With the discussion about adding waves and curls I thought it might be interesting to show what my hair looks in various states. 

Here is my hair in twin french braids (excuse the messy flyaways - my hair had been in braids all day - including riding to and from work).
www.tarsk.com/Robin/2004_08_braids.JPG

Finally time to wash the hair!  Here it is wet.

www.tarsk.com/Robin/2004_08_wet.JPG

Your hair is beautiful, bikerbraid! I can't believe the amount of waves those French braids gave you, I get *much* less of an effect! You'll soon be at classic length.

/Kate

Your hair is so loooong!! very pretty!  The curl from the
french braids look so cool!  My hair has gotten a bit
wavier this summer, too.  Don't know why.   I think I'm
a 1cFi  some wave but it used to be straighter.  Maybe
it's been more humid.  It straightens out a lot when I
get in a desert climate.

::blushes:: Thanks everyone!

Bikerbraid,

Nice, nice waves, so different than mine looks when I take down a French braid.

What do you consider to be your Fia hair type?

oooo we're almost the same! im 1bFii 

Here's Fia's hair rating system:

Fia's Hairtyping System

First classifier - Your curliness (or lack thereof)
The straight ones
1a - stick straight
1b - straight but with a slight body wave, just enough to add some volume, doesn't look wavy
1c - straight with body wave and one or two visible S-waves (e.g. nape of neck or temples)

The wavy ones
2a - loose, stretched out S-waves throughout the hair
2b - shorter, more distinct S-waves (similar to waves from braiding damp hair)
2c - distinct S-waves and the odd spiral curl forming here and there

The curly ones
3a - big, loose spiral curls
3b - bouncy ringlets
3c - tight corkscrews

The really curly ones
4a - tightly coiled S-curls
4b - tightly coiled hair bending in sharp angles (Z-pattern)


Second classifier - What (most of) your individual strands look like

F - Fine
Thin strands that sometimes are almost translucent when held up to the light. Shed strands can be hard to see even against a contrasting background. Similar to hair found on many people of Scandinavian descent.

N - Normal
Strands are neither fine nor coarse. Similar to hair found on many Caucasians.

C - Coarse
Thick strands that where shed strands usually are easily identified against most backgrounds. Similar to hair found on many people of Asian, Hispanic or native American descent.


Third classifier - Your overall volume of hair
Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don't bother with the way it looks - the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there.
Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can't get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.

i - thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)

ii - normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)

iii - thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)


If you are having difficulty determining the thickness of individual hairs, this might help:

Take a strand of hair from the back of your head. Roll the strand between your thumb and index finger.

Fine Hair -- Your hair is difficult to feel or it feels like an ultra-fine strand of silk

Coarse Hair -- Your hair feels hard and wiry. As you roll it back and forth, you may actually hear it!

Medium Hair -- Your hair feels like a cotton thread. You can feel it, but it isn't stiff or rough. It is neither fine or coarse