What is the difference between 3c and 4a hair?

[Janet']

I havent read the thread but for my hair it just all comes down to the size of my curls. Texture wise Its cottony, not at all silky, and fluffy. But curl wise they are a little bit larger in diameter compaired to the 4a hair Ive seen.

ITA with you...I don't know what texture I am but your description of how your hair is reminds me of how my hair is...

 

[Janet']

I think for the case of my ramen noodles... I will go with the LOIS system.

In which case I am LS/ medium-fine/ mostly cottony, some silky

Really, I am very curious, does anyone else here look like ramen without manipulation?

My hair looks like "ramen" to me...

 

[ChristmasCarol]

http://public.fotki.com/Sipp10/texture-shot/ramen-hair.html

Couldn't find a good pic, so here's a shot of DD#3's hair. This is not stretched, just being held up. It never spirals (even with product), just kinky waves. Her waves are much smaller than mine, but otherwise, it's the same - frizzy, kinky and wavy.

 

[Sharpened]

Thanks Nymphe...this sounds like a great hair typing system...I've seen it before but since I am more of a visual person when it comes to things like this I would love it if they provided pictures as examples ... honestly I am a little confused as to how I would categorize my hair w/ this system LOL!!

Based on this, would a 4B according to the old system be considered an OS/Fine/Spongy with this system? That's a strong guess

Here is an article with pictures.

I knew I was a 4B immediately based on the pics and the description in the 1-4abc typing system but I know it's not that easy for everyone...I think this LOIS system is much more detailed about the aspects of the hair that might really matter (especially the texture part)... I dunno....I think the things that are missing from LOIS is: determining the size/diameter of the curl/coil/wave, the density level of hairs on the head & photo representation!!-a combination of all these aspects with the things above would probably make perfect hair typing system

Over at the LHL (white long-hair forum), a poster, Fia, came up with categories expanding on Andre's system:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]First classifier - Your curliness (or lack thereof)
The straight ones
1a - stick straight
1b - straight but with a slight body wave, just enough to add some volume, doesn't look wavy
1c - straight with body wave and one or two visible S-waves (e.g. nape of neck or temples)

The wavy ones
2a - loose, stretched out S-waves throughout the hair
2b - shorter, more distinct S-waves (similar to waves from braiding damp hair)
2c - distinct S-waves and the odd spiral curl forming here and there


The curly ones
3a - big, loose spiral curls
3b - bouncy ringlets
3c - tight corkscrews

The really curly ones
4a - tightly coiled S-curls
4b - tightly coiled hair bending in sharp angles (Z-pattern)

Second classifier - What (most of) your individual strands look like

F - Fine
Thin strands that sometimes are almost translucent when held up to the light. Shed strands can be hard to see even against a contrasting background. Similar to hair found on many people of Scandinavian descent.

N - Normal
Strands are neither fine nor coarse. Similar to hair found on many Caucasians.

C - Coarse
Thick strands that where shed strands usually are easily identified against most backgrounds. Similar to hair found on many people of Asian or native American descent.

Third classifier - Your overall volume of hair
Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don't bother with the way it looks - the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there.

Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can't get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.

i - thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)
ii - normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)
iii - thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)

If you are having difficulty determining the thickness of individual hairs, this might help:

Take a strand of hair from the back of your head. Roll the strand between your thumb and index finger.

Fine Hair -- Your hair is difficult to feel or it feels like an ultra-fine strand of silk

Coarse Hair -- Your hair feels hard and wiry. As you roll it back and forth, you may actually hear it!

