October 19, 2025 • 22 mins
Labels make hair feel simple, until they don’t. In Curl Myths Pt. 2, we move past the alphabet soup of curl types and dig into what actually matters for real results in hair care. Let’s talk texture, not type, and shift the focus to porosity, density, elasticity, moisture–protein balance, and how your scalp and strands respond to water, products, heat, and climate.
I share why the popular curl pattern chart feels validating yet fails to guide actual care, how marketing leans on those labels to sell you more, and what your hair’s nonverbal cues are trying to tell you when it frizzes, snaps, or refuses to clump.
You’ll hear a practical breakdown of growth myths versus breakage reality, why DIY masks can push your hair into protein overload, and how to run small, smart experiments that reveal what your natural hair truly needs. We also unpack the chart’s origins and biases; and why tightly coiled textures deserve science and respect, not instructions to straighten.
Then we rebuild from the ground up with a simple, science-based routine: clarifying and moisturizing shampoos, slip-first conditioners, a balanced deep treatment, a leave-in, and one styling agent that fits your density and goals. For color-treated or relaxed hair, we’ll cover when bond builders like K18 or Olaplex fit in, and why they complement, not replace, hydration.
Expect clear, actionable guidance on reading porosity, dialing product amounts for density, protecting elasticity, and adjusting your routine for seasons, hard water, and health changes. If you’ve been stuck choosing products by letters and numbers, this is your permission to switch to observation, patience, and consistency.
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Join us today and let’s continue building and fostering healthier connections with our hair—from the inside out. As a member, you’ll get access to bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, limited e-books, early access, and a supportive space for real conversations that go beyond the mic.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Before we get into this episode, I just want to say
thank you.
The love and support for HearWhat I'm Saying means
everything.
Every download, every share,every DM and email reminds me
why I do this to educate,empower, inspire, and to keep
our conversations real.
So thank you for riding with me,listening with intention, and
trusting me with your time.
I don't take that lightly.
(00:21):
Alright, let's get into thisepisode.
If you caught my last episodewith Minnie, you know we dove
into curl patterns and bustedsome myths pertaining to the
curl pattern chart.
But today we're taking it a stepdeeper and a little further.
Now, Minnie and I touched onthis already.
(00:42):
Like I said, if you want to hearthat episode, it's literally the
one right before this one.
But I wanted to really focus onmy take, why this chart doesn't
help stylists, doesn't helpclients, and frankly, doesn't
help anyone actually care fortheir hair or simply understand
it.
Alright, let's talk about whypeople love this curl pattern
(01:06):
chart so much.
I remember the first time Iposted on TikTok trying to
dismantle this curl patternchart.
I actually went viral.
And I had so many peopleagreeing, but yet so many
disagreeing as well.
Someone even said, can we justpretty much stay in the illusion
(01:28):
of thinking that this curlpattern chart is helping them?
I just couldn't believe it.
So that made me only think maybea few things as far as why
people want to keep this curlpattern chart in their regimen.
One, it's convenient and labelsare comforting.
(01:49):
Humans love to categorizethings, it makes life feel
manageable.
And for hair, especially blackhair, there's been a long
history of being judged, shamed,or told it's too hard to manage.
So when this chart came along,people thought, finally, a way
(02:11):
to understand my hair.
And honestly, it feelsvalidating when you find a type
that seems to match you.
You feel seen, you feel like,okay, now I know what to do.
You even feel relatable becauseyou see so many black women or
people out here that is goingthrough the same struggle as
(02:32):
you.
And when this curl pattern chartis something that's incorporated
into your life, now you feel asthough you're speaking the same
hair language.
Like we all just want to feellike it's not just us, right?
But here's the problem thatvalidation is so shallow, it
only tells part of the story,and the part that actually
(02:53):
matters is the size of yourhair.
That's completely missing.
I've had clients purchase hairproducts that promote around
this curl pattern chart becausesellers knew it was a marketing
genius.
So why not piggyback from it tocapitalize from it as well?
