Curl Patterns! Are They Important?

In the natural community curl patterns are a hot topic & a bit controversial to say the least! Let’s dive into what they are, how they’re determined, and if they’re even important at all!

What is a hair type?

•Hair Types are defined on a number scale of 1-4 ranging from straight (1), wavy (2), curly (3), to kinky/coily (4)

•Each number is further broken down into categories 1a,1b,1c and so forth & so on! These categories give further details on the hair like the shape, density etc.

How are hair types determined?

•Hair strands are made up of a network of disulfide bonds!

•Whether you have straight or coily hair you have these bonds, but spatial arrangement determines the pattern of your hair.

•So straighter hair texture disulfide links have a normal symmetry, whereas curlier textures disulfide links bond at sharper angles & twist thus creating spirals!

Is my hair type important?

•While it may be nice to know your exact hair type it does not hold much importance at all compared to other hair traits.

•Knowing your hair type can help you narrow down products selections based on product heaviness, consistency, etc. but doesn’t tell you much as it pertains to your true hair needs.

•What naturals should focus on is their hair porosity, which essentially just means how well your hair holds/absorbs water or moisture (we will cover this topic next).

The main takeaway we want you to take away from hair types is that they are ALL BEAUTIFUL! No one hair type reigns supreme! Here at Classy Girl Essentials we want to encourage all naturals to embrace the unique texture & pattern of their hair! 

Written By: Amber Alycee