But this is also part of my hair type, I guess - frizzy and messy. The first two pics were of hair that looked good in front, while the third was flat, slicked down hair, at least in the front. The back seems to be very different due to the cowlick and all...

[OhioLisa]

Great progress. You're a definite 1c. IMO. :D

[Calista]

Yes, of course you use the timer. Sorry, maybe I worded it weirdly. What I mean is that you set up the camera while you are not where you are going to end up. So the camera does this auto-focus thing, and since the camera doesn´t know that you are going to be in the picture in the middle of the room it focuses on the opposite wall instead. Then when you sit down and the picture gets snapped the back of your head is blurry, but the background (what the camera used to focus) is clear. You can see it quite well in the first pic. That´s why some people use an object (like a big teddy bear or a potted plant) to focus the camera. But I see that all that fiddling would be difficult in your current state. ;)

[lora410]

I have no idea if your hair type changed but mine goes wonky like this as well. Sometime it will look almost straight and others wavy. My hair is having fun with the piecey look. I clarified last night thinking it was cone buildup.

[MsBubbles]

Wow, your hair looks way thicker in these photos, to me. If it's still as thin as you have described in the past, the waviness is definitely helping you out there! It looks to me like the thickness is making its way down. And I second what somebody else said about the camera focus.

[Tressie]

Hi!
Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. I wish I could get a different camera or a floppy disk port so I could post some pictures too!

I really don't know how to classify my hair either! I have days when air drying makes my hair look pretty wavy, and then after I comb, it's much straighter! Some days, it looks less wavy. I have the piecey thing going on sometimes, especially if I do too much oil or leave in!

Probably the fact that I have been trying different conditioners has something to do with the variety of results.......LOL!

Your hair looks very healthy in all of those pics btw! Let's keep growing!!!!! (o:

[brok3nwings]

I cant say about yours but my hair is only a 2a when i do the pluping? thing so that the waves have been dry enough to hold themselves...otherwise i would be a 1c! Another thing is that when hair gets longer normally it gets straighter (for those who have light waves..)
But i have to say, i love your hair colour (why would you ever want to change it?) and my favourite picture is the third one, your hair looks really soft and wonderful in that one

[amaiaisabella]

Your hair looks great! It gives hope to a fellow 1c :) Happy growing!

[spidermom]

I would still put you at 1C, maybe even 1B. I think that what you are seeing as wavy stuff is actually creases from laying on it. Have you ever taken a picture of it freshly washed and air dried without laying on it? That would help a lot.

[SpecialKitty]

Nice progress, Katze! You look like a solid 1c to me. And I don't think your hair is frizzy in the least! (and I know frizzy).

[Darkhorse1]

I think typing hair via a photo is really difficult. I can see you have a funky cowlick at the back of your head. That must make the twists in the back that you can't see. The length looks good--I have noticed that when I am in a growing phase, I notice that my ends break up a bit, then thicken. So, you must be in a growing phase.

[GlassEyes]

I would still put you at 1C, maybe even 1B. I think that what you are seeing as wavy stuff is actually creases from laying on it. Have you ever taken a picture of it freshly washed and air dried without laying on it? That would help a lot.
Agreed.

It might be that you are wavier than 1c, but we can't tell without an air dried, untouched photo.

[Honey39]

Good progress pics! I think you're a 1c, but I'm not great at this - it's a very pretty wave you've got going on, and I think you're a 1c rather than a 2a, but I'm not sure. What are the sides like? That's where my hair is the curliest...

[Michou]

Looking good! I'm no expert, but I don't see much 2ness about your hair, it looks more 1ish to me. :)

[Katze]

Thanks everyone for the compliments. :flower:

Yes, I do like my hair color now, especially when it is freshly washed.

They really are terrible pics, I realize, but I have still not figured out how to get in front of the camera fast enough while still being able to pull all my hair smoothly together!

