Here is a easy to understand breakdown of hair type, texture, and common concerns to provide the foundations of determining just about everything to do with your hair, from at home care, styling, to in salon services such as cuts, colors, and treatments.
This is a very long article and contains a lot of information so I've tried to break it down into categories to help you find what you need for your concerns faster, but should you love reading about the deeper reasons why things are, you'll enjoy reading through the entire article.
Here's what you will find in this article with links to jump to what you want to know:
An overview of common hair concerns and the reasons why you may be experiencing them.
The Essentials: Hair Texture, types, and density
Let's first break down Hair Textures and Types since they contribute most to what products and routines you need, before getting into current concerns and issues.
Hair Texture:
Hair texture is how strait or curly your hair is.
Strait: Typically lacks volume, can get oily quickly. Generally produced by a round shaped hair follicle.
Type 1
Wavy: Naturally holds waves, prone to frizz. Generally produced by a rounded but slighly oval shaped hair follicle.
Type 2
Curly: refined curls, prone to frizz and dryness. Generally produced by more oval shaped hair follicle.
Type 3-5
Coily: Tight curls/coils, prone to dryness, breakage, and shrinkage. Generally produced by a tighter, more elongated oval shaped hair follicle.
Type 6-8
Hair Type:
This is determined by the diameter of an individual strand. You want to go off of what a majority of strands are because many people can have a mix of 1-2 types especially when gray hairs are present.
Fine hair is thin, soft, perceived as silky. Feels nearly invisible when grasping an individual strand.
Medium hair has a little more structure. Medium hairs are easier to see individually and feel between the fingers.
Coarse hair feels strong and noticeable between the fingers and is quite visible.
Hair Type Test:
If you take a single hair in between your fingers and you can barely feel anything, then you have fine hair.
If you can feel the hair, then it's medium.
If you feel a strong, thick strand, then you are coarse.
Volume/Density:
Density is how thick your hair is or how many hair strands or follicles you have per square inch of scalp.
There are two different things where density is concerned - the density of hair strands present per square inch in any given area of the head, and the hair follicle density (how many hair root bulbs there are under the scalp whether or not a hair strand is present - for the time being we won't focus on this since it gets into more advanced hair science and I'll write about this in a later article and link it for those curious to really dive deeper.)
For density of hair strands present, the best way to determine how dense your hair is through the ponytail test.
The Ponytail Test
Gather your hair up into a ponytail.
Measure the circumference. Use a measuring tape or use a thread and ruler or your fingers:
If it's lesser than 2 inches, you have low density, 2 to 3 is medium density and more than 3 is high density.
If your index finger touches between the knuckle closest to your palm and where your thumb meets your palm then your hair is low density.
If your index finger touches between your tip of your thumb and the knuckle closest to your palm on your thumb, your density is medium
If your index finger barely touches the tip of your thumb or doesn't touch at all, your hair is very dense or thick.
Common Hair Care Struggles
Volume
A lack in volume is generally an issue for all hair textures and types but most commonly in those with strait hair, fine hair of any texture, and low density hair of any texture.
Generally when there is a lack of volume we want to look at what is working against you and what can be done to enhance.
Commonly on the working against us list is your haircut if it's over grown or lacks certain techniques for layering or volumizing; and products that may be too heavy or contain ingredients that are known to coat the hair shaft without actually absorbing.
Options to enhance include volumizing lotions/powders, texturizing sprays, and ensuring we have the right shampoo and conditioners for your hair type.
Oily
Hair that is prone to oil can be caused from a variety of issues. Some of it may come down to biology/genetics - that's just the way your body operates while some if it may come down to hair texture:
Strait hair is typically more prone to oily hair since the oils produced by the scalp have nowhere to go but down. Curly hair is generally less prone to oil since the oil would have to defy gravity to go up and down the twists in the hair.
Sometimes our products and habits are the cause of an imbalance in oil production. If your shampoo or conditioner contains more oils than necessary for your hair, it will add to your natural production resulting in oily hair.
Too frequent or too infrequent of washes can also contribute. Washing hair too frequently can overly strip the hair of it's natural oils, causing scalp dryness, signaling the body to produce more oil and on the flip side, washing too infrequently can cause a build up of natural hair oils.
Also ensure that anything that comes into contact with your hair and scalp is washed or switched out on a regular basis. Pillowcases, hats, sleep bonnets, helmets, etc can all absorb oils and sweat, transferring them back to your hair when not washed or cleaned regularly.
Dryness
Dryness can affect two areas - scalp or strands. For this section we are talking about strands. Curly hair generally sees the most dryness due to natural oils not being able to reach the mid-strands and ends; but strait hair strands can also get dry due to environmental reasons, improper hair care, or chemical/color damage.
