Hair
Types
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How far does your hair stretch?
Healthy hair, when wet, will stretch up to 50% of its
original length and return to its normal shape without
breaking, while dry hair will stretch about 20%.
Hair with low elasticity = highly susceptible to
breakage, will be hard
to curl, and will not perm well, hard to style, and
loses its curl quickly. Hair with good elasticity is
easily styled
To test the elasticity of your hair. Select wet strands
of hair from four different areas on your head. Hold
the strand securely and stretch the hair.
If the hair stretches and returns to its original
length when released, then it has good elasticity.
If the hair breaks or doesn't return to its former
shape, you have low elasticity.
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HairWeavePatteren
The classifications for wave pattern are straight,
curly, very curly, and
coiled. Hair with absolutely no wave in its length
is straight hair. Straight
hair can be coarse, normal or fine. Curly hair has
wave to it. A curly hair
strand will form a distinct 'C' shape when short and
an 'S' when longer.
Very curly hair will make an 'S' when short and a repetitive
wave when
allowed to grow out. Very curly hair tends to be 'bushy'
when worn long.
Coiled hair strands do just that - they coil in spirals
as they grow out from
the scalp.
Hair Porosity
Porosity is the measure of the hair's ability to absorb
moisture. This is determined
by the condition of the hair's cuticle layer (the overlapping
scales of the hair shaft), and
is rated as low, normal, and high. In normal, healthy
hair, the cuticle is compact and
inhibits the penetration of the hair shaft by moisture
- both moisture going in, and
moisture coming out. When the cuticle is overly compact
and prevents the penetration
of the hair by moisture it has low porosity. Hair with
low porosity is harder to process,
and is resistant to haircolor and perms. Low porosity
hair must usually be softened
prior to other chemical services. Hair with high porosity
is hair whose cuticle layer is
open and the hair too-readily absorbs moisture. Overly-porous
hair also releases
moisture easily and becomes dry and is easily damaged.
Acid-balanced conditioning
treatments are used to contract the cuticle layer and
lock-in moisture on overly-porous
hair.
Extreme caution must be used when performing chemical
services on overly porous
hair to prevent damage. Haircolor will take much more
quickly and strongly in overly
porous hair (and semi-permanent and demi-permanent
haircolors will fade much more
quickly). Perms and straighteners will process much
faster in high-porosity hair as well.
To determine the porosity of your hair, simply feel
it - both when wet and when
dry. If the hair feels straw-like and rough when dry,
or if it feels gummy or slightly
rubbery when wet, then you probably have a problem
with overly porous hair.
Hair Texture
Hair texture is the measure of the circumference of
the hair strand
itself. Professionals classify the texture of hair
as being "coarse", "fine",
or "medium". Coarse hair has the largest
circumference, and fine hair has
the smallest. Medium texture indicates a middle-range
of the size of the
hair shaft, it's considered normal and poses no special
considerations
regarding processing and chemical services. Coarse
hair is stronger, for
obvious reasons - it has more substance. However, coarse
hair can also
be harder to process, and can be resistant to haircoloring
services,
perming, and straightening. Fine hair, conversely,
is often very easy to
process, and can be over-processed easily and is susceptible
to damage
from chemical services.
Hair texture varies from individual to individual,
and can be different
in separate areas of the same head. You may have coarse
hair on the
top of the head and fine hair at the nape of the neck.
Race and ethnicity
are irrelevant in determining hair texture, as coarse,
medium and fine hair
can be found among all racial and ethnic groups.
Hair Density
Hair density is the amount of hair strands on the head.
Generally, it
is measured by counting the number of hair strands
found in one square
inch (2.5cm) of scalp. When a stylist tells you that
you have thick hair,
it is high density he/she is describing. Generally,
the classifications of hair
density are thin, medium, and thick, and are unrelated
to the texture of
the hair. The average head has approximately 2,200
strands of hair per
square inch, and a total of approximately 100,000 hairs.
The main consideration of hair density is in styling.
Thick hair is well
suited to layered styles, while thin hair is often
better suited to more
blunt styles. People with thin hair often prefer styles
with added curl to
give an illusion of more hair.
While there is not a true ethnic or racial determiner
of hair density,
it has been found that blondes tend to have the greatest
hair density,
while redheads have the lowest.