Only for them to be leftdefeated, confused, and
(03:14):
frustrated thinking their hairis the problem.
The chart didn't tell them whattheir hair actually needed, it
didn't address porosity,moisture, or protein balance, or
even if your hair is chemicallytreated.
What about our girlies who havescalp disorders?
(03:35):
Okay, it don't address any ofthat, it just put you in a box
and it just sold you products,and that's the issue.
We've been taught to trust achart instead of our hair and
scalp itself.
Hair communicates to you.
Your problem is you don'tlisten.
(03:57):
No one listening to this podcastcan ever tell me their hair has
never given them nonverbal cues,informing them what it wants or
needs.
I don't care what y'all say.
But for some reason, this charthas when it has zero capability
of being able to be testedphysically on your head.
(04:19):
You can't take the curl patternchart and test it on your head
like a hair product.
Come on now.
The chart is an illusion.
Please let go of the illusion.
Let's let go of the delusion.
Now let's talk about something Iseen all the time behind the
chair when I was still doinghair.
Clients come in and tell me,Kenetra, natural hair is so
(04:42):
complicated.
And after thoroughly consultingto understand where this
language is coming from, Ilearned it's either they have a
complicated regimen with ashitload of products that their
hair never asked for, they don'tknow how to take care of it.
Sometimes they just don't wantthe hair that's on their head.
The curl pattern chart doesn'tget all the blame here, but it
(05:05):
does share a great load of it.
People think, oh, I'm 4C, I'm3C, I need this exact thing.
And so they buy all the productsthinking that more equals
better.
No, your hair doesn't need ascience experiment every time
you wash it.
YouTube influencers have y'allin the kitchen whipping up all
these concoctions mixed withmayonnaise and avocado and eggs.
(05:28):
Well, I guess I can blame PartyB for that.
Uh, because they promised yougrowth.
Y'all also need to understandhow DNA is a very important
factor that we all need toconsider whenever we are talking
about hair growth.
That is a real thing.
Asians have the fastest growinghair out of all the cultures.
(05:50):
Why?
Because they have thestraightest hair, and straight
hair is strong.
I know our hair looks strong,but it is the most vulnerable
because it's really challengingto moisturize curls.
So if your hair isn't stayingmoisturized or hydrated, then
(06:11):
it's more prone to breaking.
That's why us curly girls, it'smore difficult for us to retain
length.
That is what it is.
Hair growth is not your issue.
Your hair is always growingunless there is an underlying
medical condition that'spreventing it from growing.
(06:32):
And you want to pay attention towhen your hair starts to respond
in that way because your hair iscommunicating to you, it's
trying to tell you something.
This is what I mean by hairtalks.
It is trying to tell you, hey,something is going on inside.
I don't know if I have lupus, Idon't know if I have a thyroid
(06:53):
issue, but something is going onand we need to get checked out.
We need to go get some bloodwork done.
Hair is always talking to you.
That's what I'm saying when itcomes to trying to build a hair
care regimen.
If you listen to your hair, youwill know exactly what to do
with it.
But back to talking about allthese concoctions that YouTube
influencers or Cardi B wanty'all doing in order to grow
(07:17):
your hair.
That concoction that I just gaveyou is loaded with protein.
Your hair is made up of about98% keratin, which is a protein.
So you will send your hair intoprotein overload if you don't
need it, and then your hair willstart to break off.
It's like anything in life.
Too much of anything is bad foryou.
(07:38):
All you need to do is just stopand ask, why am I using these
products?
And if it's to grow your hair,because Cardi B said this is
what's growing our hair, youneed to understand the science
of the ingredients that'sincorporated in this concoction.
(08:00):
Because that's where we alwaysget lost and messed up, and then
try to figure out why this isnot working.
Because your hair never asks forit.
That's why it's not working.
But you need to just stop andask, why am I using these
products?
How has my hair been behavinglately?
Does it feel way down afterusing this certain product?
(08:21):
Or does it feel dry?
