By knowing your hair type, you can know how to treat, cut and style it more effectively. Determining hair type includes understanding the characteristics of hair, such as thickness, texture, porosity (ability to retain moisture), elasticity, and curl/curl pattern of hair. Knowing the type of hair you have is very useful because you can determine the style and styling product that best suits your hair type. That way, you can get the result you want.
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Method 1 of 6: Determining Hair Thickness
Step 1. Look in the mirror and part your hair right in the middle
Use your fingers or a comb to part your hair. Make sure you split it right in the middle. For convenience, use bobby pins to secure one side of the hair from blending in or back to the other side.
Step 2. Hold a section of hair to one side
Lift the hair slightly so that you can see the roots of the hair from various angles.
Turn on a light or adjust the light in the bathroom (or bedroom) so you can get a better look at the condition of your hair. Alternatively, have someone shine a lamp or flashlight above your head for more light
Step 3. Estimate the thickness of your hair
Hair thickness is basically based on the number of strands of hair that cover the head. Pay attention to the roots of your hair and scalp. How clearly the scalp is clearly visible in a radius or area of (approximately) 5 centimeters.
- While you don't have to count the strands individually, you can get an idea of hair thickness by knowing how visible your scalp is.
- High girth (thick hair): If you can't see your scalp at all because it's blocked by hair, you have thick hair.
- Medium thickness: If you can still see some of your scalp, you have medium hair thickness.
- Small girth (thin hair): If your scalp is widely visible (without being blocked by hair), your hair thickness level is small or thin.
Step 4. Test another part of your scalp
Perform the same testing process, but at a different point or section. The thickness of the hair from one point to another may vary.
Ask your friend to help look at the back of your head. After that, ask him to take a photo of the condition of your hair so you can see it more clearly
Method 2 of 6: Determining Hair Texture
Step 1. Wash your hair
Wash as usual using your usual shampoo and conditioner. After that, rinse your hair until there is no remaining shampoo or conditioner stuck to it.
Choose a time when you're not going to exercise or strenuous activity (which triggers excessive sweating of the hair) so that the test results don't change
Step 2. Dry your hair naturally
The use of a hair dryer can change the reaction of the hair in a certain period of time. Therefore, it's a good idea to dry your hair using a towel and air it naturally (without a dryer).
Step 3. Cut the sewing thread 15-20 centimeters long
Choose a medium-thick thread, not the thick thread that is usually used for sewing thick or hard fabrics.
Step 4. Pull out a strand of hair
Try to pull out a strand of hair that is the full length (not a strand that breaks in the middle). You need to know how thick your hair is so choose the strands that best represent your overall hair condition.
Make sure the hair is dry. You can also do a test when the hair has been smeared with styling products. However, it would actually be better if the test is done when the hair is in its original condition (without styling products) so that the results obtained are more natural
Step 5. Place the yarn and strands side by side on the white paper
Use a piece of white paper to help you see the strands and threads clearly so you can compare the two more easily.
Step 6. Compare the hair to the thread
Look at the strands of hair carefully. If the hair is too curly (curly), stretch out the strands before comparing them to yarn. To make it easier, glue each end of the hair and thread on the paper so that they stay straight and don't slide easily.
- Small girth (thin hair): If the strands are thinner than the threads, your hair is categorized as thin hair.
- Medium thickness: If the strands are the same thickness as the threads, you have medium-textured or thick hair.
- High girth (thick hair): If the strands are thicker than the threads, you have thick hair.
Method 3 of 6: Determining Porosity
Step 1. Wash your hair first
Wash as usual using your usual shampoo and conditioner. After that, rinse your hair. Make sure you rinse thoroughly so that no chemical residue or product remains on your hair.
Step 2. Use a towel to dry your hair (but don't let it dry too much)
Absorb the moisture in your hair using a towel so your hair doesn't get too wet. However, don't blow dry your hair until it's completely dry so that you can determine the porosity of the hair effectively (the ability of the hair to retain moisture).
Step 3. Touch your hair with your hands
Hold a section of your hair and touch it from the roots to the tips. After that, gently squeeze your hair to feel the moisture.
- Low porosity: If your hair feels very dry, it doesn't hold much moisture and has low porosity.
- Medium porosity: If your hair is wet enough, but not to the point of feeling sticky, your hair retains a moderate amount of moisture so it has moderate porosity.
- High porosity: If your hair feels sticky (it's as if the water is still being absorbed by your hair and hard to get out of), you have high porosity hair because it absorbs and holds a lot of moisture.
Step 4. Float your hair in the water
Pull out a strand of hair and float it in a bowl of water. Notice what happens to the strands of hair.
- Small porosity: If the hair floats on the surface of the water and doesn't sink at all, you have hair with low porosity.
- Medium porosity: If the hair sinks after a while of floating, your hair has moderate porosity.
- High porosity: If the hair sinks to the bottom of the bowl quickly, your hair has high porosity.
Step 5. Retest the porosity of your hair on a different day
Weather can affect the condition of your hair. If the weather is very humid, for example, your hair may react differently than when the weather is dry.
Method 4 of 6: Determining the Oil Intensity in Hair
Step 1. Wash your hair
Wash as usual using your usual shampoo and conditioner. After that, rinse your hair until no shampoo or conditioner remains.
Choose a time when you're not going to be exercising or doing strenuous activities (which trigger excessive sweating of the hair) so that the test results don't change
Step 2. Dry your hair naturally
The use of a hair dryer can change the reaction of the hair in a certain period of time. Therefore, it's a good idea to dry your hair using a towel and air it naturally (without a dryer).
