Understanding Hair Width: Fine, Normal, and Coarse
Your journey to beautiful, healthy hair begins with understanding your unique hair characteristics. From fine to coarse strands, each presenting special needs and styling techniques. This comprehensive guide will describe the different hair widths, provide personalized care tips, and steer you toward accomplishing your hair goals. Let's delve into the details!
What is hair width?
Hair width defines the thickness of your individual hair strands. The width of the hair strands determines how fragile or strong they are. Hair width is often confused with hair density, which refers to the number of hair strands on your scalp and how thin/thick your hair appears. This means your hair can appear thick (high density) even though you have fine hair strands and vice versa.
Hair width is determined by genetics and is divided into three groups: Fine, Normal, and Coarse.
No matter your hair width, we recommend that you follow the Natural Hair Journey, embracing your natural beautiful hair by avoiding damaging ingredients among others.
Fine Hair
Your hair strands have a small circumference, which makes them delicate and easy to damage from heat, chemical treatments, and manipulation.
Caring and Styling Tips
Rebuild and strengthen the fragile hair strands with products containing medium to large proteins like wheat, vegetable, and quinoa. Start with your conditioner or hair masque and experience with adding styling products containing protein into the mix. Fine hair typically urges more protein, but watch out for protein overload.
Fine hair is easily weighted down, so steer clear of heavy products and go for lighter options like sprays. If you have high density hair in combination, you may notice that this advice is contradicting. Therefore, it is up to you to experiment with products. You could combine a heavier leave-in conditioner or curl cream with a lighter styler such as mousse or hair spray - or the other way around.
Minimize brushing and gently detangle your hair with your fingers, or a wide tooth comb to avoid breakage. If you must use a brush, then get a detangling brush with soft and flexible bristles.
Normal Hair
Your hair strands fall in the middle range meaning they are not fragile and resistant to damage. In other words, they require the least maintenance but still need love like all hair do.
Caring and Styling Tips
Ensure your hair remains at optimal health by deep conditioning weekly, experience with including medium proteins like wheat, oat, and rice - be aware of potential protein overload. Style according to your hair density to understand whether you need light and/or heavy products.
Coarse Hair
Your hair strands have the largest circumference making them the strongest of hair. Coarse strands are more resistant to damage, but more prone to dryness that can lead to breakage.
Caring and Styling Tips
Deep condition with a hair masque weekly according to your porosity to infuse moisture and elasticity. If your coarse hair needs a little protein boost, especially after hair coloring, then look for small proteins like amino acids, silk protein, and keratin.
Go for heavier products and creams with oils and butters like shea butter. Layer styling products for extra moisture, a heavy leave-in conditioner should be a regular part of your routine. If you have a combination of low density hair, you may notice that this advice is contradicting. Therefore, it is up to you to experiment with products. You could combine a heavier leave-in conditioner with a light styler like mousse or hair spray.
How to find my hair width?
You can identify your hair width with a simple and easy at-home measurement method.
Download the Compar App and connect with your personal AI hair care advisor. Discover your hair width, receive product recommendations, delve into ingredient analysis, and learn how to care for your unique hair - all in one place.
