3 Quick Tricks to Know If You Have Thick Hair

Do you think you might have thick hair, but you’re not really sure? Are you overwhelmed when you look at shelves stacked with haircare products promising thicker and more luxurious hair because you don’t know if you should buy them?

Without knowing what kind of hair texture you have, you can’t choose the correct hair products or wear the most flattering styles. Below, we’ll give you three quick tricks to determine if you have thick hair:

Why It’s Important to Know if You Have Thick Hair?

Chances are, if I ask you what skin type you have, you’ll immediately know the answer. But if I ask you how thick your hair is, you might hesitate for a moment before responding. That’s the problem.

If knowing your skin type helps you take care of it, then knowing your hair thickness helps you follow a better daily haircare routine.

How to Determine If Your Hair Is Thick?

Thick hair refers to the width of the individual hair strands. Density refers to the number of strands in a one-inch square area of your scalp.

Most hair falls into three general categories of thickness: fine, medium, and coarse (thick). Here are three tricks to help you figure out which hair type you have.

#1. Thread Test

Find a piece of sewing thread (as close to your hair color as possible) and cut off a six-inch piece. Pluck a strand of hair from your scalp or get it from a hairbrush. Find a flat, light-colored surface and lay the thread down next to the hair strand.

If the strand is thinner than the thread, that means your hair is fine. If the strand is the same width as the thread, your hair is normal. If the strand appears thicker than the thread, your hair is coarse.

#2. Style Test

Another trick for determining your hair’s thickness is to analyze how well it can hold a style.

Delicate, fine hair usually doesn’t hold curls very well. Medium-thick hair holds its shape longer than fine hair and is comparatively easy to style. If you have thick hair, you’ll usually have no problem getting your curls to hold, but you might have more difficulty styling it since thicker hair is often less supple.

#3. Squint Test

Another way to determine your hair texture and the individual strands’ diameter is by squinting to see how wide each strand is. Take one strand and lay it down on a perfectly flat surface, such as a table or desk.

If you need to squint to see it, that means you have fine hair. If you can see it without squinting, your hair is coarse. Anything in between means that you have medium-textured hair.

Make Your Hair Look Thicker

If you’ve confirmed you have fine-textured hair, there are a few tricks that will increase the appearance of having thicker hair.        

• Use a thickening shampoo and conditioner such as Pura D’or Original Gold Label.
• Fill in areas of the scalp that are showing through with a tinted root powder that matches your hair color.
• Add some clip-in hair extensions to add volume to your existing style.
• Cut your hair shorter and keep it all one length to create the illusion of plumper, thicker hair.

Hair Is Too Thick? Here’s What You Should Do

If your hair is too thick, then here are a few tricks to help you take the volume down a couple of notches:

• Don’t overwash your hair. Letting the natural scalp oils and dirt accumulate for a few days will help weigh down your hair.
• Cut your hair in layers. Ask your salon professional to remove more hair from underneath so the top layers will lay flatter against your scalp.
• Don’t fight your thick hair. Use buns, ponytails, barrettes, and headbands, etc to control it and help tame the volume.

When you fight your hair’s natural texture, you’ll waste a lot of time and effort. Learn how to style your thick hair with the right tools, products, and techniques, and it won’t matter if your hair is thick or fine.