Most women look at hair and think "straight, wavy, and curly." But there is so much more to your hair type--your hair type (and hair thickness) can change the ways you style your hair, how often you wash it, whether you needs lots of shampoo or have to avoid it almost completely. Of course, all hair types are so beautiful, especially when styled certain ways, but before I can suggest types of styles I think will look best for your hair type, It would be best if you knew what type you had! :P
There are definitely many kinds of hair types--Straight, wavy, curly, and kinky. However, there is more to it than just that. The kind of hair you have affects how you care for it, style it, and what you do with it.
For instance, you can certainly do cornrows on type 1b hair, and they will look pretty darn awesome, but the braids won't stay put at all unless you put an elastic tightly on the ends. However, with, say, 4b hair, you can do many cornrows and wait until you've braided the entire head of hair to tie them up--or leave them if they will be taken out in a few hours. (I'm no expert on kinky-curly hair, but I would suggest you use small elastics anyhow to keep the cornrows or braids tight.) Hair type also affects the kinds of hair supplies you use in your hair. For example, I have some friends with such thick, slick black hair that even a regular hairtie sometimes fails at its job, and they have to buy special ones with lines of a rubbery material that helps keep the hairtie in place. (Similar to the headbands with what looks like hot glue gun lines on the inside to help keep them from slipping.) I also have other friends whose hair would be a bit of a bother to deal with if they used typical hairties, and instead use claw clips or specialized hairties. (I have a friend who has maybe type 2c or 3a hair, and she uses a clear plastic stretchy hairtie that looks like coily telephone cord, but is a circle.)
Also, your hair type can affect how often you have to shampoo or condition your hair. Straight hair carries the natural oils of your hair quickly, so your hair will get oily quicker. I have a friend whose hair is so slick and straight that her hair is oily by the end of the day. Of course, the oils your body produces are supposed to be good for your hair--but usually (especially with long hair) it doesn't make it all the way to the ends of the hair, where the hair is most dry. (One way to solve this problem is to use a boar bristle brush. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but I think the bristles help move the oils down your hair shaft toward the areas which usually aren't reached.)
In contrast, the curlier your hair is, the harder it is for the oils to travel down the strand, and the more dry he hair can be. For kinky hair, the oils barely move at all, and the majority of the hair has to be moisturized in other ways. My mom's friend has very curly hair--and it's beautiful!--but she says she rarely shampoos (dries her hair out) and uses conditioner a lot (to add moisture).
(I found this page and thought it might be helpful in determining other things about your hair.)
But enough about moisturizing and shampoo routines--let's get to the styles, shall we? :)
Also, your hair type can affect how often you have to shampoo or condition your hair. Straight hair carries the natural oils of your hair quickly, so your hair will get oily quicker. I have a friend whose hair is so slick and straight that her hair is oily by the end of the day. Of course, the oils your body produces are supposed to be good for your hair--but usually (especially with long hair) it doesn't make it all the way to the ends of the hair, where the hair is most dry. (One way to solve this problem is to use a boar bristle brush. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but I think the bristles help move the oils down your hair shaft toward the areas which usually aren't reached.)
In contrast, the curlier your hair is, the harder it is for the oils to travel down the strand, and the more dry he hair can be. For kinky hair, the oils barely move at all, and the majority of the hair has to be moisturized in other ways. My mom's friend has very curly hair--and it's beautiful!--but she says she rarely shampoos (dries her hair out) and uses conditioner a lot (to add moisture).
(I found this page and thought it might be helpful in determining other things about your hair.)
But enough about moisturizing and shampoo routines--let's get to the styles, shall we? :)
Type 1: Straight hair
For many girls, type 1 hair looks like it would be a breeze to deal with. And sometimes it is (except when your hair is greasy and ugly). Okay, I'm not gonna lie--It is pretty easy. but what styles compliment naturally straight hair? Usually, throwing straight hair up in a bun doesn't take advantage of the straightness, just forms a pile of limp hair. Instead, I suggest doing pullbacks, waterfall braids, or side braids. You can pull off pretty much anything with straight hair, though. A good website (that I absolutely LOVE) is this blog done my a mom with 5 daughters and lots of braiding skill! (I also recommend that, if your hair is really fine and thin, that you do dutch braids instead of french braids and pancake, or pull out/tug on the edges of the braid's stitches, to create the illusion of thicker hair.)
