How Well Do You Know Your Hair Type? | Print |  E-mail
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Written by Mary Givens   
Saturday, 05 April 2008
Many people don't know that there are at least 10 unique types of hair. The 10 types are made up of 4 distinct main types and 2 or 3 subtypes. If you don't know what type you are choosing the best styling product for your hair can be quite the challenge.
by MaryGivens


Many people don't know that there are at least 10 unique types of hair. The 10 types are made up of 4 distinct main types and 2 or 3 subtypes. If you don't know what type you are choosing the best styling product for your hair can be quite the challenge.

The first type of hair is straight hair. This kind of hair is resistant to damage and styling because of more cuticle layers. The cuticle layers are what give the shape to the hair. The extra protection of straight hair is also a curse because it resists styling and shaping. Additionally, straight hair that gets damages is usually easy to break and it dry.

Straight hair comes in 3 subtypes; fine, medium and course. Hair that is fine and straight is usually thin, very soft and naturally shiny. Medium straight hair is more textured and has lots of body. Course straight hair is the most resistant to styling.

The next hair type is wavy hair. This hair is not quite straight and not quite curly. The strands of hair typically form S patterns in the waves. This kind of hair can be tough to curl and it may refuse to bounce at all.

There are 3 separate kinds of wavy hair. Just as with straight hair, wavy comes in fine, medium and course. The fine kind is actually able to be straightened or curled in normal circumstances. Medium hair has a harder time with styling and sometimes gets frizzy. Lastly, course wavy hair is very prone to frizzing and is very difficult to style.

Our third hair type is curly hair. This kind of hair has a definite S pattern that often forms loops. When stretched out it bounces back like a slinky toy. Normally it is very soft and fine in texture. The layers of cuticles are smooth and not flat. That also means that this kind of hair has less shine than straight or wavy. It has lots of body and when wet straightens out. But in high humidity the curls tighten and it is prone to frizzing.

When it comes to curly hair, there really are only 2 different kinds; loose and tight. Loosely curled hair can have large often shiny curls when grown long but when cut short it can almost pass for straight hair. Tightly curled hair, on the other hand, forms tight almost cork screw type curls. What is seldom known is that many people with curly hair will have both subtypes at the same time.

The last hair type is kinky hair. This kind of hair is very tightly curls. It is really wiry and extremely fragile. It is made of lots and lots of really thin strands of hair that are densely packed together. Kinky hair has a sheen but does not shine. Because it has the least amount of cuticles, it is often very soft but that also means it is easy to break. And because of this, kinky hair is hard to grow long.

Kinky hair only comes in 2 subtypes. First is S pattern hair and second is Z pattern. The pattern refers to how a single strand of hair looks when it is stretched out a bit. S type hair contains a bit of moisture whereas Z type has very little moisture when compared to the other hair types.

Knowing exactly what type of hair you have is important for two reasons. First, it will help you make better choices when it comes to buying the right styling products (shampoo, conditioner, etc). Second, knowing your type well may help prevent you from trying to force something on your hair that is really against what nature intended. For example if you have really tightly curled hair you may not get the best results trying to straighten it with a hair straightener. And conversely if you have course straight hair, you are naturally going to have challenges trying to curl it.

About the Author:

Marcy Givens is a hair care buff who wanted to learn about the wild variety of hair care products. She gives out free tips and secrets for selecting the best Sedu flat iron and Chi hair straightener.



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