Targeting Texture: Adapted Combing Test to Assess Curly Hair Product Efficacy by Cosmetics & Toiletries

Published by Monique Shauntà Wilburn and Joel Basilan, the January 29, 2020.

The Andre Walker Hair Typing System, created by celebrity hair stylist Andre Walker, categorizes hair into four types:

• Type 1 (straight),
• Type 2 (wavy),
• Type 3 (curly),
• Type 4 (kinky/​coily).

Types 2, 3 and 4 belong to the textured hair category, whose sub-classifi­cations from a to c, are characterized by the spacing between each curve and the diameter of the wave, curl or coil.

Regardless of ethnicity, 63% of the U.S. population has textured hair, and all three textured hair types are observed across all racial groups. Although Types 2 and 4 occur more prevalently in white and black Americans, respectively, both groups have similar likelihoods to possess Type 3 hair.¹ Recognizing the diversity of textured hair types in Americans, regardless of ethnicity, it should come as no surprise that 71% of women with textured hair prefer to buy products specifically for their hair texture rather than ethnicity.² For these reasons, herein hair will be described according to hair type or texture, not ethnicity.

Over the years, these women have increasingly embraced wearing hair in its natural state. As such, chemical straightening has become less common, resulting in hair relaxer sales steadily declining over the last decade²—along with a corresponding increasing demand for products focused on maintaining naturally textured hair condition health. To this end, the current work aimed to develop test methods using naturally textured hair, i.​e., Types 2, 3 and 4, to support the claims substant­iation of products and ingredients specified for these hair types.

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