“What’s my hair type?”

For those that aren’t black, this question of hair type may not seem that remarkable. But my guess is, if you are a person of color, you know how charged this question can be.

Some people ask about hair type because they think the answer will help them choose the right products (wrong!). Or, hair type can be a question that some ask, just to hear what others think. The answer received can serve as a bookmark inserted into the hair type range, for better or worse. The closer to straight (Type 1), the better. But why is that perceived as better?

Living in a Eurocentric society

This is the outflow of a society that historically has adopted a Eurocentric hair beauty standard through imagery, marketing, media, and entertainment. The underbelly of this has led to hair discrimination in schools, the workplace, social settings, and even our own families.

If society has taught us that straight hair is ideal, then the closer to that standard, the “more good” the hair. What is troubling, is that some equate their “hair type” with how they feel about themselves—a rating per se, like a credit score, for better or worse. The rub is, you can improve a credit score. The hair type you were born with is the genetic luck of the draw. And this is what makes the judgement of hair typing so insidious.

Dry hair and hair type

There is a vicious cycle of sorts for coily hair types. Tight coils are prone to dryness, matting, and shrinkage, especially if the moisture balance is off. A person with hair in this state may think that their hair is super coarse and unruly. Desperation can lead to:

• Applying layers of products to “fix it”
• Overusing heat to tame it
• Using extensions or wigs to hide it

All of these approach can make hair drier, hence the cycle continues.

When coily hair is overly dry, it is not in its best state to be judged. Hair typing dry and brittle hair is not helpful or accurate.  It’s like if you wake up out of bed, turn on the light and immediately get on a Zoom call for work—you will look disheveled, out of balance, and unprepared, and would be unfairly judged by your colleagues. Same with dry, coily tresses.

The truth is, a head of dry, brittle coils can cause such a state of shame and provide validation that our hair doesn’t measure up, even to ourselves. But what if you knew what to do to give it a chance, to be well maintained to the point where it can flourish? And what if you had the confidence to know when it’s healthy, and when it needs something and how to respond? Once you get to that place, you will be asking less often about your hair type because you will grow to understand and accept your hair for what it is.

Hair problem clues

Hair always gives clues when it needs moisture, and unless she gets her way, she will do things that you don’t like. I’m talking breakage, severe shrinkage, matting, tangles, inability to hold styles, to name a few. But once you understand the lack of moisture clues and what action to take when they arise, most of your natural hair problems will go buh-bye. And you may just start to love your texture, whatever it is.

If you are declaring your hair type in its dry and shrunken state, you will probably believe your hair is kinkier and coarser than it really is, and considering products that may be too heavy for your strands. The truth is, product performance becomes moot if applied to dry hair. Products are only effective on hair that has a healthy moisture balance beforehand. So if you’re dead set in determining your hair type, the key is to get moisture into your hair before the jury deliberates.

So the next time you are questioning your hair type, be honest and ask yourself why that’s important. Is it to nail down products? Your hair will tell you everything you need to know about how a product is working and it has little to do with ‘hair type’. If you are a beginner to natural hair, concentrate first on establishing a regime for health and moisture, before you do a deep dive in the haircare product aisle.

Hair type vs. hair structure

All hair types are made of the same things whether straight, coily, or anything in-between. All hair types have a cuticle (keratin outer layer), cortex (the middle layer for water uptake), and a medulla (honeycomb-like inner layer). What makes hair curly is merely the cross-section shape of the hair strand and the internal bonds holding that shape. The more elliptical or flatter the cross-section, the more it coils. Most people have more than one hair type on their head. For this reason, selecting a product based on hair type doesn’t make sense. Regardless of hair type, all hair needs moisture which only comes from water.

Water is the holy grail product

Rather than thinking about what products will get moisture into your coils, think about pure WATER first and foremost. For example, shampooing will cleanse and drench your hair with water. Conditioner will seal it in. How will you maintain the water level in your hair? How often will you replenish the water? This really comes down to how often you are shampooing and conditioning your hair. Also important is what products you use in-between washes. Once you nail these two things, over a period of time, your hair will maintain moisture for longer stretches and will do things you may not have expected:

• strands clump together
• better coil definition
• better elasticity
• less breakage
• products perform better

You can download a free moisture maintenance tip guide for coily hair types here:

Want to learn how to establish your own DIY regimen? Hair type is not the first consideration. Consider a consultation or coaching with me one-on-one, to learn how to read your hairs cues for what it needs.