Does it feel light and fluffyafter using this styling
product?
Did it retain moisture afterswitching from hard water to
soft water?
Listen to what it is saying toyou and watch how you and your
hair start to understand oneanother.
It needs consistency,observation, and the right
basics.
(08:42):
When I simplify a client'sregimen, their hair starts
thriving immediately.
They realize it was nevercomplicated, they were just
following a confusing roadmapmade by a chart that doesn't
actually help anyone.
And that's when you realize haircare isn't complicated.
Overthinking it is now let'sbreak down why this chart is
(09:04):
misleading.
First of all, your hair isn'tone uniform texture.
You could have coils on oneside, waves on another, and
tighter curls around your crown,but the chart wants you to pick
one.
One impossible.
(09:24):
Impossible.
What if you have been silkpressing your hair and now your
curls are more lax?
So tell me where the heck you'regonna fit in a curl pattern
chart when that's not even yourorganic texture.
This it just don't make sense,y'all.
This curl pattern chart itignores density, which is how
(09:45):
much hair you actually have onyour scalp.
It ignores porosity, which ishow your hair absorbs and holds
moisture, it ignores elasticity,which tells you how far your
hair stretches and bounces back.
It doesn't consider shrinkage,which is critical for coils and
(10:05):
kinks.
Now you tell me how 4C gave youall that information.
Please tell me.
Think about your own hair for amoment.
Does it behave the sameeverywhere?
It's always one side that justbe like, mm, right?
And then the other side be like,come on.
(10:27):
Even when I was gettingrelaxers, my hair didn't behave
the same everywhere.
Is the curl tight in the backand looser in the front?
That's normal.
We need to start normalizingthis.
It's okay.
The chart doesn't acknowledgeany of that complexity, and
that's why it's misleading.
(10:49):
It oversimplifies a living hairis a living dynamic system into
something it can never be.
And if I'm being real, real thecurl pattern chart doesn't even
identify a real authenticorganic curl pattern.
It don't even serve the purposethat it was put on the market
(11:11):
for.
(11:58):
Okay.
So if you've been out herestressing over letters and
numbers, stop right now.
Because the chart is not aroadmap, it ain't even a guide,
it's a placeholder formarketing.
That is it.
Now let's talk about thecreator, Andre Walker.
(12:18):
And by all means, he probablymeant well.
However, this is an importantcontext because when we're
trusting the chart, we'retrusting the perspective of the
creator.
And guess what?
Andre Walker's advice for 4Chair, the hair that naturally
(12:38):
shrinks and coils beautifully,was to straighten it.
In a 2011 interview with Lmagazine, he said, kinky hair
can have limited stylingoptions.
That's the only hair type that Isuggest altering with
professional relaxing.
Let me just pause and say thatagain.
(13:01):
I mean, not really, but y'all,the person who created the
chart, the system that peopleare following, trolling me
behind honey, suggestedchemically or heat straightening
hair that's naturally gorgeousand versatile.
That's not guidance, that'soppression.
(13:23):
So when we're looking at thischart as a roadmap, remember its
origins.
It was created by someone whodidn't appreciate natural quote
unquote 4C hair.
4C hair.
What is even 4C hair?
I will say this 4C hairtypically is categorized as the
(13:45):
high density, fine, kinky, lowporosity hair.
That's what people assume is 4Chair.
That context is essential whenevaluating its relevance today.
Your hair deserves science,attention, and love, not a
number and a letter from someoneelse.
(14:08):
Now let's talk about whatactually matters.
Not numbers, not letters, butscience.
Your hair responds to moisture,protein, elasticity, and how it
interacts with products and theenvironment.
Knowing these things is whatdetermines your regimen.
This is how you build your haircare regimen.
(14:31):
Not the chart, not social media,not a magazine, or wherever you
get your hair care advice fromoutside of science.
You determine what is going onwith your hair by listening to
what it is telling you, byobserving your own hair.
And the best part, science isfree.
