When I first started my Natural Journey, one of the first mysteries I encountered was Hair Typing. I couldn’t fathom the numbers and letters I was hearing in the Natural Hair conversations. The good thing about it is that it was also what got me doing some real research into Natural Hair, and hair we are today! (pun intended) 🙂
Hair typing was created by Andre Walker, and is a system of categorizing your hair into different groups based on its Curl Pattern and Texture. Most people will be able to define their Hair type from the chart below, and some will discover that they’ve got more than one hair type on their head (maybe even three!)
Please click on the image to see a clearer view
Curl Pattern
This is what determines the numbers in the Hair Typing Systems’
1 = Straight Hair
2 = Wavy Hair
3 = Curly Hair
4 = Kinky Hair
Black women typically have Type 3 or Type 4 hair
Curl Diameter
3A = Curl diameter of chalk
3B = Curl diameter of a marker
3C = Curl diameter of a pencil
4A = Curl diameter of a needle
4B = Zigzag curl pattern
4C = No curl pattern as such, strands are more like coils
Because it is never so easy to place people in specific categories, the image above shows how the numbers and letters can blend into one another. You will need to take out a strand of your hair to compare it to the image to see which one best matches.
Hair Texture
This refers to the thickness of the hair, and ranges from Fine, to Medium and Coarse.
Fine Hair is very delicate, and breaks easily, even more so when it is is dry.
Medium Hair is averagely thick, stronger than Fine hair, but softer than Coarse Hair.
Coarse Hair is very thick and holds curls the best of the three. Of course, this means that it is the hardest to manage.
You should wash and air dry your hair before checking out your Hair Type as this is when you are most likely to see your hair in its natural state. Please share your Hair Type, and how you rock it.
