Do You Really Know Your Hair Type?
It might surprise you to discover that human hair can be found in 10 different varieties. There are 4 main hair types and each one of those can have up to 3 subtypes. All that variety can lead to confusion when it comes to buying the proper hair styling products.
The first hair type is straight hair which is not easy to style or shape. The reason is the cuticles that form the hair itself are lined up in such a way as to keep the hair straight and stiff. That extra protection is what gives straight hair resistance to styling. If straight hair does get damaged, from being over styled for example, it normally is dry and easily broken.
There are 3 kinds of straight hair; course, medium and fine. Course hair is the thickest and most resistant to being styled. Next is medium straight hair which has lots of body and texture but less so than course hair. Fine hair is the 3rd subtype. It tends to be very soft and shiny although it also can be quite thin.
Wavy hair is the next kind of hair. It is kind of hard to classify but normally is can be thought of as not quite curly yet not quite straight. An easier way to detect it is to examine a single strand on a table. The individual strands will form S shapes when dry (unstyled). Oddly enough wavy hair can be difficult to style or curl.
Wavy hair also has 3 subtypes. There is fine or thin wavy hair which is quite easy to style with a hair straightener or curling iron. Medium wavy hair is more resistant to styling with these tools and tends to get frizzy easily. The last wavy hair subtype is thick and course. This hair is even more resistant to curling or straightening and can get the frizz even easier.
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.
There are only 2 subtypes of curly hair. The first is loosely curled. This kind of hair looks almost straight when cut short. But when grown long, it usually has shiny big curls. The second subtype is medium to tight curly hair. This kind of hair form medium to tight cork screw type curls. It is interesting to note that quite often people with curly hair will have both subtypes in different areas of their hair.
The fourth type of hair is kinky hair. This hair is very fragile, soft and prone to breakage. Kinky hair is often wound really tightly. It can have a slight sheen to it but normally it is not shiny at all. This kind of hair is made up of many thin strands of hair that are really packed tight together. All of these factors make kinky hair very hard to grow to any decent length.
There are only 2 subtypes when it comes to kinky hair. They are S pattern and Z pattern. That refers to how the strands look when stretched. S type hair has a bit of moisture to it naturally. Z type hair has the least amount of moisture of any hair type.
There you have it. Ten unique and distinct hair types. Now, knowing this, it should be easier for you to decide exactly what specific type of hair you possess. That is important because you will get better styling results if you work with what nature gave you rather than against it. For example, if you have tight curly hair but you love the look of straight hair, you may not get the best results with a hair straightener. Or, if you have coarse straight hair but want to get tight curls, knowing that your hair will resist this type of styling helps you decide the best hair style for you.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Marcy Givens is a hair care enthusiast who felt obliged to learn more about the wild variety of hair care products. She has some useful free tips and secrets for selecting the best Sedu straighteners and Chi hair straightener.
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by: MaryGivens
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