Hello my beautiful WP family, welcome back to my blog ππ
YAKWAZULU this post is for your beautiful π
Today, we are going to be learning about our hair type, texture and hair porosity. I know a lot of people can’t identify their hair type (I found out about mine months ago). I use to think my hair couldn’t be identify as 4c hair, that I will definitely be 4d but guess what, when I saw 4d, I saw the difference.
This post is going to be a little longer than my usual posts so, bear with me and I hope this helps in identifying your hair type and texture.
Hair has been one major course that we took serious in beauty school and I’m glad I have the knowledge. It’s easy to identify your hair type, texture and porosity when the hair is in it’s natural form. Now don’t get me wrong, I have seen some beautiful healthy relaxed hair. All I’m saying here is that, you would have altered the natural coils, pattern and also texture of your hair when it is relaxed but in it’s natural form, it’s very easy to identify.
Can you still know your hair type, texture and porosity after relaxing? Yes you can but I will advice you wait till when u start having new growth before you check.
HAIR TEXTURE
There are three major type of hair texture. I started with hair texture because it’s easy to identify your hair type once you know your hair texture.
3 Major hair texture
- Fine / thin Hair
- Medium Hair
- Coarse / thick Hair
FINE HAIR is usually thin and fragile. Each hair has two layers, the cortex and the cuticle. Because fine hair is very thin, it can become oily or greasy very quickly. It also tends to become weighed down by product and breaks more easily than thicker hair.
MEDIUM HAIR is thicker than fine hair, and it is what most women have. Hair with this texture still has two layers β the cortex and cuticle β but some women may have a third layer to their hair called the medulla. It has more volume to fine hair. It is also less prone to breakage.
COARSE HAIR has three layers β the cortex, cuticle, and medulla β and it looks fuller than fine or medium hair. Coarse is more tolerant than other textures to things like heat, product, and hair dye. It is also less prone to breakage, but it can become frizzy in humid weather and takes longer to dry.
HAIR TYPES
- Straight hair
- Wavy hair
- Curly hair
- Kinky hair
CATEGORIES OF HAIR TYPE
Straight hair – Type 1
Wavy hair – Type 2
Curly hair – Type 3
Kinky hair – Type 4
CURLS PATTERN

DIVISION OF THE HAIR TYPE

Pics by shilpa ahuja
This is where you know which particular hair type you can identify your hair as.
STRAIGHT HAIR: This type of hair is usually straight. It can become greasy and shiny faster than curly hair. Oil from the scalp travels quickly to the shaft. Straight hair can be divided into three subcategories which are;
Type 1A – This subcategory of hair type is super straight and fine. So the hair texture is fine hair. Most common in women of Asian descendants.
TYPE 1B – This subcategory of hair type is also super straight but has more volume than type 1A. This hair har texture is medium hair.
TYPE 1C – This subcategory of hair is straight but thick ad shiny. The hair texture is coarse hair.
WAVY HAIR: This type has a natural wave, and it is thicker than Type 1 hair. The subtypes are divided by the thickness of the hair and the shape of the waves. There are three subcategories for wavy hair:
Type 2A β This type of hair is very fine and thin with S-shaped waves β it is also easy to style.
Type 2B β A little frizzier than type 2A, this type of hair is wavy and medium-thick.
Type 2C β This hair type is wavy, thick, and coarse β it is prone to frizz and difficult to style.
CURLY HAIR; This type of hair is definitely curly β usually the kind of curl that goes straight when the hair is wet but goes back to being curly as it dries. Curly hair has clearly defined, springy curls and it tends to be easy to style. There are three subcategories for curly hair:
Type 3A β This hair has defined curls with a thick texture and a lot of shine but can be frizzy.
Type 3B β Hair of this type has tighter curls and may have a combination of textures.
Type 3C β This type of hair has very tight curls or kinks and is generally easy to style.
KINKY HAIR: Hair of the very curly or kinky type has very tight, sometimes well-defined curls. It tends to be fairly coarse in texture but is also sensitive and prone to damage by heat and product. There are three different subcategories for kinky hair:
Type 4A β This hair is soft in texture with tight, well-defined curls or kinks.
Type 4B β Hair of this type has very tight curls, but they are less defined, soft, and fragile.
Type 4C β This type of hair has such tight curls (coils) that it may not even look curly at all.


In addition, there is type 4d hair. This specific type of glorious hair is precisely afro textured but unlike the other type 4 hair, it has more of a Z structure and sometimes an L pattern. Unusual natural hair type 4d tends not to have as much moisture as 4A or even 4B due to the curl pattern.