Drying - I've never been able to air dry during the day while keeping my hair down - I get earaches if my head is wet, and the roots take FOREVER to dry. But this is another thing to try, hopefully next week I will have time, sometime...maybe when (if!) it's warmer I can have it down, untouched, until it dries...some day... :)

I am still confused by the straight-versus-wavy thing. My hair has loose waves throughout, like stretched-out Ss. There is a clear pattern, at least it seems so to me. On the sides and nape and ends, it has loose spiral curls, what I think of as my "double helix waves." It's the kind of look I used to get with a curling iron, which now comes naturally on days 2 onwards. Sometimes the crown has waves, sometimes not.

When I read the hair type descriptions, I think I am a 2a, because I do have waves throughout and they are more than body waves. The descriptions don't fit my hair's wave pattern at all. My hair is by no means straight, even if I try to make it straight! But when I compare myself to people here, I see straighties (listed as 1b) with as much wave as I have. :confused:

The biggest factor I have been going with is that my length likes a LOT of moisture, and that it gets frizzy very fast and changes with humidity etc. I thought this put me solidly in the wavies, at least 1c, because my hair does not ACT like straight hair. It likes misting, leave-ins, etc. so I treat it like wavy hair, which seems to be good for it. I think I have some individual hairs (crown) which are 1b, and some (nape, behind ears) which are even 2b or 2c.

But you all think I am a straightie?!? I guess I want to be a wavy because then my hair looks thicker than it is and I don't feel so bad about the ends...

[OhioLisa]

The main difference between 1C and 2A is this; 1cs are basically straighties, with some waves in there, usually around the nape, around the ears, etc. 2As have a more defined wave pattern, just more stretched out waves than other 2s. Because the majority of your hair is straight, with only waves here and there, which are basically body waves lacking a distinct pattern, you're a 1C. :)

[Amoretti]

Katze; I'd like to see an air dried pic with no manipulation/sleeping on it; otherwise I'd say a IC with some 2a in there.

You know my hair is a solid 2a; do you also have long, stretched out S waves?

[Katze]

Katze; I'd like to see an air dried pic with no manipulation/sleeping on it; otherwise I'd say a IC with some 2a in there.

You know my hair is a solid 2a; do you also have long, stretched out S waves?

Hi Amoretti, I am working on it at the moment - wet hair hanging down my back with a towel underneath. Not sure how this will work when I need to go shopping this morning, but anything for the sake of accuracy! :silly:

I do have waves like yours but less of them. They aren't just a factor of sleeping on my hair, since I can't sleep on my back now anyway.

When I read the hair type descriptions, I continue to think that I have more than body waves but less than braid waves (yours look like braid waves to me, so 2b!)

I am really confused by this because I don't think my hair is straight. Spidermom said 1b, which is 'straight but with a slight body wave, just enough to add some volume, doesn't look wavy' - this describes my hair brushed flat only, but it springs back into frizz and spirals no matter what. Compared to straight haired people, I think I am a wavy, but you all say I am not...

When I think of straight hair, or even 1b hair, I think of hair that hangs mostly straight and flips at the ends, like my sister's is when she hasn't braided it. It doesn't clump into spirals or S curls on its own, nor does the length spiral in a stretched out lazy way like mine does.

HERE's an untouched pic - terrible pic of us, but shows the radical difference between my sister and me. She had had her hair in a ponytail, so it actually looks a bit wavy, mine was freshly washed and untouched(and again looked good in the mirror, but terrible in a pic) The spirals on my right hand length are what I am talking about when I say that I do not think I have straight hair - it never waves like braid waves but it does have 'the odd spiral curl forming here and there'. In this pic I would say my sister's hair is 1b or even 1c (but again she had had it up) and mine is wavier than 2a! Normally, I'd think of her as 1b and me as 2a. But there is such variation, even here on LHC, that I am still confused as to where my hair fits in the system.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=22920

I guess if I had to write my own hair type description, I'd say 'lightly wavy with body waves, stretched out S waves and the occasional spiral curl'.

Maybe this will resolve itself once my baby is here and my hair settles, once and for all, into one hair type...or maybe it's like hair color, i will always be in between...

[Melisande]

Lovely picture of you and your sister and her child. It's easy to imagine you holding a baby, too.

