I have had long hair for most of my life. When I was growing up, I was rarely afforded the opportunity to wear ponytails. My mom would braid my hair for the week, and only allowed cute ponytails on school picture day. When I was in junior high, I begged my mom for a relaxer. My mom has never relaxed her hair. Once I became an adult, I would have my hair cut short in the summer and then allow it to grow long for the rest of the year. I wore relaxers for years, and in 2008 I decided to return to my natural texture.
In my quest to learn how to care for my natural texture, I viewed popular YouTube vloggers, read books about natural hair care and joined various natural hair care websites. Along the way I made some mistakes in listening to what “others” said about caring for my hair. I remember one YouTuber saying split ends were a thing of the past, and I did not have to have trims. I listened to that foolery for about nine months! When I went into the salon because my hair wasn’t acting right, my stylist told me I had major split end issues. I had to have a haircut! This YouTuber didn’t mention the impact having colored treated hair played into needing regular trims. This natural hair defining moment forced me to find out what I needed to know about my hair. I encourage you to do the same. There are three major types of information you will need to learn about your hair. I learned these things about my hair courtesy of Live Curly Live Free, which is the company that created the information presented below:
First, your hair texture. Hair texture is determined by the diameter of your hair strand. Hair texture is classified in three categories: fine, medium and coarse. Some individuals have all three categories on their head. Your hair texture is important because hair texture determines how you should care for your hair, the cut of your hair and the type of services you should have on your hair, such as coloring or texturizing.
Second, the porosity of your hair. Hair porosity determines the hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. Hair porosity is defined by three categories: high, low or normal. This factor is key in knowing how to retain hair moisture.
Finally, the elasticity of your hair. Elasticity is the ability for the hair to stretch and then return to its original length without breaking. Elasticity dictates the ability of hair to hold its curl, whether natural or created by other methods.
I’m going to do you a favor and not provide all of the information for you, but encourage you to conduct your own research and find the answers to your hair’s texture, porosity and elasticity. Once you know these things, you will know how to choose the right products for your hair.
Happy Researching!
naturalprofessor 