Let's Talk About Hair Baby!!
Hair, Hair, and more Hair! I always get questions about what products I use. However, that constantly changes. One month I might be using Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel for my twist-outs. The next month I could be using Cantu Coconut Curling Cream. I can always answer what products I used specifically for a hair style, but if you go out and buy the exact same products doesn't mean it will work for your hair as well as it did for mine.
To find out what products will work great for your hair, you need to know three key factors about your hair. The first factor is what is your hair type? Your hair type can be anywhere from 1A-1C(straight), 2A-2C(wavy), 3A-3C(curly), or 4A-4B(Kinky-Curly). My hair is a combination of 3C and 4A curls.
The second factor is what is your hair texture? Is it fine, medium, or thick? Is it also coarse? My hair texture is very thick and frizzy. This relates to the diameter of the hair strand. Fine hair can be easily molded and can absorb hair dye faster. Medium hair has body and has an average response to hair dye. Thick hair is full of body and it takes longer for the hair to lighten from hair dye. I also have coarse hair which explains why it is so frizzy. Coarse hair feels like straw hair, no matter how much moisture you put into it, it can still feel dry. Coarse hair doesn't always mean thick hair, as well. A lot of people think coarse hair is thich hair when people with fine hair can also have coarse hair.
Last but not least, the third factor is hair porosity. Does your hair have low, normal, or high porosity. Porosity refers to how open are the hair cuticles along the hair shaft. The more the cuticles are open the easier it is to absorb moisture. This can be hard to figure out. This whole time I've been saying I have low porosity hair but I actually have high porosity hair so my hair absorbs moisture quickly, but it doesn't hold on to that moisture for long. High porosity hair can easily tangle, break, and is prone to frizz. To find out what your hair porosity is you can do the water in a cup test. Just take one of your hair strands and place it in the water. If it stays on top you have low porosity hair(hard to absorb moisture). If it slowly sinks to the middle you have normal porosity. If it sinks quickly to the bottom, then you have high porosity hair(quickly absorbs moisture but loses moisture just as fast).
Knowing these key factors can help you rule out what products are best for your hair. For example, heavy butters like shea butter or curling gels are great for my hair. There are specific products made for our hair. Shea Moisture has a line catered to low or high porosity hair that you can buy. Also, a lot of hair brands tell you which product works best for a specific hair type/texture. By the way, it's okay to be a product junkie, it does take time to figure out what hair products work best for your hair but knowing these key factors does help. Thanks for reading curl friend, I hope this helps!