1. Curl types
They’re determined by how tight the curls in your hair are. Type 2 hair barely has any curl to it while type 3 is curly. Neither type 2 or type 3 have much elongation factor.
Type 3 and type 4 hair is springier. If you pull on it, it will spring back up to a shorter length. Usually with these types, the hair normally stops at shoulder length, but if it gets straightened, it goes down the back.
My friends are mystified by this with my hair (I’m Type 4B/4A mixture), but if Type 3 and 4 hair twist or braid their hair, it doesn’t fall out- it doesn’t need rubber bands or gel. I’ve been asked before if the twist or braid would eventually come out. The answer is no, the twists might come out if your hair gets heavy enough for the twist to unravel (as in getting hair fully saturated with water), but most of the time braids and twists will stay in the hair until the person takes them out.
2. Shrinkage
Types 2A-3B hair as stated earlier, does not have much elongation factor. Because the curls are looser, the length that is seen when the hair is dry does not differ much from the length of the hair when it is wet. This is really different from Types 3C-4C hair where even when wet, the hair doesn’t reach its full length without prompting with a comb or other tool.
Usually with Types 3C-4C hair, the full length won’t be seen unless the hair is “stretched” which is the process of loosening the curl pattern. Some people get relaxers as a chemical solution to loosening the curl pattern. Relaxers break down proteins in the hair that cause it to be curly. This is the opposite of perms (chemical treatment that makes the hair curly). In the African American community, there has been a shift from chemical treatment to natural treatment. This is what many mean when they say “my hair is natural.” Not that it is their hair, but that they have not been using chemical treatments.
Others will do different processes like binding or braiding to stretch hair without heat. Heat damage is a killer on kinkier hair.
3. Washing
People with coily or kinky curl patterns don’t have to wash their hair as often as someone with a Type 2 hair. This is because our hair doesn’t get as oily. Natural oils from the scalp struggle to get to the tips of Type 3C-4C hair, so we don’t worry too much about our hair being oily and gross. Every person has different washing rituals, but while Type 2 hair types might wash their hair daily or every other day, curlier types might wash once a week or twice a month.
You might be thinking, “Wow! African Americans don’t need to wash their hair too often! That’s great! They’re so lucky!”
Wrong. While that is a plus, as I stated earlier, the oils of the scalp struggle to reach the tips of the hair which promotes dryness and impedes hair growth. Because of this, the days we do wash our hair is basically an all-day ritual with hair masks, leave-in conditioners, hot oil treatments, steaming, and styling to try to lock the moisture from water into our hair. It’s honestly a hassle, but it’s worth it when the hair feels soft.
4. Porous vs. Non-porous
Well, why do African Americans have to do so much to keep moisture in their hair?
Here’s the simple answer: the straighter the hair, the more porous it is. Porous means that the water is easily able to penetrate the hair follicle and moisturize it. If you have straight hair, therefore when it’s humid outside your hair gets frizzy. The moisture in the air penetrates your hair follicles swelling them which makes them stick out every which way. By applying cremes and butters (like Shea and Mango- not Country Crock), people with curlier types can hold the water to the hair follicle allowing it more time to penetrate the follicle.
5. Weave, Tracks, Crochet
I’ve heard a lot of people ask about these terms. So, here is some simple defining for you. All three are ways to make your hair appear longer or protecting hair by adding hair. There are different types of hair one could buy for different styles. Some hair is kinkier while others is straighter. Some is from horse tail while others are from humans, some is some type of nylon mixed fibers. There’s a lot of variety. The difference between weave, tracks, and crochet is the way the hair is added to your own.
Weave is braided into one’s own hair. One can identify weave normally by single or individual braids on the scalp. It’s a very protective style (meaning that it prevents the hair from getting damaged by dryness) and I’ve seen people get small braids and they lasted about 6 months. Of course, weave can be washed if it’s small braids, because the water won’t enter the braid and frizz it up if they’re done right. The washing can help clean the scalp if the braids are itching. Bigger braids shouldn’t be washed though, because the water will make the real hair curl up and look different from the added hair. Weave is not only for coily and kinky hair types. I have a friend who has type 3A/3B hair who does her own weave because it’s easy and keeps her hair out of her way for a couple of weeks.
The main difference between weave and tracks is that tracks start with cornrows. Once the hair is cornrowed, lengths of hair are sown in to the cornrows (not the scalp) with a needle and thread. Tracks can last a long time if they’re done this way. There are also glue-in tracks. I don’t recommend these to anyone, because the glue is not always dependable and it leaves a mess in your hair when they’re taken off.
Similar to weave, crochet braids start with cornrows. The synthetic hair is then attached with a crochet hook.
That’s a brief, yet somehow extensive definition of curly/kinkier hair. Hope you enjoyed it!