Hair is an important part of our body, and almost every one of us has grown up feeling insecure about our hair. Right from the day we first went to school, we saw other kids for the first time as well as witnessed different types of hair and their textures.
It was completely new for us as we started to like some, too. As we grow old, we start imagining having that particular hair type: It could be straight hair, curly hair, wavy hair, etc.
So, keep on asking ourselves the question if we can change our hair type and texture. And as you know, researching about something and gaining knowledge is important.
So, in this article, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about different types of hair. I’ll also answer an important question that you’ve been asking for a long time: Can you change your hair type permanently?
Let’s get started!
What Do You Mean by Hair Type?
Hair type refers to the classification of hair based on its physical characteristics, such as texture, curl pattern, and thickness. Usually, there are four main hair types: straight, wavy, curly, and coily. These hair types were introduced to help individuals better understand and care for their hair. You can also determine the hair type by its natural state and how it responds to various styling methods and products that you use.
What are the Different Hair Types?
There are basically four primary hair types, so let’s discuss those types.
1. Type 1: Straight Hair
This hair type is one of the favorite hair types, especially among girls they even use hair straighteners to keep their hair straight. This type of hair lacks significant curl or wave and is categorized by its smooth and sleek texture. It is often desired for its versatility and timeless appearance. Straight hair reflects light well, which gives it a glossy shine when healthy.
2. Type 2: Wavy Hair
This type of hair has a slight ‘S’ pattern and is further divided into three subtypes based on its thickness.
- The first subtype has the loosest waves and is often mistaken for straight hair. But if you take a shower and make your hair wet, you’ll witness that it will have a slight S-shape wave.
- The second subtype has more defined waves than the first subtype. These waves are loose but very noticeable and are known for their medium thickness and density.
- The third subtype has the tightest waves compared to the above two. The waves are often spiral-shaped and are usually medium in thickness.
3. Type 3: Curly Hair
You can witness curly hair types by their ringlet or coil hair forms. It is categorized into subtypes. Some of them are:
- Loosely coiled hair: This hair type has a loose, S-shaped curl pattern and is often described as being ‘afro-textured’ or ‘curly.’
- Zigzag Curls: As the name suggests, this hair type has a zig-zag curl pattern and is often described as being ‘kinky’ or ‘coily.’
- Tightly coiled hair: This hair type has a tightly coiled curl pattern and is also known as being ‘very kinky’ or ‘coily.’
4. Type 4: Coily Hair
As the name suggests, this type of hair is packed with tight coils and zig-zag patterns, and to properly take care of it, you need to wash your hair less often. Try to use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair, and use only those products which are manufactured for coily hair types.
What are the Factors Determining the Changes in The Hair Type?
- Chemical Treatments and Styling: If you lose a lot of chemical products and rely more on chemical treatments, like coloring, your hair texture can change temporarily.
- Aging: This is a natural change as changes in the hair texture gradually as you age are normal. It happens because of the decreased collagen and changes in hormonal levels.
- Hormonal Changes: Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and other periods can affect the texture of the hair, and it’s totally normal. So, you don’t have to worry when you suddenly witness your hair texture changing.
- Environmental factors: There are many natural factors, especially environmental factors, that affect hair texture. The elements like climate, pollution, and hard water can affect your hair texture.
- Diet: Your everyday diet determines your hair quality and texture, as food plays an important role in the growth of every body part, and that includes your hair. A low-protein and nutritious diet can heavily influence your hair texture, so make sure to eat healthy always.
- Health Conditions: There are many medical conditions, illness, and medication that temporarily causes the hair texture to change. Whenever you are sick, and you are under heavy medications, you can experience the texture of your hair weak and witness hair fall.
- Hair Care Routines: Taking good care of your hair will keep it strong, but changes in hair care routines, like using more chemical-based products and exposing it to excessive hair, can change the texture of your hair.
The above 7 factors play a major role in the texture of your hair.
Can You Change Your Hair Type Permanently?
It’s time to answer the main question that you’ve been waiting for a long time. No, you cannot change your hair type permanently as it is determined by your genes. To date, there is no such scientific way that has been invented to change the hair type permanently. But you can change the hair texture temporarily for a couple of days before it turns back to your original hair.
Some of the ways are as follows.
- Use of heating tools: You can use heating styling tools like flat irons, curling irons, and hair dryers to temporarily change the texture of your hair. The process includes breaking down the hydrogen bonds, whose main function is to hold the hair in its natural shape. And excessive usage of these tools can damage your hair, so remember to use a heat protectant sray before styling.
- Use of texturizing products: Texturizing products such as sea salt spray, texturizing spray, etc., help in adding volume and texture to your hair. These products work by coating the hair strands and creating grip, giving you the creative freedom to style your hair however you like.
- Use of perm: Perm is a chemical treatment people do that changes the texture of the hair as it makes it straighter, curlier, or wavy.
- Use of weave or extensions: Weave hair extensions are strands of hair that are attached to your natural hair and are used to add volume or texture to your hair. It can be both temporary or permanent, according to your choice.
How Can You Take Care of Your Hair Type?
You don’t have to search on the internet for ways to change your hair texture if you know how to take care of your original hair type. Let me guide you through some of the steps.
- Use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type: There are many brands and many shampoo and conditioner products in the market, and all of them are designed for different hair types. So, researching shampoos and conditioners for your hair type plays an important role. Also, make sure to purchase products that are sulfate-free and contain moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, etc,
- Wash your hair as needed: I’ve seen people wash their hair on a regular basis making their hair exposed to chemicals on a regular basis. This will make your scalp dry as it’ll lose all the natural oil from the hair that is present to keep your hair strong. So, if you are someone who has oily hair, you may need to wash it daily, and if not, you need to wash it every other day or even less.
- Avoid exposing your hair to heat: Avoid using heat styling tools as it can damage your hair. If you still decide to use it, then make sure to use a heat-protectant spray to help protect your hair from damage.
- Have a healthy diet: As we have discussed earlier, having a healthy diet can help to improve the overall health of your hair. So make sure to eat plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables so that your hair stays strong.
- Sleep: Many people don’t realize the importance of enough sleep in their life. Sleep is essential for overall health, including hair health. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, which can damage your hair.
Conclusion
Change in life is equally good and important for growth in life, but changing something that is natural can damage you. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, so it’s important to accept the way you are and be proud of yourself.
Your hair type is very beautiful, and trying to change it by applying different chemicals and techniques can damage your hair, and you might lose it forever. So, it’s important to accept your hair type and take care of it every single day.
In this article, we discussed everything you need to know about hair types and what are the factors that determine the changes in the hair type. We also discussed if you can change your hair type permanently and what things you should do to take care of your hair.
