Help with hairtyping

[Quenhilde]

Until very recently I've never paid much attention to my hair. I had long hair when I was a child and had always wanted to grow it long again but had never had the patience to do so, especially as my hair always just seemed to be so messy no matter how much care I took of it.

Since finding this site I have realised that my hairdressers had been causing a lot of the problem by giving me poor advice (whether intentionally meant or not). One even told me that I should be shampooing every day and that if I used conditioner, I should never let it go near my scalp. My hair wasn't overly greasy and was dry and damaged from years of abuse as well as not being straight, so after even one day of reading posts and articles here I knew how bad the advice was.

I've been housebound for a few years due to health and in that time as I haven't been seeing anyone, I just got used to tying my hair out of the way and forgetting about it. Then a couple of months ago I had a family event to attend and suddenly realised how long my hair was. As this is the one good thing to come out of the years of solitude and illness I am desperate to get it into good condition as a reminder that even bad times can produce good things.

Oooops! I sort of rambled on a bit there didn't I? I have been having some difficulties with assessing my hair type so I thought I would ask for some more experienced advice. I can tell it should be somewhere in the wavy category, but I'm just unsure on how wavy!

http://hairtodyefor.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/imag0112.jpg?w=179&h=300
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you can help me!

[Roscata]

Hello Quenhilde, welcome to LHC! :)

I kind of looks like 2a, to me.

*big hugs* for your tough time with illness. I'm glad you're feeling better and your hair definitely looks great and quite long.

My advice is to learn the curly girl method. Here are a few useful links that will help you better deal with wavy hair and avoid the dreaded frizz lol:
Naturally Curly (http://www.naturallycurly.com/) (wavy hair is considered curly, just very loose very big curls)
Live Curly, Live Free (http://livecurlylivefree.com/)
Wavy Hair Care (https://sites.google.com/site/roscatahair/living-wavy)
Conditioner Only Washes (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=18)
Kimberlily's defrizz spray (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277)
lemon rinse defines curls dramatically and fights frizz (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53745)

Good luck in your hair journey! :)

[Quixii]

Well, you didn't mention if it's a proper hair typing picture (no leave-ins, no touching after washing, no brushing, no combing) but it looks about 1c/2a.

[mckenzie]

Just wanted to say I think your hair is beautiful!

[Alvrodul]

It looks 2a-ish to me. But have you brushed or combed your hair before taking the picture? That can change the results!
Hairtyping guide is here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=227).

[Quenhilde]

Sorry, you are right. In all my rambling I forgot to mention that it is a proper hair typing picture. Just a straight shampoo & condition and left to air dry resting on a towel untouched after rinsing.

Thank you for the links, Roscata! I'm just finishing my first month of Condition-Wash-Condition experiment so now I'm totally spoiled for choice over a hair project for the next few weeks :)

Thanks Roscata and Quixii for the help (and mckenzie for the lovely comment). I'm determined to have beautiful classic length hair with as many waves and curls as I can get!

[Roscata]

You're welcome! I hope you find something that works for you. Experimenting is so fun. :D

[Shield31]

Just wanted to say I think your hair is beautiful!

Me too!! Beeea-utiful hair :):):) !!

[Lostsoule77]

I would say 1c/2a. Your hair is really pretty. We call what you did benign neglect and it has a great way of letting our hair grow healthy. ;)

[lapushka]

Another vote for 1c/2a. It's gorgeous!

[Quenhilde]

I'm so excited that I just had to share this update. I tried my first ever CO wash and went 'cone free...who knew I could get waves this pretty? I can't wait to see what happens after a a few weeks of this!
http://hairtodyefor.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/imag0130.jpg?w=179

[TiffanieJean]

Your hair looks almost exactly like mine. 1c/2a is what I call mine, but I was just about to do a hair typing help post too... It's a tricky hair type because it's not exactly wave or curly. Kind of half and half. With mine it drys 2a/2b, but goes to completely 1c overnight. Does your hair do the same?

[Quenhilde]

It always used to just curl at the temples and I'd only really see waves if it was wet. That hairtyping picture was actually one of the first times I'd ever seen my hair still have some curl to it when dry. A lot of this was due to never realising it was supposed to be wavy and brushing it, but even once I learned that might be the case it didn't go wavy very often. In the hairtyping pic its actually a little more wavy than it looks as a lot of the waves are "S" shapes that are going from the head outwards and back in rather than the more obvious side on ones.

I've always used shampoos and conditioners full of silicones though and I'm starting to realise just how moisture starved it has been for most of my life. I'm starting to think that I might be better looking at hairtyping again in a month or so, as I have a feeling that I'm totally not going to recognise my own hair once it actually has moisture in it :shocked: