That whole "Curl Type" thing aka The question curly newbies like to ask first!

First thing that a lot of people want to know when they begin to hang out in sites that specialize in natural texture/curly hair is....what type curls they have.

If you aren't familiar with the lingo, it's referring to a way that some sites use to classify a curl size/shape.

Interestingly, it's the LEAST important aspect of getting to know your textured hair for purposes of hair care. The more important aspects deal with your hair's porosity, elasticity, density, texture, dryness, etc. These properties are key to finding people with hair like yours and getting product recommendations. Styling techniques and products--well, it's more important to know if you have dry and porous fine hair with low density (like me) than coarse, protein-sensitive hair with high density.

But in talking about curl types, it generally refers to whether it's wavy (loose curling type) or curly (ringlets and coils and spirals) or kinky ( very tight small diameter coils), zig-zaggy. Type 1 is straight hair types. You can see pics and a chart here.

The curl classification system most used over at CurlTalk/NaturallyCurly.com is outlined here: CURL TYPES

I find it helpful to actually LOOK at a HAIR STRAND and compare it to the colorful little illustrations for each type. Sometimes, you head may have various hair types mixed in, and sometimes looking at a picture is frustrating, so go by the hair strand illustrations. Get a strand from your head (if you run your fingers gently through your hair, loose strands should stick to your hand/fingers). Which illustration most fits your curl pattern? Does it look also similar to the accompanying photo? Well, there you go. Easy. Click on the general type and read more detailed info.

For example, if you notice you are squiggly like a "3", you click that and get more info HERE.http://www.naturallycurly.com/pages/hairtypes/type3

So, you get to see if you're more 3a or 3b. Or you may have both.

I'm mostly 3b. :) But if I diffuse and get a lot of air shaking in my curls, they can look more like 3a. Anyway, a pic from July at left. (I used all AG products, since Re:coil works really well to keep my hair from going ballistically poufy and frizzy in summer humidity.)

My curls tend to be well-defined, tighter in some spots, and very much need moisture and frizz control.

Curly hair types can also be referred to in more general (less numerical) terms: wavy, curly, kinky.  You can read a bit about this here.

But as far as that sort of typing (and there are other sorts which you can discover by googling it up), here is what Tiffany (a curly hair expert and hair stylist) has to say:

The only thing—and I mean the only thing—that matters when it comes to the care of curly hair are your particular hair properties: your texture, porosity, elasticity and density. Your wave pattern has absolutely nothing to do with any other hair property. That means knowing if you have “corkscrew” or “spiral” curls, or you are a “5K” or “9T” means a big fat nothing when it comes to the big picture.

So, let's move on to the more important (and trickier) things to discover about your hair---its properties....next blog post....