Guide: Curly and kinky hair
Each hair type requires different special care, and to respect the uniqueness of your hair, you need to know it! There are many techniques available, and learning to personalize them for your hair type will improve your routine and empower your choices.
In short, there are 4 hair types: oily, combination, normal, and dry. Within these characteristics, there are textures (straight, wavy, curly, and kinky) that naturally possess unique internal properties. Furthermore, there are subdivisions of textures, such as curly type 3A, 3B, or 3C. These are important for classifying the hair profile: whether it lacks volume, is thick, voluminous, easy to style, silky, with or without frizz, among others.
For a more specific journey, how about an example?
Assuming your hair is curly, dry, voluminous, and subdivision 3B, you first need to identify whether you want to define curls and maintain volume, or define curls with controlled volume. This will make choosing the right shampoo and conditioner easier. Secondly, you need to consider treatments. With this hair diagnosis (dry hair type) and knowing that curly hair often struggles to keep the fiber hydrated, the ideal product is a cream with maximum nutrient absorption and emollient properties, such as a cream with oils and a hydrating function.
After cleansing, conditioning, and moisturizing, comes the finishing touch. It's necessary to understand how the curl pattern works throughout the day, whether the 3B curl pattern maintains its definition for a long period. In this final step, it's also possible to enhance the first aspect: defined and voluminous curls or not. Styling cream can help keep hair defined and fuller when drying, while gel will define and keep strands more aligned and manageable for longer. It's also possible to mix the two and create personalized results! After self-knowledge, we can then understand which characteristics we need to treat (dry curls) and which to emphasize (volume and definition), having more freedom and confidence in our purchasing choices.
Unveiling labels and functions once and for all, with a dynamic, fun, and error-free shopping experience! It's always important to update your hair diagnosis; after chemical treatments, a reconstruction step may be necessary, or if there's bleaching, it's necessary to replenish hair mass.
Need to identify whether your hair type is curly or kinky? Below is a brief explanation of how the curl pattern chart works, as it's possible for a person to have more than one hair texture. And as a bonus, the choice of brush can improve the final result: an octopus brush is ideal for curls between 3A and 3C, and the classic wide-tooth comb is ideal for kinky hair between 4A and 4C.
3A : Hair of this type is shiny and has a smoother root, but curls begin to form right after the root. These curls are quite large and wide.
3B : In this type, the hair curls from the root and the texture is usually coarser. The strands are thicker and the curls are tighter.
3C : The curls are tighter and, like type 3B, they start from the root. Hair of this type has a higher level of dryness than other type 3 hairs, and the dryness is even greater at the ends, making the strands thin and fragile.
4A : This hair type has very tight and well-defined curls, meaning the curves are more easily noticeable. These strands are drier and more fragile.
4B : Volume is the main characteristic of this hair type. The curls are tighter, making the strands more fragile. The tip is to be careful when detangling to avoid breakage and to invest in styling creams that contain oils in their composition.
4C : The last type of hair has irregularities in the strands; some follow a zigzag pattern, while others lack curl definition. This hair type has even stronger shrinkage, and it's also the driest and requires the most care.