(14:54):
Y'all done spend so much moneyon so many products that your
hair never asked for, that yourhair never needed.
You don't need a chart tounderstand it.
Just watch your hair, see how itreacts and responds to whatever
it is that you're doing.
And that's when you'll see thereal magic happen.
(15:17):
So if the chart isn't helping,what do you do?
Like I said, you observe yourhair, pay attention.
How does it respond to water, toproducts, to heat?
Does it love deep conditioning?
Does it hate protein?
Focus on moisture and proteinbalance, elasticity, and
(15:37):
shrinkage.
These things actually tell youhow to care for your hair, even
style, especially when it comesto shrinkage.
And yes, your hair can changesometimes seasonally, sometimes
depending on your health or theenvironment.
That's why the chart fails.
(15:58):
I guess it assumes that yourhair is static.
I don't understand.
How can you serve a purpose andprovide a solution when you stay
the same?
No matter what's going on withmy hair.
Do y'all hear what I'm saying?
Y'all don't hear what I'msaying.
Everyone's hair is unique.
(16:20):
Two people with the same chartlabel, quote unquote, could have
completely different hair careneeds.
So what visually may look thesame actually needs different
hair care solutions.
Why?
Because one may have highporosity and one may have low
porosity.
(16:42):
And you need to make sure thatyou understand that information
because they absorb moisturecompletely different.
So how are y'all gonna use thesame hair products and end up
with the same results?
You can't, you cannot.
So this chart isn't justuseless, it can mislead you into
(17:05):
doing too much or too little orjust simply not enough.
Your hair deserves attention,love, and science.
All free.
That's it.
And once you start observing andlistening, you won't need
letters and numbers telling youwhat to do.
You need a clarifying shampoo,moisturizing shampoo and
(17:27):
conditioner, deep conditioner,leave-in, and a styling agent.
If you are chemically treated,you need a product line such as
Olaplex and K18 because it helpsrestore lost protein from
chemicals.
And last but certainly notleast, consistency.
If you don't stay consistentwith your regimen, it's no point
(17:49):
in investing.
Give a hair product at least 90days before you say it doesn't
work.
Be patient.
It takes time for your hair toreceive something new you are
introducing it to or have anopportunity to know if it
actually works.
Patience is one action that wedon't want to consider when
(18:12):
building our hair care regimen.
And it is just as important asconsistency.
Y'all will try a product for oneweek and decide it don't work,
and then off to salads, you go.
(18:34):
And did it help?
That's that's the big question Iwant to ask you.
Did it actually help you solve asolution to a hair concern that
you were experiencing?
I need to know that.
I want you to DM me, comment, ortag me on the socials, email me,
(19:00):
tell me if this curl patternchart actually did something for
you.
Find a way to get in touch withme because I need to have a
different perspective to knowthat that thing actually works.
Let's recap.
Number one, the chart ismisleading.
(19:23):
Your hair isn't one uniformtype.
Number two, the chart literallytells you nothing actionable
about care.
Nothing actionable about haircare.
Number three, hair sciencematters.
Porosity, density, andelasticity.
Four, the chart is cosmetic.
(19:46):
It's cosmetic.
It's not functional.
It's a marketing tool.
That's all it is.
Number five, Andre Walker, thecreator of this curl pattern
chart, is encouraging you tostraighten your hair if you have
quote unquote forcey hairbecause it has limitations.
It's not versatile enough.
(20:08):
Come on now.
Number six, overcomplicatingyour regimen doesn't make your
hair better.
Observing it.
Remember, your hair isn't anumber or a letter, it's unique,
alive, and deserves realattention.
(20:29):
Alright, y'all.
Ran over.
Ran over.
But I meant this entire episodewith love.
That was the passion fuelingfrom me because I really want to
see y'all accomplish your hairgoals.
I really do.
But that's it for today's deepdive on the curl pattern chart.
(20:50):
Forget letters and numbers,trust the signs, and most
importantly, trust your ownhair.
