My hair is naturally very kinky* (4b). This isn’t a guess or my perception of my natural texture either, I am a true 4b. I know there are lots of relaxed ladies who believe themselves to have “nappy” or “kinky” hair at the start of their hair journey. Then later they embark on their natural/transitioning hair journey or even sometimes just complete a long term stretch and are shocked to discover their hair pattern is much looser then they always thought. A great example of this is popular YouTuber NinaPruitt.
I remember during her long transition she would always describe her natural texture as kinky*, coarse and 4a/b. I would always look quizzically at my laptop screen because I could tell even with only a few inches of new growth that those statements were far from accurate. In her big-chop video, Nina spoke about being surprised at her soft texture and obvious curls. Her texture hadn’t changed, she simply was unfamiliar with it.
For most, beginning a healthy hair journey is a time filled with excitement, zeal, and enthusiasm. We pour through pages of information on our favorite online hair resources, watch countless videos and try to formulate our own hair regimens. Often we make assertions about our hair type and texture that are not true. We may think of our hair as being chronically dry so we find out about porosity and proclaim “That’s it! That’s my problem! My hair must be over porous!” and rush out to purchase apple cider vinegar*, Roux porosity control* AND a clear rinse to correct it – after all can’t be too careful, right?
After you’ve become familiar with your hair and numerous regimen tweaks and changes later, you may discover your hair doesn’t have a porosity problem at all – you were just using products that don’t deliver moisture to your hair such as oil sheens, hair polishers and grease before the start of your journey causing your perceived “chronic dryness.”