Silly question about my hair.

[cmnt831]

I think I've come to a realization about my hair. :p As you can see in my stated "Location", I've been in the land of hair confusion for a while now. I am confused because my hair seems to do two or three different things. It wants to wave, curl and be straight. And I'm the type of person that likes things a bit more organized than that.

Anyway, I've been thinking some things over and really looking at things I was ignoring and have come to the conclusion that my hair is two different types: 1c underneath and 2c/3a on top. Is this pretty common? I'm hoping you will say, "yes"and put my mind at ease that my hair is normal. :p

I hope this isn't too silly a question and thanks so much for reading. :flower:

[manderly]

Yes. I need to coax my underlayer a little more to curl like the rest of my hair. That's always the part that gets straightend and floofy first :)

I think it's fairly common.

[cmnt831]

Oh good! Sometimes I can get the under layer to submit to plopping and other times it refuses so I have some curls on top and straight hair underneath. Oh, and the under layer is silky and glossy while the top is prone to get frizzy and dull.

I glad I'm not alone. :D

[Copasetic]

I don't know if its common, but its true for me. My underlayer is like a 2c/3a, whereas the rest of my hair is a 3b. I don't worry about it. I am fine with multiple hair types :p

[eyesofsummer]

Yes, I think that it's totally normal and common to have different hair types on different parts of your head. I have really coarse hair at my nape that curls tightly. It's a completely different texture than the rest of my hair, and it always throws me off when it comes to styling!

[GoddesJourney]

Yeah, I'm going to raise my hand for this one. My under layer is like 1b and somewhat coarse. The hair around my temples is like 1b and F/M. The rest of my hair is something like 1c some days and 2a other days and M/C. I have a long-haired friend with probably 2b M with some 1b thrown in there and some 3a/3b hair as well. It looks gorgeous when she just lets it all be natural, so nothing wrong with mixed hair. Mine just looks unkept since that is the gift of 1c/2a. *sigh*

[Arctic_Mama]

And this is what is so funny about hair - my underlayer often has MORE spiral curls than my canopy, which is more wavy. Go figure.

But yes, in general having more than one hair type depending on the location on your head, hormones changing your growth, etc etc, is totally normal :)

[Flynn]

Sounds familiar... my hair varies along it's length, through it's depth and from day to day. My canopy is more... something than my underlayer, which tends to be very, very much straighter. I have a gradient of waviness from straight from the root to... ear-ish length, down to quite wurly right at the ends.

[cmnt831]

Oh, wow - thanks for sharing your hair stories with me! I didn't realize this was pretty common. I thought it was just my typical luck to get weird hair or something.

GoddesJourney, when my hair was shorter the curls were able to take over and look really nice in their natural state air dried, but now that my hair is longer the whole thing just looks unkempt and stringy if I don't blow dry it (on cool, of course - no heat for my hair :p) and then the 1c/2a type takes over.

Copasetic and eyesofsummer I love your curls! I think if my top layer was more curly like yours, I wouldn't have an issue at all. :)

Arctic_mama, I was wondering if some of this could be hormone related, because when I was younger, my hair seemed to be all one type and it's only been since I've reached my 30s that the hair seems to have different types to it. Then again, hard water could have been contributing to some of this....

[pinchbeck]

It is perfectly normal to have different textured hair (multi-textured hair) on the same head! A long time ago to combat this I was tempted to perm the bits that were spaghetti straight so they would blend in with the rest of my hair. lol

[cmnt831]

Ah, Flynn, you've just given the perfect description. :D Seriously, like you can see my hair from where you are. :bigeyes: Just add "stringiness" and that's my hair. :p

pinchbeck, I would probably go the opposite and try to straighten the bits that were curly. :p

[pinchbeck]

pinchbeck, I would probably go the opposite and try to straighten the bits that were curly. :pWell, there are so very few bits of straight hair I thought damaging the least amount of hair would be better. I didn't go through with it because it seemed rather silly!

[Flynn]

Ah, Flynn, you've just given the perfect description. :D Seriously, like you can see my hair from where you are. :bigeyes: Just add "stringiness" and that's my hair. :p


Yup, I know that one, too... it's sort of twisty-waves rather than flat ones, so it does tend to vary between clumpy and stringy. >_o

[cmnt831]

Well, there are so very few bits of straight hair I thought damaging the least amount of hair would be better. I didn't go through with it because it seemed rather silly!