HAIR POROSITY TEST

Images: Pinterest
Thanks to www.forher.com/blog
I hope this is helps identify your hair type, texture and porosity.
You are a star! Heaven sent! This is the very first time I am seeing a breakdown and description of hair types. This is so great. I screamed when I saw my name on your blog! Please, I feel famous now. π©πππΎβ€οΈ Thanks for this. π
awwwwn you are welcome ππππ
Thank you for this. My hair type type is 4C!!!
Awwwwn you are welcome… I’m also type 4c π
http://www.hairdetanglerschool.com
great post, but does it really matter the exact type of hair texture you have? As in, all hair textures get matted and tangled.
Thanks π
For the hair textured, yes all hair textures get tangled but you can compare the tangled situation of a type 4c hair to a type 1. This is why getting to know your hair texture is important because it helps you to know how to take care of your hair better. Which products ingredients matters and ones to avoid when getting products.
Help I am a parent of 2 beautiful biracial girls 2 and years old. They are adopted from birth and full siblings. I still canβt tell what hair type they are and if I should use the same products on their hair. Their hair is different the two year old is definitely thicker. I canβt even find a salon or someone to help without judgement. I just need advice.
I hope you don’t mind sending their hair pics to my email and i can help from there ππ omolabakeganiu@gmail.com
Yes thank you for the breakdown I am 4c with thick low porosity. Now I know what will work best on my hair thank you again
You are welcome π I’m glad this helps
Bonjour. Quels types de produits pour les cheveux 4d ? Et quelle routine ? Merci d’avance
Salut,
Ces produits sont parfaits pour les cheveux naturels de type 4d
Aunt Jackieβs Instant Detangling Therapy
Aunt Jackieβs Hydrating Silkening Hair Milk
Mane βn Tail Ultimate Control Conditioning Spray
Pro-Line Comb-Thru Softener
Et pour garder votre cuir chevelu hydratΓ© et vos cheveux brillants, vous pouvez obtenir de l’huile de jamaican Mango & Lime Island Oil. Tous ces produits sont disponibles sur Amazon. Pour toute autre question, je serai heureux de vous aider.
My granddaughter who has recently turned 14 has 3c I think. Nothing seems to soften her hair. Itβs dry and frizzy And we have found no products that her hair will absorb. Sheβs very unhappy usually wears her hair and a tight braid. A hair straightener doesnβt help either. Please help me , help her.
Hi lisa, I’m sorry that I’m just replying. You can try homemade hair mask and this will help her because they contains no chemicals. Avocado and honey mask. After washing her hair with a mild shampoo, apply this mixture (blend the avocado and honey until it forms paste) generously on her hair (dry the hair not completely before adding the mask). You can leave it for 15-20mins. Rinse off with lukewarm water and dry using a diffuser. Kindly avoid heat on her hair. Some products that will help her are; Aunty Jackie’s leave in conditioner, organics shea butter detangling moisturizing hair lotion, Tgin green tea super moisture leave in conditioner, shea moisture Jamaican black castor oil strengthen and restore leave in conditioner. I hope this helps
Awesome Posttttttπ―π―π―π€π€π€β€β€β€
Thank you
Kindly follow my blog back please
I had a 3A hair type but I was very young and didn’t know anything about it so I got my first hair straightener and straightened it almost every day for 3-4 years. Now after seeing pictures of natural curly hair and reading about what damages the hair, I have realized that I made the biggest mistake of my life. I have been trying to get my curls back for a year now, I bought natural products for my hair, I make homemade hair masks once a week and I often put coconut oil in my hair. But my curls are not the same, it’s like a frizzy mess. There are days when the curls are kind of nice and acceptable, but it only happens that day, the next morning it’s like a bird nest on my head. Can you help a broken curly hair out? π€β€
So sorry I’m just replying you. Let start with the process little by little π. Did you transition or had a big chop? Transition is stopping any form of heat or damages and let it transform back to it’s natural form. Big chop is cutting everything off and starting all over?
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Thanks so much my hair is 4d donβt really know what products to use because it breaks so easily , please help
My hair actually breaks a whole too and I’m type 4c. Dark and lovely anti breakage leave in conditioner, jamaican black castor oil and cantu shea butter daily oil moisturizer helps me alot…
Love it… Very educative and I learnt so much.
Thank youππ
Your are welcome πβΊ