Growing up for as long as I can remember, I have always had someone else combing my hair. Up until my second year of high school I had never dared to even make an attempt at touching my hair in the effort of styling it. I didn't know how to do it, and I didn't want to mess up and have to cut it all off because there was no way to rectify what I had done to my hair. I always thought my hair was unmanageable and couldn't be tamed, but somehow my mother managed to plait or braid my hair into submission... or so I thought. Since I've been combing my hair myself for a while now, I've learned a few things about it that I didn't know before.
1. There are different types of curl patterns
This seems like it is obvious but to me it wasn't. I didn't know that there were things like 4C or 3B hair, and they make all the difference when it comes to how you should be taking care of that lovely mane upon your head. There are 3 curly hair types, which are divided into Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4, or Wavy, Curly, and Coiled. Of those types there are three more sections: A, B, and C, and each section describes hair that's more tightly wound than the rest.
2. Moisturizing is basically everything
Have you ever combed your hair and it looks great, and then five minutes later you see all these flyaway hairs basically trying to jump away from your scalp? That is your hair begging for water —or moisture at least. Hair that is tightly wounded has more surface area exposed, meaning its easier for the hair to lose moisture. Your hair is made up of different parts, the cuticle being the outermost layer. When the cuticle of of your hair is raised, that means its open, and your hair can't control how much moisture goes into it or comes out of it. This is what leaves your hair looking dry and frizzy. The best way to combat this is to hydrate your hair with hair masks, oils, deep conditioners, leave-ins, hydrating sprays, and sometimes just drinking enough water will help over time.
3. Should I comb it?
When I first started combing my own hair I was really confused as to why my curls looked perfect when my hair was wet, but then as soon as I pulled a comb or brush through it they were gone. Natural hair doesn't always have to be brushed or combed, and its actually a bit unhealthy to comb your hair too often. Brushing, or combing your hair too often (especially when its dry and lacking moisture) can cause trauma to your hair such as breakage and can cause split ends. When you do comb your hair however, you should always start with wet hair (that way its moisturized and you lower the risk of breakage) add in an oil or a leave-in conditioner (to make sure the moisture is sealed in to the hair strands) and work from the end of the hair up. Doing this makes sure that the knots that are in your hair don't build up and get even more complicated, and that way you don't have to yank at your hair. Natural hair is super laid-back though, it really doesn't want to be bothered so it won't make your life hell if you decide to just step in the shower get it wet and then shake it out like a wet dog.
4. Why isn't it growing?
In all honesty this question is one of the banes of my existence. Because I live in a society that covets long flowing straight hair, I get really self conscious about my own hair and how short it is. To answer this question simply, hair grows and its been growing, you either just haven't noticed it yet, or its breaking off before you get a chance to admire it's length. Natural hair has a tendency to "shrink" where the strands of hairs scrunch up and look super small. Your hair just looks short but it's really dense, and if you were to pull on a curl, you'd see that it's a good amount longer than when it's all curled up. Curly hair doesn't grow out straight, it curls up, which doesn't really allow you to see its true length unless you pull on it. If your hair is super dry and you try to comb it, the ends (which is the oldest and driest part of your hair) will break off. You will see hair in your comb, and that's length you're losing there, so the best approach to maintain length is to moisturize the heck out of your hair and take care of those ends.
5. Why doesn't my hair look like (insert name here)'s?
Everyone has different hair types, and lord knows society emphasizes one type of hair over the other. But, the cool thing about hair is that there are so many different types. Comparing hair from two different people will never give you satisfaction about your own hair. For instance, curly hair is more prone to being damaged, but straight hair is more prone to getting thin. Plus to add on to that, there are different types of curly hair, and some people even have a combination of curly hair texture, so you shouldn't expect your hair to look exactly like another person's hair. We basically have to work with what we've got, and that's not a bad thing. Fighting with your hair to the point where it submits to you will leave you unhappy, because you won't get the results you want. Rather, if you work with your hair and pay attention to it's needs, you can end up more knowledgable about your hair and happier with it too.
