HAIR DICTIONARY
Detangling The Terms
This whole natural hair journey can be really frustrating sometimes! Especially when all these natural hair informants are always speaking in some jargon code. Well, here's a list of those words that make you feel a little skeptical about what exactly you're getting yourself into.
1. 1/2a,b,c/3a,b,c/4a,b,c - This is a hair typing system that some naturals use for texture classification and clarification. Some naturals love this system because it helps them find products that work better with their hair textures and tips for maintaining hair that would differ from how a natural in a different category would maintain their own mane. Some naturals hate this system because it can lead to some major HAIR ENVY!
2. APL - Armpit length.
3. Bantu-Knot Out - Either two-strand twisting or twisting the sectioned hair around itself before proceeding to made a knot with the hair by wrapping it around itself. Take down results in a manipulated, curly hair style.
4. BC - Big Chop; cutting off all your chemically treated hair or heat damaged hair received from too much heat styling (i.e. blow drying, straightening)
5. Braid-out - Braiding hair in any optional size, then take down to produce a manipulated, curly hair style.
6. BSL - Bra-strap length.
7. CBL - Collar bone length.
8. Co-washing - Using conditioner instead of shampoo to wash hair.
9. CG Method - "Curly Girl" Method, where natural-haired curlies follow a regimen that does not require any or a lot of shampoo, which goes hand in hand with avoiding silicones.
10. DT/DC - Deep Treatment or deep-condition, both meaning the same thing. This method requires leaving a moisturizing conditioner (store bought or home-made) on your hair for an extended period of time after washing to add a boost of moisture to your hair. Especially good after washing hair with shampoo. Recommended to apply a heat source (place a shower cap over hair and wrap with a towel or sit under a dryer/heating cap).
11. EO - Essential Oils; oils that have been extracted purely from nature with no manual add-on ingredients. These oils range from olive oil and coconut oil (great for moisture lock-in), to lavender oil and peppermint oil (great for fragrance).
12. EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
13. Flat-twistout - Flat-twisting the hair (twisting onto the scalp) in any optional size, then take down to achieve a manipulated curly hair style.
14. Heavy Hand Syndrome - Using too much of one or multiple products in one go. Don't doubt that dime-sized amount. A little goes a long way.
15. HIHS - Hand in Hair Syndrome; causes you to constantly feel up your tresses. Stop! Don't touch them!
16. LOC Method - Liquid/Leave-in, Oil, Cream Method; this method is used by many naturals, in that order, when prepping their hair for styling or giving their hair some much needed moisture. Associated with the LOCO Method, which is the Liquid/Leave-in, Oil, Cream, Oil Method.
17. MBL - Mid-back length.
18. Nappyversary - The anniversary of the day you became a fellow natural! Congrats!
19. Patience - Waiting to receive the fruition of your labor. Trust me, you'll need to know this word.
20. Pineappleing - A sleeping technique where you gather all of your hair in a loose pony tail that sits at the top of your head and go to sleep, to then shake down in the morning. This can preserve a manipulated style like a twistout our braid-out for an extra day or two. Not as effective for kinkier hair textures like mine (4b,c) since these textures are known to defy gravity. If it's up, it's staying up! Can I get an Amen!
21. Pre-pooing - A technique used before shampooing the hair. Oils and/or conditioners are applied to the hair the night before or right before washing to lock in some moisture.
22. Product Junkie - Someone who is constantly buying a load of different products to test out on their hair. Not a good idea! You'll lose track of what works with your hair and what doesn't!
23. SLS - Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; found in most shampoos that are not made specifically for natural hair and the reason why it is good to avoid shampoos. They strip our hair of its nutrients!
24. TLHC - Tender Loving Hair Care.
25. Transitioning - The period of time between a converted curly girl's last relaxer up until their big chop.
26. TWA - Teeny Weeny Afro.
27. Twistout - Two strand twist the hair in any optional size, then take down to reveal a manipulated curly hair style.
28. W&G - Wash and Go; a styling method where after you wash your hair, you add a styling product that enables the hair to clump (gel, cream) and go, go, go! You can allow the hair to air dry or dry with a diffuser.
