Type 3 vs. Type 4 Hair: I need this answered!

[cocoberry10]

Okay, so we all know Andre Walker's hair system to type our hair.
Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

Type 4

I think very few of us have type 1, some have type 2, and I think most fall between the type 3 to type 4 range!

Okay, so how do you really know your hair type? I know many of us have very different hair types on our heads (i.e. one section is 3b another is 4b), but how can you really tell? My friend told me that her hair doesn't "afro" She considers her hair type 3/curly, but I really think it's a type 2. However, it has "texture," so although it's very loosely waved (or more loosely, she might be a 2b), it has "Afro" or "kinky" texture, meaning it does not look like a White woman's wavy hair, although the pattern itself is the same. However, it's defintely not kinky. Her hair is actually very soft.

I'm just getting so confused by this, and I'm sure I'm not alone. For example if you have a loose pattern, but kinky texture, does that make you a 3 or 4 instead of a 2? I hope I'm not confusing anyone as much as I'm already confused!

 

[silvergirl]

Andres system isnt 100 % accurate, I truly belive theres a difference between the curl pattern (which should be in its own catagory) and the actual texture of the hair.

for instance i have 3b and 3c sized curls, but my texture has the same "courseness" of 3c in the front and 4a in the very back.


personally i think if theres going to be a completly new system the number should represent the size of the curl/coil and the a,b,c should represent the texture..

 

[Country gal]

Silvergirl- your hair looks great. my hair looks like yours too well the hair I had sewn in last night.

My natural hair is more of the 4a variety. The picture looks like my hair.

 

[Evazhair]

I think the category system is lacking, also. I saw I had wrongly "classified" my hair after seeing the chart that was posted I think it was from motowngirl. The category 3 describes the behavior of my natural hair and the difference in textures. Yes different textures can and do exist on one head. I think our individual actual texture can be a hybrid of the "established" categories as well.

 

[SweetCaramel1]

I think the category system is lacking, also. I saw I had wrongly "classified" my hair after seeing the chart that was posted I think it was from motowngirl. The category 3 describes the behavior of my natural hair and the difference in textures. Yes different textures can and do exist on one head. I think our individual actual texture can be a hybrid of the "established" categories as well.

ok. i'm sitting here with three different textures in my head. i know what they are because i stretch relaxers 4-6 months

 

[glamazon386]

I'm just getting so confused by this, and I'm sure I'm not alone. For example if you have a loose pattern, but kinky texture, does that make you a 3 or 4 instead of a 2? I hope I'm not confusing anyone as much as I'm already confused!

It just sounds like she has coarse hair. You can be a 1 2 3 or 4 and have coarse hair. Just like people may have fine hair. I'm a 4 but my hair is not coarse to the touch.

 

[Poohbear]

You have to keep in mind that Andre is a human being just like you and I, and he is the one that came up with this system. He isn't some hair god that knows the exact type of everyone's hair. Type 1, 2, 3, and 4 are just categories you can choose for your hair based on his descriptions. No one's hair is exactly the same. I usually say my hair is 4a/b but my natural unmanipulated hair texture looks NOTHING like those 4a and 4b pictures. I have found ladies with natural hair whose hair looks similar to mine but I know my hair is very different. When I first came across this system when I had relaxed hair, I immediately thought "my hair is type 1 because it's straight" and I couldn't understand why relaxed ladies were calling themselves type 3 or type 4 until later on after joining. So it's all a matter of judgement and your perception of hair. Just like when someone creates a thread asking "what's my hair type?" everyone that posts in that thread says something different. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about Andre's hair typing system. Just figure out the best way to take care of your hair and you should be fine.

 

[LayneJ]

It just sounds like she has coarse hair. You can be a 1 2 3 or 4 and have coarse hair. Just like people may have fine hair. I'm a 4 but my hair is not coarse to the touch.

ITA. I may be wrong, but I thought texture was the feel of the hair, not the look or the behavior.

