Analyzing Your Hair

Analyzing a woman's hair — Photo: Denis Orea/Shutterstock

Analyse your own hair - A how-to guide.

Many people have little clue about the terms used to describe hair, and truth be told, it can be confusing. Most people think of hair in terms of being thick or fine, and curly or straight.

There are several considerations when analyzing hair: texture, density, wave pattern, elasticity, and porosity. Each of these elements combines to give us endless variety in hair types. Your stylist is trained to look at your hair, recognize these elements, and gauge your overall hair type.

One thing to remember is that analyzing the hair is a matter of comparison, and the best way to learn to recognize the difference in these elements is to view a sampling of hair from different sources and make the comparisons yourself.

The next time you're with a group of friends, take a close look at their hair. Make a note of the ways their hair differs from yours. Compare their hair to yours using these categories:

Texture

Density

Porosity

Elasticity

Wave Pattern

By using these elements, you can compare and judge for yourself if you have fine, thick, straight hair with good elasticity and low porosity, or maybe coarse, thin, curly hair with high porosity and low elasticity, or something in between.

Woman with beautiful long hair — Photo: Prostock Studio/Getty Images via Canva

Knowing the terms professionals use, and being able to analyze your own hair will help you make good choices when it comes to the styles and hair services you engage.

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See also: More About Hair Care