You know we have a very similar color, but I'm a 1b. (http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6027/20090212unbrushedwz4.jpg)(This is my hair just dried, unbrushed, untouched, in dire need of some sheabutter...my hair needs so much moisture, just like yours.)

It's always nice to see your hair, it's like my own with the wavier wish fulfilment ;-) . You have probably both 1c hairs and 2a hairs on your head, and it defies neat categories. So does mine, btw. Combed, it looks like a 1a, and with bun waves, like 1c.

[Katze]

OK, a pic of mostly dry, absolutely untouched (except to pull through neck of clothing!) freshly washed hair. One cool thing about not combing my hair at all or even finger-arranging it is that my cowlick looks a lot better this way.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=31649

Right at my right shoulder you can see a glimpse of my "kinky" curly underlayer, which I generally put some leave-in and even hair gel into to keep it from looking like it does in this pic. But you can see how it peeks out from the finer, straighter hair on top.

Here is a pic from the front, showing the (suddenly straight looking) spiral waves

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=31651

so, 1c or 2a or something else?

[Katze]

Lovely picture of you and your sister and her child. It's easy to imagine you holding a baby, too.

You know we have a very similar color, but I'm a 1b. (http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6027/20090212unbrushedwz4.jpg)(This is my hair just dried, unbrushed, untouched, in dire need of some sheabutter...my hair needs so much moisture, just like yours.)

It's always nice to see your hair, it's like my own with the wavier wish fulfilment ;-) . You have probably both 1c hairs and 2a hairs on your head, and it defies neat categories. So does mine, btw. Combed, it looks like a 1a, and with bun waves, like 1c.

thanks for the compliments! None of us look our best in that pic, but it shows how different my sister and I look.

We do have very similar hair. Yours just hangs nicer than mine when unbrushed. I need to blowdry or put gel into or comb it to get it to hang all in one piece like that.

[Melisande]

I'm not an expert, but I'd say, top layer 1c and lower layer 2a. 1c because you have waves all over but the waves are very gentle.

It's difficult to see the lower layer, it's only visible in places like the shoulder. Don't make an effort now in your state, but I'd really like to see one day a picture of your hair "upside down" so we can see the usually hidden layer. It's well possible that it's even wavier than 2a...

It must be really difficult to take care of a head of hair with different "populations" where the 1c majority rules over the 2.... minority ;)

BTW, your hair has grown so much lately, you have really long hair now. Isn't it a very different feeling from before? I see no dye damage anymore, or is this an optical illusion?

This puma color is so nice, I miss it. My plant dye is okay but I liked myself better with the natural color.

[spidermom]

These hair categories can be difficult to factor out, that's for sure. Today my hair is behaving like 1B. I washed yesterday, let it dry with spiral curls all over the place - definitely 2C. Now it has been combed and top-of-head bunned overnight, which smoothed and straightened it out.

You hair reminds me of OhioLisa; I don't remember how she categorizes hers, but she definitely has the spiral-thing going on at the bottom.

Whatever the category, your hair is looking pretty these days and getting long, too.

[Honey39]

I see mainly straight hair with a very very gentle wave in these latest pics. It looks straight-ish to me!

But look, you have lovely hair, does it matter which classification you are? Why not have a look at other people's hair here, and see whose hair you're closest to, and go with that!

[desertrose]

looks like 1c to me .. very beautiful:)

[spidermom]

I think you should call your hair 1C/2C because it appears that the canopy is 1C but the area near the nape is 2C.

[Amoretti]

Katze; thanks for the updated pics. :)

Your hair is really looking so much thicker and longer, wow!

I'd say those are very gentle waves, a 1c. Perhaps there's some 2a in there somewhere but you definitely don't have the long S waves.

[Katze]

Thanks everyone! :)

I really do have two different kinds of hair on my head. As the nape hairs finally grow - constant necklace wearing, lack of conditioner were making them break - I realize that a good third of my hair is M and maybe 2b or 2c, the rest very fine and 1b-1c. As the recessive "mutt" in my family this makes sense - dad's wavy, coarser hair mixed with mom's baby fine straight hair. As a kid, my hair was fine all over and totally straight!

