What is my hair type?

Understanding your hair type is essential for proper hair care. Different hair types require different hair care routines, products, and styling techniques. It can be overwhelming to navigate the world of hair care, but identifying your hair type is a great starting point. In this article, we will discuss the different hair types and how to identify your own.

 

There are generally three hair types/textures, which are fine, medium, and coarse. Within each hair type, there are further classifications based on your pattern, density, and porosity/damage. People often confuse your hair pattern with your type, which refers to the way in which the hair grows on the scalp. Your hair can grow in a curly, kinky, straight, or wavy pattern. Density is how much hair collectively you have on your head rather than the type of strands or their pattern, and porosity is the state of the surface of these strands.  

 

However, your type of hair is usually the texture as it's the main factor that affects how your hair strands respond to products and react to its own sebum production. Once you understand the type you can bring out the best of your pattern, and handle your hair's density and porosity correctly. 

 

Now that we have cleared that up, let's delve into each type/texture and how you can identify which type/texture you have:

 

Fine

Characterized by its thin diameter, which gives it a delicate and lightweight feel. This type of hair tends to be soft and silky to the touch due to its smooth cuticle. However, fine hair often lacks natural volume, appearing flat, especially at the roots. It is also prone to oiliness, as its small surface area allows natural oils from the scalp to travel down the hair shaft more easily, resulting in a greasy appearance. Fine hair is susceptible to breakage and damage from styling tools and environmental factors due to its delicate nature. Fine curly, wavy, or oily hair, can lack definition and can appear limp when not styled properly. While fine hair dries quickly, it can be overwhelmed by heavy styling products, leading to a weighed-down look. 

 

Medium

Characterized by strands that fall between fine and coarse in terms of thickness. It has a slightly larger diameter than fine hair, providing a balance between lightness and resilience. Medium hair often feels smooth and flexible to the touch, with a texture that is neither too delicate nor too robust. This type of hair typically has a moderate amount of volume, is neither excessively flat nor overly voluminous, and can hold hairstyles relatively well without appearing weighed down or too stiff. Medium hair is less prone to oiliness compared to fine hair, but it may still require regular washing and attention to maintain freshness. It is generally more resistant to breakage and damage than fine hair

 

Coarse

Characterized by thick strands with a larger diameter compared to fine and medium hair types. This type of hair often feels rougher and more textured to the touch due to its thicker cuticle layer. Coarse hair tends to have a significant amount of natural volume and body, making it less prone to appearing flat or limp. It may feel sturdy and resilient, with a strong and durable texture that can withstand styling and manipulation. Coarse hair is less susceptible to oiliness compared to fine and medium hair types, as its larger diameter makes it more difficult for natural oils from the scalp to travel down the hair shaft.

 

You may be thinking why not pattern as the determining factor in my hair type? While hair pattern, such as curly, wavy, or straight, is an important factor in understanding your hair's natural characteristics, it's often the texture of your hair that has a more immediate impact on how it responds to various hair care products and treatments, as well as its interaction with the scalp's natural oils (sebum). Let's delve deeper into why hair texture, rather than pattern, is typically the determining factor for type. 

 

1. Product Response: Hair texture, which encompasses characteristics like thickness, coarseness, and porosity, influences how your hair absorbs and retains moisture, as well as how it holds onto styling products. For example, fine hair strands, regardless of their curl pattern, may struggle with volume and may be easily weighed down by heavy products. Coarse hair, on the other hand, requires more moisturizing and nourishing products to combat dryness and frizz, irrespective of whether it's curly or straight. Understanding this allows you to select products that cater to its specific needs, ensuring optimal results.
2. Sebum Distribution: The texture of your hair also affects how effectively it distributes the natural oils (sebum) produced by your scalp. Fine hair, with its smaller diameter, tends to distribute sebum more quickly along the hair shaft, often resulting in a greasy appearance, regardless of its curl pattern. In contrast, coarse hair, with its larger diameter, may struggle to distribute sebum evenly, leading to dryness or frizz, irrespective of whether it's curly, wavy, or straight. This helps you strike a balance in managing oiliness or dryness and maintaining scalp health.
3. Styling Techniques: While hair pattern influences the types of hairstyles that may be easier to achieve, hair texture plays a crucial role in how those styles hold up. For example, while curly hair may naturally lend itself to voluminous, defined curls, the texture of the hair strands themselves—whether fine, medium, or coarse—determines how well those curls hold and how prone they are to frizz or limpness or whether you need a gel/strong hold product or not to help your style last longer.

 

 

There are also different systems out there to help classify hair and gain a better understanding of its different characteristics however they can also lead to much confusion, further stigmas, and heated comments/ discussions on social media you can learn more about them there: Hair Type Classifications.  

 

Knowing your hair type is the first step in developing a proper hair care routine. Once you have identified your hair type/texture, you can now move on to finding products that work best for your hair and are also compatible with your climate.