For many girls, type 1 hair looks like it would be a breeze to deal with. And sometimes it is (except when your hair is greasy and ugly). Okay, I'm not gonna lie--It is pretty easy. but what styles compliment naturally straight hair? Usually, throwing straight hair up in a bun doesn't take advantage of the straightness, just forms a pile of limp hair. Instead, I suggest doing pullbacks, waterfall braids, or side braids. You can pull off pretty much anything with straight hair, though. A good website (that I absolutely LOVE) is this blog done my a mom with 5 daughters and lots of braiding skill! (I also recommend that, if your hair is really fine and thin, that you do dutch braids instead of french braids and pancake, or pull out/tug on the edges of the braid's stitches, to create the illusion of thicker hair.)
Type 2: Wavy Hair
Type 2 hair is pretty cool--waves can be very versatile and can be styled to appear more straight or more curly. I can only think of two friends who have type 2 hair, and they both don't really style their hair much. But, depending on the waviness, your hair will either relate more to type 1 or type 3 hair. Wavy hair is very pretty if you care for it properly, and looks good in braids, pullbacks, or buns. I especially like the look of wavy hair pulled back loosely into a high ponytail and coiled into a bun or left as a ponytail. :) I found this page that has hairstyles for natural curls, but many will probably apply to wavy hair too :P (in this picture, the hair isn't that wavy, but this style would still look great on wavier hair :)
Type 2 hair is pretty cool--waves can be very versatile and can be styled to appear more straight or more curly. I can only think of two friends who have type 2 hair, and they both don't really style their hair much. But, depending on the waviness, your hair will either relate more to type 1 or type 3 hair. Wavy hair is very pretty if you care for it properly, and looks good in braids, pullbacks, or buns. I especially like the look of wavy hair pulled back loosely into a high ponytail and coiled into a bun or left as a ponytail. :) I found this page that has hairstyles for natural curls, but many will probably apply to wavy hair too :P (in this picture, the hair isn't that wavy, but this style would still look great on wavier hair :)
Type 3: curly hair
Type 3 hair often frustrates the women who have it; many women do not know how to care for curls properly. I am no expert either, but try looking up "curly girl" hair care and there should be tons of info, like on this page I found. Aside from that, curls are SO beautiful--I mean, the Greeks and Romans always sculpted women with curly locks, and curly hair was the beauty standard. I find that some updos really stand out on curly hair, like the french twist, waterfall twist, and messy bun--especially when little pieces are left out to frame the face :) some other things that look good on curly hair are french braids, waterfalls, buns, and pin-up updos. (I also recommend that, due to the natural volume and thickness of curly hair, that you do french braids instead of dutch braids, for dutch braids can add the illusion of more hair.) Here is a website with four basic hairstyles for curly hair.
Type 3 hair often frustrates the women who have it; many women do not know how to care for curls properly. I am no expert either, but try looking up "curly girl" hair care and there should be tons of info, like on this page I found. Aside from that, curls are SO beautiful--I mean, the Greeks and Romans always sculpted women with curly locks, and curly hair was the beauty standard. I find that some updos really stand out on curly hair, like the french twist, waterfall twist, and messy bun--especially when little pieces are left out to frame the face :) some other things that look good on curly hair are french braids, waterfalls, buns, and pin-up updos. (I also recommend that, due to the natural volume and thickness of curly hair, that you do french braids instead of dutch braids, for dutch braids can add the illusion of more hair.) Here is a website with four basic hairstyles for curly hair.
Type 4 hair is completely different in most aspects. It needs the most protection from damage and breakage, but can definitely hold up one (though it would probably take a while) fancy hairstyle from a week to a month's time. This hair type needs plenty of moisture and care, but will look so dazzling when cared for and done up into a cute style. The best ways to protect this hair type are to do multiple small braids or twists, or cornrows if wanted. this way, the hair shafts are more secure and held together. Honestly, this website is amazing--she has plenty of styles, tutorials, basics, hair care routines, and much more. I really strongly recommend it, because, frankly, I am no expert on any hair type other than my own. She even has a post about the Andre Walker hair type system (the picture above of each kind from 1a to 4c).
I hope this helped! Thank you for reading! :)
~Angie
~Angie
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