Know Your Hair Type. How to Take Care of Them and What to Avoid?

Knowing your hair type is key to choosing the right hair products. Therefore, you need to focus on texture, porosity and the scalp area too. Let's get to it, so that you can finally equip your arsenal with products that your hair will love. 

1.Hair texture

The first step is to determine how thick your hair is. They are divided into three categories, namely fine, normal and strong. If you curl your hair with a curling iron for half an hour, use all sorts of products, and your hair is done in no time, you have fine hair. Compared to them thick hair again holds well with styling, but is less pliable. The winners are those with medium-thick hair. They are easy to work with and also hold their initial hairstyle or shape for an extended period of time. 

Try doing a test

Compare your hair to sewing thread. Pluck one hair or take it out of your brush or comb, place it on the table and place a piece of thread, ideally in a similar shade to your hair, just beside it. If your hair is significantly thinner than the thread, you have fine hair. If it is about the same as the thread, you can rejoice, because you have medium thick hair. And let's not forget the third possibility, where the hair is wider than the thread. In this instance, you have thick hair. 

If you have fine hair?

Fine hair is primarily susceptible to damage and least resistant to high temperatures. It is therefore necessary to take proper care of them and treat them gently. Another disadvantage is that it gets oily quickly, even if you don't have an oily scalp. Fine hair also often becomes limp soon after washing. But neither problem is unresolveable. 

The ideal care for fine hair

Get a shampoo for fine hair and look for the words "volume" or "for fine, thin hair" on the packaging. If it contains cellulose, wheat and rice proteins or polymers, that's a good thing. These ingredients promote hair strength and volume. Also use a lightweight conditioner and mask, which should only be applied to the lengths and ends. When styling, reach for styling mousse, volumising sprays or special hair powders for volume. 

If you have normal hair?

Such hair is neither dry, nor greasy, in short, it's a golden happy medium. They tend to be naturally shiny, flexible and rarely damaged, so they only need the most basic of care to look like something out of a magazine. If this description matches your hairstyle, you are lucky because you don't need any special hair products. 

The ideal care for normal hair

You can choose from virtually any shampoo on the market, always choose the one that your hair currently needs, and alternate care accordingly. And treat yourself to a hydrating hair mask once a week. 

If you have thick hair?

Do you have hair that looks thick and voluminous but feels coarse to the touch? Then you are the owner of thick hair that is less pliable, but very resistant to breakage and high temperatures.

The ideal care for thick hair

Thick hair requires high levels of hydration, nourishment and softening to make it easier to style. The best combination is a hydrating shampoo, nourishing conditioner and a thick hair mask. There are also products that are specially formulated for thick hair. You can also include a hair oil in your hair care routine to give it softness. When it comes to styling, you have free rein. Just avoid products with a high water content. 

If you have straight, wavy or curly hair?

When dealing with the texture of your hair, you need to think not only about its strength, but also its shape. "There are three basic types of hair: straight, wavy and curly. Each of these types requires a specific approach to their care and product selection. For chemically treated hair, the choice of products varies depending on the individual treatment," says Klier salon hairdresser Kateřina Hamplová. Your hairdresser should advise you on exactly what care to choose. So, how do you care for straight hair? "They're usually smooth and shiny but lack volume, so shampoos and conditioners that add volume and texture, as well as light styling sprays, are ideal."

"Wavy hair has fine to medium waves in the shape of the letter S. It tends to be dry, so hydrating shampoos and conditioners are ideal for it. Likewise, curly hair that has clearly defined curls needs plenty of hydration. Oils and hydrating hair masks do them well," advises Kateřina.

2. Hair porosity

So-called hair porosity also plays a big role in the care of hair. The point is whether or not your hair is able to absorb moisture.

Try doing a test 

No special diagnostics are needed, just your hair (ideally after washing) and a glass of water. When hair sinks quickly to the bottom, it means that it is able to absorb moisture. Such hair needs a greater amount of hair products and ideally avoid heat treatments. If it floats on the surface, you have low porosity of the hair, which dries for a long time and accumulates products on the surface without penetrating the hair. And if it slowly sinks, it is of moderate porosity. That is ideal.   

If your hair is highly porous?

It means that the cuticle of the hair is open and therefore damaged, brittle, without shine and also cannot be combed when wet. In addition, they are very susceptible to damage, so they need to be handled with great care. 

The ideal care for porous hair

Definitely get a shampoo for damaged hair and preferably one that doesn't contain sulphates, thus ensuring a careful and gentle wash. Follow it up with a cleansing conditioner and also a nourishing cream mask or oil. 

If your hair is moderately porous?

In this case, no special care is needed because your hair easily absorbs nourishment from the products and retains any hydration within. Visually they look healthy, voluminous and supple. What more could you wish for?

If your hair is a little porous?

If a simple test shows that your hair is not very porous, it means that your hair has an impermeable cuticle layer, which makes it difficult for moisture and nourishment from products to penetrate. The products then accumulate on the surface of the hair and weigh it down. 

The ideal care for slightly porous hair

First of all, you need to get rid of any accumulated product residues. A deep-cleansing shampoo and a special scalp scrub will help. In general, go for lightweight products and don't overdo it with styling.

3. Scalp condition

The third aspect to consider is the scalp. If your scalp isn't in good shape, your hair won't be either. 

Try doing a test

Wash your hair, dry it gently with a towel, do not put any other products on it and allow it to dry. The next morning, press a paper tissue to your scalp. If there are significant spots on it, you have oily skin, if you see only minor marks, you have normal skin. In the case the tissue is completely clean, you probably have a dry scalp. 

If you have dry skin?

Dry skin is often accompanied by dry hair, which is dull to the eye, easily frizzy and very difficult to comb. Especially while they're still wet. Dry skin can be caused, for example, by frequent washing, blow-drying, dyeing or exposure to UV radiation. 

The ideal care for a dry scalp

Wash your hair only once a week to avoid drying out your skin unnecessarily. Use special products designed for dry hair.

If you have normal skin?

In this case, you have won. Normal skin does not require any special care, so you can use virtually any hair product. 

If you have oily skin?

Are you troubled by oily hair? The culprit is probably your scalp, which produces a lot of sebum. It can be due to genetics, but also hormonal disorders, stress, poor lifestyle, frequent brushing and the use of inappropriate hair products. 

The ideal care for an oily scalp

Use a combination of shampoo for oily hair, weightless conditioner and toner for oily skin. A volumising treatment will also provide a change for the better, as greasy hair is often limp. 

Now that you know your hair type.... All you have to do is acquire the proper hair products, and you will soon be rejoicing in the visible change.