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Ever wondered why you were born with straight hair, curls
or hair that's somewhere in between? Your hair type is
all genetics, meaning that you inherited it from your
parents, just like your eye color and skin tone.
Your hair type is determined by:
The direction in which each strand of hair grows out
of its follicle.
The shape of the follicle itself, which determines the
shape the strand of hair takes as it forms.
What do follicles look like for each hair type?
Straight hair: The follicle is almost round and grows
nearly perpendicular to the scalp.
Wavy hair: The follicle is shaped like a kidney and grows
at a slight angle to the scalp.
Curly hair: The follicle has an elongated oval shape and
grows at a sharp angle to the scalp.
Analyzing Your Hair
Analyse your own hair - A how-to guide
Many people have little clue about the terms used to describe
hair,
and truth be told, it can be confusing. Most people think
of hair in terms
of being thick or fine, and curly or straight. There are
several conside-
rations when analyzing hair: texture, density, wave pattern,
elasticity,
and porosity. Each of these elements combines to give
us endless variety
in hair types. Your stylist is trained to look at your
hair, recognize these
elements, and gauge your overall hair type.
One thing to remember is that analyzing the hair is a
matter of
comparison, and the best way to learn to recognize the
difference in
these elements is to view a sampling of hair from different
sources and
make the comparisons yourself. The next time you're with
a group of
friends, take a close look at their hair. Make a note
of the ways their hair
differs from yours. Compare their hair to yours using
these categories:
Texture
Density
Porosity
Elasticity
Wave Pattern
By using these elements you can compare and judge for
yourself if you
have fine, thick, straight hair with good elasticity and
low porosity, or
maybe coarse, thin, curly hair with high porosity and
low elasticity, or
something in between.
Knowing the terms professionals use, and being able to
analyze your
own hair will help you make good choices when it comes
to the styles and
hair services you engage.
Your hair is made up of three layers:
The Outside Layer: the Cuticle
Consists of flat, overlapping scale-like structures.
Contains natural keratin protein and shields your hair's
inside layers from damage.
Determines the condition of your hair.
The Middle Layer: the Cortex
Consists of spindle-shaped cells aligned along the fiber.
Contains natural keratin protein and lies right under
the cuticle.
Accounts for 70%-90% of the your hair's bulk and provides
remarkable strength.
Houses your hair's color pigment.
The Core Layer: the Medulla
Consists of a central core of diffuse, elongated cells.
Exists only in some strands of hair.
Related Articles
Hair Facts
Types of Hair
Some facts from the Clairol experts:
There are close to 100,000 hairs on average adult head.
On a baby's head, there are about 2,800 follicles per
square inch; by age 25 this number falls to 1,500, and
to 635 by age 50.
Each follicle grows about 20 new hair strands in a lifetime.
Each strand grows for several years until it falls out.
Most people lose between 100 to 150 hair strands per day.
On average, your hair grows about ½ inch per month.
Dry Hair:
Usually has a very low moisture content . To retain moisture
use moisturizers. Essential fatty aids (EFA’s) are
good moisturizers. One of the best and most cost effective
essential fatty acids is safflower oil wich is rich in
EFA’s
Once the hair grows past the neck oils can not be utilized
At this point you can manually replace the lost EFA’s
Get a couple of drops of safflower oil in your palms
and rub them together. Whilst hair is dry scrunch the
oil onto the ENDS first and work toward the scalp.
Leave this in your hairovernight.
Frizzy Hair:
Same as above for dry hair, plus try a silicone oil product
made for frizzy hair
Repeat for Dry Hair (above) first to get moisture in.
Followed by a silicone serum to seal in the moisture.
You can find my prefere product under My
Ideas, Hair Products
Permed Hair:
Again, repeat for Dry Hair (above) first to ensure good
moisture balance.
Color Treated Hair:
Again, repeat for Dry Hair (above) and follow permed hair
Fast Grow Hair Lotion
Relaxed Hair:
If you have relaxed hair, please read Dry Hair (above)
first. . Relaxers are the most damaging of all chemical
processes to the hair.Try a Fast Grow Hair Lotion before,
during and after your perm to help keep your hair strong.
