Despite the phenomenal amount of hair products, accessories, treatments and styles available, there is surprisingly little information about understanding your hair type. This is probably the most important place to start, as it helps you know what you can and can’t do with your hair. Equally, a better understanding of your hair type helps you choose the best hair care and styling products or techniques. It also lets you get the most from your hair and look after it properly. In this post we get quite deep about hair. Hopefully, by the end you will better understand, care for and love your hair type.
An Overview of Hair Anatomy and Physiology
Before we begin, this guide is for any hair type, regardless of length, texture, age, colour or background. You see, like skin, all human hair is essentially the same. That is to say, hair is just hair, and we all share the same fundamentals. Hair is composed of the shaft, follicle and bulb. The hair shaft (what we see as a strand of hair) is made up of a protein called keratin. Each hair is anchored into the skin by a follicle, and at the base of each follicle sits the hair bulb. This is the living part of the hair, as it contains the stem cells and keratin-making cells that build the hair shaft.
At the base of each follicle there is also a rich blood supply, which nourishes the hair cells and controls growth and regeneration. These blood vessels also deliver hormones that help decide which stage of the hair cycle each hair is in. At any one time, each hair is either in the growth phase (anagen), transitioning (catagen) or in the resting phase (telogen). Most hair is usually in the anagen stage, meaning it is growing. Hair grows at different rates depending on your health and hormones, but the average is about 0.5 inches per month. Hair colour is determined by the melanin-producing cells in the follicle. Whilst colour depends on your genetics, as we age the pigment-producing cells die and our hair turns grey.
Figuring Out Your Hair Type
Now that you have a super basic understanding of hair structure and behaviour, let’s move to the fun bit. There are three basic categories to understanding your hair type. These are strand shape, elasticity and porosity. These distinctions matter, as they explain why your hair behaves as it does and which products and techniques suit it. Like figuring out your skin type, working out your hair type is easiest if you wash your hair and gently towel-dry it.
Hair Strand Type
Strand type is what gives your hair its overall appearance. The best way to look at it is to identify which of the four main categories your hair falls into: straight, wavy, curly and coily.
- Straight hair: varies from baby-fine hair that is super straight and never curls, to thick straight hair that can just about hold a curled style. It tends to be oilier, as the oil spreads along the shaft without interference from curls, and glossier, because light hits the even surface. It is also quite hard to style, as it resists holding a curl or wave.
- Wavy hair: sits between straight and curly, with a more open “C” shape. It ranges from the bed-head look to a surfer-girl wave and, at its thickest, big bouncy loose curls. It can show more sheen than curly or coily hair, but less than straight hair. Type A waves are easy to style straight or curlier, whilst types B and C are harder to style straight.
- Curly hair: has a more defined “S”-shaped curl, from ringlets to spirals depending on the degree of curliness. It is more fragile and so damages more easily. It can also look drier and less glossy than straight hair, because the curl reduces the even spread of oil from the scalp.
- Coily hair: is the most fragile and tends to be the finest. The strand pattern is more of a “Z” shape. It is the driest, as the curl pattern stops oil spreading from the scalp along the shaft. As such, it is prone to breakage, which is why it can appear not to grow much. In fact, coily hair grows at the same rate as any other type. It just breaks more easily, which reduces its apparent length. It can also look rough, again due to the uneven oil distribution and the curl pattern.
Hair Elasticity & Porosity
Elasticity is your hair’s ability to bounce back, and healthy hair should be elastic. To test it, gently pull a strand between your fingers to stretch it, then see if it recoils. If it barely moves in either direction, it is dehydrated.
Porosity is how good your hair is at absorbing and holding onto moisture. To test it, dip the dry ends of your hair into a cup of water. If the hair floats, it is not porous. However, if it sinks immediately, then it is very porous. If your hair is not very porous, it does not take in products easily, so it benefits from thicker moisturising products. Porous hair absorbs products easily, so it is better suited to lightweight, non-oily formulations.
What Your Hair Type Means for Hair Care and Styling
Knowing your hair type makes it much easier to understand how to look after and style it. Whatever your hair type, the universal rule is to treat it with a bit of love and respect. Working with your hair type, rather than against it, makes a huge difference to your results.
- Straight hair: can look limp and greasy, or even frizzy in humid conditions. The secret is to avoid over-washing (which strips the scalp of its essential oils) and to use a dry shampoo between washes. Choose hydrating but lightweight cleansing and moisturising products rather than thick or oil-based ones, which weigh the hair down. A smoothing serum also helps tame frizz without weighing hair down.
- Wavy hair: is very prone to frizz, so handle it as little as possible. Use hydrating cleansing and moisturising products, and let it dry gently or use a cool setting and diffuser. Avoid over-styling or touching it too much, as it easily goes from a tousled look to a fuzzball. An anti-frizz spray or treatment is great in humid conditions.
- Curly hair: can be a bit of a diva. Too much product looks tortured and weighed down, whilst too little leaves it frizzy and wild. Cleanse without stripping it of moisture and, depending on porosity, use an oil or water-based treatment. It is very prone to damage, so treat it gently and use protective products when heat styling. A frizz-taming product, used sparingly, helps, but remember that less is more.
- Coily hair: is the most delicate, so treat it very gently. Its main issue is dryness, so cleanse with a gentle, non-drying shampoo and always follow with a deeply moisturising conditioner. Always dry gently with a towel and style with a rich, oil-based cream. Use a hydrating product day and night to keep the hair conditioned and moisturised. If you chemically or heat treat it, be very careful, deep condition beforehand and use a protective spray.
Understanding your hair type is the foundation of an effective hair care routine. Once you know your strand shape, elasticity and porosity, the rest is easy. You can then choose products that keep your hair healthy and looking its best.
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This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified medical professional with any concerns about your hair or treatment options.