If you enjoyed this episode,share with someone who's been
stressing over their curl type,especially if they are still
using lingo according to thecurl pattern chart.
If they are still calling theirhair a number and a letter, this
(21:12):
episode is for them.
And I want you to share it tothem.
And as always, I want to hearfrom you.
Your hair wins, fails, andobservations.
Trust me, you are going to feelyour way to success even with
hair.
That's not just in your careers.
(21:33):
The biggest lessons you learn inlife is through failure.
So keep failing whatever missionyou are trying to accomplish
with your hair so that you canreach the goal.
Hit me up on the socials or dropa comment.
Let's start talking.
Not just listening on thispodcast.
Like I want to hear from y'all.
(21:56):
But until next time, staycurious and keep loving your
hair exactly as it is.
I'm Tanitra and this is HairWhat I'm Saying.
Signing out.
I'll see y'all next time.
Before we get into this episode, I just want to say
thank you.
The love and support for HearWhat I'm Saying means
everything.
Every download, every share,every DM and email reminds me
why I do this to educate,empower, inspire, and to keep
our conversations real.
So thank you for riding with me,listening with intention, and
trusting me with your time.
I don't take that lightly.
(00:21):
Alright, let's get into thisepisode.
If you caught my last episodewith Minnie, you know we dove
into curl patterns and bustedsome myths pertaining to the
curl pattern chart.
But today we're taking it a stepdeeper and a little further.
Now, Minnie and I touched onthis already.
(00:42):
Like I said, if you want to hearthat episode, it's literally the
one right before this one.
But I wanted to really focus onmy take, why this chart doesn't
help stylists, doesn't helpclients, and frankly, doesn't
help anyone actually care fortheir hair or simply understand
it.
Alright, let's talk about whypeople love this curl pattern
(01:06):
chart so much.
I remember the first time Iposted on TikTok trying to
dismantle this curl patternchart.
I actually went viral.
And I had so many peopleagreeing, but yet so many
disagreeing as well.
Someone even said, can we justpretty much stay in the illusion
(01:28):
of thinking that this curlpattern chart is helping them?
I just couldn't believe it.
So that made me only think maybea few things as far as why
people want to keep this curlpattern chart in their regimen.
One, it's convenient and labelsare comforting.
(01:49):
Humans love to categorizethings, it makes life feel
manageable.
And for hair, especially blackhair, there's been a long
history of being judged, shamed,or told it's too hard to manage.
So when this chart came along,people thought, finally, a way
(02:11):
to understand my hair.
And honestly, it feelsvalidating when you find a type
that seems to match you.
You feel seen, you feel like,okay, now I know what to do.
You even feel relatable becauseyou see so many black women or
people out here that is goingthrough the same struggle as
(02:32):
you.
And when this curl pattern chartis something that's incorporated
into your life, now you feel asthough you're speaking the same
hair language.
Like we all just want to feellike it's not just us, right?
But here's the problem thatvalidation is so shallow, it
only tells part of the story,and the part that actually
(02:53):
matters is the size of yourhair.
That's completely missing.
I've had clients purchase hairproducts that promote around
this curl pattern chart becausesellers knew it was a marketing
genius.
So why not piggyback from it tocapitalize from it as well?
Only for them to be leftdefeated, confused, and
(03:14):
frustrated thinking their hairis the problem.
The chart didn't tell them whattheir hair actually needed, it
didn't address porosity,moisture, or protein balance, or
even if your hair is chemicallytreated.
What about our girlies who havescalp disorders?
(03:35):
Okay, it don't address any ofthat, it just put you in a box
and it just sold you products,and that's the issue.
We've been taught to trust achart instead of our hair and
scalp itself.
Hair communicates to you.
Your problem is you don'tlisten.
(03:57):
No one listening to this podcastcan ever tell me their hair has
never given them nonverbal cues,informing them what it wants or
needs.
I don't care what y'all say.
But for some reason, this charthas when it has zero capability
of being able to be testedphysically on your head.
(04:19):
You can't take the curl patternchart and test it on your head
like a hair product.
