let’s talk curl pattern

When we say 'hair texture,' we refer to the thickness or width of the individual hair strand, better known as fine, medium, or coarse. That's because waves, curls and coils can be fine, medium or coarse. Curl pattern, which we reference as waves, curls and coils, speaks to your strands' shape.

Knowing your curl pattern is important, but it’s MORE important to know your curl texture to select the right products. When we say ‘curl texture’ we refer to the thickness or width of the individual hair strand, better known as fine, medium, or coarse. That’s because wavy, curly, and coily hair can be fine, medium, or coarse. Keep in mind, texture is not the same as hair density, which is how much hair you have.

It’s important to note that ‘coarse’ does not mean your hair is rough-textured or difficult to style. Also, ‘fine’ does not mean limp or lifeless. These terms are scientific and technical, used by stylists as well as dermatologists to describe texture.

There are three basic textures: fine, medium, and coarse. To determine your hair's texture, take a single strand and lay it flat on a white piece of paper. If it's hard to see or feel between your fingertips and appears thin, it is fine. If it is visible and not hard to feel between your fingertips, it is medium. Coarse texture will be highly visible and easy to feel between fingertips.

Here's how to navigate your curl texture:

If you have fine texture...

- Not easy to see or feel between fingertips

- Tendency to appear thin

- May not hold styles well

If you have medium texture...

- Visible and not difficult to feel between fingertips

- Tendency to appear full

- Holds styles fairly well

If you have coarse texture...

- Highly visible and easily felt between fingertips

- Tendency to appear very full

- Holds styles well

Simply stated, hair porosity refers to how easily your hair absorbs moisture. There are three levels of porosity: low, medium (or normal), and high.

Low porosity hair has a compact cuticle — which means it forms a bit of a barrier against moisture, but once it's in there it, the barrier helps retains it.

Medium porosity hair has a slightly raised cuticle that allows more moisture to be absorbed, which means it also has a more balanced moisture retention rate.

High porosity hair has a raised cuticle which lets a lot of moisture in. It also loses moisture easily and is usually considered to be dry.

Place a few strands of clean, loose hair into a bowl of water and let sit for a few minutes. If the hair sinks to the bottom, it means it easily absorbed the water and is most likely high porosity. If the hair doesn't absorb much water and seems to float in the middle of the bowl, it most likely has medium porosity. If the hair floats on top — you guessed it — it means it didn't absorb any (or very little) water, and it most likely has low porosity.

Density describes how much hair per square inch is present on your scalp. There are three main levels of density: thin, average, and thick. To find your hair's density, gather the front area of your hair, and pull over to the side. If the scalp is clearly or highly visible through your strands, you have thin density. If the scalp is neither clearly visible nor hard to see, you have average density. Thick density is if the scalp is not clearly visible or easy to see.