What is Kinky Hair?
If you have curly or coily hair you may be familiar with the terms curly and kinky but do you know what makes them different from each other? If your answer is no, don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. At The Good Hair Co, we understand how overwhelming trying to figure out your hair can be at times. That’s why 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 curls vs coils vs kinks!
WHAT IS CURLY HAIR?
A curl is when the entire hair strand winds itself like a corck-screw as it grows. The shapes and textures that are formed as your hair grows out of your head depends on the shape of the hair follicle itself which is determined by your genes. The flatter or more oval-shaped the follicle, the curlier your hair strand will be; the more circular the follicle, the straighter your strands hair will be. Think of the angle of your straightener when you want to straighten or curl your hair. The angle of your straightener, dictate the curliness or straightness of your hairstyle. This goes for your natural curl pattern too. The angle of the hair follicle dictates the curliness or straightness of your hair pattern. In the hair community, curly hair is usually known as Type 3 and tents to form S shaped curls as it grows.
WHAT IS COILY HAIR?
Coily hair is a type of curly hair that is super voluminous where the strands form tight curls in a Z or O shaped pattern from the scalp. In the natural hair community, this type of hair would be known as Type 4 hair, often dry and vulnerable to breakage. This is because the natural oils produced by the scalp struggle to travel down the spiraling strands to hydrate and moisturise the entire hair strand.
WHAT IS KINKY HAIR?
Kinks on the other hand are tiny torsion twists that are created along the hair strand. Instead of the hair growing in spirals that curl in a unified direction, kinks are formed when the hair twists back and forth onto itself at specific areas of the curl as it grows. Imagine wrapping a few strands of hair around a pencil or even your finger. That motion would produce a curl that curls in a unified direction. Now imagine squeezing the water out of your wet t-shirt, twisting one end of the t-shirt in the opposite direction to the other end. The area of the t-shirt where a tight twist is formed resembles a torsion twist.
Generally, your hair is very strong, however, the more kinks you have in your hair, the more spots you have where hair can split or break. If you were to use a microscope to examine a hair strand with kinks you would see that the diameter (or width) of the hair in those areas is thinner and has less cuticle layers. The cuticle layer is the outermost part of the hair shaft which protects your hair. As moisture and product struggles to reach or be stored in these areas, the hair becomes weaker, more fragile and prone to dryness.
WHAT ABOUT SINGLE STRAND KNOTS?
Trichonodosis, or better known as fairy knots or single strand knots in the natural hair community, are tiny bead-like knots that form along the hair shaft. These knots occur as a result of a strand of hair wrapping itself around another strand of hair as it grows causing both strands to become intertwined with one another. Manipulating your hair too often or constant friction from pillow cases, hats, scarves etc can also cause your hair to produce single-strand knots.
If these knots are left unchecked, they could lead to tangling, splitting and eventually breakage. To avoid this, always detangle your hair in sections when wet, gently separating the knots with your fingers or a wide tooth comb. Use a conditioner or a pre-poo to detangle your hair if you need extra lubrication. When styling your hair, try stretching your hair and securing the ends before placing your hair in a protective style. Stretched hair tends to experience less knotting than non-stretched hair. If these knots persist inspite of all of your efforts to reduce them it’s best to have a professional take care of them for you to avoid damage to your hair and scalp.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR MY HAIR CARE?
Kinky hair is usually curly but not all curly hair is kinky. Which one you have is determined by your genetics. Knowing if you have kinky hair or not will help you understand which products and routines you need to adopt or avoid to help embrace and manage all of your kinks and knots. Remember, all patterns are unique and beautiful. With the right hair care routine and support, you’ll soon realise just how true that is.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Now that you have an idea of the difference between coils, curls and kinky curly, 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.