THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HAIR TYPES

Hi guys! How are y'all doing? Today, we are going to be discussing hair types. First off, what is hair?

Hair is any fine threadlike strand growing from the skin of humans, mammals and some other animals. The hair is made of a fibrous protein called Alpha-Keratin. Each unit of the alpha keratin is bound with one another to form threadlike formations called filaments.

The hair is a common feature of the human body. We are going to focus on the human hair - that is the hair on the head. As common as our hair is, it can be divided into types. It is good for you to know your hair type so that you can better understand your hair and take care of it appropriately. There are four basic hair types and I am going to be discussing each hair type in-depth.

And before we go on, let me remind you that your hair is beautiful, whatever texture, colour, or length it is. Your hair may be straight, coily, curly, matte, glossy, long, short, thick or fine. It may not be another person’s definition of good hair or their cup of tea. Yep, still beautiful.

This said, did you know that having an intimate knowledge of your hair and knowing how to take proper care of it boosts your confidence, by like a hundred per cent? This is why I am an advocate of hair knowledge. Your hair deserves your respect, and may never get this respect if you don’t get to know your hair, its density, porosity, curl patterns, and styling needs.

And this is why you must understand your hair type. Only then will you be able to take proper care of it.

So, what does hair type mean?

Hair type, which is determined by your genetics, is usually classified based on the amount of curl in you have in your hair. This is what determines whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly, or coily,

The more asymmetrical or oval your hair follicle is, the curlier your hair will be. Now, it doesn’t matter if you have altered your curl pattern with chemicals or heat, your primary curl pattern cannot be changed, as it is in your DNA. When you stop applying heat or chemical to your hair, it will return to its natural curly pattern. Your genetic characteristics are reinstated each and every time your hair goes through its growth cycle.

Hair types

Type 1- STRAIGHT: The type 1 hair is naturally straight and has no curl pattern. This type of hair is usually soft, shiny and oily mostly because it has no curls. While the individual strands may be thin or thick, coarse or fine, what makes this hair fall into this category is that it typically falls from root to tip without waving. This kind of hair tends to retain oil and becomes greasy very easily, so it is important not to use oil-laden hair products for this kind of hair. It is also important to avoid heavy butters or serums, and to go for texture sprays instead.

Washing straight hair too often can also stimulate the scalp to overproduce oils, so you may want to try dry shampoo if you have straight, oily hair.

The type 1 hair is easy to style but poor at holding curls. The type 1 hair consists of the type 1a, type 1b and type 1c.

Type 1a is usually straight from root to tip, it is completely flat and it's the type that holds no curl.

Type 1b is known for its volume, it's not flat and sometimes, and it would hold a curl.

Type 1c is straight, has volume and some slight bends and in rare cases, waves.

Type 2- WAVY: They type 2 hair is naturally wavy. It can be frizzy sometimes and it forms an 'S' pattern. Type 2 hair isn't as oily as the type 1 hair but it isn't dry either. This type of hair usually comes in a gentle, tousled texture. While the hair is quite straight from the roots to around eye level, a loose, undefined wave usually exists from the eye level to the ends. To retain your waves, it is best to avoid creamy or oil-based products and to go for a light mousse or a gel to define the waves you have.

Type 2 hair doesn't get as oily as it takes the oil more time to travel down the hair shaft due to the waves. Just like the type 1 hair, the type 2 hair consists of the type 2a, type 2b and type 2c.

Type 2a is fine and thin, it has a definite 'S' pattern mainly starting from the middle and then ends. It can be styled easily using the right products.

Type 2B

Type 2b can be frizzy and is a little resistant to styling.

Type 2B

Type 2c is frizzy with thicker waves and is much more resistant to styling.

Type 2C

Type 3- CURLY: The type 3 hair is almost always naturally curly and it also has the 'S' pattern. The type 3 hair tends to be dry as a result of its texture. It can be thick, frizzy or/and full depending on its category. The type 3 hair consists of the type 3a, type 3b and type 3c.

Type 3a is often curly with loops and it has well-defined curls that have a loopy, “S” pattern. Type 3a is also springy and has a tendency to dry out.

Type 3A

Type 3b is usually curly with spirals. It is usually well-defined, has spiral curls, and is typically more springy than type 3a and can be extremely frizzy.

Type 3B