Before jumping into a hair care regime, it is wise to first determine your hair type. There are some prominent hair types. Unless you know your hair type, you won’t be able to find the perfect hair care products for your locks. Hair types are mainly determined by your genes. Although you can change your hair type by using styling tools and chemical treatments, the natural hair type cannot be altered. Read on, at the end of this post, we’ve added 5 pro tips to get healthier hair.
Before moving onto the different hair types, let’s first have a look at the different factors that affect your hair type. They are as follows:
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Hair Density:
Hair density is the aspect of your hair that you often refer to as thickness. People with highly dense hair can barely see their scalp when they part their hair. If your scalp looks prominent with a hair parting, chances are that you have low hair density. However, you can easily improve your hair density by taking proper care of your hair and by following a regular hair care routine. You can oil your hair once a week to boost your hair growth naturally.
Check out this DIY homemade hair growth oil.
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Hair Porosity:
Another factor that affects your hair type is hair porosity. It refers to the absorption power of your hair. Hair that has high porosity can easily absorb moisture, conditioner, or any other product that you are using. This kind of hair can often feel dry, as it soaks up all the products very quickly. Hair with low porosity takes a long time to absorb products, and it takes much longer to dry.
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Hair Diameter:
The diameter of your hair is determined by the width of your individual hair strands. This differs from person to person and is not related to your hair texture. You can determine the diameter of your hair by touching a single strand of your hair. If you can hardly feel it with your fingers, you have fine hair strands. If you can somehow manage to feel it with your fingers, you have a medium diameter. And if you can feel its thickness with your fingers, you have a thick width.
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Hair Texture:
There can be three primary hair textures, depending upon the circumference of your hair. They are Fine Hair, Medium Hair, and Thick Hair. Fine hair is thin, light in weight, and prone to breakage. Medium hair is neither as thin as fine hair nor as thick as coarse hair. It is not prone to breakage and has more volume than fine hair. Medium hair can easily hold different hairstyles. Lastly, there is coarse or thick hair, which is frizzy and at times unmanageable.
The 4 Major Hair Types:
1. Straight Hair:
Straight hair has no trace of wave or curl. The oil emanating from the scalp can easily trickle down through the straight locks, making the hair greasy. Even after various hairstyles, straight hair doesn’t lose its straightness. It becomes difficult to style curls on straight hair, as it tends to fall back to its original state.
Straight hair also gets nourished by the oil that the scalp produces, so you will often find that straight hair has an added shine to it. Straight hair is further divided into Types 1A, 1B, and 1C, depending on the texture.
How to Determine if You Have Straight Hair:
- After using a flat iron, the look of your hair undergoes no significant change.
- When you try to curl your hair, it tends to fall flat.
- You often experience an oily scalp.
2. Wavy Hair:
Wavy hair is naturally more curly than straight hair, and less curly than curly hair. Basically, wavy hair has a slight wave to it, as if you have just dipped your hair in the sea. The famous beachy waves are inspired by wavy hair. Wavy hair is pretty easy to style. It has three sub-sections, Types 2A, 2B, and 2C, depending upon the hair texture.
How to Determine if You Have Wavy Hair:
- Your hair is neither completely straight nor totally curly.
- You can style your hair without much hassle.
- You have natural waves in your hair.
Check out homemade remedies for frizzy hair.
3. Curly Hair:
Curly hair is easy to recognize. It loosely forms the shape of the letter ‘S’. Curly hair can often become frizzy and hard to manage if you brush it too much. Depending on the texture, curly hair is further divided into Types 3A, 3B, and 3C.
How to Determine if You Have Curly Hair:
- Your hair forms either loose or tight curls.
- Your hair often becomes frizzy and dry.
- It becomes difficult to straighten your hair using a flat iron.
4. Coily or Kinky Hair:
Kinky hair looks extremely dry, coarse, and curly. The curls are nicely visible. Kinky hair often tends to become unmanageable. It is more curly and harsh than Type 3 Curly Hair. This hair type needs more care and attention than other types.
How to Determine if You Have Kinky Hair:
- You have extremely curly hair.
- Your hair forms an ‘S’ shape tightly.
- Your hair is coarse and cannot be styled with a flat iron easily.
Depending on the hair types, you can have oily, dry, or normal hair. You can determine oily hair by an oily scalp, and dry hair is characterized by brittle hair with split ends. And if your hair falls somewhere in-between, you have normal hair. However, remember that it is not necessary for your hair to fit into any single category, it can be a combination of two or more categories.
5 Pro Tips To Get Healthier Hair:
- Avoid washing your hair regularly.
- Do not bleach your hair.
- Avoid washing your hair with hot water.
- Eat protein-rich foods.
- Oil your hair at least once a week.
FAQs on Different Hair Types and How to Determine Yours:
Can you have 2 hair types?
Yes, remember that it is not necessary for your hair to fit into any single category, it can be a combination of two or more categories.
What are the most prominent types of hair?
There are 4 main hair types: Straight, Wavy, Curly, or Coiled Hair.
Do you determine hair type when dry or wet?
Hair type is best determined when your hair is clean and dry. Take a shower and dry off your hair to find out your hair type.
These Were The Different Hair Types and How to Determine Yours. Share this post and let us know your suggestions.
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