What should you know about your “Hair Texture"
Hair texture refers to how thick or thin each strand of hair is. It is also called the hair width. It is classified based on how wide or thin the hair circumference is. Hair texture is genetically determined.
Types of Hair Texture
Hair texture is divided into three -
- Coarse
- Medium and
- Fine.
Coarse Texture
Coarse hair has strands with a very wide circumference. It is the strongest of the hair textures. It is more resistant to heat, breakage, styling, chemical processing like coloring, relaxing, etc. It is easy to retain length with this hair texture because it doesn’t break easily.
The picture above shows us the difference between coarse strands and fine strands. Oh we haven’t gotten there yet 😂
Medium or Normal Texture
Medium hair strands have a circumference that is neither too wide nor too thin. Medium hair is also resistant to damage but not as much as coarse hair. It is also easy to retain length.
Fine Texture
Fine does not refer to the beauty of this texture. I mean it’s beautiful but that’s not what we are talking about. Fine strands have a very thin circumference. The strands are fragile and very prone to breakage and tangles, making it hard to retain length. It is easily weighed down with products.
This is where my hair texture falls under.
Can I change my hair texture?
Yes and No.
Change as in from fine strands to coarse strands, no.
Products cannot change your fine strands into coarse strands. Ayurvedic herbs can give you an illusion of strand thickness because they form a casing on your strands. But that does not change your hair texture.
Relaxers can decrease the fatness of your strands especially if you overprocess and reapply relaxer to already relaxed hair. But if you have a healthy relaxer routine that can be avoided.
This does not affect the genetical coding of the texture of your new growth tho. The new growth will still be coarse if you have always had coarse strands.
Which hair texture is good or bad?
None. When you start accepting your hair texture then your hair will thrive within its limits. Everything has advantages and disadvantages. Maximize your advantages.
How to Determine your Hair Texture
Your hair texture can be known by comparing an individual strand of hair to a piece of sewing thread.
If the hair strand is fatter than the thread, you have a coarse strand.
If the hair strand is the same size as the thread, you have a medium strand
If the hair strand is smaller than the thread, you have fine strands
It is also possible to have a mix of these hair textures around your scalp. So don’t be shocked. Your edges and nape are most likely to be fine. That’s why they break easily before other parts of your hair.
Now, how does your hair texture affect your relaxed hair. What’s the use of identifying your hair texture? This bring us to our next subheading.
How your Hair Texture affects your Relaxed Hair
1. Your texture determines the relaxer strength you should use: Fine strands are more fragile and it is usually advised to not relax this particular hair texture.
However, if you must relax, make sure to use normal strength relaxers. Avoid extra strength relaxers by all means. If possible, make sure it is indicated on the relaxer that it is for fine strands.
Normal strength relaxers process the hair at a much slower rate than extra strength relaxers. Meaning if you apply your relaxer quickly, then you have enough time for the slow processing. Slow processing means less texture will be removed from your hair.
2. Relaxer processing time: For fine strands, it’s usually shorter compared to coarse strands. You don’t have to wait until your scalp starts burning. Your scalp is not even supposed to burn in the first place.
Your fine strands don’t even have so much texture so you need to avoid overprocessing at all cost. Of course, do not overlap. Do not apply relaxer to previously relaxed hair. Coarse Texture might survive it but your fine texture cannot. You are signing up for intense breakage.
3. Where to start while applying your relaxer: If you desire evenly relaxed hair, you should start with the coarsest parts of your hair. They take longer to relax so you should start with those areas.
The areas that have fine strands will relax faster. So if you start with them, they will overprocess before the coarse part has been relaxed.
Multiple things can happen at this point. The coarse part will be underprocessed while the fine part will be under process. And of course you cannot relax again until your next relaxer day which should be 12 weeks away.
4. Heavy extensions or not: Your fine strands cannot stand heavy extensions. Please avoid it. You'll experience excessive shedding if you use heavy extensions. This goes for natural hair as well.
5. Lightweight or heavyweight products: Heavy products tend to weigh down your fine strands. It makes it limp and flat. Imagine if you have a combo of fine strands with low density, wahala (I have this). Use lightweight products for this hair texture. You might want to avoid hair butters.
6. Protein treatments: Relaxed hair needs protein but fine textured relaxed hair needs protein even more. Please do your protein treatments and follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner.
If you take all the above tips into consideration you’ll definitely have a healthier relaxed hair. I hope you can see why two persons with even the same density but different textures might not have the same regimen.
Cheers to healthy relaxed hair. Feel free to reach out if you have further questions.
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