Super Malleable Hair??

**Waveychick** · June 24th, 2019, 08:03 PM

Hey everybody!

I’ve had a question on my mind that’s been bugging me for a while now, maybe you could help me out!

What causes hair to be very malleable? My hair is 2C/ 3A (more on the 2C side though I’d say), but it only takes a little bit of manipulation to get it to change shape. I could tie it in a pony tail or a braid for an hour and all my curls would have smoothed down to waves, and sometimes if I sleep with it tied, by the next day, I’ll even be able to pass for a 1C haired girl. If a little bit of rain gets on me, they’ll curl back up. My hair strands are medium thickness (there are some finer and coarser ones in there), and I have 3 inch or ii density. I’ve always wondered what it is that makes my hair not able to hold its own texture lol! My only “true” hair is on wash day, and only if I really leave it alone. What gives? Do any of you experience this, and what is your hair type?

Thanks for your answers!

**akurah** · June 25th, 2019, 12:35 AM

My hair fancies itself 2b. If it were shorter (think APL, potentially BSL) it might very well be 2b. In practice, combined with my length, malliability, and not practicing curl enhancing techniques, it generally hangs out at 1c/2a.

What you're describing seems normal to me from my perspective

**Stardreamer** · June 25th, 2019, 01:23 AM

That kind of thing is something which I've been thinking about too... but kind of how can hair change its texture with brushing and stuff.
For you, I guess the structure of the hair is less weird than very curly hair so the 'bonds' can be broken pretty easily and don't really try to 'form' again. When exposed to moisture or water the bonds can reform so your hair changes to your real texture which is curlier.

I'm like 3b/3c, don't know which one. My curls are kind of springy and I experience a lot of shrinkage but I brush my hair so it becomes wavier. But the curls always try to reform and they do in the end. My hair kind of changes with each day. Day 1 after washing is fluffy and tangled usually, wavy-curly texture. Day 2 is better. Day 3 it's way less fluffy and more wavy but the curls always want to come back. When I haven't washed my hair for about a week and it gets oily, I get curls at the ends while the rest is wavy to curly. I always notice this.

**AutobotsAttack** · June 25th, 2019, 01:54 AM

Individual strand size determines how much hold or shape your hair can hold onto.

Typically thicker strands hold their integrity and don’t lose shape, or bend. Finer hair is impressionable, and almost anything, like buns or sleeping on your hair a certain way will make it take on to whichever way the force/hold is putting it in. As soon as you touch it or move strands apart, the curl pattern can become different entirely.

I currently have springy barrel curls, and if I run my hand through my head, they will straighten out usually. Back when I was natural, I had right springy coils that would also loose their shape after working out, brushing them, or just sleeping in a weird way.

**Totohoy** · June 25th, 2019, 04:39 AM

Originally Posted by AutobotsAttack

Individual strand size determines how much hold or shape your hair can hold onto.

Typically thicker strands hold their integrity and don’t lose shape, or bend. Finer hair is impressionable, and almost anything, like buns or sleeping on your hair a certain way will make it take on to whichever way the force/hold is putting it in. As soon as you touch it or move strands apart, the curl pattern can become different entirely.

Interesting! What you're saying makes complete sense, and yet I've found that the coarser top-layer of my hair holds on to curls much better. Then again, it might be that the finer hairs become more weighed down by my natural curl/wave pattern and that the coarser hairs are just curly. My hair ranges from 1b to a solid 2b depending on the day -- speaking of malleable!

**Hairkay** · June 25th, 2019, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Waveychick

Hey everybody!

I’ve had a question on my mind that’s been bugging me for a while now, maybe you could help me out!

What causes hair to be very malleable? My hair is 2C/ 3A (more on the 2C side though I’d say), but it only takes a little bit of manipulation to get it to change shape. I could tie it in a pony tail or a braid for an hour and all my curls would have smoothed down to waves, and sometimes if I sleep with it tied, by the next day, I’ll even be able to pass for a 1C haired girl. If a little bit of rain gets on me, they’ll curl back up. My hair strands are medium thickness (there are some finer and coarser ones in there), and I have 3 inch or ii density. I’ve always wondered what it is that makes my hair not able to hold its own texture lol! My only “true” hair is on wash day, and only if I really leave it alone. What gives? Do any of you experience this, and what is your hair type?

Thanks for your answers!

This all sounds normal for your hair type. My hair has tight curls and even that can change day to day according to how I style it. If I were to go a week without washing my hair it would change.

**Ligeia Noire** · June 25th, 2019, 06:04 PM

That's usually how hair behaves. I am a 2b/c but only on wash day. I only wear it up so my hair is straight like a 1c all week. The longer it gets also has a big influence on the thightness of the curls. I am more a 2b now. Back at waist i was a full on 2c.

**LadyCelestina** · June 26th, 2019, 04:54 AM

My hair is M/C and also changes shape easily so I don't think it has to do with density. I'd agree with whoever said it's just the nature of looser curl types. Unless I cement my hair with gel and hold products, it doesn't hold a 3a curl for longer than right after a wash. The 3b underlayer is much more resilient and remains 3b...practically always.

**hollygolightly** · June 26th, 2019, 09:10 AM

Something like this happens to me. My hair can easily take waves from braids or even loose curls from cinnamon buns. I was thinking maybe my hair is not 1b and it migth be 1c or even 2a. The shortest hairs from my growing side shave tend to curl at the bottom so I was thinking trying to discover my natural hair texture. However I don't think is worth it, I would have to buy some new products and I don't think the texture would be dramatically different. (My hair air dries completly straight, although I could take a hair typing pic now that it is drying and I haven't brushed it)

**AutobotsAttack** · June 26th, 2019, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Totohoy

Interesting! What you're saying makes complete sense, and yet I've found that the coarser top-layer of my hair holds on to curls much better. Then again, it might be that the finer hairs become more weighed down by my natural curl/wave pattern and that the coarser hairs are just curly. My hair ranges from 1b to a solid 2b depending on the day -- speaking of malleable!

Think it also depends on the length of your hair. As more weight gets carried the more easy it is for natural curls to get stretched out.