How To Determine Your Hair Type
You can research all the different hair products in the world but if you don’t know your hair type, you’d be shooting in the dark. Just as understanding your skin type is critical to creating an effective skin care routine, so is knowing your hair type. Hair types are definitively harder to determine than skin types but with a few pointers it really isn’t terribly difficult to figure out. Thick and thin is really only the beginning of what determines your hair type and your hair has many small nuances that make it impossible to categorize any hair type with such a sweeping generalization. Let’s jump right into figuring out your hair type!
So here are a few factors to help you:
Diameter of Hair Strands
The first thing you can do is measure the diameter of a single hair strand. Don’t worry, we won’t be using a ruler or anything, simply feel a single strand of hair between your fingertips and if you don’t feel anything or very little, you have thin hair. If you feel the lone strand, this means you have medium hair and finally if it’s rough or textured you have thick hair. Using a piece of thread next to one of your hair strands can also help you gauge the diameter. Typically, if it’s about the same width, you have medium whereas if it’s larger, your hair is thick; if thinner your hair is thin.
Hair Density
Hair diameter and density are often confused. Hair density is simply the amount of hair you actually have (hair strands) whereas diameter is the thickness of each of those strands themselves. You can have thin hair strands but thick, full hair because of the amount of actual hair you have. The scalp test is a good way of determining your density. Grab a handful of your hair at the front of your head and pull it to the side. If there’s a lot of scalp visible between the bunches of strands then you have thin density. If your scalp’s barely visible, then you have thick density. Between these two is medium.
How to Choose a Hair Product According to the Density of Your Hair
While hair density and diameter is critical in helping you to determine the type of products you need, this is only the first step. Once you know the diameter and density, you can match hair products to your hair type. As an example, if you have thin density hair yet coarse hair strands, a volumizing product would help the hair with any volume issues. Coarse hair is also best dealt with using moisturizing shampoos and conditioners as this hair type is prone to frizz and dryness. Using hair oils such as coconut or argan oil will also help keep your hair healthy and beautiful.
Low density hair, however, is the perfect match for hair extensions. Endless Hair Extensions, which are made from 100% Remy human hair, will blend in seamlessly with your natural hair and give you an instant length and volume increase. Our 160 Gram Clip Ins are the perfect match to those with thin or medium hair density while our 220 Gram sets have enough hair for even the biggest hair dreams and give you an insane amount of hair even if you already have high density hair.
Elasticity
The elasticity of your hair is simply how flexible and strong your hair strands are. An easy test is to try stretching out one of your hair strands and if it breaks immediately after pulling it between your fingers, you don’t have very elastic hair. The opposite is true as well: if you’re able to stretch the strand out far, then your hair’s elasticity is high.
Elasticity is a factor in how healthy or not your hair is and is a good indicator as to its durability during hair styling. Having a high elasticity allows your hair to retain curls, waves or any other hairstyles easily and without needing hair products to hold them. Purchasing strengthening products will help to prevent hair breakage as well.
Porosity
Porosity is a big factor in determining your hair type. Having a high porosity means there is possible tears or damage around the hair cuticle whereas low porosity means your cuticles block any moisture from being absorbed into the strands. In any case, porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb water or not and is often caused damaged due to heat styling, chemical hair treatments, etc
You have to remember that any chemical treatments with hair dyes or otherwise will cause some damage to the hair no matter the precautions or how healthy your hair strands are. You may not know the porosity of your hair so a good way to find out is through the porosity test. This way you’ll know the type of chemical treatments your hair can withstand or not.
High Porosity
High porosity means your hair soaks up product much quicker than low or medium porosity so be prepared to apply more product to notice a difference. Just because you have high porosity hair, however, doesn’t mean your hair soaks up enough product to be fully hydrated or nourished. In fact, it’s best to avoid any heat or styling treatments that will dry out your hair and instead use products that will provide moisture to repair any damaged cuticles.
Low Porosity
Low porosity means that it’ll take longer for your hair to dry or for products to absorb into your hair. Instead of applying any products while your hair is wet, do so while your hair is damp to allow the product to fully soak in. You may also find that you need multiple hair treatments when styling or dyeing but this can be damaging to your hair so make sure to sure products specific for the treatment you do and that they are healthy and natural.
Porosity Test
With a bowl of water, put a single strand of your hair in the bowl and watch what your hair does. If it sinks to the bottom, it has high porosity because it’s absorbing all the water. On the other hand, if your strand doesn’t reach the bottom yet doesn’t quite float on the surface, then you have “normal” hair porosity. Finally, if the strand actually floats on the surface of the water you have low porosity as it doesn’t absorb water easily.
Using Hair Extensions To Safely Experiment
Using hair extensions is an awesome way to experiment with your hair in a variety of ways including color, texture, lengths, and of course styles. With Endless Hair Extension’s Clip Ins for instance, you can quickly and easily experiment with different hairstyles while also adding length and volume within minutes. Something to consider if you have low density hair and are waiting for it to grow out.
Determining Oily or Dry Scalp
The health of your scalp is the foundation of your overall hair health. Having an oily scalp or dry scalp simply means the approach to your hair products is different. Not sure whether your scalp is oily or dry? Simply inspect your hair and scalp on the second day after a wash and if it seems greasy, well you have an oily scalp. The opposite is true: if you find flakes on your scalp, you have a dry scalp. If you find nothing different and you scalp looks the same after then you have a normal oil level.
Dry scalp treatments include products for moisturizing and cleansing. For oily scalps, first remember you don’t want to wash too often as this will only worsen the issue as your scalp will produce even more oil in response and thus cause more oil build-up. Instead, reduce the amount of products you use and fully rinse them out after. As always, avoid any shampoos and conditioners that aren’t sulfate, silicone, and alcohol free.
Texture
Texture is probably the easiest to determine and finding out whether you have straight, wavy, or curly texture is often as simple as looking in the mirror. If you do need a refresher, see this blog post on all the small nuances that determine your hair texture.
Conclusion
We hope that after reading the different factors that go into figuring out your hair texture, you’ll have a much better grasp on the entire process and be more confident. Remember, nobody’s hair texture will follow a strict interpretation of each texture, but when you know the most you can about your hair, buying hair products will be easier and actually help the health of your hair. Most of all, however, you should experiment with different shampoos and conditioners to find the best combination of hair products that will fit in best with your hair care routine.
If you have any questions about Endless Hair Extensions or want to learn more about our company, feel free to email us at info@endlesshairextensions.com or read our story here. We’re always happy to help you!