Natural Hair is too hard! Too much work! But the good thing is, it doesn’t have to be. With the right knowledge of hair and products, Black hair has the ability to be versatile, voluminous, and full of life.
Knowing your hair type and porosity level are essential and truly life changing when it comes to finding out exactly what your hair needs to be healthier, more moisturized, and to retain the length you so desire.
Determining Your Hair Type
Figuring out your hair type can be a little tricky. Like many women, you may fall into more than one category depending on the state of your hair. It’s best to determine your hair type when it’s soaking wet. According to NaturallyCurly.com, the first classification will be a number: 2s are wavy, 3s are curly, and 4s are coily, and the sub-classification is a letter, usually A-C. The sub-classifications of A to C are based on the width, diameter of the wave, curl, and coil pattern. A’s have a wider pattern size, Bs medium, and Cs are the smallest of the three.
Charts too tricky? Still a little unsure? No worries! Head over to YouTube and type in your hair type. Videos of natural-haired women will give you a good idea of what category is perfect for you. You may even find some hair inspiration!
Determining Hair Porosity
Hair porosity simply refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. Thankfully, determining hair porosity is much easier than finding out your hair type. A glass of water and a strand of hair will get the job done. By dropping the hair into the water, you will be able to see if the hair follicle floats or sinks. If it floats, your hair is low porosity. If your hair sinks slowly, it has normal porosity. And if it sinks immediately, your hair is high porosity.
Why You Should Care About All of This
Catering to your hair’s level of porosity will help your hair remain moisturized, healthy, and shiny. Check out Ouidad.com for ways to care for your hair’s porosity level. Also, no two curls are the same, and what may work for someone else, may not work for you. Getting to know your hair is vital in finding the perfect products and mastering that twist out, perm rod set, or those flat twists that you’ve always dreamed of. We like the app Curl Match for guidance on natural hair products.
It’s time to get up close and personal with your hair. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did.
Laura Cameron is a funky, fashion-forward senior at the illustrious Howard University where she majors in Journalism and minors in English.
The post Master Your Hair! Get to Know Your Hair Type appeared first on Crush Magazine.