When I have time I'll post pics of both extremes, as well as how I care for them, because we seem to get a lot of questions about dealing with "mixed" hair types and that might be useful for others.

thanks for your help and advice, everyone!

Katze

[jojo]

The difference I see is in the thickness. Now although pregnancy does cause changes in hair, I am thinking the reason why your hair appears to grow slow is because your shorter hairs have been on a growth spurt and the pregnancy has sped this up more. I am thinking you are going to see a massive change in the length of your hair and it has grown lots. If you are worried about shed after the birth BTW garlic capsuals help with this and I think they are ok to take if you wish to breast feed too!

Overal Katze your hair is just getting better and better, your patience and kind treatment to it have really paid off. Well done x

[Katze]

The difference I see is in the thickness. Now although pregnancy does cause changes in hair, I am thinking the reason why your hair appears to grow slow is because your shorter hairs have been on a growth spurt and the pregnancy has sped this up more. I am thinking you are going to see a massive change in the length of your hair and it has grown lots. If you are worried about shed after the birth BTW garlic capsuals help with this and I think they are ok to take if you wish to breast feed too!

Overal Katze your hair is just getting better and better, your patience and kind treatment to it have really paid off. Well done x

thanks jojo! :D You're sweet!

I do feel like pregnancy has sped up my hair getting thicker. I had a lot of baby hairs before, but now my roots are super thick with them. The longest are already reaching below my chin, so good LHC care is paying off. Also, despite being tired ALL THE TIME, I'm overall healthier during pregnancy - better skin, lost weight overall - telling me that (hopefully!) if I keep eating like I have been and taking my vitamins, my hair will indeed keep growing as it has.

What I am really afraid of is losing thickness again due to the infamous shed, but if this happens, I might just use it as an excuse to cut off the thinnest tapered ends and start over with a thicker hemline. Since I have never had hair this long before, it will be hard to tell how much is good care and how much is normal.

As for garlic, the midwife says I can eat as I wish while breastfeeding. Since I love spices and garlic and such, I am taking this as license to continue eating as healthily and deliciously as I have been!

[jojo]

Its so nice that your hair is starting to please you, i know you have had your frustrations now hopefully that is behind you.

I don't know if you remember but last September my hair was shedding loads, well I started on garlic and within a fortnight it had decreased loads, I still get a little shed but nothing serious. Another thing my hair was baby fine before I got pregnant and the texture changed to very curly mind you my hair was short then, but it did go thicker. I never noticed any shed at all after giving birth though it did lose the curl.

Not long now until your baby wonder if he/she will have hair? both mine did, they used to say if you have a lot of heartburn your baby will have lots of hair, old wives tale really but I had terrible heartburn!

[Katze]

Its so nice that your hair is starting to please you, i know you have had your frustrations now hopefully that is behind you.

I don't know if you remember but last September my hair was shedding loads, well I started on garlic and within a fortnight it had decreased loads, I still get a little shed but nothing serious. Another thing my hair was baby fine before I got pregnant and the texture changed to very curly mind you my hair was short then, but it did go thicker. I never noticed any shed at all after giving birth though it did lose the curl.

Not long now until your baby wonder if he/she will have hair? both mine did, they used to say if you have a lot of heartburn your baby will have lots of hair, old wives tale really but I had terrible heartburn!

Thanks!

Neither BF nor I had hair, and I haven't really had heartburn. We are pretty sure our kid will be bald at first, as we were, but then have blonde, fine hair that gets wavier after a couple of years. We are both blonde-ish finies, but his hair is thicker and wavier, so I hope our kid gets his hair.

Mine is also getting coarser overall. I still have the baby fine crown, but it seems like the M hairs are taking over. That could be better care, since they have never been this long before...

Nice to hear someone didn't have the dreaded shed. I want to do everything I can to keep my hair when I have my baby. If I have to take extra garlic, that's a small price to pay. :)

[jojo]

My eldest had white blond curly thick hair, still does and she is 21 now! some have all the luck!

Word of warning garlic can give babies an upset stomac as in making them trump all the time! you have been warned!!!!