Dryness is a lack of hydration or moisture. Hydration and moisture are the same thing. Hydration comes from 1. water. 2. Oils (natural scalp oils and oils that are in hair care products). 3. butters and other moisturizing agents in products like masks and serums.
Dryness in the strands generally means that moisture isn't able to penetrate into your hair strands or it's not retaining that moisture. Coarse hair tends to be dryer than fine hair due to the cuticle being more open and allowing hydration to slip out.
Frizz
Frizz is caused primarily by the hair cuticle opening to bring moisture from the air into the hair strand. Curl pattern disruption can also give off the appearance of frizzy hair (like when you brush out your curls and it turns into a big lions mane). One of the biggest components to combating frizz is making sure you have enough hydration/moisture locked into your hair. Using a good leave in conditioner can work miracles when it comes to fighting frizz, in addition to your regular shampoo and conditioner. The right styling products can also help to lock in the moisture you get from your shower, shampoo, conditioner, and leave in if additional frizz fighting is needed.
Lacking Definition in Wavy, Curly, or Coily Hair
Usually, when definition is lacking in wavy, curly, or coily hair it comes from routines, environmental factors, or damage.
This is where we get into everything from the right shampoo/conditioner and products, product build up, mineral build up, hard water, color and chemical processes, styling routines, and anything else that could be causing stress on the hair.
Some of the key things are: - Regular detoxes or clarifying treatments can be helpful to remove product, mineral, and hard water build up from the hair.
- Don't brush your curly/wavy/coily hair unless you are about to get into the shower and need to detangle.
- Wide tooth combs or finger combing when hair is wet. Never use a brush on wet hair.
- Plop your hair with your microfiber towel or tshirt - never rub it dry.
- Use leave in conditioner and styling products in the shower while hair is wet - not damp.
- Ensuring your products are free of silcones, waxes, and microplastics can help to prevent hair from being weighed down and coated in build up that doesn't allow hydration to penetrate - if hydration can't get to where it needs to, your curls will throw a fit.
Dry Scalp
Dry scalp is the white flakes that fall on your shoulders or is present on your scalp and can cause itchy scalp as well. This is NOT the same thing as Dandruff. Dry scalp is similar to if your skin on the rest of your body gets dry and the remedy is you moisturize with a lotion, right?
Same concept - if your scalp is dry and flaky that is a tell tale sign that it isn't getting enough moisture from your naturally producing oil glands or you are shampooing to often or your shampoo is too harsh for your scalp and is stripping away your natural oils.
The remedy is moisture - whether that be from a masque treatment, a more hydrating shampoo with less harsh of cleansing agent (surfectant). Additionally, a scalp exfoliation treatment can be effective to help remove any built up dry scalp so you can have a fresh start and the moisturizing products can penetrate and be effective.
Dry scalp can be triggered by cold, dry air, contact dermatitis (a reaction to products you apply to your scalp), age, and use of products that strip the natural oils from your skin. Which makes it very common at the beginning of fall and into winter.
Commonly sold dandruff shampoos that are marketed towards dry scalp (Head and Shoulders, Selsun Blue, even professional ones like Matrix Scalp Sync, Surface Scalp Awakening, etc.) often contain ingredients that are meant to dry out the scalp more to treat dandruff and are actually not helpful at all for dry scalp and can further irritate the issue. Your better off focusing on a gentle cleansing shampoo with a good moisture balance.
Dandruff
Dandruff is a condition that is caused when skin cells turn over faster due to an inflammation response. Bacteria and fungus on the scalp can trigger this. Studies have pointed to Malassezia as being one of the main contributing fungus types and Staphylococcus capitis as a main contributing bacteria in a majority of heads observed that had dandruff.
In severe cases it appears yellowish or green in nature and oily in texture. In minor cases it can be itchy and white similar to dry scalp which can cause a lot of the confusion between the two conditions.
So how do you tell the difference to know whether its dry scalp or dandruff? The flakes caused by dandruff are usually larger, oilier, scale-like and there may be red, inflamed patches present on the scalp whereas dry scalp is generally smaller dry flakes, with no scalp inflammation and you may be experiencing dryness on other areas of your body as well. Both can cause itchiness.
Anti-dandruff shampoos are formulated with things like mint, tea tree, and pyrithione zinc to help dry out scalps that over produce the oils that Malassezia likes to feed on, effectively starving out and eliminating the fungus. They may also contain naturally anti-bacterial fighting agents that help to keep the scalp in balance.
Active ingredients to look for include:
- Pyrithione Zinc - antifungal that kills fungus on the scalp and is gentle enough for everyday use.
