Beyond porosity: other characteristics to know

Hello everyone,

In this article I continue to talk to you about the hair characteristics you need to know and take into consideration to build the best routine for you.

I present them to you together because they interact with each other, and with porosity , so a global look is needed.

TYPE, i.e.: afro, curly, wavy or smooth?

The classification that currently has the greatest consensus, that of Andre Walker , includes 4 families:

(1) STRAIGHT - Smooth;

(2) WAVY - Wavy;

(3) CURLY - Hedgehog;

(4) COILY – Spiral, or Afro.

There is also a more recent "biological classification" in which Coily hair is type 1, Curly hair is type 2, Wavy hair is type 3, Straight hair is type 4.

(CURL) PATTERN, i.e.: how curled is your hair?

Each type of hair is then divided into three possible patterns which correspond to progressive letters (A, B, C...) which indicate the "degree" of curl amplitude.

By combining the typology and pattern factors, these combinations are obtained:

1A - Smooth, fine and thin

1B - Smooth with medium body

1C - Smooth thick

2A - Light blur

2B - Soft blur

2C - Defined move

3A - Soft Hedgehog

3B - Wide spiral curl

3C - Corkscrew hedgehog

4A - Tight but soft spiral (Afroricci)

4B - Thick Spiral (Afro)

4C - Super tight spiral (Afro)

The styling performance depends above all on the type and pattern , in fact a twist out done on a 3C gives a different effect from one done on a 4B.

They are not the characteristics that most tell us which components and individual products to choose or how and how much to manipulate, however they are important to take into consideration because the higher we go in the classification, the more the need to hydrate and strengthen increases.

This depends on the fact that greater curl results in a greater ability to counteract gravity and the hair tends to stand more upwards. It follows that the sebum naturally produced by the scalp in order to keep the hair shaft soft, elastic and protected, struggles to rise and remain on the hair fibre, making supplementation necessary.

 

TEXTURE, i.e.: how thick is your hair shaft?

The hair shaft can be fine, medium and thick. The difference depends on the diameter of the body.

Fine hair is thin and delicate, it should be treated with products with a very light, almost liquid consistency, and handled delicately. They fear the heat of hairdryers, straighteners and co much more. Be careful when untangling them when they are wet because they are more fragile.

Medium- shaft hair tolerates manipulation more and better and tolerates both light and denser textures well.

Full body hair is often the most resistant to manipulation and likes more concentrated products that can envelop and penetrate it.

Starting from the assumption that whatever the texture it is important to have the right balance between hydrating agents, nutrients and proteins, it is good to remember that fine hair is the one that suffers the most in case of dehydration and lack of elasticity, becoming frayed and breaking more easily.

In order to identify the best hair care products, the texture of the hair must be evaluated in combination with the porosity .

Now perhaps some of you are wondering: "But didn't the Texture indicate the type of hair?".

Well, you are right! There is still a lot of fluidity in the use of this term which is sometimes used to indicate different characteristics of the hair taken individually (type, curl, thickness), other times to indicate the classification that derives from their combination.

Since in Italian the term translates as body, consistency, grain and considering that all these words can be traced back to a composition/constitution rather than a pattern/design, I have chosen to align myself with those who use texture to indicate the body of the hair ( hair leotards ).

DENSITY, i.e.: how dense is your hair?

We could define it as the coverage of hair, how many we have in terms of coverage.

The more mass there is, the more it is necessary to manipulate and untangle by proceeding in sections in order to ensure adequate distribution and penetration in the first case, and not to damage the hair fiber in the second case.

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Although finding the right solution starting from the combination of these characteristics is not always simple, it is important that you know what they consist of in order to have a first orientation.

During the consultancy, each of these aspects is investigated and read in combination with the others and this is fundamental in order to be able to design the routine that best suits your needs.

Now I'll let you digest this important information and I remind you that if you want to start your routine you can write to me HERE .

See you,

TO.