I hope I've shed some light on some of those intimidating hair codes. Equipped with this hair dictionary, and many others that can be found all over the web - Girl, you are ready to go natural!
Check back for new additions to the Hair Dictionary!
2. APL - Armpit length.
3. Bantu-Knot Out - Either two-strand twisting or twisting the sectioned hair around itself before proceeding to made a knot with the hair by wrapping it around itself. Take down results in a manipulated, curly hair style.
4. BC - Big Chop; cutting off all your chemically treated hair or heat damaged hair received from too much heat styling (i.e. blow drying, straightening)
5. Braid-out - Braiding hair in any optional size, then take down to produce a manipulated, curly hair style.
6. BSL - Bra-strap length.
7. CBL - Collar bone length.
8. Co-washing - Using conditioner instead of shampoo to wash hair.
9. CG Method - "Curly Girl" Method, where natural-haired curlies follow a regimen that does not require any or a lot of shampoo, which goes hand in hand with avoiding silicones.
10. DT/DC - Deep Treatment or deep-condition, both meaning the same thing. This method requires leaving a moisturizing conditioner (store bought or home-made) on your hair for an extended period of time after washing to add a boost of moisture to your hair. Especially good after washing hair with shampoo. Recommended to apply a heat source (place a shower cap over hair and wrap with a towel or sit under a dryer/heating cap).
11. EO - Essential Oils; oils that have been extracted purely from nature with no manual add-on ingredients. These oils range from olive oil and coconut oil (great for moisture lock-in), to lavender oil and peppermint oil (great for fragrance).
12. EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
13. Flat-twistout - Flat-twisting the hair (twisting onto the scalp) in any optional size, then take down to achieve a manipulated curly hair style.
14. Heavy Hand Syndrome - Using too much of one or multiple products in one go. Don't doubt that dime-sized amount. A little goes a long way.
15. HIHS - Hand in Hair Syndrome; causes you to constantly feel up your tresses. Stop! Don't touch them!
16. LOC Method - Liquid/Leave-in, Oil, Cream Method; this method is used by many naturals, in that order, when prepping their hair for styling or giving their hair some much needed moisture. Associated with the LOCO Method, which is the Liquid/Leave-in, Oil, Cream, Oil Method.
17. MBL - Mid-back length.
18. Nappyversary - The anniversary of the day you became a fellow natural! Congrats!
19. Patience - Waiting to receive the fruition of your labor. Trust me, you'll need to know this word.
20. Pineappleing - A sleeping technique where you gather all of your hair in a loose pony tail that sits at the top of your head and go to sleep, to then shake down in the morning. This can preserve a manipulated style like a twistout our braid-out for an extra day or two. Not as effective for kinkier hair textures like mine (4b,c) since these textures are known to defy gravity. If it's up, it's staying up! Can I get an Amen!
21. Pre-pooing - A technique used before shampooing the hair. Oils and/or conditioners are applied to the hair the night before or right before washing to lock in some moisture.
22. Product Junkie - Someone who is constantly buying a load of different products to test out on their hair. Not a good idea! You'll lose track of what works with your hair and what doesn't!
23. SLS - Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; found in most shampoos that are not made specifically for natural hair and the reason why it is good to avoid shampoos. They strip our hair of its nutrients!
24. TLHC - Tender Loving Hair Care.
25. Transitioning - The period of time between a converted curly girl's last relaxer up until their big chop.
26. TWA - Teeny Weeny Afro.
27. Twistout - Two strand twist the hair in any optional size, then take down to reveal a manipulated curly hair style.
28. W&G - Wash and Go; a styling method where after you wash your hair, you add a styling product that enables the hair to clump (gel, cream) and go, go, go! You can allow the hair to air dry or dry with a diffuser.
I hope I've shed some light on some of those intimidating hair codes. Equipped with this hair dictionary, and many others that can be found all over the web - Girl, you are ready to go natural!
Check back for new additions to the Hair Dictionary!