So you can have bone straight hair (relaxed or naturally) and still have coarse strands.

And to answer your hair type question: I type my hair by the way it looks in its product-free, 100% dry state. The front of my hair straightens when wet, and according to Andre's system, that would make me a 3-something, but it looks like 4a, so I go by that.

 

[LunadeMiel]

This is the exact reason that I am unable to type my hair. I have at least three textures in there. The front is a hybrid of 4a and 3c (not quite 4a but a little tighter than 3c). From my ears and back it's more like loose waves (but not yt girl texture, not course either) Also some spots in the middle are definitely 3c. Then there are the those strand that grow straight for like and inch and then curl...I really don't know....

Okay, so we all know Andre Walker's hair system to type our hair.
Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

Type 4

I think very few of us have type 1, some have type 2, and I think most fall between the type 3 to type 4 range!

Okay, so how do you really know your hair type? I know many of us have very different hair types on our heads (i.e. one section is 3b another is 4b), but how can you really tell? My friend told me that her hair doesn't "afro" She considers her hair type 3/curly, but I really think it's a type 2. However, it has "texture," so although it's very loosely waved (or more loosely, she might be a 2b), it has "Afro" or "kinky" texture, meaning it does not look like a White woman's wavy hair, although the pattern itself is the same. However, it's defintely not kinky. Her hair is actually very soft.

I'm just getting so confused by this, and I'm sure I'm not alone. For example if you have a loose pattern, but kinky texture, does that make you a 3 or 4 instead of a 2? I hope I'm not confusing anyone as much as I'm already confused!

 

[cocoberry10]

Andres system isnt 100 % accurate, I truly belive theres a difference between the curl pattern (which should be in its own catagory) and the actual texture of the hair.

for instance i have 3b and 3c sized curls, but my texture has the same "courseness" of 3c in the front and 4a in the very back.


personally i think if theres going to be a completly new system the number should represent the size of the curl/coil and the a,b,c should represent the texture..

I totally agree with your post and I hope that the last paragraph comes true! This would clear up a lot of confusion. I have 2 friends that have the same coil pattern, but very different textures. One has a more silky texture, the other a more "Afro" texture, but their coils are practically identical!!

 

[cocoberry10]

I think the category system is lacking, also. I saw I had wrongly "classified" my hair after seeing the chart that was posted I think it was from motowngirl. The category 3 describes the behavior of my natural hair and the difference in textures. Yes different textures can and do exist on one head. I think our individual actual texture can be a hybrid of the "established" categories as well.

This makes a lot of sense!

 

[Kalani]

Just when I thought I had most of my hair type figured out! My natural texture doesn't really match any of the photos.

 

[glamazon386]

ITA. I may be wrong, but I thought texture was the feel of the hair, not the look or the behavior.

So you can have bone straight hair (relaxed or naturally) and still have coarse strands.

Some people use the word texture for different things. IMO, texture is how the hair feels. If you think about it, when the word texture is used in any other context it usually refers to how something feels. Like for instance, the texture of food would be how it feels, or what that items consistency is like. Then the tightness of the coil or curl is another part. I guess you would call that the behavior. I'm not sure what you meant by behavior. You also have to think about density too.

Yes, you can. By coarse, I meant coarse to the touch. My mother has 4b relaxed hair that's coarse. I've known white people that were 2's and 3's with coarse hair. Some people's hair doesn't always feel the way it looks either. A lot of people think natural type 4 hair is coarse but everybody's hair isn't when you touch it.

 

[cocoberry10]

It just sounds like she has coarse hair. You can be a 1 2 3 or 4 and have coarse hair. Just like people may have fine hair. I'm a 4 but my hair is not coarse to the touch.

This makes a lot of sense! I agree. I will have to do more research on coarse hair. I know that some people see coarse hair as hair that's a little rough to the touch, but I remember in Japan, there were people with "coarse-looking" hair, but if you touched it, it was silky soft. And I know there are a lot of Black people like that! Thanks!

