5 Reasons Why Hair Typing Is Not Helpful
We’re all familiar with the hair typing chart. Early in our natural hair journeys, we studied our curls and coils in the mirror, trying to figure out if we were 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, etc. A lot of people have found comfort in the hair typing system. It helps us find content creators with hair like ours. It helps us feel seen and represented in the curly community. But despite these benefits, there are a lot of reasons why the hair typing chart can be more of a hindrance than a help. Here are five for you to keep in mind.
1. We Have Many Different Types Of Curls On One Head
Sometimes people can have generally the same texture throughout their head, but more often than not, if you study any natural curly head, you’ll find a couple different textures all present and accounted for. You could have anywhere from 2, to 3 or more textures in your head at the same time. That makes it a little difficult to identify with any one type.
2. Technique Matters, Not Hair Type
In most cases, proper definition is a matter of technique, not necessarily hair type. A defined curl looks different for everyone because no two heads of hair are the same. It’s better to focus on getting your product application technique down to a science than to fret about curl type. This will allow you to get the best out of your hair.
3. It Doesn’t Determine What Your Hair Actually Needs
You may have thought your curl type told you everything you needed to know about how to care for your hair, but you would have been sadly mistaken. Hair typing is significantly less important than things like porosity, thickness, density, etc. Knowing these things about your hair can give you more information about what your hair needs and how to care for it properly.
4. It Won’t Be Helpful In Selecting Products
Just like hair typing offers little information on what your hair actually needs, it does little to point you in the direction of the best products for your hair. When it comes to choosing the right products for your hair. We recommend choosing well formulated products that are high quality, nutrient rich and effective for all hair types. A really good place to start is our Intense Moisture Collection.
5. It Can Cause Division In The Curly Hair Community
All this talk about hair types can split us into unnecessary and unhelpful factions. The reality is in a lot of cases it's really not that useful and doesn’t mean much about what routines, techniques, and products will help your hair thrive.
@toffyolowo
How do you feel about the hair typing system? Share with us in the comments.
This information does not have to divide. We are still learning because we have a number of businesses now recognizing the beauty of our hair. The more information the better for us. My hair has three types and it drives me nuts sometimes.
I agree with the points you made. It is hard to stretch your mind to ignore the real push towards typing with its underplay of a type is better than another type. Your reasons make perfectly good sense and I hope to use this reasoning throughout the new year.
Been saying this for years. I’ve been wearing my hair natural for over 20 years and I never understood why everyone accepted this hair typing system.
I totally agree! I follow all hair type accounts on IG and have learned great things from those with very different curl type than mine. I once saw a curly account who replied to a comment about how she couldn’t offer her helpful advice and how the woman should follow someone who had hair that looked more like her own. It seemed rude and unnecessary.
As a “new natural” (April will be 1 year since my chop), I have no idea what my type my hair is. I just want to be able to have a cute hairstyle. I’m in the learning process, trying to find what works for my hair.
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