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Determining your hair type allows you to care for, cut, and style it more effectively. To identify your hair type, you need to understand various factors such as density, texture, porosity (water retention ability), elasticity, and curl pattern. A hairstylist can use this information to recommend suitable hairstyles, hair colors, and products tailored to your hair.
Steps
Determine Hair Density
Look in the mirror and part your hair down the middle. Use your fingers or a comb to divide your hair into two sections. You can clip one side down to keep it out of the way.
Hold a strand of hair from one side. Move the strand slightly so you can view the roots from different angles.
- Turn on bright lights in the bathroom to see your hair clearly. You can also ask someone to shine a desk lamp or flashlight on your head for additional lighting.
Estimate hair density. Essentially, hair density refers to the number of hairs on your head. Look at the roots and scalp. How many strands can you see in a 6 cm² area?
- You don’t need to count each strand, but you can estimate thickness based on the visible scalp area.
- High density: If you can barely see the scalp, your hair is thick.
- Medium density: If you can see some scalp, your hair density is average.
- Low density: If you can see a lot of scalp, your hair is thin.
Check another area of your scalp. Repeat the process at a different spot on your head. Hair density can vary across different areas.
- Ask a friend to help you check the back of your head. Have them take a photo so you can see it more clearly.
Determine Hair Texture/Strand Diameter
Wash your hair. Use your regular shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair as usual. Rinse thoroughly.
- Choose a time when you haven’t exercised or engaged in activities that cause excessive sweating to avoid skewing the results.
Let your hair air dry. Using a hairdryer can temporarily alter how your hair behaves, so it’s best to towel dry and allow your hair to dry naturally.
Cut a piece of sewing thread about 15-20 cm long. Use regular sewing thread instead of thicker threads meant for heavy fabrics.
Pluck a strand of hair. Try to get an intact strand without breakage. Since you need to determine the thickness of the hair, choose a strand that best represents your overall hair. The crown area is the most suitable spot for sampling.
- Ensure the hair is dry and free of styling products. For the most accurate results, remove any styling products before sampling.
Place the hair strand next to the thread on white paper. Use a white sheet of paper to clearly see both the hair and thread, making it easier to compare.
Compare the hair strand to the thread. Examine the hair closely using a magnifying glass or magnifying mirror. If the hair is too curly, stretch it slightly before comparing it to the thread. You can also use tape to secure the ends of the hair and thread for stability.
- Fine hair: If the hair strand is thinner than the thread, your hair has a fine texture.
- Medium hair: If the hair strand is the same thickness as the thread, your hair is of medium thickness.
- Thick hair: If the hair strand is thicker than the thread, your hair is thick.
Determine Hair Porosity
Wash your hair. Use your regular shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair as usual. Rinse thoroughly to ensure no chemicals or hair care products remain on your hair.
Towel dry your hair moderately. Comb through your hair once, then use a clean cotton T-shirt or microfiber towel to squeeze out excess water. Avoid drying your hair too much, as this can affect the accuracy of determining porosity, which is the hair’s ability to retain moisture.
Run your fingers through your hair. Take a strand of hair and glide your fingers from the roots to the tips. Gently press the strand to feel the moisture level.
- Low porosity: If the hair feels almost dry, it means your hair retains little moisture and has low porosity.
- Medium porosity: If the hair feels damp but not sticky, your hair has moderate moisture retention and medium porosity.
- High porosity: If the hair feels sticky and takes a long time to dry, your hair has high porosity and excellent moisture retention.
Drop a strand of hair into a large bowl of water. Pluck a strand of hair and place it in a large bowl of water. The bowl should be wide enough so the strand doesn’t touch the sides. Observe what happens to the strand.
- Low porosity: If the strand floats on the surface, your hair has low porosity.
- Medium porosity: If the strand sinks slowly, your hair has medium porosity.
- High porosity: If the strand sinks quickly to the bottom, your hair has high porosity.
Repeat the test on another day. Weather conditions can affect your hair; on humid days, your hair may react differently compared to dry days.
Determine Hair Oiliness
Wash your hair. Use your regular shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair as usual. Rinse thoroughly.
- Choose a time when you haven’t exercised or engaged in activities that cause excessive sweating to avoid skewing the results.
