Can you tell me my curl type?

No.

However, I do not mind explaining why this information will not help you.

But Ms. Ehrin won't it help me choose products that are better for my hair?

No. It makes you FEEL that way but you already know what your hair needs. 

1. Cleanser
2. Conditioner
3. Moisture Product
4. Hold Product

That's it babe. Anything beyond that really is because you want it. You know your hair needs moisture so turn the bottle over and read the INCI list to see what's in it. Knowing your curl pattern does not grant you the ability to understand cosmetic chemistry. 

 Get yourself a cosmetic ingredients dictionary and read this next part very carefully.

The curl typing chart was created by Oprah's hairstylist to "help" clients choose STYLING products that were "right" for their hair type. 

The purpose of a styling product is to assist with the style. They can have positive aspects like jojoba oil as an ingredient however that does not mean it will make your hair healthier.

As a professional stylist I use the curl typing chart only to communicate with coworkers and collegues about the texture of a client's hair without mentioning their race or skin color. 

The structure of a hair

To understand how products can or cannot work you need to understand the structure of a hair.

A hair, regardless of curl formation is comprised of three main parts. The cuticle, cortex and the medulla. Each of your hairs comes from a follicle in your skin. Different parts of your body produce different types of hair and each follicle is on it's own time frame. 

Inside of each follicle the hair is, for at least a time is attached to a blood supply that supports the hair through it's growing phase (anagen). This is why what you eat matters so much to your hair growth. Each hair goes through three phases, anagen, catagen and telogen. The angagen phase only lasts for a certain amount of time, usually 2-7 years. This means you are on a ticking clock for max hair growth. Your hair is only going to grow so many inches in a certain amount of time, this has more to do with genetics, diet and lifestyle than anything topical. At the stroke of midnight you will transition into the next phase catagen. 

Catagen is when the hair detaches from the blood supply and moves to the telogen phase. The catagen phase lasts only 1-2 weeks.

The final phase of your hair’s growth is the rest phase or telogen. This phase lasts for 3-5 months while the follicle is dormant and inactive before beginning the process of growing a new hair begins all over again.

Hair Washing

I get asked a lot about how much individuals should be washing their hair. There is no right answer accept not everyday. Chances are the tighter your curl pattern the longer between washes you can/will go. 

You should wash your hair when it is dirty. This is going to mean a lot of things to a lot of different people so sorry not sorry there is no one size fits all answer. Everyone's lifestyle is so different. Your natural body chemistry + products + lifestyle/activity level all play a factor into this. I do not participate in the hygiene olympics. If your hair stinks and or it's itchy you should be the first to know and you should do something about it. Adulting 101.

I usually aim for about once every two weeks. My go to cleanser and conditioner are Balance and Boost by AG care. It has apple cider vinegar in it, ACV is acidic and will help smooth the cuticle, increasing shine and reducing tangles. It doesn't smell like ACV either it smells like lemongrass. It's really nice makes my scalp feel all clean and fresh like how your mouth feels after you brush your teeth. 

Haircuts

A trim and a haircut are the same thing. I understand one word may make you feel better about the action you are taking against your hair. However I open and close the scissors the same either way. How much we agree to take off is 100% about our personal style, this is why we have detailed discussion about your desires. Avoiding a haircut is not the solution to growing your hair out or trying to achieve more length. It's actually pretty counter productive. When you try to comb through those velcro like ends they just snap off setting you back 1/4" every time you run through it. You then get frustrated because now it is just taking a redonkulous amount of time to wash it so you just opt to live in a bun. But you be laying them edges though.

You should have your hair trimmed seasonally. About once every 3 months. 

A haircut did NOT change the texture of your hair. I have heard the same story so many times. "When I was (somewhere around middle school) I got a this haircut she totally butchered it I cried and my hair texture has never been the same." I'm not saying the texture of your hair didn't change I am saying that it was not in fact the fault of the haircut. Hair shape is decided by follicle shape. Cutting the ends of the hair does NOT change follicle shape. 

Hair texture changes along with our hormones ladies! So when you were somewhere around middle school and hated everything and everything made you cry for reasons that you are only now beginning to understand you were probably on your way to a texture change but the haircut + grow out process amplified it and the only thing you could attribute the change to was the haircut. Well sorry not sorry it wasn't the scissors it was probably your hormones.  

Shrinkage

This is where self confidence becomes important.

God decided to give you long hair and then hide it in plain sight. Dig into that then make peace with it. It's a pretty sick and hilarious joke.

Take a deep breath, roll your shoulders back and know that you know what you've got and that's the only person that matters. People will find other more genuine things to compliment you on, and if you pay attention they probably do. I have seen some pretty disgusting long hair. It takes more product, time and effort to care for and you're already complaining about doing it so really I don't understand what you really want.

The shrink factor is the premise behind the Dry Curly Cut. You cut the hair according to the formation of the curl once shrinkage is basically done shrinking. It's doesn't translate to straight all the time because MOST people DO NOT have a uniform curl pattern all over their head. Looser curls are cut shorter while tighter curls are left longer to give the appearance of uniformity and create the desired silhouette.

Treatments

Hair treatments do exist that can help with the health of your hair but it is important that you as a consumer are properly informed about how the treatment works so that you can be sure what you're getting is of real value. I don't offer services where the science don't science. If I can't explain it without light weight feeling like I'm lying to you then I don't offer it on my menu.