Medium Hair -- Your hair feels like a cotton thread. You can feel it, but it isn't stiff or rough. It is neither fine or coarse [/FONT]

 

[kblc06]

This is a long post and I haven't read through the entire thread. But this has been mentioned on other occasions so I'll post my previous responses:

I think Andre's misconception lies within the fact that according to his system, curl size correlates very closely with actual texture, i.e. 1a-3a=silky hair. This is hardly the case. There are many Polynesians who have 1a-2a hair with very little wave or curl that is highly textured, almost to the point where it resembles afro hair. Likewise, I have seen individuals like my mother and other members who have silky 4a hair that is very easily manipulated to the point that it can even resemble type 2c/3ab hair

Actually, this tends not to be the case, hence the reason why so many 4a/b hair types suffer from breakage. I have seen very few 4a/bs with coarse, thick stranded hair. Most of the time, they are fine or medium but with densely packed strands (which implies that they have more hair follicles). Likewise, there are type 3s like Lynnieb and EmpressRi who have very thick individuals strands of hair with high density, making their hair appear even thicker than average. This breakdown may help to explain things a bit:

1.) Hair Texture: Silky, thready, cottony. This actually measures how the hair feels to the touch and can give you more information about how the hair behaves and the potential porosity of the hair. Silky strands of hair typically feel very smooth along the hair strand with lower porosity. Thready and cottony are a little harder to distinguish. Typically, thready hair may have a slightly larger diameter and feels uneven but still smooth along the hair strand. Sometimes, it even has a halo-y appearance, much like a strand of thread. This type of hair generally has a lower porosity and can "feel" coarse even though the strands may be fine. Cottony hair usually feels soft to touch and feels uneven along the hair shaft due to kinks along the hair strand- this hair texture is generally associated with type 4 hair, but this is not always the case. Some type 3s can have cottony hair and some type 4s can have silky or thready hair.

2.) Strand size: Fine, Medium, or Coarse. Fine hair generally has very small diameters. Coarse strands are generally very thick, almost like thread, and very durable. Medium hair strands are in between these two

3.) Curl Diameter: Type 1, 2,3 or 4. The only thing hair typing measures is curl size, NOT hair texture. It is based on the assumptions that people with a certain curl size have a certain type of texture, i.e. type 1 hair is silky. This simply not true- you can have any curl size and have hair that varies along any texture dimension or strand size dimension.

4.) Density: The amount of hair follicles/strands per square inch. Hair that appears very thick may mislead one to think that it's coarse. This is not true. Many people have fine or medium strands but with a high density, making their hair appear thicker than if they have a lower density.

It is important to note that these factors can influence how hair is appears and behaves. Someone with fine, silky 4a medium density hair can appear and behave like someone with a much looser texture and curl size. My mother is an example of this. TaraDyan (a member here) is also an example of how smaller curls can appear much looser due to the texture and strand size. My hair on the other hand is mostly fine-medium, thready type 3b/c highly dense and can appear to be a tighter 3c/4a due to the texture and density. Some of my curls are as loose as 2c/3a but appear very frizzy and highly textured, even though they are barely waves. It's an interesting paradox because may products that work for type 4a hair can weigh my hair down and make it look stringy. But products for silkier type 3s can leave my hair thirsty and dry.

 

[manter26]

There's no such thing as 4C. What people call CNapp hair or 4C is really just manipulated 4B hair so that it appears to have no pattern.

This is an interesting thought... So all 3 and 4 type hair has some sort of curl or coil to it.

My bang area has always seemed to be straight. Not bone straight or slick but a kinky or course straight. It doesn't curl like rest of my 4A hair. It doesn't hold a twist and braids unravel quite easily.

After seeing this quote, I've given thought to the possibility that it's just stretched from pinning in back and putting it up so often... hmm erplexed
Maybe i'll leave it alone or pin it loosely and see if it truly grows out of my head straight.

 

[tberry2688]

What hair type am I?

still wet

Dry

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

/\ DEFINITELY 3c

 

[SimplyBlessed]

I think I'm a 3c....

 

[Ese88]

^^^ your hair is gorgeous!!
And i havent really been readnig this thread but looking at the wonderful pics of natural hair

 

[MzK]

I think I'm a wiry/cottony 4a/b......? What do you guys think??

Thing is, when it dries, it has curls...but looks frizzy..........:S

 

[MzK]

What hair type am I?

still wet

Dry

Pretty hair!!!!

 

[tberry2688]

Thanks very much MzK, yours is very pretty

 

[UrbainChic]

Yes, I have "ramen" hair, too.