 

[cocoberry10]

You have to keep in mind that Andre is a human being just like you and I, and he is the one that came up with this system. He isn't some hair god that knows the exact type of everyone's hair. Type 1, 2, 3, and 4 are just categories you can choose for your hair based on his descriptions. No one's hair is exactly the same. I usually say my hair is 4a/b but my natural unmanipulated hair texture looks NOTHING like those 4a and 4b pictures. I have found ladies with natural hair whose hair looks similar to mine but I know my hair is very different. When I first came across this system when I had relaxed hair, I immediately thought "my hair is type 1 because it's straight" and I couldn't understand why relaxed ladies were calling themselves type 3 or type 4 until later on after joining. So it's all a matter of judgement and your perception of hair. Just like when someone creates a thread asking "what's my hair type?" everyone that posts in that thread says something different. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about Andre's hair typing system. Just figure out the best way to take care of your hair and you should be fine.

You are right, Ms. Poohbear! Thanks!

 

[aja1121]

Coarseness refers to the density of the strand. All hair types can be coarse. I know people who have a head full of hair, but fine strands. I have a mixture of medium, coarse and fine strands depending on where the damage is. Think about sewing thread. I know people who have strands of hair in their head that thick. I would consider that coarse.

 

[cocoberry10]

Just when I thought I had most of my hair type figured out! My natural texture doesn't really match any of the photos.

Here are some more photos! Since most of our members have 3 or 4 hair, I'll put most of the photos in those categories. I assume we all know what straight hair looks like so I'll bypass putting photos of those!

Type 2--Wavy

(She may border on Type 3, but I think her hair was pretty tightly waved)

Type 3--Curly Hair

Type 4

 

[glamazon386]

Coarseness refers to the density of the strand. All hair types can be coarse. I know people who have a head full of hair, but fine strands. I have a mixture of medium, coarse and fine strands depending on where the damage is. Think about sewing thread. I know people who have strands of hair in their head that thick. I would consider that coarse.

Exactly. That's how the women in my mom's family's hair is. And most of them are in the 2's and 3's. My strands are really fine. And I don't have a lot of strands either. But I'm beginning to notice that since being natural more strands are filling in in some places. It's like a bunch of new little hairs sprouting up.

 

[Poohbear]

Cocoberry, the majority of those pictures you posted are of styled hair. They do not show how their hair looks without any manipulation or styling, so you can't really tell their true hair texture.

 

[poetist]

At first I didnt really understand the purpose of hair typing. I thought, "my hair is nappy, yours is curly, his is wavy and theirs is straight...how hard can it be to figure this stuff out?" I now realize that people attempt to "type" their hair so that they can find others with similar hair types and create a regimen or learn to care for their hair based on what others with similar hair structures do. Thats cool. Andre made a generic system that obviously doesnt include every possible hair combination. We know that there are as many hair types as there are complexions. So expecting that we will all fit perfectly into hairtypes 1-4 is like thinking our complexions will fit perfectly into a fair, light, medium, or dark category. I can call my hair 5z or 3.5ab if thats what I think best reflects my hair type. I can call my complexion medium chartreuse honeycoated amber if thats what I think best reflects my complexion. Sometimes I just wonder why we make things more confusing than they need be.

 

[silvergirl]

i def see my hair in those type 3 pics, however as you can see, there are many type threes, and what products will work on type 3 silky, wont always work for type 3 frizzy hair......

so theres need for those texure subclasses.

 

[ladylibra]

Andre's system sucks. it's too subjective. 3c didn't even exist when he created it... that was made up by the ladies at www.naturallycurly.com.

the majority of my hair is some texture between 3c and 4a... which DEFINITELY oesn't exist on the chart. and my SO/son's father's hair is naturally BONE STRAIGHT... but when grown longer it takes a slight wave pattern and it still fros. so is he a type 1/type 2a? erplexed

i prefer the LOIS system. but even that's not perfect... no system ever is.

