Curl Pattern Myths Pt. 2: Why the Curl Pattern Chart Fails Black Hair Care

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.

Chapters

• 0:00 Gratitude And Setup
• 0:27 Why The Curl Chart Took Off
• 2:45 Validation Vs Real Hair Needs
• 4:32 Overcomplicated Regimens And DIY Myths
• 7:15 Hair Growth Facts And Biology
• 10:25 Protein Overload And Ingredient Sense
• 12:45 Simplifying Regimens That Work
• 13:59 The Chart’s Technical Gaps
• 16:22 Origins And Bias Behind The Chart
• 18:20 What Actually Guides Hair Care
• 20:08 Building A Science-Based Routine

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Before we get into this episode, I just want to say thank you. The love and support for Hear What 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. Alright, let's get into this episode. If you caught my last episode with Minnie, you know we dove into curl patterns and busted some myths pertaining to the curl pattern chart. But today we're taking it a step deeper and a little further. Now, Minnie and I touched on this already. Like I said, if you want to hear that episode, it's literally the one right before this one. But I wanted to really focus on my take, why this chart doesn't help stylists, doesn't help clients, and frankly, doesn't help anyone actually care for their hair or simply understand it. Alright, let's talk about why people love this curl pattern chart so much. I remember the first time I posted on TikTok trying to dismantle this curl pattern chart. I actually went viral. And I had so many people agreeing, but yet so many disagreeing as well. Someone even said, can we just pretty much stay in the illusion of thinking that this curl pattern chart is helping them? I just couldn't believe it. So that made me only think maybe a few things as far as why people want to keep this curl pattern chart in their regimen. One, it's convenient and labels are comforting. Humans love to categorize things, it makes life feel manageable. And for hair, especially black hair, 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 to understand my hair. And honestly, it feels validating 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 because you see so many black women or people out here that is going through the same struggle as you. And when this curl pattern chart is something that's incorporated into your life, now you feel as though you're speaking the same hair language. Like we all just want to feel like it's not just us, right? But here's the problem that validation is so shallow, it only tells part of the story, and the part that actually matters is the size of your hair. That's completely missing. I've had clients purchase hair products that promote around this curl pattern chart because sellers knew it was a marketing genius. So why not piggyback from it to capitalize from it as well? Only for them to be left defeated, confused, and frustrated thinking their hair is the problem. The chart didn't tell them what their hair actually needed, it didn't address porosity, moisture, or protein balance, or even if your hair is chemically treated. What about our girlies who have scalp disorders? Okay, it don't address any of that, it just put you in a box and it just sold you products, and that's the issue. We've been taught to trust a chart instead of our hair and scalp itself. Hair communicates to you. Your problem is you don't listen. No one listening to this podcast can 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 chart has when it has zero capability of being able to be tested physically on your head. You can't take the curl pattern chart 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 I seen all the time behind the chair when I was still doing hair. Clients come in and tell me, Kenetra, natural hair is so complicated. And after thoroughly consulting to understand where this language is coming from, I learned it's either they have a complicated regimen with a shitload of products that their hair never asked for, they don't know how to take care of it. Sometimes they just don't want the hair that's on their head. The curl pattern chart doesn't get all the blame here, but it does share a great load of it. People think, oh, I'm 4C, I'm 3C, I need this exact thing. And so they buy all the products thinking that more equals better. No, your hair doesn't need a science experiment every time you wash it. YouTube influencers have y'all in the kitchen whipping up all these concoctions mixed with mayonnaise and avocado and eggs. Well, I guess I can blame Party B for that. Uh, because they promised you growth. Y'all also need to understand how DNA is a very important factor that we all need to consider whenever we are talking about hair growth. That is a real thing. Asians have the fastest growing hair out of all the cultures. Why? Because they have the straightest hair, and straight hair is strong. I know our hair looks strong, but it is the most vulnerable because it's really challenging to moisturize curls. So if your hair isn't staying moisturized or hydrated, then it's more prone to breaking. That's why us curly girls, it's more difficult for us to retain length. That is what it is. Hair growth is not your issue. Your hair is always growing unless there is an underlying medical condition