Do not use any product on the hair so that the test results do not change or influence the product
Step 3. Leave the hair on overnight
Let your scalp and hair produce oil for about 8-12 hours. After that, you can check the intensity of the oil in your hair.
Step 4. Check the intensity of the oil in the hair
In the morning, paste and press a piece of tissue on the scalp at the crown. However, you shouldn't rub it; simply press the tissue onto the scalp carefully. In addition to the crown, stick and press the tissue behind the ear.
- Oily hair: If there is residual oil on the tissue, your hair belongs to the category of oily hair.
- Hair with medium oil intensity: If you see oil residue on the tissue (but not to the point of making the tissue wet), the intensity of the oil on your hair is moderate.
- Dry hair: If nothing sticks to the tissue, you have dry hair.
- Combination intensity: If there is no residual oil that is lifted from one point/part of the head, while from another point/part there is a lot of residual oil that is lifted, you have hair with a combination of oil intensity.
Step 5. Retest your hair on a different day
Weather can affect the condition of your hair. If the weather is very humid, for example, your hair may react differently than when the weather is dry.
Method 5 of 6: Checking Hair Elasticity
Step 1. Remove dry hair
Try to pull hair the full length, not strands that break in the middle of the section.
Make sure the hair is dry. You can also do a test when the hair has been smeared with styling products. However, it would actually be better if the test is done when the hair is in its original condition (without styling products) so that the results obtained are more natural
Step 2. Stretch the strands of hair that have been taken
Hold both ends of the hair with your hands and pull. Carefully stretch the strands.
Don't stretch the strands too quickly so they don't break or break easily. Eventually, the strands will break, but you need to know how far your hair extends before it breaks
Step 3. Watch what happens to the hair when you stretch it
Watch how the hair begins to stretch like a rubber band and pay close attention to when it breaks or breaks. Highly elastic hair can be stretched half its initial length before breaking or breaking.
- High elasticity: If you can stretch your hair out long enough before it breaks or breaks, you have very strong hair with high elasticity.
- Medium elasticity: If you can stretch your hair so that it stretches before breaking or breaking, but not too long, you have moderately elastic hair.
- Low elasticity: If the hair breaks not long after you stretch it, you have less strong hair with low elasticity.
Step 4. Test the hair on the rest of the head
Hair on different parts of the head may have different elasticity. If in your initial test you used hair from the crown, try pulling hair from behind the ears or the base of the scalp (top of the shoulders).
Method 6 of 6: Determining the Pattern of Curls or Curls
Step 1. Wash your hair
Wash as usual using your usual shampoo and conditioner. After that, rinse your hair until there is no remaining shampoo or conditioner stuck to the hair.
Step 2. Dry your hair naturally
The use of a hair dryer can change the reaction of the hair in a certain period of time. Therefore, it's a good idea to dry your hair using a towel and air it naturally (without a dryer).
Step 3. Determine the curl pattern of your hair
Andre Walker, Oprah Winfrey's hair stylist, created a special system to determine hair type based on size and curl pattern. The system includes several types ranging from straight hair to small curly hair.
- 1 (straight): This hair type has no curvy pattern at all.
- 2 (wavy): This hair type has a wavy curl pattern, but not too curly.
- 3 (curly): This hair type has a curved pattern that resembles the letter S, with a pattern that does not change, even when the hair is in its natural state (unstyled).
- 4 (small curly or coily): This hair type has a pattern of small curls, curls, and very dense. Often times, this hair type also has a natural curl pattern that resembles the letter Z and will not change. Hair like this can be stretched, but will return to its original shape when released. In addition, this type of hair can shrink up to 75% of its original length.
Step 4. Find out your hair subcategory
Look at some of your hair. Pay attention to the thickness and pattern of existing curls (if your hair is curly). The points below are based on the Andre Walker system which categorizes hair into four types, with three subcategories for each type.
- 1A: Hair feels soft and can't hold a curve or bend (will come back straight).
- 1B: Hair cannot be curled or curled, but has more volume.
- 1C: Hair does not curl and feels a bit rough.
- 2A: The hair is wavy (similar to the letter S) and feels rough.
- 2B: Hair has a fixed curve or wave shape, but there are often curls or tangles in the hair.
- 2C: Hair feels very tangled with thick waves, and is the coarsest hair type in this hair category.
- 3A: Hair curls are roughly the same diameter as chalk (or, at least, they're much less dense).
- 3B: Hair curls have a diameter that is approximately the same as the diameter of a colored marker pen (curls or curls in medium-sized hair).
- 3C: The hair shaft has a diameter that is approximately the same as the diameter of a pencil or corkscrew.
- 4A: The hair groove is very tight and has a diameter that is approximately equal to the diameter of the needle.
- 4B: The curve of the hair resembles a zigzag pattern or the letter Z.
- 4C: This hair type may not have a curvy pattern.
Step 5. Compare your hair with the hair pattern in the LOIS system
The LOIS system allows you to compare strands of hair with the letters L, O, I, and S. Take a strand of hair and hold it in one hand. After that, compare the shape to the shape of the letters L, O, I, and S.
- L: Hair strands look like the letter L, with the appropriate angles, curves and folds.
- O: Strands of hair resembling the letter O or spiral forming several O patterns.
- I: Hair strands look straight like the letter I without curves or waves (if any, the curves or waves are not too obvious).
- S: Wavy and curly hair strands (similar to the letter S).
- Combination: Hair strands may have a combination of two (or more) of these letters. If your strands show a combination of these, check the strands on the rest of your head to see if one type or letter is more dominant.
