Hairtype confirmation? (With pictures)

[Woosh]

When I joined LHC I typed myself as a 1c, but I'm not completely sure if that's right.

This morning I clarified my hair and let it dry without disturbing it.
When it was dry I took the following picture:

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/7862/imag0683r.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/imag0683r.jpg/)

It's a big wild mane, which you can see in the picture, although the picture does not do the amount of frizz justice (it was baaad).
It does look like there is some wavyness maybe?

Now the biggest problem with my hair is that I seem to have two differnent types. When I put all the hair on top of my hair into a bun I'm left with this:

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/3668/imag0685r.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/imag0685r.jpg/)

This looks pretty nice and smooth!

I have tried a lot to get the top layer of hair to behave like the rest. For example, damp bunning tames it quite well, but it never just lies down :(

So my question is: do you think that top layer of hair is frizzy because it's trying to be wavy or because it's damaged? (I used to use demi permanent dyes and straighten my hair about 20x a year)
Maybe this is just how it is?

Oh and is this 1c or would you consider it wavier than that?

[lapushka]

The canopy looks more like 2a to me.

[Signe]

I think 1b/1c, since you have two different hairtypes. My hair behaves quite similarly to yours in that it is wavier (2b) on the canopy than the nape (2a).

Whether it is from damage or not I couldn't say...only you can really tell.

I reckon my canopy gets more damaged than my nape day-to-day, so, for me, I think that's why it tends to have slightly stronger wurls.

Some folk get the opposite, however, where damaged hair is *less* wavy than healthy hair. I think it's a YMMV kinda thing.

[tinywife]

I agree, it looks 2a to me.

[Chetanlaiho]

I'd say 1c for the canopy and 1b for the nape :) the top part is just not wavy enough to justify 2a for me ^_^

[MissEarlGrey]

You have the exact opposite of me! I'm 2a underneath and 1b/1c on top.

[NotInPortland]

I'd still say 1c for the top and maybe 1b underneath, it just doesn't look wavy enough to me to move into the 2 categories but that's just what I think in the way I define the different categories. I think of my hair as 2a/2b and mine definitely has a lot more wave than yours.

[DuckyDot]

1c for the canopy and 1b for the underlayer.

[Mairéad]

Hmm, what's your routine? There may be something you can try to coax a little more wave out of there. Because I think it looks too wavy to be 1c yet there also isn't an incredible amount of S-wave either.

[torrilin]

Um... wow. I'm going to go with a different answer. See how your underlayer has those regular highlight/lowlight patterns? I'm pretty sure those aren't highlights and lowlights. Those are probably waves or curls, and they are in a MUCH tighter pattern than your canopy. The canopy looks like a straightforward 2a, so if those underlayer waves were well defined, they'd be 2b or maybe even 2c.

Given that, I'd say for now type yourself as 2a, and if you like wave and curl, experiment with more curl oriented haircare methods. If you go that route, don't be surprised if you end up with stronger waves.

[spidermom]

I think 2A covers it.

[Woosh]

I guess 2a makes sense.

I have tried different routines in the past: S&C, CO, CWC and most recently oil shampooing, but I mostly get the same results, except that I get a lot more shine with the oil shampoo.
For all of these different routines I always damp bunned my hair just before it's dry which gives me waves, that overtime smoothe out. And once the waves smoothe out the frizz becomes worse again.

The reason I did not really think of my hair as wavy is because when I dry it without bunning it becomes such a frizzy mess that I can't find any systematic wave pattern in it. Looking at that first picture now and how the light falls on my hair I guess I might just be encouraging the natural waves with damp bunning, not just creating them.

This is the picture I included in my newcomer thread:

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3382/hairl.jpg

Here I just took my hair out of a bun, you can actually still see a bit I didn't fingercomb through yet. Unfortunately it doesn't stay this wavy for long.

[Anje]

I think I'd call it 2a for the moment. However, you have a really short wavelength for 2a, if that makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if, with additional moisture, different handling, and maybe some routine tweaking, you find you can get some stunning defined waves and maybe wurls.

[MissManda]

I'd also go with 2a. :)

[Becky Safari]

2a without a doubt

[celebriangel]

If your hair is still airdrying frizzy, that means it needs more moisture. I'd say go for 2a now, but try CO and a nice, moisturising leave-in. If you can get your hair to airdry without frizz then you might see a '2' sort of wave pattern forming.

I'm not at all certain that the classic hairtyping thing works for the 2s, to be honest. A lot of us, our hair has to be very well moisturised to show its waves or wurls correctly - otherwise it just looks like frizz.

[BlazingHeart]

Have you tried Kimberlily's defrizz spray? That might help you...

I would have typed you as a 1c, personally. While the waves are relatively high frequency, they aren't very pronounced.

~Blaze

[jamesw]

I agree, it looks 2a to me.

Yup, I think so too.

[emelnd]

Kimberlily's defrizz spray is awesome.

How are you detangling?

[Woosh]

Right now I use the oil shampoo, which has a lot of benefits for me: it's cheap, my hair dries faster, I get more shine and it allows for quick showers.

It does limit the number of products I can use which doesn't allow me to experiment much, so I think I'll switch back to CO for a while and try using some more deep treatments and that defrizz spray, and see if I get any improvements.

As for detangling: I use a tangle teezer. I detangle before a wash and after (when it's still wet). I'll try to stop doing the latter, since I'm probably brushing out any waves at that point.

I'll go out this afternoon and buy some new products, since all I really have left is shampoo and coconut oil :D

Hopefully this will be a success!

[Woosh]

So I'm back from shopping with:
- some glycerine to use for the defrizz spray.
- Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioner for the 2nd conditioner for CO (and dilute for leave in as well)
- some store brand conditioner for the 1st conditioner for CO

Now looking at the last conditioner's ingredients, I've gotten a bit worried about the isopropyl alcohol.

Ingredients: Aque, cetearyl alcohol, distearoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate, glyceryl stearate, cetrimonium chloride, glycerin, isopropyl alcohol, parfum, panthenol, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, helianthus annuus seed extract, butylene glycol, BHT, phenoxyethanol, propylparaben, methylparaben, contronellol, linalool

Anyone think I should maybe return that one or would it be ok as a first conditioner for CO?