Come on now.
The chart is an illusion.
Please let go of the illusion.
Let's let go of the delusion.
Now let's talk about something Iseen all the time behind the
chair when I was still doinghair.
Clients come in and tell me,Kenetra, natural hair is so
(04:42):
complicated.
And after thoroughly consultingto understand where this
language is coming from, Ilearned it's either they have a
complicated regimen with ashitload of products that their
hair never asked for, they don'tknow how to take care of it.
Sometimes they just don't wantthe hair that's on their head.
The curl pattern chart doesn'tget all the blame here, but it
(05:05):
does share a great load of it.
People think, oh, I'm 4C, I'm3C, I need this exact thing.
And so they buy all the productsthinking that more equals
better.
No, your hair doesn't need ascience experiment every time
you wash it.
YouTube influencers have y'allin the kitchen whipping up all
these concoctions mixed withmayonnaise and avocado and eggs.
(05:28):
Well, I guess I can blame PartyB for that.
Uh, because they promised yougrowth.
Y'all also need to understandhow DNA is a very important
factor that we all need toconsider whenever we are talking
about hair growth.
That is a real thing.
Asians have the fastest growinghair out of all the cultures.
(05:50):
Why?
Because they have thestraightest hair, and straight
hair is strong.
I know our hair looks strong,but it is the most vulnerable
because it's really challengingto moisturize curls.
So if your hair isn't stayingmoisturized or hydrated, then
(06:11):
it's more prone to breaking.
That's why us curly girls, it'smore difficult for us to retain
length.
That is what it is.
Hair growth is not your issue.
Your hair is always growingunless there is an underlying
medical condition that'spreventing it from growing.
(06:32):
And you want to pay attention towhen your hair starts to respond
in that way because your hair iscommunicating to you, it's
trying to tell you something.
This is what I mean by hairtalks.
It is trying to tell you, hey,something is going on inside.
I don't know if I have lupus, Idon't know if I have a thyroid
(06:53):
issue, but something is going onand we need to get checked out.
We need to go get some bloodwork done.
Hair is always talking to you.
That's what I'm saying when itcomes to trying to build a hair
care regimen.
If you listen to your hair, youwill know exactly what to do
with it.
But back to talking about allthese concoctions that YouTube
influencers or Cardi B wanty'all doing in order to grow
(07:17):
your hair.
That concoction that I just gaveyou is loaded with protein.
Your hair is made up of about98% keratin, which is a protein.
So you will send your hair intoprotein overload if you don't
need it, and then your hair willstart to break off.
It's like anything in life.
Too much of anything is bad foryou.
(07:38):
All you need to do is just stopand ask, why am I using these
products?
And if it's to grow your hair,because Cardi B said this is
what's growing our hair, youneed to understand the science
of the ingredients that'sincorporated in this concoction.
(08:00):
Because that's where we alwaysget lost and messed up, and then
try to figure out why this isnot working.
Because your hair never asks forit.
That's why it's not working.
But you need to just stop andask, why am I using these
products?
How has my hair been behavinglately?
Does it feel way down afterusing this certain product?
(08:21):
Or does it feel dry?
Does it feel light and fluffyafter using this styling
product?
Did it retain moisture afterswitching from hard water to
soft water?
Listen to what it is saying toyou and watch how you and your
hair start to understand oneanother.
It needs consistency,observation, and the right
basics.
(08:42):
When I simplify a client'sregimen, their hair starts
thriving immediately.
They realize it was nevercomplicated, they were just
following a confusing roadmapmade by a chart that doesn't
actually help anyone.
And that's when you realize haircare isn't complicated.
Overthinking it is now let'sbreak down why this chart is
(09:04):
misleading.
First of all, your hair isn'tone uniform texture.
You could have coils on oneside, waves on another, and
tighter curls around your crown,but the chart wants you to pick
one.
One impossible.
(09:24):
Impossible.
What if you have been silkpressing your hair and now your
curls are more lax?