that's preventing it from growing. And you want to pay attention to when your hair starts to respond in that way because your hair is communicating to you, it's trying to tell you something. This is what I mean by hair talks. It is trying to tell you, hey, something is going on inside. I don't know if I have lupus, I don't know if I have a thyroid issue, but something is going on and we need to get checked out. We need to go get some blood work done. Hair is always talking to you. That's what I'm saying when it comes to trying to build a hair care regimen. If you listen to your hair, you will know exactly what to do with it. But back to talking about all these concoctions that YouTube influencers or Cardi B want y'all doing in order to grow your hair. That concoction that I just gave you is loaded with protein. Your hair is made up of about 98% keratin, which is a protein. So you will send your hair into protein overload if you don't need it, and then your hair will start to break off. It's like anything in life. Too much of anything is bad for you. All you need to do is just stop and 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, you need to understand the science of the ingredients that's incorporated in this concoction. Because that's where we always get lost and messed up, and then try to figure out why this is not working. Because your hair never asks for it. That's why it's not working. But you need to just stop and ask, why am I using these products? How has my hair been behaving lately? Does it feel way down after using this certain product? Or does it feel dry? Does it feel light and fluffy after using this styling product? Did it retain moisture after switching from hard water to soft water? Listen to what it is saying to you and watch how you and your hair start to understand one another. It needs consistency, observation, and the right basics. When I simplify a client's regimen, their hair starts thriving immediately. They realize it was never complicated, they were just following a confusing roadmap made by a chart that doesn't actually help anyone. And that's when you realize hair care isn't complicated. Overthinking it is now let's break down why this chart is misleading. First of all, your hair isn't one uniform texture. You could have coils on one side, waves on another, and tighter curls around your crown, but the chart wants you to pick one. One impossible. Impossible. What if you have been silk pressing your hair and now your curls are more lax? So tell me where the heck you're gonna fit in a curl pattern chart when that's not even your organic texture. This it just don't make sense, y'all. This curl pattern chart it ignores density, which is how much hair you actually have on your scalp. It ignores porosity, which is how 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 kinks. Now you tell me how 4C gave you all that information. Please tell me. Think about your own hair for a moment. Does it behave the same everywhere? It's always one side that just be like, mm, right? And then the other side be like, come on. Even when I was getting relaxers, my hair didn't behave the same everywhere. Is the curl tight in the back and looser in the front? That's normal. We need to start normalizing this. It's okay. The chart doesn't acknowledge any of that complexity, and that's why it's misleading. It oversimplifies a living hair is a living dynamic system into something it can never be. And if I'm being real, real the curl pattern chart doesn't even identify a real authentic organic curl pattern. It don't even serve the purpose that it was put on the market for. Okay. So if you've been out here stressing over letters and numbers, stop right now. Because the chart is not a roadmap, it ain't even a guide, it's a placeholder for marketing. That is it. Now let's talk about the creator, Andre Walker. And by all means, he probably meant well. However, this is an important context because when we're trusting the chart, we're trusting the perspective of the creator. And guess what? Andre Walker's advice for 4C hair, the hair that naturally shrinks and coils beautifully, was to straighten it. In a 2011 interview with L magazine, he said, kinky hair can have limited styling options. That's the only hair type that I suggest altering with professional relaxing. Let me just pause and say that again. I mean, not really, but y'all, the person who created the chart, the system that people are following, trolling me behind honey, suggested chemically or heat straightening hair that's naturally gorgeous and versatile. That's not guidance, that's oppression. So when we're looking at this chart as a roadmap, remember its origins. It was created by someone who didn't appreciate natural quote unquote 4C hair. 4C hair. What is even 4C hair? I will say this 4C hair typically is categorized as the high density, fine, kinky, low porosity hair. That's what people assume is 4C hair. That context is essential when evaluating its relevance today. Your hair deserves science, attention, and love, not a number and a letter from someone else. Now let's talk about what actually matters. Not numbers, not letters, but science. Your hair responds to moisture, protein, elasticity, and how it interacts with products and the environment. Knowing