How can you determine your hair type and care for it

Hair care products have currently become an industry in themselves since a majority of the population has some issue or the other with their tresses, for example, frizzy hair, loss of volume, split ends, delayed hair growth and such. From shampoos, conditioners, styling and colouring products to something as basic as hair oil, the market today has a plethora of options to offer which may leave you baffled as to what products will suit your hair.

For this, you need to first know your hair type so you can formulate a customised hair care plan to follow in your routine.

Summary

What is the science behind hair typing ?
What are the different types of hair ?
How does age affect your hair quality ?
Conclusion

What is the science behind hair typing ?

To know the basics of classification of hair, you will first need to know its anatomy. A single hair strand has a hair follicle that rests in your scalp and is the only living tissue in your hair. From this hair follicle, a single hair strand emerges which is made of keratin protein and has an outer cuticle, middle cortex, and inner medullary layer.

The texture of your hair is in fact, the thickness of a single strand or the circumference of the single hair strand. Based on this, your hair can be thin, medium or thick in texture.
The volume of your hair is directly proportional to your hair texture i.e. thick textured hair will have the most voluminous locks and thin textured hair will have the least voluminous ones. However, hair fall may lead to less volume even if you have coarse textured hair.
The smooth and shiny appearance of your hair is related to the health of the outermost layer of the hair strand which is cortex or cuticle. The cuticle has got an overlapping terracotta tile like arrangement or fish scale-like arrangement.

With the application of chemical products or heat treatment, the cuticle cells become raised and give a frizzy appearance to your hair, also making it more susceptible to breaking and therefore deterioration.

Dealing with hair porosity

Hair porosity is another element that determines what you should put into your hair and what you should avoid. A highly porous hair will absorb moisture effortlessly but such hair will not hold it for longer duration when compared with less porous hair since the hair becomes porous due to cuticle damage and therefore will need leave-in-conditioners to lock in the moisture.

Less porosity implies that the cuticle layer is intact and therefore such hair will need hair products to be put in when the hair is wet, to facilitate absorption. Therefore, the classification of hair is based on the texture and shape of the individual hair shaft.

What are the different types of hair?

The four basic categories of hair type are- straight, wavy, curly and coily, with three subcategories of each. You may find that your hair falls into more than one category but that is perfectly normal.

Straight hair

Type 1A: this type of hair is the finest in terms of texture and therefore has the least volume. This type doesn’t support curly hairstyling for long. The hair strand is just plain straight without even a hint of wave or curl.
Type 1B: this type of hair has a hint of wavy locks here and there. Hair texture is medium and therefore has a better volume and also supports curly hairstyles better.
Type 1C: this type is more a transition from straight to wavy and therefore has more wavy locks evenly distributed throughout. Hair texture is coarse and thick and has more body than its other two counterparts and therefore better ability to hold curly hairstyles.

Wavy hair

Type 2A: wavy hair tends to have a better texture than straight hair and this subcategory tends to have soft beach wave locks throughout which look more C-shaped when left to dry naturally.
Type 2B: this type of hair has defined curls that look more like S shape when left to dry naturally. But it tends to be more frizzy than type 2A. The curls become more defined towards the end of hair than at the roots.
Type 2C: this type of hair has well-defined curls that start right from the roots and therefore have tighter curls than type 2B.

Curly hair

Type 3A: curly hair has an even better texture than wavy hair and therefore requires minimum styling products since they tend to hold their curls on their own. They may need a little help to control the frizz but otherwise, they are shiny and silky. Type 3A has maximum hair diameter and is a mix of wavy and curly hair types.
Type 3B: this type forms more of ringlets than curls and may also have a combination of hair textures.
Type 3C: this type of hair is springlike with tighter curls and therefore appears most voluminous in this category.

Coily hair type

Type 4A: coily hair tends to shrink to half of its original length when dry and look more like small springs. These have the most defined curl pattern in this category.
Type 4B: these form more of a Z pattern than coils and therefore have less defined curls. Such hair type looks more or less the same whether wet or dry.
Type 4C: such hair doesn’t even look like they have curls when seen from a distance. The hair texture may range anywhere between fine and coarse but such type of hair is the most densely packed ones.

Have you tried Dr. Balwi’s hair care products ?

Thanks to a unique combination of ingredients your hair receives the essential nutrients that nourish the roots and hair, and prevent their loss. Our shampoos and sprays are highly concentrated in Biotin. In addition unlike ordinary hair care products, ours tackle the problem at the root. Because a stronger and vitalised scalp produces more resistant and, of course, more silky hair!

How does age affect your hair type ?

Ageing of your hair may or may not be in sync with your real age. Excessive heat, chemicals, and styling products unfortunately accelerate this process and therefore, your hair may age well before time.

Turning grey is just one of the many results of aging, changes in hair texture, alopecia and uneven distribution of hair on the scalp are among the other. Your hair will become thinner and after a while the hair follicle may stop the production of hair completely, leading to baldness in both, men and women.

Conclusion

A general rule that applies to all hair types is that you should avoid heat treatments. Let your hair dry naturally. Avoid excessive use of chemicals onto your precious locks. Having a healthy lifestyle and being selective in what you put into your body since a healthy and shiny hair is a mark of a healthy individual.

Do you have more questions or are you suffering from hair loss issues ? Then feel free to to contact our friendly team that will answer all your queries. Furthermore they can also offer a free and non binding hair analysis. So don’t hesitate if you want to benefit from Dr. Balwi and Elithairtransplant’s expertise for a successful and affordable hair transplant in Turkey !