Denouncing The Hair Typing System...

Ever since watching a video about Hair Type Envy (on Youtube) and my own
personal experiences on both sides of the coin. It really got me thinking...

Is the hair typing system REALLY beneficial to me?
Is it accurate?
Does it help me obtain my goals?

The answer to all of these was a resounding, NO!

So with that. (as of Yesterday) I have officially resigned the hair typing system and let it drop like a chiffon veil to the floor. Interesting enough, just under 12 hours after doing so, and awakening to face a new work day. I find myself feeling like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders and that I hold my head a little higher with confidence - as I embrace my hair's nature in a deeper, loving sense that I did NOT the day before.

TO HELL WITH THE HAIR TYPING SYSTEM!!! Here's why:

1 - It is a Heiarchal type system denoting a top level and a bottom level and
such a layering type system usually causes those on the bottom level to feel
some sort of inferiority.

2 - It has a tendancy to put on the pressure to "evolve" ones so called
"texture" in an upward (toward number 1) trajectory as if to defy genetics and
nature.

3 - It is a bit UNrealistic and INaccurate, as the true context of the word
texture has much more to do with the certain surfacy feel of something - not
Just the curl pattern as the hair typing system only focuses on.

4 - Hair is so much more than just a curl pattern. Once you know how tight your
curl is, then there is strand smoothness, the level of the ability of the hair
to retain moisture on its own, level of shine, bushiness vs silkiness, volume,
etc. As you can see, with these alone, the overal consistency of ones personal
hair type is highly complicated and can NOT be relegated to just 1 number with a
choice of a letter.

5 - Hair typing is a flat number with a letter choice but has nothing to do with
length if that is your goal. It has nothing to do with hair health. Things like
speed or length of growth and hair health have more to do with ones personal
hair phases, hair regemin, products (or the use of the wrong ones which cause
breakage), diet, etc. The point is that you don't need the hair typing system to
reach the more sought after goals that we all decided to go natural for in the
first place.

6- Last, Hair typing systems seems to be a vestige of the Willie Lynch System.
It is very heiarchal with the "same old culprits" at the top and the usual
"victims" at the bottom. Who wants more of that?! We went natural to find our
true beauty and to love ourselves. Whether you know it or not, this is at the
core of your decision. Why else would it become so important to stop poisoning
ourselves with chemical relaxers, or burning our scalps half off each day with a
blowdryer, then a flat iron then a curling iron. LOL We wanted to connect with
ourselves on a deeper, more meaningful level. To enjoy a "closeness" with our
identity. For so long we did not have that. Even if ones hair journey didn't
begin with the goal of loving one self, guess what ended up happening in the
long run?? This healthy self love is evident in that certain "glow" and
confidence that naturals have.

The Hair typing system is a weight and causes one to feel bound to a number, and to apply his/her self worth to that number in a sense. For example: In a society where wooly hair is called, Nappy, Kinky, unmanageable, Undesireable, slave hair (and everything else derogatory under the sun), it is no wonder that the hair typing system imposes upon people a sense of having to climb some imaginary hair type ladder.

The Hair typing system, in my opinion, is more of the same that the Willie Lynch issues are made of and is counterproductive (as far as I am concerned) to the general self-view of the black (negroid phenotypical) woman. In a nutshell - it's the good hair / bad hair argument thinly cloaked behind number-letter codes.

At anyrate, that's my assessment and what I feel personally and why I have chosen to drop the Hair typing system, thereby embracing my hair no matter what shape or form it takes. This has already improved my courage in donning big hair and I can't tell you how great I felt this morning seeing the shorter parts of my hair more bushy than the longer parts and still loving my hair, loving myself and exuding an extra sense of confidence.

Fin.

Well said, here here.
I was just online trying to figure out my hair type when I read your post. My hair doesn't fit any type and it has brought nothing but frustration. My only goal is to have a healthy head of hair, plain and simple.

Without a doubt well said. I never felt like I had to 'climb the hair ladder' and just saw it as a way to find what products may work for my type of hair. I think the hair typing would affect in a negative way persons who already have some issues with their color and/or race.

I don't have such issues. I see us as the superior race anyway and love being at the opposite end of the spectrum from Caucasians. My daddy always said Desegregation hurt black people. I totally agree. All this assimilation crap starting springing up. don't get me wrong...I understand it didn't originate during Desegregation but wanting to be equal also made us lose a little of ourselves.

I know not every would agree with me but I'm ok with that just like I'm ok with myself and my hair. I LOVE my hair no matter where it falls on some person's hair typing list. Yes, that list needs to be removed. Someone may think we actually give a damn....

Yes! I find the hair typing system sooo pointless. Someone with very coarse 3c hair and very fine 3c hair may react totally opposite to the same product.

I've never paid much attention to the hair typing system, mainly because I don't understand it. But that was very well said!

