Hair Types

Most of us know if our hair is straight, wavy; or curly, but when it comes to fine and thick, there seems to be some confusion. Fine, medium, and coarse refer to the diameter of the individual strands of hair, or its texture. Thin to thick refers to density; or the actual number of hairs per square inch on your head. Compare your hair to a few of your friends' hair and your type will become immediately evident. In general, classic Scandinavian hair is fine and classic Asian hair tends to be coarse. Hair that's in between is of medium texture. If you pull your hair into a ponytail and there's barely an inch of total diameter, your hair is thin. If you have a big, full handful of ponytail, your hair is thick.

Hair can be anything from super straight to excessively curly. When selecting a cut based on hair texture, the rules of illusion apply, just as they do with facial shapes. A good haircut can control unruly curl or make fine, straight hair look thicker.

Fine hair is smaller in diameter than medium or coarse hair. It is generally limper, but shinier than coarse hair. Fine hair can be lightly texturized to add mobility, but if you layer fine hair, you're removing what there is very little of in the first place. Heavy layers will make fine hair look thinner. Only a short blunt cut will create the illusion of more hair. This is because the strong line of the short blunt cut, or bob, makes maximum use of what nature gave you. As a variation of the classic blunt cut, add a soft touch of light layers to frame the face. Very fine hair that's left long often looks thin and scraggly at the ends. For most women with fine, straight hair, shorter lengths are ideal.

Coarse hair has a larger diameter and fewer hair follicles which means hair produces less oil. Therefore, coarse hair can tend to be dry. On the plus side, it has more body and life than other types of hair. To make coarse hair more manageable, get a layered cut that won't go fiat. As for curly hair, instead of straightening it, find a style that best suits your hair and takes advantage of your natural curls. Layering curly hair gives you more control because you've removed excess curl at the ends and the hair moves in the direction it was cut. The length will pull down the curl to loosen it a bit. Stay away from a blunt cut. It overemphasizes the ends and creates a pyramid shape - especially if there is no layering.

While very dense (thick) hair is an asset, it could end up looking too bushy if cut into a short bob. Layering adds mobility and styling options to hair, so if you're cufting dense hair, why not layer it? Women with dense hair usually want it thinned. Take advantage of the volume and fullness dense hair provides, and tame it with styling products. Remember, everyone else is trying to achieve the very look you're trying to get rid of!

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