Hair Type and Porosity

Hair is something like fingerprints. Like fingerprints, no one's hair is the exact same. Of course, it can be close to others, but that’s about it. With this in mind, NEVER COMPARE YOUR HAIR TO OTHERS. Doing so can lead to a couple different things. One being a disappointment. The next being damage because your hair isn’t getting it’s needed care. If your hair acts one way, with you taking hair tips from someone with a different hair type could hurt your hair. Also, like most other things hair can fall into different types of categories. There are a few different types of hair. Certain groups focus on how curly your hair may be, while others focus on how well your hair takes in moisture. Let’s talk about the different hair types first. In total there are ten type types. Trying to see exactly where your hair fits in may be one of the hardest things to determine during your journey. The hair types range from one to four. All you need to know about type one and two are that one is completely straight while two has a few crinkles. Why not jump right into what is more so recognized within the "Natural hair community", shall we? First up is type three; 3A, 3B, 3C. Beginning with 3A, very wand like curls. Next is 3B, the curls get a little tighter together, but not too much. Last is 3C, I’m not going to lie this is where the dreams start. 3C is the cross between tight curls and kinks. Most people believe that this particular hair type is the best and would prefer to have it, I was actually one of them. When I decided to go natural all wanted was 3C hair at the very least, even though I knew good and well my hair could never. The last type of hair is type four, where the coils come into play. This group ended up being my favorite faster than expected, despite its hard work it can be pretty fun. First is 4A, where your coils are pretty tight, but not a tight as possible. Next is 4B, now you still have definition, although it may not be as nice as you might want it to be without all the product. Last but not least, 4C this is when people have the most problems. 4C is the hardest to get to define and harder to manage, but it’s still loved just as much. Even though I have listed of different hair types, it does not stop there. Some, well most, people don’t have only one of the listed types, instead, they have mixtures. I know for myself, I have type four hair, but there’s a different texture everywhere. While the back is looser, the sides and front prefer to be a little tighter. To make everything easier to comprehend, my hair is confused. Similar to others, I stopped trying to determine which category I fell under.

Now that we have touched on type hair through texture, let's go on to the more important part; porosity. All this means is how well does your hair absorbs and retains moisture. There are three different groups you can fit in, either you have high porosity, low, or medium. If you have type four hair, taking in moisture tends to be a little harder than if you had that a looser curl pattern. Knowing your porosity isn't exactly a walk in the park, you can't determine by looking at your hair (unless you’re a hair goddess). Although it can be pretty easy to figure out throughout your journey. All you need to do is get a strand of freshly waxed hair, no product, and place it in a cup of room temperature water. From there you wait to see if the strand floats or sinks. In the event it floats, your hair is most likely low porosity. This means that your hair doesn’t absorb moisture very well. This could be a result of your hair cuticles being so small. Having tight cuticles tends to lead to being more prone to product build up. When caring for low porosity hair, make sure you are styling your hair while it is damp. Also, try not to use too many butters and/or oils. If your hair sinks, your hair is high porosity. This means that your hair takes in moisture fast, but also losses it fast. Unlike low porosity, this is a result of larger hair cuticles. Also, unlike caring for lower porosity hair, you want to aim for using butters and oils to help lock in your moisture. Then, if your hair sinks down a little yet floats under the water, your porosity is medium. Medium porosity may seem nice since there isn't any particular way to care for it. Just don't get too help, chemical damage can mess that up fast.

After reading this, I hope you were able to gain a better understanding of what hair is besides beautiful. Whether you have been natural for some time or you aren't even in the community, things can be hard to navigate. If this in the case, feel free to request an article for anything you still may be curious about.