*stands up to applaud* I agree 100%. I am a new-natural and I saw how women get into hardcore, cyberbrawls behind the hair typing system and it turned me off! I went into this journey to break the chains of how I thought I should look based on society's lame expectations. Now, some women use the hair system to figure out what appropriate maintenance is needed for their hair. The only problem is that this hair system is confusing and leaves more questions than answers. I will not knock others for using it, but I've definately seen a trend of both superiority and disappointment when being placed into categories. Self-esteem and a need for validation from others also seems to be the elephant in the room based on some things I've read across hair boards--and it has nothing to do with the hair type
system.

fleur_nouvelle wrote:*stands up to applaud* I agree 100%. I am a new-natural and I saw how women get into hardcore, cyberbrawls behind the hair typing system and it turned me off! I went into this journey to break the chains of how I thought I should look based on society's lame expectations. Now, some women use the hair system to figure out what appropriate maintenance is needed for their hair. The only problem is that this hair system is confusing and leaves more questions than answers. I will not knock others for using it, but I've definately seen a trend of both superiority and disappointment when being placed into categories. Self-esteem and a need for validation from others also seems to be the elephant in the room based on some things I've read across hair boards--and it has nothing to do with the hair type
system.

It is sad and yes the system can make things confusing. How can we have all the same hair and place into a few categories? Not possible and what's the point?

ty for posting this b/c everytime i talk about my hair i always have this habit now of including what my hair texture is like 3c 4a and such lmao...idk but yeah ur so right!

Very well stated!! I severed ties to "hair typing" well over six years ago. It somewhat helped with product searching during my transition, but it did absolutely nothing for me once I became fully natural.

I am newly natural. The hair typing system has been beneficial to google someone whose hair looks like mine. I wanted to see how they were styling their hair, how it looks when it grows out....

Other than that, I don't have any use for it.

True, but I think the LOIS system is actually pretty helpful to me, I wish more people used that one than the Andre Walker one. Instead of worrying about how loose/tight your curl pattern is, it takes into account how thick/fine your hair is, its texture (cottony,silky,thready,etc) its density and so forth... so pretty much the IMPORTANT stuff. I'd like to know where other naturals fall in that category, because I think it would be easier to relate to the products that they use and what works for them.

I have been transitioning for over 8 months, and now that I think about it, The Andre Walker typing system hasn't helped a heluva lot. I think that we have become conditioned to believe that it helps us find products and aids with finding styles that may work, but I don't think there is a style that a 3 whatever can do that a four can't and vice versa (unless hair length is really different). And as we have all heard over and over to the point that it has been permanently engraved in all of our brains: products can work differently on everyone. To add to that, people have different expectations on how they believe a product should work. Now I don't want to put him (Andre) down too much, because I doubt that it was his intention to divide us with his system!

I concur!

DaButterflyBAP wrote:I am newly natural. The hair typing system has been beneficial to google someone whose hair looks like mine. I wanted to see how they were styling their hair, how it looks when it grows out....

Other than that, I don't have any use for it.

Exactly. I always wondered why my hair didn't react like other types with products and styles until I found other 4b's like myself. It was helpful for me because I was finally able to find detangling and styling methods that actually worked. It's not always like this for people but I'm one of the people hair typing is actually beneficial for

you made very good points! I usually never use the hair typing system--I mostly describe my hair as "very thick" and that is it.


The only time I ever cared about it was when I was looking up curlformers on youtube, and I wanted to see it done on someone with my kind of hair, to see how it could possibly look on me. Other than that, I don't really see the point. You will never know how a product works for you until you try it yourself. (which is a great argument for the product junkie)

CurlyDee wrote:True, but I think the LOIS system is actually pretty helpful to me, I wish more people used that one than the Andre Walker one. Instead of worrying about how loose/tight your curl pattern is, it takes into account how thick/fine your hair is, its texture (cottony,silky,thready,etc) its density and so forth... so pretty much the IMPORTANT stuff. I'd like to know where other naturals fall in that category, because I think it would be easier to relate to the products that they use and what works for them.

I'm not a fan of hair typing at all, but the LOIS system is dead on with hair shape and texture. I found it helpful for me as a transitioner and when I BC'd. Not so much anymore. I love my hair the way it is and I wouldn't trade it for anything more or less.

I absolutely love this post. I have found that the hair typing system discourages a lot of women from going natural and I really find it annoying. I have actually heard some women say that if their hair type was in the 4's then they would be grabbing for the relaxer so fast. It is just frustrating because I believe that hair is hair. We all have to get to know our textures and what products our hair likes/dislikes. I believe that anyone can conquer a certain style with any type of hair. It doesn't matter what hair type you have. It just depends on what products/methods you incorporate.

I am loving this post and all the responses!! Thank u for this.
Btw curlsgalore, your hair is gorgeous!
Anywho, my two sense on it: I am a firm believer in all the loosely woven remnants of the willie lynch syndrome, in our appearance, behavior, and belief system. I believe this hair typing affects different ppl different ways. I think it affects the unconscious minds of many who have already fallen into the inferior mindset. For some of us tho, we may count down instead of up. Let's place 4 at the top! Lol
All in all, I have found that, nope, hair typing is not very helpful. I am interested in learning more about this lois system tho. I had never heard of it until this thread.

DaButterflyBAP wrote:I am newly natural. The hair typing system has been beneficial to google someone whose hair looks like mine. I wanted to see how they were styling their hair, how it looks when it grows out....

Other than that, I don't have any use for it.

ditto!

AMEN!
And i co-sign with the LOIS typing system. Here it is for those who haven't seen it before:
http://fromgrandmaskitchen.com/Natural-Hair-Beauty/articles/3373/1/LOIS-HAIR-SYSTEM-What-Type-of-AfricanBlack-Hair-Do-You-Have/Page1.html

There are some You Tube info on it too if you type in the key words for it.
I feel like I am at the point now where I know what my hair needs & what my daughter hair needs (and they are very different BTW) and our hair is happy and healthy - that's what really matters.