Hair Tip: Hair Types and Controversy

Disclaimer: This is just my opinion of what makes people so upset about others asking about hair type.  I'm indifferent about the subject.  If you want to figure out what your hair type is please click here.  NaturallyCurly.com has way more info about it than I can offer.

My coils :) Type 4a/4b perhaps?

It is very easy to tell a new natural by how inquisitive they are.  Asking questions about what styles to wear during the transition period, what products to use and when to use them, what certain terms mean like TWA or BSL can really rile the nerves of more experienced naturals.  The question that really seems to top the list of annoying questions however is "what is my hair type"?  Now this question doesn't annoy me, but I do see why some people get aggravated by it.

First and foremost, if you are still transitioning, especially in the early stages of transitioning (1-5 months) you really have no reason to ask this question yet because you most certainly won't know with the majority of your hair still relaxed.  Second, if you want to know your hair type on the exact day that you BC, think again.  Your hair, even after all the relaxer is cut off, will continue to change its pattern for a few or maybe even several months.  The point being, don't be in such a rush to know what your hair type is because it is likely that it will change.

Second, taking super close up pictures of your wet or dry hair, does nothing for anyone.  I understand that when you ask this question, you want to provide a visual aid to receive an answer, but no matter the quality of the picture, you really can't tell what hair type a person has based off images alone.  Hair typing according to most, involves more than just what your curl pattern LOOKS like.  It also has to do with the density, length, porosity, width and so on.  There are just so many aspects that no one really has time to get into.  I personally don't feel like trying to understand it all either.

Thirdly, I think asking your hair type is a been there done that situation for most.  Many new naturals think that knowing their type will help them select the best products for their hair.  That's fine, but most experienced naturals could care less about hair types because they already have their staple products and regimens in place.

Finally, I'm not sure that anyone has just one hair type on their head.  Most people have a mixture of types.  Because of this, people probably have several different systems to tell them apart.  I myself would just rather categorize hair types by the number and not the letters.  In my eyes, there's really only broad groups of wavy (2), curly (3), and coily (4) hair with mixtures within those groups.  But that's just me.  So in the end, you could ask 3 different people this same question and they'll all give a different answer.

Moral of the story: Hair typing can be an anxious phase that one goes through.  Maybe you do really take this seriously and just need to know what your hair type is, but more than likely, this need will go away and you will begin to know and love your hair as it is no matter they type.  No hair type is better or worse than another.  So just relax. I promise it's not the end of the world if you don't know your hair type.