these things is what determines your regimen. This is how you build your hair care regimen. Not the chart, not social media, not a magazine, or wherever you get your hair care advice from outside of science. You determine what is going on with your hair by listening to what it is telling you, by observing your own hair. And the best part, science is free. Y'all done spend so much money on so many products that your hair never asked for, that your hair never needed. You don't need a chart to understand it. Just watch your hair, see how it reacts and responds to whatever it is that you're doing. And that's when you'll see the real magic happen. So if the chart isn't helping, what do you do? Like I said, you observe your hair, pay attention. How does it respond to water, to products, to heat? Does it love deep conditioning? Does it hate protein? Focus on moisture and protein balance, elasticity, and shrinkage. These things actually tell you how to care for your hair, even style, especially when it comes to shrinkage. And yes, your hair can change sometimes seasonally, sometimes depending on your health or the environment. That's why the chart fails. I guess it assumes that your hair is static. I don't understand. How can you serve a purpose and provide a solution when you stay the same? No matter what's going on with my hair. Do y'all hear what I'm saying? Y'all don't hear what I'm saying. Everyone's hair is unique. Two people with the same chart label, quote unquote, could have completely different hair care needs. So what visually may look the same actually needs different hair care solutions. Why? Because one may have high porosity and one may have low porosity. And you need to make sure that you understand that information because they absorb moisture completely different. So how are y'all gonna use the same hair products and end up with the same results? You can't, you cannot. So this chart isn't just useless, it can mislead you into doing too much or too little or just simply not enough. Your hair deserves attention, love, and science. All free. That's it. And once you start observing and listening, you won't need letters and numbers telling you what to do. You need a clarifying shampoo, moisturizing shampoo and 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 helps restore lost protein from chemicals. And last but certainly not least, consistency. If you don't stay consistent with your regimen, it's no point in investing. Give a hair product at least 90 days before you say it doesn't work. Be patient. It takes time for your hair to receive something new you are introducing it to or have an opportunity to know if it actually works. Patience is one action that we don't want to consider when building our hair care regimen. And it is just as important as consistency. Y'all will try a product for one week and decide it don't work, and then off to salads, you go. And did it help? That's that's the big question I want to ask you. Did it actually help you solve a solution to a hair concern that you were experiencing? I need to know that. I want you to DM me, comment, or tag me on the socials, email me, tell me if this curl pattern chart actually did something for you. Find a way to get in touch with me because I need to have a different perspective to know that that thing actually works. Let's recap. Number one, the chart is misleading. Your hair isn't one uniform type. Number two, the chart literally tells you nothing actionable about care. Nothing actionable about hair care. Number three, hair science matters. Porosity, density, and elasticity. Four, the chart is cosmetic. It's cosmetic. It's not functional. It's a marketing tool. That's all it is. Number five, Andre Walker, the creator of this curl pattern chart, is encouraging you to straighten your hair if you have quote unquote forcey hair because it has limitations. It's not versatile enough. Come on now. Number six, overcomplicating your regimen doesn't make your hair better. Observing it. Remember, your hair isn't a number or a letter, it's unique, alive, and deserves real attention. Alright, y'all. Ran over. Ran over. But I meant this entire episode with love. That was the passion fueling from me because I really want to see y'all accomplish your hair goals. I really do. But that's it for today's deep dive on the curl pattern chart. Forget letters and numbers, trust the signs, and most importantly, trust your own hair. 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 the curl pattern chart. If they are still calling their hair a number and a letter, this episode is for them. And I want you to share it to them. And as always, I want to hear from you. Your hair wins, fails, and observations. Trust me, you are going to feel your way to success even with hair. That's not just in your careers. The biggest lessons you learn in life is through failure. So keep failing whatever mission you are trying to accomplish with your hair so that you can reach the goal. Hit me up on the socials or drop a comment. Let's start talking. Not just listening on this podcast. Like I want to hear from y'all. But until next time, stay curious and keep loving your hair exactly as it is. I'm Tanitra and this is Hair What I'm Saying. Signing out. I'll see y'all next time.