- Selenium sulfide - lowers the amount of fungus and prevents too many skin cells from dying off. May affect your hair color if you have lighter colored hair.
- Ketoconazole: can be over the counter or prescription.
- Salicylic acid - removes scales from the scalp but can be overly drying.
At home, you'll want to wash your hair more frequently and use anti-dandruff shampoos. It can sometimes be hit or miss when trying to find a solution because many of the active ingredients in anti-dandruff shampoos can also be very drying on the scalp thus creating a dry scalp issue once the dandruff has been resolved.
You can try regular hydration masques or following with a mild hydrating conditioner after using a anti-dandruff shampoo to help maintain the balance, or switching to an mild to slightly more cleansing shampoo with good hydration balance. It may take a little bit of experimentation to find the perfect balance for your scalp, and that's okay so long as a solution is found.
Other things to keep in mind when dealing with a fungus/bacteria based concern is to ensure that your pillowcases are being washed or switched out frequently along with any other items that come into frequent contact with your head such as hats, scarves, shower caps, sleep bonnets, helmets, head wear of any kind, headsets, etc as they may reintroduce fungus, bacteria, or sweat that can continue to inflame the scalp.
Scalp Irritation
This is most commonly due to your scalp being in contact with something it doesn't agree with - whether it be an ingredient in your products; bacteria or fungus from sweat or other causes, an imbalance in the microbiome; friction from styles or head wear; or a dermatology issue such as dandruff, psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and scalp acne; or lastly lice (not trying to make your skin crawl, just trying to throw out all the facts). Allergic reactions from ingredients in your products: Not everyone agrees with everything and there can be ingredients in products that your scalp just doesn't like. Highly-dosed fragrance hair products can be a culprit down to known allergens like soy, wheat, or corn, or gluten if you are already sensitive. It can also just be one single ingredient or a combination of ingredients in a formulation that your scalp just doesn't like. Generally these reactions will be observed within 1-2 weeks of using a new product, but you can also become sensitive to something you've been using over a longer period of time as our bodies are always changing as new skin cells grow and old ones turn over.
Bacteria/Fungus/Scalp microbiome: just like anywhere on the rest of our body we need to maintain a balance of good and bad microorganisms. Our health and hygiene habits can contribute to when these things get out of balance and generally the affected area will throw a fit using inflammation to alert us.
Hairstyles/Head Wear: tight styles can pull on the scalp causing irritaiton or inflammation just as head wear can cause friction or irritation.
Head wear that contains or consists of any kind of porous material can also abosorb and hold onto sweat or oil that could be carrying bacteria or fungus that may irritate the scalp as well. Ensuring that you have good hygiene practices and regularly wash or sanitize anything that comes in contact with your hair or scalp can help minimize irritation.
Dermatological Reasons you may have irritation:
Dermatitis such as seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis are all some of the common reasons your scalp may be irritated. Each of these conditions are caused by a variety of bodily reactions to inflammation and need diagnosis and treatment by a dermatologist.
Seborrheic dermatitis is also called cradle cap and is recognized as oily, inflamed skin and most commonly is seen in babies and young children.
Eczema is generally dry inflamed scalp skin.
Psoriasis is generally seen as red, scaly skin patches or plaques.
Pimples/Acne on the scalp and In-Grown Hairs:
Lice:
Lice are small insects that feed off of the blood supply of the scalp and are a contagious infection. When they feed, they essentially bite the scalp, causing irritation and itchiness. Lice can be effectively treated at home with over the counter treatments and special combs. You must ensure that all live nits and their eggs are thoroughly removed and any clothing, bedding, or stuffed animals are washed and dried, and all surfaces that come in contact with the affected head are treated with a spray (couches, car seats, etc) or bagged (non-washable items or toys/stuffed animals) as they can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours without access to their food source: the scalp.
It is not recommend to treat yourself or your kids for lice when the live nits or eggs are not present in the hair. I recommend picking up Fairytales Rosemary Lice Away Leave In Conditioner and/or the shampoo and conditioner in the same line at the drug store as a pre-cautionary remedy should it be a concern that it may transfer between members of a household or during seasons when lice are more prevalent among students in public schools (hat and scarf seasons).
Lice cannot be treated in a salon (with exception to establishments that specialize in just these treatments - which I'm unaware of any in the area currently) nor can hair professionals provide any services when lice are present as it is against safety and sanitation regulations.
Conclusion:
I hope you learned a lot in this article and it helps you begin to understand your hair and your hair concerns so you can get to healthier, better hair days. I'll update this article as I write more articles that dive deeper into these topics and provide actual product recommendations but for now I wanted to give out a detailed overview of some of the basics when it comes to hair and scalp health.