If you really want to grow healthy hair you must be a healthy place to grow from. So yes hair treatments do work however if you are unhealthy they will only do so much. We need to focus on internal as well as topical treatments. Water, fruits, veggies and lower chronic stress levels. Every meal is a treatment.

Olaplex is something I use in every haircolor formulation. Malibu C crystal gel, another treatment that makes real changes in the hair. However these are not "treat yo' self" treatments. They have a purpose.

Normal Shed, Breakage & Hair Loss

The "average" person sheds about 100 hairs per day.

This is important to understand for context. If you have straight hair or you have ever been around a straight haired person for some length of time you may have discovered some of their hair. Either on you or the couch or the floor. Their shed shows. Curly hair not so much. It isn't that curly-kinky hair doesn't shed in the same manner. It's just, it's doesn't go anywhere. Think about it. Do you run your fingers through your hair the way straight hair people do? No.

So when wash day finally comes around you have 100H X # of days since last comb out and it seems like 🫢🤯🥺.

Breakage happens for all types of reasons. Over manipulation, dehydration improper detangling. Needing a haircut and not getting one 😕. Let us refer back to the "velcro-like" ends that lead us to life in a bun. Right. Breakage can be differentiated from shed by the length of the hairs. Shed hairs are longer because they are the whole hair coming out from the scalp. Breakage tends to be shorter parts of a whole hair often times just one curl. This is because with curly hair every bend creates a weak spot in the hair shaft. So you are likely to see these when combing out your hair. Don't worry about it too much unless you have noticed your hair getting noticeably shorter over a period of 6-9 months. Everything isn't you. I have to say that because it legit seems like sometimes you just want something to be worried about. Wait and see if it actually a problem. Mark it on the calendar when you notice then revisit it in 90 days. 

Hair Loss isn't normal. 

Noticeable (to others without you asking) or excessive thinning and bald patches to be specific. These are signs of a problem. Surgery, general illness, heightened amounts of mental, physical or emotional stress for extended periods of time can all lead to alopecia.

Covid hair loss is a real thing. The stress caused by stigma attached to contracting the virus, on top of actually being sick, the stress of not wanting to infect others along with all the other life things.

Track it, then take your data to the doctor. When you notice a change in your body get in the habit of journaling it or putting it on the calendar. You need to collect your own data so that when you go in to the doctor you have proof other than just "I feel like this might be happening". You need to go in there with something for them to work with otherwise you will get treated like another number. 

Hair Products

Having good products to support you is great. You should do that. You just might want to re-prioritize how much value you place on them. Understanding what products are actually capable of will save you a lot of money and time. Stop listening to strangers on the internet who only have experience doing their own hair that are reading the same articles you are. 

Sop guessing and wasting your money. One of the benefits of working with a stylist is being able to try products before you purchase them and you should buy products from your stylist. It helps them with their small business just like it helps Target when you shop there, WalMart, or Amazon. Would those companies hire you with your natural curls or anything else that makes you different and forces them to recognize you as a human?

Remember, your body operates from the inside out. The skin is always moving up, out and off, same with the hair. The best bet is to eat the avocado instead of putting it on your face or hair as a mask. This way when you eat it you are nourishing living cells and tissue which can create actual change. 

I'm telling you that I use the same 4-5 styling products on all my clients AND MYSELF + HARMONY. I vary between a gel and a foam for my hold options. But that's it babe.

No, I absolutely do not make my own products. But I do carry smaller lines I value and one of them is locally manufactured in Monroe, WA. 😘 Loma.

Remember I have a store, I sell products too. I'm not going to lie to you or lead you to believe that you need something you don't in order to line my pockets. 

Your finger prints are unique to you as is your dexterity. How something feels to your touch will register differently to me. That said "firm" hold for one may be "flexible" for someone else. What feels "tacky" to one person may go completely unnoticed to another. The key is to do what is right for you. Once you unclench your butt cheeks a bit and relax your hair will grow simply because you are reducing your chronic stress levels. Yes, try new products. ONE AT A TIME and try these tips as well :

• Use all of a product before getting a new one
• Purchase products from your stylist. Yes I'm biased but this is another way to support their business and you get to experience the products so you know they work.
• Get a clear vision of your desired end result BEFORE you purchase.
• Have your stylist coach you on how to apply the products to (re)create your desired look(s)
• Perfect 2-3 go to styles and when you test new products these "go to" styles that you know you can do will tell you if these are the right products for your desired end result.
• Have realistic expectations of what products can do for your hair. If healthy hair is your goal then you need to refocus to the inside. If you can see it. It's too late.

Key take aways

1. Curl formation is determined by your skin, but what matters is how your follicle is shaped and how deep into the dermis it is anchored. This determines curl formation and length potential. This is predetermined by genetics but is largely affected by diet and lifestyle choices too. 
2. Hair products only do so much, Real change comes from the inside. Each fruits and vegetables, drink water, reduce your chronic stress. To have healthy hair or skin be a healthy person. 
3. Haircuts are better than new products. Focus on finding a stylist that makes you feel safe. Let go of this notion that the stylist knows better than you do just because they have an Obviously they don't or the search to find someone wouldn't be so hard. Have a consultation before you just trust someone because they have a license and they “should know”. It’s 2025 and nothing is as it “should be” so do your research. 

Thank you for shopping my online store it really does help my business. I understand as well if you can't afford to, but sharing this article is free and just as appreciated 🥰.

Thank you for reading this article all the way to the end. If you want to get the monthly discount code in your inbox visit the home page to sign up for this newsletter. You can connect and stay in the know by liking my FB page too. 

I'll see you soon!

Ehrin