Question about hair typing

[Helen Baq]

This has probably been asked a million times, but I did search the forums as well as Google to no avail, so I'm asking...

To type my hair accurately, as far as straight/wavy/curly, do I comb it at all? If so, when? Do I comb it when wet or dry? I'm sorry to be so confused on this, but it makes a big difference in how my hair looks. My hair used to be, until some unknown time in the recent past, a clear 1a, but now it's not. I've developed spiralies in my hair when it's wet. They are loose and if I comb my hair they tend to disappear, mostly. Also, my hair straightens out when I oil it. I'm sure I'm still a 1, but a 1-what? So, is it best to let it air dry with no combing? :confused:

[Heavenly Locks]

the way I understood it when I was brand spankin' new, was that when you take a hair typing photo -

Wash hair normally, using NO leave ins or conditioners (I am a conditioner only washer so I just did that)

Do NOT comb, do NOT towel dry.

Drip dry/air dry

NO touching ;)

You want to encourage your natural texture as much as possible, products change that, handling changes it too. So, do this on a day that you don't care how ugly your hair ends up looking. :p Mine was rather, wild looking IMO. It took my hair a few hours to completely dry.

[morguebabe]

Yeah I hear it's no combing etc for your type pic.

[rhubarbarin]

Yes, air-dry wih no combing.

For mine, I washed and conditioned (I use clarifying shampoo to wash, conditioning is absolutely necessary otherwise my hair would just be a giant cloud) and just stepped out of the shower and let it drip dry, no leave-ins, combing or manipulation.

[Helen Baq]

the way I understood it when I was brand spankin' new, was that when you take a hair typing photo -

Wash hair normally, using NO leave ins or conditioners (I am a conditioner only washer so I just did that)

Do NOT comb, do NOT towel dry.

Drip dry/air dry

NO touching ;)

You want to encourage your natural texture as much as possible, products change that, handling changes it too. So, do this on a day that you don't care how ugly your hair ends up looking. :p Mine was rather, wild looking IMO. It took my hair a few hours to completely dry.

Wow, no towel!!! That's gonna take forever! :bigeyes:


I use clarifying shampoo to wash, conditioning is absolutely necessary otherwise my hair would just be a giant cloud

I love that description! :rollin:

Ok, I'm off to the shower and hopefully my hair will dry today! :p

Thanks so much for the help. :flower:

[Helen Baq]

It took something like seven hours to dry my hair today, but it finally got done and I got a photo before I starved! :p

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2777&pictureid=39775

So, wow! My hair has really changed! It used to be completely straight with no hope of curling and now it has more curl than I used to get from a perm! Looking at this photo and the typing guide I'm thinking 1c/2a or 2a... :bigeyes:

Maybe I can have curls one day! :cheese:

What do you folks think?

[Helen Baq]

Anyone want to help me out with a second opinion? :confused:

[SimplyViki]

Hmm, interesting, because it's not "curly", but I see more spiral shaped waves than S shaped waves. I'm not much help, I'm afraid - I'm still puzzling out my own hairtype. I first thought mine was 1b or so, but I reread the typing guide and took another look at the pics, and I'm thinking 1c or 2a also.

[Helen Baq]

Hmm, interesting, because it's not "curly", but I see more spiral shaped waves than S shaped waves. I'm not much help, I'm afraid - I'm still puzzling out my own hairtype. I first thought mine was 1b or so, but I reread the typing guide and took another look at the pics, and I'm thinking 1c or 2a also.

Apparently we have more in common that just our name, then! :lol:

[Leneveu]

Just for clarification: for a hair typing picture, after washing just squeeze out the water a bit (I assume that's allowed!), and then leave it as is (not even finger-combing) until it's dry. I want to double check before I do this, as I can imagine that it's going to take quite a few hours for my hair to dry like this :roll:

[Helen Baq]

I didn't even squeeze mine out, so it took a long time to dry. I'm not sure if squeezing is allowed, since it was suggested not to towel dry mine. :)

[Niphredil]

Well, If I would do as described above, I would be an untype-able frizzball.

If I encourage curl I get 3a hair, while if I discourage curl I get 1c even. The truth probably will be somewhere in between so I'd type mine as a 2b/c since it usually is more on the curly side of the type 2's. My hair doesn't look uniform either so I just have hair that can't be pinned to a single type. I like it :)

I'd give you a 1c because your hair looks smooth (strands close together) like a type 1 and not (slightly) fuzzy (more air between individual strands) as a type 2 would generally look like. ETA: when you combed after taking that pic, it probably smoothed out, while mine would start to poof.

[Leneveu]

I didn't even squeeze mine out, so it took a long time to dry. I'm not sure if squeezing is allowed, since it was suggested not to towel dry mine. :)

No squeezing?! So did you just sit outside and let it drip? I think my hair might take 7 hours to dry, too!

[Katze]

2a, because of the amount of spirals. Maybe even 2b.

[Helen Baq]

Well, If I would do as described above, I would be an untype-able frizzball.

If I encourage curl I get 3a hair, while if I discourage curl I get 1c even. The truth probably will be somewhere in between so I'd type mine as a 2b/c since it usually is more on the curly side of the type 2's. My hair doesn't look uniform either so I just have hair that can't be pinned to a single type. I like it :)

I'd give you a 1c because your hair looks smooth (strands close together) like a type 1 and not (slightly) fuzzy (more air between individual strands) as a type 2 would generally look like. ETA: when you combed after taking that pic, it probably smoothed out, while mine would start to poof.

That's a good explanation! :D


No squeezing?! So did you just sit outside and let it drip? I think my hair might take 7 hours to dry, too!

I actually sat inside with a towel on the back of my chair to catch any drips. :p


2a, because of the amount of spirals. Maybe even 2b.

That's what was making me think 2, as well. :)