Naturally Me: What's Your Natural Hair Type?

When I first decided to become natural and did my Big Chop, I had absolutely know idea what to do next. I was so used to caring for relaxed hair that when it came to my natural hair, I had no clue. So, like most natural girls I went to the Internet and starting viewing YouTube videos and checking blogs. This was very useful and gave me some starting tips for caring for my new natural hair. However, there was something that I just didn't get...Something that it seemed like every natural girl knew but me...Their Hair Type!

So what is all this 2B, 3C, 4A talk anyway? How do I find out my hair type? Will knowing my hair type help me in caring for my natural hair? So many questions and I was at a lost at the time. I just ignored the hair typing system and did what I thought was needed for my hair. Well, as my hair started to grow I noticed that it didn't seem as healthy that I hoped it would and felt dry all the time. So, I thought lets take another look at this hair typing system.

The most popular hair typing system is that of Andre Walker - The Andre Walker System. Andre Walker started his career has a Salon Owner and became Oprah's personal stylist and has been for over 25 years. In 1997 he took the standard hairdresser texture classes and expanded it into curl typing. He started with four main categories:

• Straight Hair - Type 1
• Wavy Hair - Type 2
• Curly Hair  - Type 3
• Kinky Hair - Type 4
• Andre has created subcategories within the texture - A,B,C

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Let's dive into to the different hair type categories.

Type 1 Straight hair the easiest to explain. The hair is straight.

• Type 1a tends to be Fine/Thin but very soft and shiny. However, this hair type can be difficult to curl.
• Type 1b tends to be Medium and has lots of body and volume.
• Type 1c - tends to be Coarse. It can very bone straight and difficult to curl.

Type 2 Wavy hair is wavy and has a "S" pattern to the wave. The wave pattern can be light to very wavy.

• Type 2a tends to be fine/thin with a slightly "s" wave pattern. For this type of hair use products that are lighter and well enhance the curl pattern, such as gentle cleansers, lightweight conditioners and volumizer to reduce frizz and give a fuller appearance.
• Type 2b tends to be medium with frizziness and little resistance to styling
• For this type of hair use lighter products as well, such as gentle cleansers,  light moisturising conditioner and finish with light products such as mousses or gels to enhance the curls without weighing them down.
• Type 2c tends to be Coarse and hair is resistant to styling, frizzy and has deeper "s" wave pattern.
• For this hair type use cleaning cream based cleanser, thick conditioner formulated to reduce frizz and gel to help define the curl pattern.

Type 3 Curly hair is lightly curly to very curly hair patterns that are well defined. When hair is wet is usually straightens out but as it dries that curl pattern returns. Type 3 hair tends to deal with frizziness more often than type 2 hair. Hair can be styled easier in it's natural state and/or straightened with a blow dryer. Type 3 hair is usually soft and thin.

• Type 3a tends to have a definite "S" pattern, be thick and shiny with lots of body. More of a loose curl.
• For this hair type use moisturising cleansers, hydrate your curls with a leave-in conditioner and use products  such as gels or creams that offer light moisturizing and curl definition for styling.
• Type 3b tends to be well defined curls ranging from ringlets to tight corkscrew curls. Hair can be straighten and texture is a bit more coarse.
• For this type of hair use a moisture balancing cleanser, hydrating leave-in conditioner and use stylers that help to reduce frizznes and define your curl.
• Type 3c tends to be tight curls in corkscrews with volume. The curls tend to be kinky or very tightly curled. Blow drying this type of hair can be done but is more challenging than 3a or 3b.
• For this type of hair use products such as a moisturizing cleansers, moisturizing conditioners and when styling looks for products that offer lots of moisture such as creams, oils, butters and hair milks to keep your hair hydrated.

Type 4 Kinky hair is kinky, or very tightly curled. It tends to be wiry, very tightly coiled and very fragile. The hair appears to be coarse but is quite fine with lots of these strands densely packed together. The hair has fewer cuticle layers than other types so it has less protection from damage.

• Type 4a tends to be tightly coiled with an "S" pattern. Hair tends to be very fragile with a more defined curl pattern..
• For this type of hair use a gentle moisturizing co-wash as apart of your regimen to cleanse without stripping the hair of it natural oils. Deep condition on weekly basis to keep hair moisturized and hydrated and for styling use products that offer moisture such as creams, butters, oils and hair milks.
• Type 4b tends to be very fragile and tightly coiled but with a "Z" pattern which has a less defined curl pattern. Hair tends to have a cotton like feel. Due to the "Z" shape hair can be very wiry, bent and very fragile. Gentle care must be taken with styling, conditioning and dangling. This type of hair tends to shrink up to 75% of the actual length.
• For this type of hair use heavy moisturizing cleanser, detangle using a a conditioner with lots of slip and use a wide tooth comb or finger detangled for less shedding. Deep condition on a weekly basis and use hair milks and styling butters to seal in moisture when styling.
• Type 4c tends to have curl patterns that never clump without doing a certain hairstyle. Hair ranges from, fine/thin/soft to wiry/coarse with densely packed strands. 4c hair can be very challenging and can shrink up to 75% of actual hair length.
• For this type of hair limit your cleansing to heavy co-washing conditioners, invest in products that moisturize and seal your hair such as oils, butters and creams. For styling use heavy creams and puddings and deep condition at least once a week or up to every 3-4 days to ensure healthy hair.

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I personally realized that I have a combination of 4a and 4c hair. The texture at the nape of the neck is a 4a which is probably why my two strand twist always seem to look so thin and funny because I'm putting heavy cream based stylers which is too heavy for this texture and the rest of my hair is truly a 4c texture. Very densely packed and fragile. But knowing all of this information has me ready to combat my dryness and give my hair new life.

So do you go by the Andre Walker system? What is your hair type? And has knowing your hair type helped you achieve healthy hair? Share with us!!