DO YOU SPEAK CURLY?
Do the acronyms “TWA,” “BSL,” or “ACV” sound familiar to you? What about the terms “pre-poo,” “seal,” or “pineappleing?” If you’re totally confused, fret not because we’re here to decode the entire gamut of natural hair lingo in the ESSENCE Ultimate Natural Hair Dictionary. We enlisted the help of Jenell Stewart, naturalista blogger of Kinky Curly Coily Me, to help us explain all the terms you’ll need to know when you decide to do the “BC” — Big Chop that is.
Jenell Stewart
A phrase used to describe the number of days since you last styled your hair. Hair styled today would be considered 2nd-day hair tomorrow.
3A/3B/3C/4A/4B/4C
These represent the Hair Type Classification System created by hairstylist Andre Walker. Type 3 hair is curly with a visible curl pattern. Type 3 curls can range from big, loose, bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. Type 4 is kinky, or very tightly curled, with a less visible curl pattern. Type 4 curls can range from tight zig-zag curls to extremely tight coils.
Portrait of young woman in urban setting — Image by © Tomas Rodriguez/Corbis
APL
Arm Pit Length. This is a way of describing the length of a person’s hair. If a strand of hair can be stretched out to reach your armpit it qualifies asAPL.
ACCORDION METHOD
A hairstyling technique consisting of a squeezing motion to scrunch the product into the hair to encourage body and natural waves.
ALOPECIA
The loss of hair. In some cases, alopecia is due to medical conditions, but it can also result from hairstyles such as tight ponytails or braids, which is known as traction alopecia.
BAA
Big A*s Afro. This is used to describe a very large, picked-out afro.
BAGGY JOB OR BAGGYING
A method of soaking the hair with moisturizer and then covering the hair in a plastic bag, shower cap, Saran Wrap or even a simple plastic shopping bag for several hours. Baggying can also be applied to just the ends of the hair.
BC / BIG CHOP
Cutting off all the relaxed hair regardless of the amount of new growth.
BNC
Braid–n–Curl. A styling technique where the hair is braided and the ends are set with rollers or rods to create curl definition.
