Beyond curl type: What Your Hair is Asking For

What your hair is actually telling you

• Here''s the short version of what I keep coming back to, after over a decade of this raindance with my hair...

The hairtyping system has been and still will be an anchor because of what it has represented for us over the years, we only now need to move the focus away from it because it truly does not have all the answers, and is not faultless and truly? banking on it fully is not the smarter option, because the way your hair behaves and what it is trying to communicate is much more important.

This has led me to refining my web app The Curl Scanner to reflect this mindset, you see, with being a Tech founder and building systems, it is important to me to share the process as it goes on, The Curl Scanner app is built around listening to your hair, and taking into consideration what it is actually telling you. In the grand scheme of things, A bunch of numbers mean nothing when we're are trying to fix issues that plague your scalp, strand strength, elasticity and beyond...

Breakage

Almost always a technique problem before it''s a product problem. Work in small sections, smaller than you think. Never comb or brush dry. Start with a detangling brush or wide-tooth comb on soaked, conditioner-slick hair, from the ends up, not from the root down. If you do work from the root down, be sure you can.

If you''re hearing snapping, stop. That sound is almost always hair leaving your head.

Shrinkage you're sick of

You don''t need a different hair, you can't even get a different head of hair, you need to stretch it. Band it with soft scrunchies down the length while it dries. Or put it in four to six big loose plaits overnight on damp hair. Stretched hair tangles less, holds styles longer, and shows most of your length.

Dryness

One leave-in is usually not the answer. Layer. A lighter, watery leave-in first to get moisture in, and then a thicker cream or butter on top to keep it there. The light one is the drink. The heavy one is the lid. Doing it in the other order is why your hair feels coated but still thirsty by Tuesday.

Frizz

Usually two things at once: not enough product, and the wrong tool to lay it down. If your slick back won''t go sleek, it''s almost never the gel. Take a detangling brush through first to do the heavy lifting, then refine with a hard-bristle brush over a generous layer of product. You can often skip the gel entirely if the layering is right.

Tangling

Get the trims. I know. Single strand knots and split ends quietly turn into matted ends that grab onto every strand they touch. A proper trim every few months, plus extra product worked through the ends specifically, will save you hours of detangling later.

Thinning edges

This one is rarely solved in front of the bathroom mirror. Look at what you're eating, iron, protein, the B vitamins. Consider a supplement if your diet won't close the gap. If it''s persistent, see a trichologist; edges that are thinning for a medical reason will not grow back from a serum. Then, and only then, look at how you're styling: the tightness, the friction, the satin pillowcase you keep meaning to buy but just haven't gotten around to.

Build-up

There''s no clever way around this one. You have to actually cleanse. Not co-wash forever. I had my phase, and my hair was moisturized and dealt with little to no breakage. I also cleansed thoroughly so I had the best of both worlds, some people don't know when to cut it out. Things to help: A proper clarifying wash, on a schedule that matches how much product you use. And pay attention to which products you''re stacking, some combinations pill, some go chalky, some coagulate on the strand and you don''t see it until week three. Two products being individually good doesn't mean they belong on the same head on the same day, at the same time.

Where am I going with this ?

I'm rebuilding the Curl Scanner around this. The pattern will still be there, it's a fact, it's useful, but the center of gravity is moving. The next version will ask what your hair is actually doing right now, and hand you back a small protocol: the technique, the tool, the way to layer, and a video where I'll show you how.

If you've been refreshing the chart hoping it would finally click, this is your permission slip to close it. Tell me what your hair is doing. We'll work from there.

Love

Daisy Dew