Some natural hair girlies out here might hate me for saying this, but it might be time to move past our obsession with the classification of our curl type. The curl pattern chart was a decent starting point for reintroducing natural Black hair and hair care to a very white American beauty industry. But in 2023, when natural hair is finally becoming more mainstream everywhere from corporate offices to red carpets, we need a more nuanced way to discuss hair texture.

A recent TikTok from writer Lauren J. Gordan (on Holycurlss account) tapped into a conversation that has been bubbling among Black women for quite some time now. While sharing the history of the chart, which reportedly was conceptualized by Oprahs hairstylist, Andre Walker (who has publicly shared very problematic views about type 4 hair), she argues that we should not be boxed into a one-type-fits-all understanding of our hair. And I couldnt agree more.