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How to Determine Your Hair Type and Why It Matters

Have you ever bought a hair product that promised miracles but left your hair feeling worse? Maybe your curls looked limp, your straight hair felt greasy, or your waves just didn’t hold up. The problem might not be the product—it could be that it’s not designed for your hair type.

Understanding your hair type is the secret to building a routine that actually works. Instead of playing a guessing game with products, knowing your texture, porosity, density, and thickness will help you make the best choices for healthier, happier hair.

Let’s break it down in the simplest way possible!

1. What’s Your Hair Texture? (Straight, Wavy, Curly, or Coily?)



Your hair texture is the natural shape or pattern of your strands when air-dried.

Type 1: Straight Hair

✔ No natural curl or wave.
✔ Gets oily faster because oils travel down the shaft easily.
✔ Needs lightweight products to avoid looking greasy.

Type 2: Wavy Hair

✔ S-shaped waves that range from barely-there bends (2A) to more defined waves (2C).
✔ Can get frizzy but doesn’t need super-heavy products.
✔ Benefits from mousses, light creams, and sea salt sprays.

Type 3: Curly Hair

✔ Spirals or ringlets that range from loose curls (3A) to tight corkscrews (3C).
✔ Prone to dryness and frizz, so moisture is a must.
✔ Loves curl creams, deep conditioners, and the LOC method (Leave-in, Oil, Cream).

Type 4: Coily/Kinky Hair

✔ Tight curls or zig-zag patterns (4A to 4C).
✔ Naturally dry and fragile—moisture is everything!
✔ Benefits from heavy creams, butters, and protective styles.

How to Test:
Wash your hair, skip styling products, and let it air dry. The natural shape it takes will tell you your texture!

2. How Well Does Your Hair Absorb Moisture? (Porosity Test)

Porosity is how easily your hair absorbs and retains moisture. This affects how your hair reacts to products.

Low Porosity (Cuticles are tightly packed)

✔ Products sit on top instead of absorbing.
✔ Hair takes forever to dry.
✔ Loves lightweight, water-based products.

Medium Porosity (Balanced absorption)

✔ Holds moisture well but doesn’t feel greasy.
✔ Works well with most products—lucky you!

High Porosity (Cuticles have gaps)

✔ Absorbs moisture fast but loses it just as quickly.
✔ Prone to frizz and dryness.
✔ Loves thick, creamy products and sealing oils.

How to Test:

  • Drop a clean hair strand in a glass of water.
  • If it floats, you have low porosity hair.
  • If it sinks slowly, you have medium porosity hair.
  • If it sinks immediately, you have high porosity hair.

3. How Much Hair Do You Have? (Density Check)

Hair density refers to how much hair is actually on your scalp—not how thick each strand is.

Low Density (Thin Hair)

✔ Scalp is easily visible when hair is parted.
✔ Needs volumizing shampoos and lightweight products.

Medium Density (Normal Hair)

✔ Scalp is slightly visible when parted.
✔ Works well with most styling techniques.

High Density (Thick Hair)

✔ Scalp is hard to see even when parted.
✔ Loves rich, defining products for control.

How to Test:
Part your hair in the middle and check how much scalp you can see!

4. Are Your Strands Fine, Medium, or Coarse?

This is about strand thickness, not how much hair you have.

Fine Hair

✔ Strands are thin and delicate.
✔ Gets greasy fast and struggles to hold styles.
✔ Loves lightweight, volumizing products.

Medium Hair

✔ The happy middle—easy to style and care for.
✔ Works with most hair products.

Coarse Hair

✔ Thick, strong strands that can feel rough.
✔ Can handle heat and styling but needs hydration.

How to Test:
Take a single strand of hair and roll it between your fingers.

  • If you barely feel it, you have fine hair.
  • If you feel it slightly, you have medium hair.
  • If it feels thick and strong, you have coarse hair.

Why This Actually Matters

Now that you know your hair type, here’s why it’s a game-changer:

✔ No more wasted money on products that don’t work.
✔ Better hair days because you’re using what your hair actually needs.
✔ Stronger, healthier hair that’s easier to manage.
✔ More confidence in styling and caring for your hair!

Think of it this way—if you had dry skin, you wouldn’t use products meant for oily skin, right? The same logic applies to your hair!

Now tell me—what’s YOUR hair type? Drop a comment below and let’s talk about the best products for your specific hair type!

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