Hair Types

Being a stylist for 15+ years has brought me tremendous knowledge about hair types. Most people tend to wash their hair everyday so they probably do not know exactly what hair type they have. Your hair type is a combination of three factors:

1. The condition of your scalp - is it dry, oily or flaky?
2. The characteristics of your hair - is it fine, frizzy, course, curly, wavy, straight or color-treated?
3. Your environment - do you live in the country or city? Is your office air-conditioned? Is the climate hot or humid, wet or windy or dry or hot?

Normal Hair

-if your hair is neither prone to oiliness or dryness, you are one of the lucky few to have normal hair. Look after it well with products that keep it clean, conditioned and protected from environmental damage.

Combination Hair

-Five to six hours after washing, hair begins to show signs of oiliness around the roots and yet the ends of the hair remain dry. Oiliness can be caused by overuse of conditioners and styling products, as well as by humidity and pollution.

Oily Hair

-The hair will look oily, dull and "dirty" along the length of the hair shaft. If you suspect oily hair, part it and gently rub your forefinger along your scalp, then rub your thumb and forefinger together. If it feels slippery, you have and oily scalp and overactive sebum glands

Dry Hair

-Dry hair will look dull, lifeless and parched; at its worst, it may look fuzzy and straw-like. If you suspect your scalp is dry, look at the white flakes on your shoulders before brushing them away. Small, powdery flakes are often the result of stress, too much alcohol and fatigue. If they are larger, translucent and moist, then it is a case of dandruff, due to an overproduction of sebum in the hair follicles, rather than a dry scalp.

F.Y.I.- to check which hair type you have, wash you hair as normal and let it dry naturally. The next morning, before washing your hair again, check for signs of dryness or oiliness. Your hair type will change if it cannot adjust naturally to change in your environment. It will also probably change (both scalp and hair shaft become drier) if it is colored or chemically textured.