Do I Have Fine Hair? Here's How to Find Out Easily
Fine hair has both its benefits and downfalls. One of the best ways to determine if you have fine hair is to determine its diameter and porosity. These parameters are excellent to figure out anyone’s hair type, not just those who believe they have fine hair.
There are some straightforward ways to find out if you have fine hair. Keep on reading to find out about these simple ways and find out what having ‘fine hair’ really means.
What is Fine Hair?
Whether or not you have fine hair refers to the texture and dimensions of a strand of hair. It is important to note that people with fine hair can still have a lot of hair on their heads. The phrase ‘fine hair’ refers to how thick each strand is, not how many strands there are on your head.
The texture of fine hair, which is width, diameter and circumference, is often smaller when compared to thicker hair.
Fine Hair vs. Thin Hair
Before you begin worrying that fine and thin hair are the same, please know that these terms are often referring to different aspects of your hair. While fine, medium (what most people have), and coarse refer to each strand’s size and texture, thin and thick most often refer to the amount of hair you have on your head as a whole.
It can sometimes be confusing since people often use ‘thick’ as a way to describe medium hair texture as well.
The phrase ‘fine hair’ refers to each strand’s dimensions and texture (or lack thereof). Fine hair is smaller in dimensions and doesn’t seem to have a texture to it.
It is possible to both have fine hair and thick hair. Thinness or thickness of hair is determined by how many strands are on your head and how far apart they are. T
hin hair is almost always straight instead of curly or wavy since the strands are weaker, making them unable to hold curls or waves.
How to Determine if You Have Fine Hair
There are various ways to determine if you have fine hair, but we will talk about the most straightforward ways to assess this at home. Follow these steps to determine if you have fine hair.
Diameter
The diameter refers to the width of a single strand of hair. I know what you’re thinking; how can I measure something as small as a strand of hair? However, it is quite simple and done by laying the strand of hair on a table. If you look at the hair and it isn’t easy to view, or if you can barely feel it when you hold it in between two fingers, you most likely have thin hair.
Here are the specific measurements that determine which type of hair you have:
- Fine Hair: Less than 60 microns (16 or more hairs per millimeter)
- Medium Hair: 60-80 microns (12 to 16 hairs per millimeter)
- Coarse or Wide Hair: 80 microns or greater (fewer than 12 hairs per millimeter)
Choosing a Sample to Test
Believe it or not, random samples of your hair on your clothes or hair drying towel will likely be the best for this type of test.
Porosity
Porosity refers to the amount of water your hair absorbs. How your hair absorbs moisture is essential when determining if you have thin hair. If your hair is fine, it will not absorb moisture as well as thicker types of hair.
Porosity is one of the main aspects in determining which kind of hair you have and which products you should use.
To determine the porosity of your hair, place a single strand of your hair in a bowl. If it sinks, it has a high porosity, if it floats, it’s not absorbing the water, and it is finer. Furthermore, if your hair floats in the middle, it is well-balanced.
A Bonus Hack for Fine Hair
Having fine hair often means you run into issues when styling and caring for your hair. Therefore, it is good to use products that are specifically formulated for fine hair, and to check out different hairstyles that will provide volume.
I also recommend that you use as little product as possible to achieve the intended results, as the product can get stuck due to not being absorbed.
Dry with a blow dryer, use less product, and your Fine hair will look stunning.
Bottom Line
Fine hair can have its benefits and shortcomings, but so does every other hair texture type. Remember to assess your hair texture type to ensure you are using the correct products to maintain it effectively.
Now, you should be able to determine if you have fine hair or not. No matter what kind of hair you have, be sure to not overuse products as they can build up in the hair over time.
Related Topics:
- Short Hairstyles for Fine Hair
- Hairstyles for Older Women With Fine Hair
- Best Mousse for Fine Hair
- Hairstyles for Fine and Curly Hair