I thought of getting my hair chemically straightened at one time, but didn't go through with it for the same reason. :)


Yup, I know that one, too... it's sort of twisty-waves rather than flat ones, so it does tend to vary between clumpy and stringy. >_o

Ugh, yes, exactly. :p

If I can find some pictures I should show a comparison of the hair from my ears down (which I've been calling the under layer) and the curls on top, which I've had in my siggy before. I used to do half ups where all the frizzy/curly part was contained and the straighter under layer was exposed. :p

[naereid]

Just yesterday I took a picture of my freshly dried hair and was astounded to see how curly the top layers were and how flat the hair underneath them was. :p Here, I uploaded it for you.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5208&pictureid=70859

[Hana]

i have 2b/c hair on top. its a little fine.
i have probably 2a hair underneath and its kinda coarse!
still thick all over though.

so whilst my top layer goes CURLY CURLY FRIZZY DISOBEDIENT, my underlayer is quite happy to just sit there, be shiny and soft and generally be delightful.

most perplexing.
(the underlayer is starting to curl more, though, due to the changes i've made since i've been on the LHC. they do fall out after a day or two, though.)

EDIT - so, law of averages, i had to settle on my overall hair being 2b-M-ii/iii. it makes the most sense, anyways!

[cmnt831]

Just yesterday I took a picture of my freshly dried hair and was astounded to see how curly the top layers were and how flat the hair underneath them was. :p Here, I uploaded it for you.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5208&pictureid=70859

Oh, yes, I can see the difference. You've got some really nice spirals there. :) I need to get my act together and upload some of mine - but I'm too lazy right now. :p


i have 2b/c hair on top. its a little fine.
i have probably 2a hair underneath and its kinda coarse!
still thick all over though.

so whilst my top layer goes CURLY CURLY FRIZZY DISOBEDIENT, my underlayer is quite happy to just sit there, be shiny and soft and generally be delightful.

most perplexing.
(the underlayer is starting to curl more, though, due to the changes i've made since i've been on the LHC. they do fall out after a day or two, though.)

EDIT - so, law of averages, i had to settle on my overall hair being 2b-M-ii/iii. it makes the most sense, anyways!

The part I bolded in your quote is also a perfect description of what my hair does. :D I took my first hair descriptor off because I couldn't decide which of the 2 or 3 types I should pick. :p And I am coming to believe that the two layers are two different levels of "fine"....

[x0h_bother]

Oh good! Sometimes I can get the under layer to submit to plopping and other times it refuses so I have some curls on top and straight hair underneath. Oh, and the under layer is silky and glossy while the top is prone to get frizzy and dull.

I glad I'm not alone. :D
Same here.
my top layer loves to curl, the underside loves to be straight. It looks funny. :undecided

[cmnt831]

Same here.
my top layer loves to curl, the underside loves to be straight. It looks funny. :undecided

I think this is the main reason I get asked if I've bothered to brush my hair. :rolleyes:

Since my hair has gotten longer, the curl has weakened, so it just mostly looks frizzy and hides the nice under layer. When it was shorter the curl was more defined and looked nice. So, I'm doing half ups again to get the frizz contained in some way and the sleeker under part can show. Like in my siggy. :D

[Schefflera]

I have this -- my canopy doesn't really go as far as curly, but I think it's more inclined to than the underlayer. And the underlayer, annoyingly, has been looking more "piecy" lately when it's down, and it's too straight for that to look good.

I'm thinking what I may need to do is go back to (*gasp!*) washing my hair on top of my head, or otherwise be sure to get to the underlayer better, and maybe bun up the canopy with some oil while the rest dries.

[cmnt831]

That's a good idea, Schefflera. All the oiling I do for the top layer to look decent does make the under layer look rather lank. I'll have to try that next time I wash my hair. :)

PS: Are you named after the plant?

[christine1989]

Your hair sounds exactly like mine so eithe rit is normal or I am weird right along with you :). I find that damp bunning or curling with foam rollers helps to even out the texture.

[cmnt831]

Your hair sounds exactly like mine so eithe rit is normal or I am weird right along with you :). I find that damp bunning or curling with foam rollers helps to even out the texture.

I'll have to try that. Do you let the bun dry all the way or can you take it down before then? My hair takes forever to dry....

And hey, if we're weird, we're weird. We'll all get sorted out eventually. :)

[mintyhot]

well i don't have curly hair but my hair underneath is coarser, straighter, and really nice! really really nice :)

[cmnt831]

well i don't have curly hair but my hair underneath is coarser, straighter, and really nice! really really nice :)

Lol! That's how I feel about mine, too. :)