How Useful are Hair Typing Systems?

If you were asked, what is your hair type, your response might be something like type 3 or type 4, right? Or maybe a bit more specific like 3b or 4c or 3c/4a. Or maybe your response would be I have no idea. Like you, we know how overwhelming the hair care world is, especially when it comes to wavy, curly and coily hair. That’s why at The Good Hair Co, we aim to help you uncover the mysteries of the hair world to bring you closer to understanding your hair and establishing the perfect routine for your hair profile.

Let’s talk about hair typing!

FIRSTLY, WHAT IS HAIR?

Hair is a fiber made up of keratin packed cells which have been formed in the follicle through a process called keratinisation. Your hair begins to grow from the bottom of the follicle known as the hair bulb which contains arteries that nourishes the hair. A follicle is a sac-like pit in the dermis layer (second layer) of the skin which grows your hair by packing old cells together. As these cells multiply in the follicle, the hair grows and gets pushed up through the outermost layer of the skin (epidermis layer) before eventually shedding and being replaced by new hair. This growth cycle happens in four phases - anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen. 

WHAT IS HAIR TYPING?

Hair typing is a system used to help normalise and educate men and women about the variety of hair textures and patterns that we all have. Hair examiners often use a hair typing system that classify human hair according to three conventional ethnic subgroups -  African, Asian, and European. However, most agree that this classification is too broad to account for how complex the human hair is as a result of biological diversity. To help the everyday person navigate the complex world of hair, many other hair typing systems have been created. 

The LOIS and the FIA’s Hair Typing System are just a few out there but the most commonly known classification system is the Andre Walker Hair Typing System, created by Andew Walker, Oprah Winfrey’s stylist. It was originally created in the 1990’s to market Walker's line of hair care products, which customers began to then use to identify their hair type and, consequently, buy a complementary product. Since then, it has been widely adopted as the go to hair type classification system for most consumers. His system classifies hair into 4 hair types; straight is 1, wavy is 2, curly is 3 and coily is 4. These patterns are then divided into subcategories based on the looseness or tightness of the waves, curls and coils - “A” being loose, “C” being tight and “B” being somewhere in the middle.  

HOW USEFUL ARE HAIR TYPING SYSTEMS?

Having a typing system can be super useful in trying to identify your curl pattern (or patterns) because it gives you a starting point when it comes to shopping for hair-care products and styling your hair. However, this commonly used system has received a lot of criticism over the years. Many people feel Andre Walker's hair typing system creates hierarchies of acceptable curl patterns that are also attached to race. For example, many people view having straight hair as number 1 and coily hair as number 4, reinforces old ideologies about straighter hair being “better”. Andre Walker has explained that lower numbers being straighter isn’t meant to imply they are better, but rather a measure of texture from fine to coarse. However, some still do not agree with the numbering and many Trichologists view hair-typing in general as an inaccurate marketing tool due to the variety of factors that contribute to your hair. Although it’s true that similarly textured hair can share the same physical characteristics as each other and share some attributes, this alone is not enough to determine what is best for your hair. Every hair is unique and therefore should be seen that way.

IS KNOWING MY HAIR TYPE IMPORTANT FOR MY HAIR CARE?

Your hair is more than just the patterns of your curls and the texture of your strands. To find the right hair care, you must address the needs of your hair first, rather than just the perceived curl patterns. These needs go beyond and across hair patterns. That’s why The Good Hair Co was created. We know that there are other factors besides hair patterns and hair texture that need to be addressed such as porosity, elasticity and density which can all be affected by your age, gender, environment, lifestyle choices and lifestyle changes amongst other things. Using a hair typing system is a good starting point but it should not be soley used to determine the health, care and love for your hair.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Now that you have an idea of the typing tools used within the hair community, why not book your consultation with one of our certified hair experts. Get a personalised regimen consisting of highly effective product recommendations to solve your hair and scalp concerns. Let us help you discover the expert hair care advice you need to get the healthy hair you want.