The 4 Hair Types In Detail

Andre Walker (Oprah's hair stylist) has created the hair type system that has changed the way we care for our hair. His book, Andre Talks Hair is where I got this information. I found pictures to help illustrate what he's talking about. Andre only mentioned two subtypes for curly and kinky hair, but upon my search for pictures, I found an extra subtype 3C and  4C. I'll explore those and report back to you. After all, the book was published in 1997. Things have changed a lot since then. But there's an enormous amount of great information I think you could use.

The system helps us identify what type of hair we have and what steps and products we should use to achieve healthy hair.  He teaches that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to taking care of  hair. There is a formula.

In order to get the correct formula for your hair we must forget the tried-and-not-so-true hair tales. Stop believing there's just one hair type if you're African-American, Asian, or whatever. Forget about race there's no such thing as "black hair" or "Asian" hair or even "Caucasian" hair. And please drop the stereotypes about "good" hair versus "bad" hair.

Everyone has "good" hair you just have to know how to take care of your hair type. Making your hair work for you isn't that hard. You just need some guidance.

During Andre's twenty plus years in the business, he has dealt with every kind of hair known to woman and he has found four distinct hair types. Within those types, there may be variations he calls subtypes.

Once you know and understand your hair type, you'll be able to find a formula that will let you take care of your mane with ease. Even if you're dead set on working against Mother Nature, you won't have to do major battle to make your hair do what you want it to.

Here we go...

Type 1: Straight Hair 

Type 1 is more likely to be oily than dry, and because it has more cuticle layers than any other hair type, it's almost impossible to damage. Damaged Type 1 hair is very dry and brittle, with paper thin ends.

There are three subtypes.

• Type1A- fine and thin. (Tends to be fine and thin and super soft with a high octane shine. It's difficult to get this hair to do what you want.)
• Type1B- Medium-textured. (Medium textured with a lot of body).
• Type1C- coarse. (Most resistant to curling and shaping).

Type 2: Wavy Hair 

A relatively unusual type, wavy hair tends to be coarse, with a definite "S" pattern to it. The waves throughout the hair are the shape of the letter "S". You have Type 2 if your hair curves in the "S" while laying flat against the scalp.

Type 2 has three subtypes.

1. Type 2A- Fine and thin. It's easy to handle, taking on straighter or curlier styles with ease.
2. Type 2B- Medium-textured. Its waves tend to hug the head.
3. Type 2C- Coarse. Tends to frizz and is a little more resistant to styling.

Type 3: Curly Hair 

If you're a Type 3, your hair has a lot of body and is easily styled in its natural state, or it can easily be straightened with a blow-dryer into a smoother style. 

Healthy Type 3 hair is shiny, with soft, smooth curls and strong elasticity. The curls are well defined and springy: pull out a strand of hair and stretch it; it won't snap in two. Damaged Type 3 hair is usually frizzy, dull, hard and dry to the touch, with ill-defined curls.

Type 3 has two subtypes.

• Type 3A- Very loosely curled. The shorter the hair, the straighter it gets. The longer the hair, the more defined the curl.
• Type 3B- Medium amount of curl, ranging from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews.

It's not unusual to find both subtypes coexisting on the same head. In fact, curly hair usually consists of  a combination of textures, with the crown being the curliest part.

Type 4: Kink Hair 

Generally, Type 4 is very wiry, very tightly coiled and very, very, fragile. It appears to be coarse, but it is actually quite fine with lots of thin strands densely packed together. Healthy Type 4 hair won't shine, but it will have a sheen. It will be soft to the touch and will pass the strand test with ease. 

Many women with Type 4 hair rely on chemical relaxers to make hair easier to control. In its natural state, sometimes Type 4 hair doesn't grow very long because every time you comb it, it breaks.

There are two subtypes of Type 4 hair.

1. Type 4A- Tightly coiled hair, that when stretched, has an "S" pattern, much like curly hair.
2. Type 4B- Has a "Z" pattern, less of a defined curl pattern. 

If you have chemically straightened hair and you need to know your type, you'll need at least one inch of new growth to tell. Pull at the roots. If you can see a definite curl pattern then it's an A; if not, then it's a B.

I know that's a lot of information to take in but trust me it's worth finding out. Knowing your hair type will save you time, money, and stress. You'll see that your hair is not your enemy. It's not a rebellious child that must be wrestled into submission. It need not be war. 

No matter what the hair gurus out there may tell you, there's nothing mysterious about hair. We just need to find the what works for us and take care of it.

Hair: Loose and free
Emotion: Focused

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Source: Andre Talks Hair by Andre Walker