According to trichology, hair texture is defined by the thickness of individual hairs and groups hair textures into 3 categories.
- Fine, which is delicate and more prone to breakage.
- Medium, with a balance of volume and strength.
- Coarse, which has the thickest diameter and is best at handling styling and treatments.
Texture is different from your hair shape, which is known as the 4 types of hair including straight, coily, wavy, and curly. The type of hair you have is determined by the shape of your hair bulb beneath your scalp.
Fun fact: Hair types are the dominant decision maker on how to style and care for your hair, and each hair type is assigned an additional classification (a, b, or c) which are the textures of the hair type.
Even though you can’t change the actual texture of your hair, you can alter the feel of it. Sometimes this is for the better when you use healthy hair care products like argan oil, almond oil, or vitamin E oil. These hair oils help strands by penetrating the shaft and protecting it from protein loss, or by sealing the outer cuticle layer, protecting hair from chemicals in the air, and giving them a healthy shine.
But sometimes you can alter the feel of your hair for the worse, like when you dye your hair, which breaks down protein bonds and makes your hair more breakage prone. Or if you live a life of stress, which can prematurely age your hair. Unfortunately, aging is the one thing that no one can avoid, and aging alters the actual texture of your hair as it gets thinner and weaker over the years.
Whether you have fine, medium, or coarse texture, you can make sure your hair feels soft and smooth by choosing the right products, and work to prevent breakage. Coily hair types and thin hair textures are both prone to breakage.
One of the causes is from the way sebum is distributed, and another because the shaft is thinner. If this is your hair type or texture, and you have dry locks from coloring or treatments, opt for spiral hair ties over elastic because there’s less friction and ripping so you can work on repairing your hair vs. potentially breaking it off.
You can also try heatless curls instead of a curling iron if you want waves and bounce for the summer. Because heat further damages hair, not using it gives you more time to repair the damage while being able to have the look you want.
You can’t change your hair texture, but you can help your hair feel better no matter which texture you have. And if you liked this article, get others like it by subscribing to the TELETIMES blog.
