Hair Texture

Hair Texture

       Hair texture is the measure of the circumference of the hair strand itself. Professionals classify the texture of hair as being "coarse", "fine", or "medium".

       Coarse hair has the largest circumference, and fine hair has the smallest. Medium texture indicates a middle-range of the size of the hair shaft, it's considered normal and poses no special considerations regarding processing and chemical services.

       Coarse hair is stronger, for obvious reasons - it has more substance. However, coarse hair can also be harder to process, and can be resistant to haircoloring services, perming, and straightening. Fine hair, conversely, is often very easy to process, and can be over-processed easily and is susceptible to damage from chemical services.

       Hair texture varies from individual to individual, and can be different in separate areas of the same head. You may have coarse hair on the top of the head and fine hair at the nape of the neck. Race and ethnicity are irrelevant in determining hair texture, as coarse, medium and fine hair can be found among all racial and ethnic groups.
 

Hair type, texture and density

Type of hair
There are three types of hair:
* African Caribbean
* Asian
* Caucasian (European)
African Caribbean
Usually very tightly curled and often very dark, African Caribbean hair is almost kidney shaped when seen in cross section.
African Caribbean hair is easily damaged. Take care when using treatments, particularly chemical treatments.
Asian
Asian hair is often straight and has a tendency to be lank. It varies in colour from very dark to medium brown and can be thick and very strong. In cross section, it is round.
If you cut Asian hair very short, it can stand straight out from the head.
Caucasian
Caucasian or European hair can be straight, wavy or curly. It varies in colour from very dark brown to light blonde. In cross section, European hair is oval.
Texture
Hair can be:
* fine
* medium
* coarse
When we refer to hair as being 'fine', 'medium' or 'coarse', we mean that each hair is fine, medium or coarse. The texture of hair is determined by its circumference and the condition of the cuticle. Fine hair has a small circumference and a closed cuticle, coarse hair has a much larger circumference and the cuticle will be more open. This will lead to the hair being more porous.
The texture of hair can determine what looks you are able to achieve. If hair is naturally coarse or if it appears to be coarse because the cuticle is open and damaged, you will not be able to successfully achieve a smooth look.
The texture of hair can vary significantly according to hair colour and racial type (see also How hair grows).
Density
Density relates to the number of hairs on the head. A client with fine-textured hair may have many more hairs on their head than someone whose hair is coarse. The number of hairs on the scalp depends on many influences and varies enormously but average densities are believed to be:
* for natural blonde hair - 130,000
* for natural red hair - 80,000
* for natural brown hair - 100,000
* for natural black hair - 100,000