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Hair Condition and Analysis

Texture

• Texture is the thickness or diameter of the hair strand.

  • Coarse: Largest diameter, strong structure, often resistant.

  • Medium: Most common, presents no special problems.

  • Fine: Smallest diameter, fragile, prone to damage.

Hair Structure

• Vellus or lanugo hair: Short, fine, downy hair found on infants and adults in typically hairless areas.

• Terminal hair: Long hair found on the scalp, legs, arms, and body; coarser and pigmented (except when gray).

Porosity

• Porosity is the hair's ability to absorb moisture , depending on the cuticle layer's condition.

  • Porous hair has a more open cuticle, easily absorbing moisture.

• Low porosity: Resistant hair; requires more effort to raise the cuticle.

• Average porosity: Normal hair.

• High porosity: Overly porous, dry, damaged, brittle hair; needs gentle treatment to prevent further damage.

Hair Growth Cycles

• Anagen: Growth phase where new hair is produced.

  • Healthy hair grows $1$ inch per month.

  • $90\%$ of hair grows in this phase, lasting $3$ to $5$ years.

  • The longer the cycle, the longer the hair grows.

• Catagen: Transitional phase after growth.

  • The follicle shrinks and detaches from the dermal papilla.

  • The hair bulb disappears, and the shrunken root end forms a rounded club.

  • Lasts for $1$ to $2$ weeks.

• Telogen: Resting and final phase of the hair cycle.

  • Lasts until fully grown hair sheds or is pushed out in the anagen phase.

  • Lasts approximately $3$ to $6$ months.

  • The growth cycle repeats approximately every $4$ to $5$ years.