Natural hair hasn’t always been as admired as it is today. I remember when I was younger, I always either had braids in my hair or was given a perm to straighten it. Over the years, the chemicals and heat did my hair more harm than good. That’s when I decided to join the natural hair community. The journey isn’t easy because it impacts a person’s overall lifestyle. Hair already takes up a lot of time in the day. When it comes to natural black hair, however, it takes twice as long. Nonetheless, the results, in the end, are satisfying. When beginning this exciting journey, it is important to know what type of hair you have, so you can invest in the best products.
There are 4 hair textures overall. For this instance, I will go over wavy (type 2), curly (type 3), and coily (type 4) patterns. Hair patterns can be described in further detail by expressing how tight the coil strands are with the letters A, B, or C. Wavy hair is in between straight and curly because the hair near the roots is straight, therefore it is considered type 2 hair. When it comes to how often this kind of hair should be washed, it is once every 3 days. Since this type of hair can hold oils better than curly and coily, co-washing may not be needed. Dry shampoo is okay to use as well as other light products.
Next on the list is curly hair. Type 3 hair should be washed one to two times a week. Curly hair tends to get very dry so washing it is going to make it worse. The natural oils the scalp provides does not travel down the hair strands, so washing it daily only strips the hair of its essential oils. Co-washing and daily moisturizers may also be needed to keep the hair healthy. The scalp must also be oiled from time to time to help promote healthy hair growth.
Lastly, and definitely not least, coily hair or type 4 hair is often the most underappreciated because its true natural state it is often characterized as being nappy or bad hair. This could not be further from the truth. Even though the hair length itself is really long, the tight coiled pattern makes it seem otherwise. This phenomenon is referred to as shrinkage. Due to the hair textures tightness, washing this hair needs to be done once or twice every two to three weeks. In between that time, it is highly recommended to do co-washing and leave-in conditioning almost daily. On top of being the tightest curl pattern, it is also the most fragile.
All hair types are slightly different in some shape, form, or porosity. In addition, the majority have a combination of hair types. It is very rare to have only one type. However, all textures are beautiful. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes people think that keeping their hair natural isn’t what they want to do and that’s okay too. If this is the journey you take, it will require patience and practice. Your crown is beautiful however you decide you want to take care of it. If you are looking for more insightful information about the natural hair world, here is an article that I believe will help you out as it helped me.
https://www.thelist.com/35749/8-truths-natural-hair-one-understands/