Let your hair air dry. Using a hairdryer can temporarily alter how your hair behaves, so it’s best to towel dry and allow your hair to dry naturally.
- Avoid applying any products to your hair, as this can lead to inaccurate results.
Wait overnight. Allow some time (around 8-12 hours) for your hair and scalp to produce natural oils, which you’ll use to assess oiliness.
Check for oiliness. In the morning, press a tissue against your scalp at the crown of your head. Avoid rubbing; a gentle press is enough. Also, press the tissue behind your ears.
- Oily hair: If oil appears on the tissue, you have oily hair.
- Normal hair: If there are slight traces of oil, your hair is normal.
- Dry hair: If no oil is visible, your hair is dry.
- Combination hair: If one area shows no oil but another has significant oil, your hair is combination type.
Repeat the test on another day. Weather can influence your hair; on humid days, your hair may behave differently compared to dry days.
Check Hair Elasticity
Pluck a dry strand of hair. A freshly washed and towel-dried strand will yield the most accurate results. Ensure the strand is intact and not broken.
- The hair must be dry and free of styling products. For the best results, remove any styling products before sampling.
Stretch the hair strand. Hold both ends of the strand with your fingers and gently pull.
- Avoid pulling too quickly to prevent premature breakage. The strand will eventually break, but observe how much it stretches before snapping.
Observe what happens when you stretch the hair strand. Watch the strand stretch like a rubber band and pay close attention when it breaks. A wet hair strand with high elasticity can stretch up to 50% of its original length before snapping.
- High elasticity: If you can stretch the strand significantly before it breaks, your hair has high elasticity and is very strong.
- Medium elasticity: If the strand stretches slightly before breaking, your hair has medium elasticity.
- Low elasticity: If the strand breaks almost immediately when stretched, your hair has low elasticity and is less strong. The strand may stretch like bubble gum and curl back when it breaks.
Test another strand from a different area of your head. Hair from different parts of your head may have varying elasticity. If you previously used a strand from the crown, try testing a strand from behind your ears or the nape of your neck.
Determine Hair Curl Pattern
Wash your hair. Use your regular shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair as usual. Rinse thoroughly.
Let your hair air dry. Using a hairdryer can temporarily alter how your hair behaves, so it’s best to towel dry and allow your hair to dry naturally.
Determine your hair curl pattern. Andre Walker, Oprah Winfrey's hairstylist, created a system to classify hair types based on curl patterns and textures. This system ranges from straight to tightly coiled hair.
- 1 (Straight): Hair with no curl pattern.
- 2 (Wavy): Hair with a slight wave but no defined curls.
- 3 (Curly): Hair with distinct S-shaped curls, even without styling.
- 4 (Coily): Hair with tight coils, often in a Z-shape. When stretched, it returns to its coiled form. Type 4 hair can shrink up to 75% of its actual length.
Identify hair sub-types. Examine a typical strand of hair. Consider its thickness and curl pattern (if curly). These sub-types are also based on Andre Walker's system, which divides hair into four main types, each with three sub-categories.
- 1A: Soft hair that doesn’t hold curls.
- 1B: Straight hair with some volume.
- 1C: Straight and coarse hair.
- 2A: Wavy hair with an S-shape and coarse texture.
- 2B: Wavy hair with defined curls.
- 2C: Very wavy hair with thick, coarse waves.
- 3A: Curls with the diameter of sidewalk chalk, or loose curls.
- 3B: Curls with the diameter of a marker, or medium curls.
- 3C: Curls with the diameter of a pencil or corkscrew curls.
- 4A: Tightly coiled curls with the diameter of a needle.
- 4B: Z-shaped zigzag curls.
- 4C: Hair with no defined curl pattern, featuring tight, irregular zigzags.
Compare your hair to the LOIS system. The LOIS system classifies curly hair based on texture and strand thickness, comparing hair strands to the letters L (bent), O (curled), I (straight), and S (wavy). Take a strand of hair and compare it to these letters.
- L: Hair resembles the letter L, with sharp angles and bends. This is tightly coiled, zigzag hair.
- O: Hair forms O-shaped or spiral curls.
- I: Hair is straight, with little to no curl, similar to the letter I.
- S: Hair has S-shaped waves.
- Mixed: Your hair may combine two or more patterns. In this case, test multiple strands from different areas to identify the dominant pattern.