So tell me where the heck you'regonna fit in a curl pattern
chart when that's not even yourorganic texture.
This it just don't make sense,y'all.
This curl pattern chart itignores density, which is how
(09:45):
much hair you actually have onyour scalp.
It ignores porosity, which ishow your hair absorbs and holds
moisture, it ignores elasticity,which tells you how far your
hair stretches and bounces back.
It doesn't consider shrinkage,which is critical for coils and
(10:05):
kinks.
Now you tell me how 4C gave youall that information.
Please tell me.
Think about your own hair for amoment.
Does it behave the sameeverywhere?
It's always one side that justbe like, mm, right?
And then the other side be like,come on.
(10:27):
Even when I was gettingrelaxers, my hair didn't behave
the same everywhere.
Is the curl tight in the backand looser in the front?
That's normal.
We need to start normalizingthis.
It's okay.
The chart doesn't acknowledgeany of that complexity, and
that's why it's misleading.
(10:49):
It oversimplifies a living hairis a living dynamic system into
something it can never be.
And if I'm being real, real thecurl pattern chart doesn't even
identify a real authenticorganic curl pattern.
It don't even serve the purposethat it was put on the market
(11:11):
for.
(11:58):
Okay.
So if you've been out herestressing over letters and
numbers, stop right now.
Because the chart is not aroadmap, it ain't even a guide,
it's a placeholder formarketing.
That is it.
Now let's talk about thecreator, Andre Walker.
(12:18):
And by all means, he probablymeant well.
However, this is an importantcontext because when we're
trusting the chart, we'retrusting the perspective of the
creator.
And guess what?
Andre Walker's advice for 4Chair, the hair that naturally
(12:38):
shrinks and coils beautifully,was to straighten it.
In a 2011 interview with Lmagazine, he said, kinky hair
can have limited stylingoptions.
That's the only hair type that Isuggest altering with
professional relaxing.
Let me just pause and say thatagain.
(13:01):
I mean, not really, but y'all,the person who created the
chart, the system that peopleare following, trolling me
behind honey, suggestedchemically or heat straightening
hair that's naturally gorgeousand versatile.
That's not guidance, that'soppression.
(13:23):
So when we're looking at thischart as a roadmap, remember its
origins.
It was created by someone whodidn't appreciate natural quote
unquote 4C hair.
4C hair.
What is even 4C hair?
I will say this 4C hairtypically is categorized as the
(13:45):
high density, fine, kinky, lowporosity hair.
That's what people assume is 4Chair.
That context is essential whenevaluating its relevance today.
Your hair deserves science,attention, and love, not a
number and a letter from someoneelse.
(14:08):
Now let's talk about whatactually matters.
Not numbers, not letters, butscience.
Your hair responds to moisture,protein, elasticity, and how it
interacts with products and theenvironment.
Knowing these things is whatdetermines your regimen.
This is how you build your haircare regimen.
(14:31):
Not the chart, not social media,not a magazine, or wherever you
get your hair care advice fromoutside of science.
You determine what is going onwith your hair by listening to
what it is telling you, byobserving your own hair.
And the best part, science isfree.
(14:54):
Y'all done spend so much moneyon so many products that your
hair never asked for, that yourhair never needed.
You don't need a chart tounderstand it.
Just watch your hair, see how itreacts and responds to whatever
it is that you're doing.
And that's when you'll see thereal magic happen.
(15:17):
So if the chart isn't helping,what do you do?
Like I said, you observe yourhair, pay attention.
How does it respond to water, toproducts, to heat?
Does it love deep conditioning?
Does it hate protein?
Focus on moisture and proteinbalance, elasticity, and
(15:37):
shrinkage.
These things actually tell youhow to care for your hair, even
style, especially when it comesto shrinkage.
And yes, your hair can changesometimes seasonally, sometimes
depending on your health or theenvironment.
That's why the chart fails.
(15:58):
I guess it assumes that yourhair is static.
I don't understand.
