Get to Know Your Hair and Discover What It Needs
Great hair days aren’t just a matter of luck. When you understand your hair and know what it needs, it becomes much easier to choose products that support its health and natural beauty.
Is your hair straight, wavy or curly? Is it fine or thick? Does it feel dry, frizzy or damaged?
Your hair type tells you a lot about your hair’s natural structure, but it doesn’t tell you everything about what your hair needs. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at different hair types, help you identify yours and explain what kind of care different types of hair need.
Hair Type vs. Hair Needs
Before we dive into different hair types, there’s one important distinction to make: your hair type and your hair’s needs are not the same thing.
Hair type primarily describes the natural structure and shape of your hair. Your hair may be straight, wavy or curly, for example. The thickness of each individual strand also matters. Fine and thick hair can feel very different and behave differently when it comes to styling and hair care.
Your hair’s needs, on the other hand, can change depending on factors such as the season, heat styling and colouring. During winter, for example, when the air is drier, your hair may need extra moisture to stay soft and manageable. In the summer, when humidity levels rise, your hair may benefit from smoothing products that help reduce frizz.
That’s why it’s worth considering your hair’s needs alongside your hair type and adjusting your routine as needed.
What Is Your Hair Type?
Straight Hair
Straight hair falls naturally without a defined wave or curl. It can be incredibly smooth and shiny, but straight hair can also look flat or feel weighed down if your hair care products are too rich.
How to identify straight hair:
- Your hair usually dries straight without styling.
- It doesn’t naturally form an S-shape or curls.
- Your hair tends to fall relatively close to your head.
What does straight hair need?
Straight hair benefits from products that provide care without unnecessary weight. If your hair tends to feel heavy or flat, choose lightweight formulas and pay attention to cleansing your scalp and maintaining volume at the roots.
Wavy Hair
Wavy hair sits somewhere between straight and curly hair. It may have a subtle S-shape or more defined waves that become especially visible when the hair is allowed to dry naturally.
How to identify wavy hair:
- Your hair naturally forms waves or an S-shape.
- It isn’t completely straight, but it doesn’t form defined curls either.
- The natural wave pattern can become more pronounced with the right styling techniques and products.
What does wavy hair need?
Wavy hair benefits from moisturising yet lightweight products. Heavy formulas can weigh down the waves and make the hair look flat, while sufficient moisture helps keep waves soft, defined and separated.
If your wavy hair tends to become frizzy, try products that help smooth the hair’s surface while enhancing its natural texture.
Curly Hair
Curly hair naturally forms defined curls or ringlet-like shapes. Because of its structure, curly hair is often more prone to dryness, as the scalp’s natural oils have a harder time travelling down the length of the hair.
How to identify curly hair:
- Your hair naturally forms defined curls.
- Your curls remain visible even without heat styling.
- Your curl pattern may vary in different areas of your head.
What does curly hair need?
Curly hair often needs plenty of moisture and gentle care. Moisturising and nourishing products can help keep curls soft, flexible and more defined.
Styling products designed to support your natural curl pattern can also help reduce frizz and bring out the shape of your curls.
Is Your Hair Fine or Thick?
Hair thickness is different from hair density. Fine hair refers to the diameter of each individual strand, while thick hair has a larger, more substantial strand structure. This means you can have a lot of fine hair or a smaller amount of thick hair.
Fine Hair
Fine hair needs care, but overly rich products can easily make it feel flat and weighed down. Choose lightweight, airy formulas that nourish the hair without adding unnecessary weight.
Thick Hair
Thick hair can often handle richer, more nourishing formulas and may benefit from more intensive care. If your hair feels coarse or difficult to manage, a moisturising shampoo, conditioner and hair mask can help make it softer and easier to handle.
What Does Your Hair Really Need?
Once you’ve identified your hair type, the next step is to pay attention to your hair’s current condition and needs. This is what helps you find products that are truly suited to your hair.
Dry Hair
Dry hair often feels rough, dull or prone to tangling. It may also lack shine and flexibility.
Dry hair needs moisture and nourishing care. Choose products that help restore softness and hydration, leaving your hair feeling smoother and more manageable.
Damaged Hair
Damaged hair can feel fragile and rough and may break more easily than usual. Damage can be caused by repeated heat styling, bleaching, colouring and other chemical treatments.
Damaged hair benefits from repairing and strengthening care. Alongside hydration, look for products that support the hair’s structure and help protect it from further stress.
Frizzy Hair
Frizz can be caused by factors such as dryness, humidity or a damaged hair cuticle. Naturally curly and wavy hair can also be prone to frizz.
Frizzy hair benefits from moisture and smoothing care. The right products can help reduce frizz and leave the surface of the hair looking smoother.
Hair That Gets Oily Easily
If your scalp becomes oily quickly, your hair may feel heavy or greasy soon after washing.
In this case, focus on cleansing the scalp and choose a sufficiently lightweight conditioner for the lengths.
Can Your Hair Have More Than One Need?
Absolutely. You might have fine, wavy and dry hair, for example, or thick, curly and damaged hair. That’s why it’s not enough to build your hair care routine around just one characteristic.
Start by considering your hair’s natural structure, then think about what it needs right now. This makes it much easier to find products that work for your specific hair.
How to Find Your Hair Care Routine
The next time you’re choosing hair care products, start with these three questions:
1. What is my hair type?
Straight, wavy or curly?
2. What is my hair like in terms of strand thickness?
Fine or thick?
3. What does my hair need right now?
Moisture, nourishment, repairing and strengthening care, smoothing, volume or something else?
Once you learn to identify these three things, choosing the right hair care products becomes much easier.
Ultimately, it comes down to something simple: get to know your hair, identify what it needs and choose products that support it. That’s where better hair days begin.
