Still confused

[Anonymous]

Oh, and what is this I keep seeing in reference to having "3b" or some such? I'm not hip to what that is. I gather it is a hair type, but how do you know what type you have?

[WinglessOne]

@Anonymous The number+letter kind of "hair type" is a system created by a hair stylist named Andre Walker. I wish these weren't called "types." They're more like shapes/patterns: straight, wavy, curly, coily. There are tons of charts and articles/blog posts that show examples. Here's one I grabbed at random: 

An example of Andre Walker's "hair type" system.

There are other "hair type" systems out there, but Walker's is the most prevalent. Personally, I don't put much stock in it since there are other important things one should know about their hair; shape/pattern is not the only concern. (In my case, it's not even my main concern when it comes to haircare.) But since so many people follow and use Walker's system, I identify my hair as mostly 4a with some 3c and who knows what else. To me, my hair pattern's just kinky coily. 🤷‍♀️ 

[Anonymous]

Wow. Thank you so much. I can easily identify my hair type from this chart. Now, I have to figure out how to determine what products will work best for me. Any advice for a 3a, 3b, hair type?

[rosegoldlovely]

@Anonymous type this into your browser.

7 best products for 3B curly hair in 2020

and click the first link.

[WinglessOne]

@Anonymous  Well, there are other things to consider besides your curl pattern. 🙂 For instance: 

• Do you have any specific hair issues you want to address? (Examples: lots of breakage; excessive dryness; frizz, especially in humid weather; occasional loss of natural curl pattern; etc.) 
• Are your hair strands fine, medium, or coarse? 
• Is your hair high porosity (absorbs and loses moisture very quickly), low porosity (takes a long time to absorb water; seems to take forever to air-dry), or "normal" porosity? 
• What's your hair density: thick, medium, or thin? 
• Do you color your hair, or have any kind of chemical treatments done? 
• Do you frequently straighten your hair? 

Once you determine that kind of info, you can look for products made for your particular hair. 

[sydtomato]

Yes 3B is a hair type. There are a lot of resources online to learning about hair types and how to determine what hair type you have, I would google and read from there. You can also ask your hair dresser. @Anonymous 

[Anonymous]

Hahahahahahah. This is a little embarrassing but I don't have a hairdresser. My hair has always been so hard to cut, style and manage, that I haven't let anyone in my hair in years.