How can you serve a purpose andprovide a solution when you stay
the same?
No matter what's going on withmy hair.
Do y'all hear what I'm saying?
Y'all don't hear what I'msaying.
Everyone's hair is unique.
(16:20):
Two people with the same chartlabel, quote unquote, could have
completely different hair careneeds.
So what visually may look thesame actually needs different
hair care solutions.
Why?
Because one may have highporosity and one may have low
porosity.
(16:42):
And you need to make sure thatyou understand that information
because they absorb moisturecompletely different.
So how are y'all gonna use thesame hair products and end up
with the same results?
You can't, you cannot.
So this chart isn't justuseless, it can mislead you into
(17:05):
doing too much or too little orjust simply not enough.
Your hair deserves attention,love, and science.
All free.
That's it.
And once you start observing andlistening, you won't need
letters and numbers telling youwhat to do.
You need a clarifying shampoo,moisturizing shampoo and
(17:27):
conditioner, deep conditioner,leave-in, and a styling agent.
If you are chemically treated,you need a product line such as
Olaplex and K18 because it helpsrestore lost protein from
chemicals.
And last but certainly notleast, consistency.
If you don't stay consistentwith your regimen, it's no point
(17:49):
in investing.
Give a hair product at least 90days before you say it doesn't
work.
Be patient.
It takes time for your hair toreceive something new you are
introducing it to or have anopportunity to know if it
actually works.
Patience is one action that wedon't want to consider when
(18:12):
building our hair care regimen.
And it is just as important asconsistency.
Y'all will try a product for oneweek and decide it don't work,
and then off to salads, you go.
(18:34):
And did it help?
That's that's the big question Iwant to ask you.
Did it actually help you solve asolution to a hair concern that
you were experiencing?
I need to know that.
I want you to DM me, comment, ortag me on the socials, email me,
(19:00):
tell me if this curl patternchart actually did something for
you.
Find a way to get in touch withme because I need to have a
different perspective to knowthat that thing actually works.
Let's recap.
Number one, the chart ismisleading.
(19:23):
Your hair isn't one uniformtype.
Number two, the chart literallytells you nothing actionable
about care.
Nothing actionable about haircare.
Number three, hair sciencematters.
Porosity, density, andelasticity.
Four, the chart is cosmetic.
(19:46):
It's cosmetic.
It's not functional.
It's a marketing tool.
That's all it is.
Number five, Andre Walker, thecreator of this curl pattern
chart, is encouraging you tostraighten your hair if you have
quote unquote forcey hairbecause it has limitations.
It's not versatile enough.
(20:08):
Come on now.
Number six, overcomplicatingyour regimen doesn't make your
hair better.
Observing it.
Remember, your hair isn't anumber or a letter, it's unique,
alive, and deserves realattention.
(20:29):
Alright, y'all.
Ran over.
Ran over.
But I meant this entire episodewith love.
That was the passion fuelingfrom me because I really want to
see y'all accomplish your hairgoals.
I really do.
But that's it for today's deepdive on the curl pattern chart.
(20:50):
Forget letters and numbers,trust the signs, and most
importantly, trust your ownhair.
If you enjoyed this episode,share with someone who's been
stressing over their curl type,especially if they are still
using lingo according to thecurl pattern chart.
If they are still calling theirhair a number and a letter, this
(21:12):
episode is for them.
And I want you to share it tothem.
And as always, I want to hearfrom you.
Your hair wins, fails, andobservations.
Trust me, you are going to feelyour way to success even with
hair.
That's not just in your careers.
(21:33):
The biggest lessons you learn inlife is through failure.
So keep failing whatever missionyou are trying to accomplish
with your hair so that you canreach the goal.
Hit me up on the socials or dropa comment.
Let's start talking.
Not just listening on thispodcast.
Like I want to hear from y'all.
(21:56):
But until next time, staycurious and keep loving your
hair exactly as it is.
I'm Tanitra and this is HairWhat I'm Saying.
Signing out.
I'll see y'all next time.
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