 

[Reinventing21]

I am so glad you posted this! It is this very confusion about coil size and hair type, that I began looking at molecular/chemical content of the different hair strands. Before I explain let me say that in the end, I feel that many times that other characteristics of the hair such as density, coarseness/fineness, porosity, etc. can become more important for determining how to care for one's hair than the hair's type. That said, I also believe that there are so many blood, racial mixtures out here that really there are probably 100's of hair types. Really.

Now let me explain my other point about coil size/hair type and the molecular structure of the hair. Although, I liked that Andre initially tried to come up with a typing system, I always thought it was oversimplified. For example, look at the white guy with super curly, frizzy hair that was posted as type 4 hair in someone's post. To me, although the coil sizes and shapes might match some type 4, I would not call his hair kinky, but rather super curly frizzy. If it were flat ironed it would probably look like 2a, but if you flat ironed the coily kinky hair of one the women pictured, it would look like type 4 hair that has been flatironed rather than like true 2a hair. That's why I believe that kinky hair is not only different in terms of coil, but also molecularly different. Regardless of the curliness we often can see the difference (maybe natural shine, super flattened cuticles..) between type 3 and type 4, but there are many who ride the line between the both. What do you think?

 

[silvergirl]

i dont doubt that there may be 100 of hair types, with all those mixtures in the world..

its like i got my curl pattern from my mom, but the texture from my dad, a strange hybrid.....

i try not to get all caught up in the hair type thing though, all i know is that im type 3 whatever and i know what works on my hair,, and really..... that should be what matters most.

 

[Kurlee]

I refer to that system for CURL SIZE only, whether the hair is fine or coarse. So even if your hair is silky, if you have straw type curls, im a consider u 4a, if you have kelisish hair, fine or coarse I consider u a 3 and if u have ananda lewis hair then ur a 2. I get confused sometimes, cuz i see people with really loose curls and they call themselves a 4; so i'm kinda thinking if ur a 4, then theres a gotta be a 5, 6, 7, 8. But its real subjective, i jus use it when trying new products, i'll try it if someone with similar hair has good results

 

[cocoberry10]

i def see my hair in those type 3 pics, however as you can see, there are many type threes, and what products will work on type 3 silky, wont always work for type 3 frizzy hair......

so theres need for those texure subclasses.

ITA with you!

ETA: You will be at your hair goal in no time!

 

[missty1029]

At first I didnt really understand the purpose of hair typing. I thought, "my hair is nappy, yours is curly, his is wavy and theirs is straight...how hard can it be to figure this stuff out?" I now realize that people attempt to "type" their hair so that they can find others with similar hair types and create a regimen or learn to care for their hair based on what others with similar hair structures do. Thats cool. Andre made a generic system that obviously doesnt include every possible hair combination. We know that there are as many hair types as there are complexions. So expecting that we will all fit perfectly into hairtypes 1-4 is like thinking our complexions will fit perfectly into a fair, light, medium, or dark category. I can call my hair 5z or 3.5ab if thats what I think best reflects my hair type. I can call my complexion medium chartreuse honeycoated amber if thats what I think best reflects my complexion. Sometimes I just wonder why we make things more confusing than they need be.

i agree 1000 percent. My hair has changed over the years and who knows why. My hair may change years from now after kids or the stress of life. who knows. I just want my hair to be healthy and long!!!!!

 

[cocoberry10]

i agree 1000 percent. My hair has changed over the years and who knows why. My hair may change years from now after kids or the stress of life. who knows. I just want my hair to be healthy and long!!!!!

Has it gotten more coarse or less? Thanks!

 

[Bint Yusef]

In my own system even if you have defined curls but they are coarse you are a type 4. I consisder 3s people who start to have that silky type texture.

 

[aloof one]

It just sounds like she has coarse hair. You can be a 1 2 3 or 4 and have coarse hair. Just like people may have fine hair. I'm a 4 but my hair is not coarse to the touch.

lol I just saw your halloween pic---- girl you are fierce!