Wavy-afro hair is what I was referring to in an earlier post. This is what my hair looks like and why I couldn't figure out if it was type 3-something or 4a/4b. It doesn't have the characteristics of 4b, like massive shrinkage. But it also doesn't curl into the larger curls that are characteristic of 4a or 3c. It is always very easy to comb out, but it doesn't lay down and look silky like what is normally shown as 3a/b hair. It's fairly flat when it's wet and then it grows and grows into a semi-fro. You can almost see it rising as it dries. After it's dry, it looks like a giant wedge, lol.

BMP, would you say this is kinky 3 or wavy 4?

I'll try to find a pic to post. TIA

Wavy afro is what i am going to call it forever now.

 

[LadyRaider]

I'm still struggling to get a good texture shot with my relaxed ends and ancient cameras.

Can the experts type my curls from this pic?

Forgive the room behind me and the Murloc. heh heh. I haven't decorated my computer room yet and I love the murloc. I was afraid cropping the picture would distort my hair.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

/\ LadyRaider I 'm thru with your crazy angles and almost complete absence of light! J/K!

lol its all love hun but on the real, you need to take a pic in the bright sunlight and put it on a timer or let someone else take the pic for you!

This is like the third time I haven't been able to decipher your curl pattern because of your "unique pictures"

P.S. MzK and SimplyBlessed I think you typed yourself flawlessly

**From here on in people should try to type themselves and if they're right me and nonie(if its ok with her) will thank the post and if you're off we'll make a post**

 

[LadyRaider]

See how much I suck? LOL. Thanks for giving it a go, anyway, BMP.

 

[Dee_33]

Here are my pics, hope they're clear enough, I think I'm 4a. My hair is dry here with EVCO in it.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

/\ Wow. Those are super blurry hun....whats going on today?

 

[Dee_33]

^^^LOL, it's from trying to take our own pics. Our families are prob tired of us asking about hair pics.

 

[Marie_Star]

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon
Anyone like to help diagnose my random textures!

I think I'm 4a at the front, 4b at the back plus those random strands which do their own thing in the back...

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

/\ You appear to be 3c on the crown 4a on the bottom.

ETA: Are you a regular heat user?

 

[Marie_Star]

/\ You appear to be 3c on the crown 4a on the bottom.

ETA: Are you a regular heat user?

Thanks, used to be a heat user. Do I look heat damaged

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

Okay so you really might be 4a/b then. Yea you have areas that have loosened but its not the end of the world....just treat your hair well and you'll be good

ETA: if that loosely wavy part thats hanging outta the roller is the way it grew outta ur head then you're a 3c/4a combo.....if not thats just heat alteration.

 

[morehairplease]

I hate to hijack, but can someone help me too?

I'm pretty sure I'm 4a. I think. Lol. At least, according to the pics in the first post, that's what it looks like. I know I have 3something in the nape. The texture is looser back there for some reason. Anyway, here are some pictures. Sorry for the blurry ones.

My hair looks exactly like this in it's natural state.

 

[tetbelle]

What hair type am I?

still wet

Dry

You are definitely a hair twin of mine. That is 3c/4a hair.

 

[MzK]

/\ LadyRaider I 'm thru with your crazy angles and almost complete absence of light! J/K!

lol its all love hun but on the real, you need to take a pic in the bright sunlight and put it on a timer or let someone else take the pic for you!

This is like the third time I haven't been able to decipher your curl pattern because of your "unique pictures"

P.S. MzK and SimplyBlessed I think you typed yourself flawlessly

**From here on in people should try to type themselves and if they're right me and nonie(if its ok with her) will thank the post and if you're off we'll make a post**

WOOOOOOOT!

Finally, I got it.

 

[Janet']

Alright BMP (or anyone else),

I'm really scared to type my hair... The pic in my siggy is a wash and go...The first thumbnail is my hair totally dry, at the end of the night, having gone to an amusement park (frizzy). The second is a typical wash and go from the front.

If I had to say something---ummm, 3c/4a????

 

[Janet']

...subscribing...

 

[Janet']