Hair porosity, shrinkage, cowash, humectants, elasticity………these are words thrown around in the natural hair community today.
They might be a little overwhelming to the newbies.
Not to worry darling, I would be breaking down most of these words and even more today coz you totally deserve to know queen!
But before we talk the talk, Let’s quickly break down the four major hair types and their three subsets.
| HAIR TYPE 1 | 1A(BONE STRAIGHT) | 1B(STRAIGHT WITH A SLIGHT BEND) | 1C(STRAIGHT WITH A MORE DEFINED CURVE) |
| HAIR TYPE 2 | 2A (SLIGHT WAVES) | 2B (SOFT WAVES) | 2C (DEFINED WAVES) |
| HAIR TYPE 3 | 3A (CLASSIC CURLS) | 3B (SPIRAL CURLS) | 3C (CORKSCREWS) |
| HAIR TYPE 4 | 4A (SLIGHTLY COILED) | 4B (KINKY) | 4C (SUPER KINKY) |
The type 1 hair typically refers to the straight hair strands, they can be further broken into the 1a(bone straight) , 1b ( straight with a slight curve) and 1c (straight with a more defined curve)
Type 2, 3 and 4 can be better explained via the diagram below
In summary human hair types basicially range from the straight> Wavy> Curly> Coily hair.
Now that the hair types are sorted, Let’s get into the Lingo shall we?
1. Transitioning
You might have heard this word thrown around quite a lot, but what really does it mean to the natural hair community?
The English definition of transition refers to the process of changing from one state/condition to another. In this Natural hair world, it simply refers to the process of returning to your natural hair. It involves waiting out your new growth at the roots till you are comfortable enough to let go of the relaxed ends. This brings us to the next Lingo “the big chop”
2. The big chop
You have to admit it sounds quite funny right?
It did to me the first day I heard it lol! So what is “the big chop?”
Let me explain real quick, you see, a sizable number of people would rather not be stressed into transitioning; they would prefer cutting their hair down to the natural roots and get their length back gradually. They are the………. ‘Ain’t nobody got time for that gang.’ Are you one of them?
3. Shrinkage
This particular word!
I have it massively, I didn’t realize how much my hair shrinkage was till I fully transitioned.
So what do people mean by shrinkage?
Simply put, It refers to when Natural hair goes from a lengthy stretched out form to a more compacted coil. Shrinkage gives type 4 hair the short facade, however, when the hair is pulled out, you get to see it’s length in the full glory.
Shrinkage levels vary widely! Mine is however intense. I usually get the “your shrinkage is more than the usual look” each time I walk into a saloon.
I initially felt bad about it coz showing off length/new growth remains a tedious task, but then I recently realized that there is beauty in my shrinkage and now I totally own it!
plus this massive shrinkage is a reminder of just how healthy my hair actually is.
4. Pre-poo
Guys! Everyone be shouting pre-poo and I was always lost, like what are you guys saying???
Just in case you still don’t know it is short for pre-shampoo. It took a while for me to realize this. So you see, before the use of shampoos, it is very much advisable to prep the hair.
Why?
It is because shampoos have the tendency to strip the hair off its natural oils, so you pre-poo; that is, you bless the hair with some oil before shampooing. The sulfate free shampoos have an advantage of moisturizing the hair while still cleaning the scalp thoroughly. Illd say invest in one of those.
5. Co-wash
Ever heard someone say illd rather co-wash my hair? I bet you probably imagined a wash session with many ladies coming together for a group hair wash to justify the “co”
I have news for you though, this is very WRONG thinking!
Co- wash simply means washing your hair with a deep conditioner as opposed to using a shampoo before conditioning on wash day.
Co-wash like many other things has it’s pros and cons. For one, it is super time saving and eliminates the stress that comes with wash day. It however would not be guaranteed to thouroughly clean your scalp like a shampoo. The As I am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner is a great conditioner to use for co-wash.
6. Deep conditioning
This refers to the process of blessing your hair with intensive (deep) conditioners that give the hair an extra boost of moisture after shampooing. They’re usually put into the hair and allowed to stay in for at least 30 mins(sometime with a little heat application) before being rinsed out. Deep conditioning can be done once or twice in a month depending on how dry the hair is.
7. Hair porosity
This refers to the hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, usually ranging from low to high porosity. It is definetely a big one,understanding your hair porosity is a game changer! It would surely help to manage your hair properly and grow it to its full potential. We would look into this as we progress on this journey.
8. Hair density
This is the number of individual strands per square inch on your scalp. This should not be confused with hair thinness or thickness which refers to the circumference of each strand. That being said, a person could have fine hair that is also very dense or thick hair but not so many individual strands per scalp inch. You get?
9. Humectants
These are Ingredients usually added to hair care products to prevent moisture loss especially for dry and damaged hair.
10. Moisturizers
Just like the name implies, hair moisturizers help to moisten/hydrate the hair. This is especially essential for those with super dry and brittle hair.
11. Hair elasticity
Refers to how long a single strand of hair could be stretched before returning to its usual coiled state. The hair elasticity test is usually done on a single wet hair strand for better results.
12. Curl pattern
This refers to the overall shape and size of your curls.
13. Protective styles
These are styles that help to tuck in your delicate ends by reducing hair manipulation. They generally help to retain length and reduce hair breakage. We would talk explicitly on this later on.
14. Frizz
Refers to a mass of small tight curls, naturalistas hate this one lol!
I do hope I covered most of the natural hair related words you might have recently struggled with.
It is always a pleasure pouring out every little knowledge available to help my natural hair queens.
Till the next post, keep being the beautiful queen you were made to be darling.
