Knowing your hair type makes it much easier to choose the right products and keep your hair looking fantastic. That means you need to know how to decide your hair type, fortunately this is easier than you thought.
However, before you start, it is worth noting that quality products, such as the Kerastase range, are designed with natural ingredients and have different hair care products to suit every type of hair. It is preferable to spend a little more and look after your hair.
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There are several factors that dictate the type of hair you have:
Density
The density is the number of strands of hair you have on your head. The more you have per square cm the more dense your hair. It is important to note that this is not the same as thin or dense hair, this is just the amount of hair you have on your head.
Thin
Look in the mirror or get someone to look at your hair from above. If it is easy to see your scalp you have thin or low density hair.
Medium
When you look at your hair if it is possible to see glimpses of your scalp you have medium density hair.
Thick
Unsurprisingly, if you can’t see your scalp at all then you have dense hair.
Thickness
This is what most people think about when you mention hair type. You can have thin, medium, or thick hair. It is possible to measure it with a laser pointer, but just feeling it should be enough.
Thin
Hold a strand of hair in your hand. If it is difficult to feel or is so thin that you can barely see it, you have thin hair.
Medium
Being able to feel the strand means you have medium hair.
Thick
Finally, if it feels like a lump in your hand, perhaps more like fishing line diameter, you have thick hair.
Level Of Porosity
The more porous your hair is the harder it will be for it to retain water. This means that you’ll suffer from dry hair which can be easily damaged.
Hair with high porosity is good at retaining water but more likely to look greasy.
To tell the porosity of your hair place one hair in a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom you have high porosity. Should your hair float the porosity is low while medium porosity means it sinks slowly to roughly halfway down the glass.
Ability To Hold Grease
The grease level of your hair tells you how often you need to wash your hair. Greasy hair needs washing 4-5 times a week while dry hair is more likely to need washing 1-2 times with a hydrating product. Normal hair should be okay with 1-2 washes a week.
To check how greasy your hair is place a dry tissue on your hair for a few seconds. If there is a visible oil patch its greasy. No oil means dry while a trace of oil is normal hair.
When In Doubt…
Still not entirely sure about your hair type? Your best option may be to ask a professional hairdresser who can assess the nature of your hair. They will usually be able to recommend hairstyles, products and haircare tips based on this. Look for a hair salon near you and consider seeking some advice.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the type of hair you have will help you to choose the best products for your hair. However, regardless of hair type, it is always preferable to go with natural products.
