Understand your hair type and get more beautiful hair

UNDERSTAND YOUR HAIR TYPE AND GET MORE BEAUTIFUL HAIR

When you understand your hair type, it is easier to choose the right hair products. This is important if you want to get the best out of your hair. The right products can give more volume to flat and fine hair, ensure that thick hair does not become unnecessarily heavy, and prevent curly hair from becoming frizzy and dry - just to name a few of the benefits, you can achieve with products that match your hair type.

By being aware of your hair type and any challenges, you can also easily seek more knowledge and filter out the advice that is not useful to you.

When defining your hair type, we look at the hair's density, diameter, structure, elasticity and porosity, as well as the level of oil that your scalp produces. Read along and figure out what your hair type is.

HAIR DENSITY

Hair density, also known as hair thickness, refers to the number of hairs on your head. Density can be low, medium, or high. Low density indicates thin hair. High density equals thick hair. Of course, it is not possible to count every single hair on your head, especially since we have somewhere between 80,000 and 120,000 hairs on our head. But an easy way to assess the density of your hair is to lift a section of hair, when you part your hair, then look at the scalp. Keep in mind that density is often higher at the back of your head, so check several places. If your scalp is almost not visible, then you can say that your hair density is high. If you can see a lot of your scalp, you can say that the density is low. Your hair density is genetically determined. You cannot change the number of hair follicles from which the individual hairs grow, but with a healthy diet and good hair care, you can ensure that all hair follicles have the best conditions to produce hair. With age, density decreases, pregnancy, stress, and illness can also affect hair density during periods. You can optimize your hair growth by giving yourself regular scalp massages.

HAIR DIAMETER

Here it is about a different type of thickness. Specifically, the thickness of the individual hair strands. A hair strand is either fine, medium, or coarse. You can have fine hair that is still thick of course, depending on the amount of hairs on your head. You can test the diameter of your hair in several ways, but the easiest method is to feel a single hair. Hold the hair strand between two fingers. If you can barely feel the hair, you can say that the hair is fine. If you can feel it, it is a medium hair strand. If you can clearly feel the hair strand, it is a coarse hair strand. If you are in doubt, you can compare your hair strand with a sewing thread. If your hair is thinner than the thread, it is fine hair, if it is thicker than the thread, it is a coarse hair strand. Remember, both tests should be done on dry hair, without any styling products in it.

HAIR STRUCTURE

Is your hair straight, wavy or curly? The structure is what most of us find easiest to assess. However, if you ask your hairdresser, it is far more complicated than that. Curls can be divided into many different sub-categories, depending on how they look. Large, soft curls, completely tight curls, S-shaped or Z-shaped, etc. We tackle that subject in this blogpost. When assessing the structure of your hair, it should be after washing you hair with shampoo and conditioner, the hair should be air-dried, and no styling products should be used. Both blow-drying and styling products can affect the structure of the hair.

HAIR ELASTICITY

A hair strand consists of several layers. The outer layer is called the cuticle layer. The next layer is the cortex, which is also the largest part. This is where the hair's strength and elasticity lies. This part needs protein and moisture to stay strong. The healthier your hair is, the more beautiful it is. Healthy hair has more shine and bounce. You can test the hair's elasticity to examine the hair's health. A healthy hair strand can be stretched up to 50% in a wet state before either breaking or returning to its original state. Low elasticity means that the hair can break easily, is often difficult to style, and has difficulty maintaining a hairstyle. Most women have hair with medium elasticity, which can be improved with regular hair treatments.

TEST HAIR ELASTICITY AT HOME

Pick a hair strand right after washing your hair. Now see how far you can stretch the hair. If it almost breaks right away, the elasticity is low. The more you can stretch it, the healthier your hair is. You can improve the hair's elasticity by strengthening the hair. To strengthen the hair it needs protein and moisture. Both Aloe vera and wheat protein contain this and both ingredients can be found in ZENZ Organic Treatment No. 03. However, it takes time to strengthen the hair, and regular hair treatments are not enough. It is also important to protect your hair on a daily basis. Use a gentle brush, avoid harmful chemicals in your hair products, and allow your hair to air-dry as often as possible. Remember, heat styling tools can also damage your hair, so use them with care.

HAIR POROSITY

Hair porosity refers to a hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. Porosity should neither be too low nor too high. Hair with high porosity is more prone to damage as it easily absorbs chemicals from products. The hair dries quickly, easily becomes curly and can feel rough. Hair with low porosity on the other hand takes a long time to dry and has difficulty absorbing nourishing ingredients. It can also feel sticky/rubbery even though it is freshly washed. Common for high and low porosity is that the hair quickly loses shine and requires a lot of care.

CHECK HAIR POROSITY AT HOME:

Fill a large glass with lukewarm water.
Put a few strands of hair in the water and wait a few minutes.
Now see where the strands of hair are placed

If the hair sinks to the bottom, it has high porosity. If the hair floats in the middle, it is a sign of normal porosity. If the hair lies on the surface, it is due to low porosity. Your hair strand may also stand vertically. This may be due to parts of the hair being more porous than the rest. If, for example, the bottom part of the hair is bleached, this part will be more porous than the part that is newer and untreated - i.e. your regrowth. In order to restore bleached i.e. damaged hair, a hair mask is your best friend - whether your hair has low or high porosity. Choose ZENZ Organic Treatment Pure no. 03. It should be used after washing with shampoo, and should be applied to towel-dried hair. The moisture in the hair makes it easier for the hair mask to penetrate and restore the balance of the hair.

LOW & HIGH POROSITY

Hair with low porosity has difficulty to absorb moisture. Therefore, your hair treatment should be aided by heat. You can wrap your hair in household wrap and wrap a towel around it, but you will get the best result by using the ZENZ Organic HairSpa - an environmentally friendly hair cap that ensures optimal heat. For extra everyday care, you should prioritize a light leave-in conditioner and choose light styling products with nurturing ingredients, such as ZENZ Organic Styling Gel Sweet Orange no. 12. If you wish to provide the ends of your hair with some extra care you can also apply the multifunctional Oil Treatments. Hair with high porosity needs protein, and unlike. hair low porosity, you are more than welcome to mix your protein-rich hair treatment with oil. For daily care, we recommend using a leave-in conditioner - feel free to choose from all ZENZ Organic Conditioners - followed by a little Oil Treatment. Finish with a creamy styling product like ZENZ Organic Styling Gel Sweet Orange no. 12.

OIL LEVEL OF THE HAIR

Your scalp produces oil, and that is not a bad thing unless it gives you greasy hair or scalp problems. The natural oils and fats from the scalp can also help with providing shine and strength to your hair. The oil level categorizes your hair type into 4 categories: Greasy, normal, dry, or combination hair. If you would like to know your hair type, you can try this little test: wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner and let it air dry before going to bed. The next morning, take a paper towel and dab it on your hair and scalp, especially behind your ears and on the top of your head - the area called the crown. Depending on how oily your hair type is, it will leave the paper towel spotted. No oil stains means that your hair type is dry. Very visible oil stains indicate that your hair type is greasy. If you see a mix of no stains and very visible stains, depending on where you dab, it is a sign of a combination dry/greasy hair type. Ideally you would like to see small oil stains. Find our blogpost about managing greasy hair here. Dry hair on the other hand needs intensive care find our guide to effective hair treatments here.

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