Hair Characteristics

Texture, compactness, movement and color are characteristics, which decide the look of our natural hair. Hair texture is the size or dimension of each hair shaft. Coarse hair is bouncy, usually thick and strong, sometimes glossy but often wiry and lacking sheen. Fine hair is silky, typically shiny, soft and slippery. Whether hair is thick or thin depends on its density or the number of hair follicles one is born with. Blondes have the most, then browns, and reds the least.

Hair movement is determined by the growth sample in the papilla, which defines the shape of the hair shaft. Straight hair is smooth and strong, whether fine or coarse. It lays flats when wet. Wavy hair has lots of movement, more when it is short and it waves more when wet. Curly hair is springy, usually coarse and strong, with a tendency to be frizzy.

The natural coloring of hair is due to the pigment called melanin, which is there in the cortex. The difference in hair color is determined by the percentage of the 4 natural pigments (black, brown, red and yellow), and the number of air spaces in the cortex of the hair.

Hair care is important for anybody. So in order to manage the proper hair care, a person must know the ins and outs when it comes to hair characteristics. There are four major categories when it comes to hair characteristics and these are -

• Porosity
• Elasticity
• Density
• Texture

Porosity

- The hair has the ability to take in moisture or to absorb it. This absorption is determined through the amount each of your cuticle is raised. This is what is known as porosity. For example, you want to get some hair treatment; naturally this would involve the administering of chemicals to your hair. Less of these chemicals could lead to the ineffectiveness of that treatment while more of these chemicals can scrupulously damage your hair. It is then for the goal of a healthy shiny hair that the right chemical service is delivered. And to decide that rightness, knowing the porosity of your hair can help you a lot. Porosity of hair can be divided into three categories—high porosity, normal porosity, and low porosity. Low porosity means your hair is rather defiant to hair treatments, normal porosity means the hair is accessible, while high porosity means administering of chemicals to your hair should be done with great care.

Elasticity

- This refers to the degree in which your hair can be extended. That degree wherein the hair can be stretched without hurting it and spring back to the length it originally had, that is elasticity. This characteristic of the hair is important because it can specify the condition of your hair. You will know whether your hair is still strong or by now weak. Once you are aware of that, you can then progress on to finding the right hair care treatment or product to use. Take note that when your hair is wet it can be stretched at one and one-fourth more than its original length. When dry, stretching ability is only at a quarter of the original length. Elasticity can be affected by chemical services, heat, brushing, and combing.

Density

- This is the number of your hairs per square inch that are on your scalp. Knowing the thickness or thinness of your hair is done by gauging its density. Studies show that the average head area is 120 sq. in. and the hairs on a person’s head is numbering at an average of 100,000 to 150,000. Daily, the head is said to usually shed hair of about 50 to 80 strands.

Texture

- This is calculated by determining how much diameter an individual hair strand has. There are three categories covering this characteristic—coarse, medium, and fine. The bigger the diameter, the coarser the hair becomes and of course, if the diameter is small, your hair is fine. Fine hair may be susceptible to chemical developments while coarse hair can be defiant. So no matter what hair care you do, natural hair care or otherwise, take note of these hair characteristics.



More on Hair Care...