“Hair Care is important” is what hair experts say.

This seems like a no-brainer but is it really important and if yes, why?

Well, there are no wrong answers here. But the question is why do we go through all the trouble just to look and feel good?

Because it is a reflection on your overall HEALTH – both mental and physical.

Now does it matter if you’re using cheap hair care or expensive hair care?

The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because the quality of a product will have a direct effect on the kind of results you are looking for. No, because not every hair care product that is expensive means that it is of good quality.

But what matters even more is – identifying the concerns and your hair type and using a product accordingly.

That’s right! Even your hair has types like skin types which will be highlighted below.

Now, as we dive into the basics, ask yourself this one question –

“Can I have healthy hair?”

To find the answer you seek, keep reading to know more.

Hair: Hair Types, types of Hair Care Products

What is Hair?

Ever thought about what really is this mundane stuff on our head and parts of our body really is?

Most of us take time to take care of it daily but have you really taken the time off to wonder hair is made of?

It is made of a strong protein that goes by the term – keratin. Perhaps you may have come across the term being advertised on television ads before.

Hair is a defining feature that most mammals have.

Most mammals like monkeys have hair, but crocodiles don’t. Do you see a pattern here?

But what really is the purpose of hair?

Basically, the hair on your head is there to keep your head warm and regulate body temperature.

Here are some other hair facts you need to know.

• According to NCBI, hair consists of three structures: the hair shaft, hair root and the hair follicle.
• A strand of hair consists of three main layers: the medulla, the cortex, and the
• Genetics & environment influences the shape of hair that person has or will have.
• There are different types of hair structure/texture: fine, medium, and coarse or thick.

What are the Different Types of Hair?

Type 1: Consists of straight hair with slight variation in texture.

• Subtype 1 consists of very straight with a fine or thin texture/stick straight.
• Subtype 2 consists of straight with some bends/with couple of slightly visible S-waves.
• Subtype 3 consists of straight hair with thicker & coarser texture/straight with more volume.

Type 2: Consists of wavy hair but is not as curly

• Subtype 1 consists of wavy hair which has a fine or thin texture/loose with stretched S-shaped
• Subtype 2 has more waves and has slightly more defined S-shaped waves that are shorter with a little more distinct S-waves.
• Subtype 3 has well defined S-shaped waves but not enough to be defined as curls. This type has more distinct S-shaped waves with some loose spiral curls.

Type 3: consists of curls

• Subtype 1 has loose curls that have a fine texture/big with loose spiral curls.
• Subtype 2 has a little more tighter and springy curls with either fine or medium thickness texture/bouncy ringlets.
• Subtype 3 has well defined ‘Z’ or ‘S’ shape that springs back into shape when stretched on/has tight corkscrew curls.

Type 4: consists of coils that are spring-like

• Subtype 1 has loose coils with finer texture. This subtype has tightly coiled S-curls.
• Subtype 2 has more zig-zags with slightly thicker texture. This subtype has tightly coiled Z-shaped
• Subtype 3 has tighter coils that are also thicker in texture with more defined Z-shaped

Types of Hair Care Products

1. Shampoo:

This is the first step in a hair care routine. Shampoos have a gummy, gluey and sticky texture in the liquid form that helps to remove excess sebum from your hair follicles. A good shampoo helps to keep your scalps and hair follicles clean and fresh.

Why is it important to shampoo your hair?

Using a good quality shampoo can help to remove excess oil, buildup of dirt and product residue and can help with hair growth too.

There is no rule of thumb as to how much you have to shampoo in a week. However, a friendly advice would be to limit the days of shampoo in a week unless your hair and scalp feels dirty, greasy, and tangled.

Consider the Shampoo-Step like a cleanser step that you would normally see in a Korean Beauty skincare routine.

2. Conditioners:

Hair conditioners come as the second step in a hair care routine. The texture of a hair conditioner is generally thick and can have a certain weight to it that is either medium or heavy. Think of it like a moisturizing agent that you apply on your hair for a couple of minutes after which you have to wash it off.

Conditioners are generally applied every time you use a shampoo to wash your hair and scalp.

What are the benefits of conditioning your hair?

Conditioners help to make your hair smoother, detangle, reduce split ends and breakages. It also provides moisture to your hair after you shampoo. Conditioners are kept for a certain period of time to allow it to penetrate, nourish and protect your hair.

It also helps to form a kind of protective layer for your hair to avoid hair breakage and to promote healthier growth.

3. Hair Oil

Interesting fact – the practice of hair oiling has been used in India for not hundreds but thousands of years!

Oiling your hair simply refers to the hair care practice of applying certain types of oils such as coconut oil, argan oil or almond oil to your hair to keep it nourished.

Hair oils are generally used a night before or a minimum – an hour before you wash your hair.

Is Oiling good for hair?  

Absolutely! Applying hair oil has its fair share of benefits. Believe it or not, when you massage your scalp with a good hair oil, you are actually exfoliating dead skin cells on your scalp! This helps to reduce dandruff and hair fall by nourishing your scalp.

Oiling  helps to protect your hair from environmental aggressors and every day wear and tear. It has also been found to keep your hair and scalp healthy overall.

Difference between Moisturizing Oils and Sealing Oils

Oils that penetrate into the inner layers of your hair to help moisturize and strengthen hair are called moisturizing oils. This includes coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.

Whereas, oil that does not penetrate but sit on top of your outer hair to seal the required moisture needed are defined as sealing oils. This includes oils such as jojoba oil and castor oil to name a few.

4. Hair Masks

Hair masks are like facial sheet masks but for your hair. Think of it as having the benefits of a conditioner but with more intensity to deeply nourish, moisturize, and strengthen your hair. Hair masks can be used if you have dry, colored, heat-damaged, or aging hair.

What does a hair mask do to your hair?

The ingredients used in hair masks are more concentrated in order to boost and promote healthy hair growth. Generally, hair masks help to make your hair less frizzy, promote healthy scalp and stronger hair, reduce hair damage and breakage to name a few.

If you are faced with hair concerns such as lack of shine, rough, hair breakages, frizzy, weak or damaged hair, Hair Masks can help to get rid of those and provide you with a healthier hair growth and shine.

5. Hair Serum

Hair Serum is a liquid that helps in hair treatment product that is used for styling hair. This hair care product is used after your shampoo and conditioner step.

What does serum do to your hair?

Hair serums help to make your hair shinier, healthier and reduce tangles. It helps to protect your hair against humidity and damage as well.

In addition, hair serums also help to smoothen, add protection to your hair from heat, pollution, impurities and reduce frizz.

Conclusion

Now can you achieve healthy hair? Absolutely! Here’s a quick summary on what you need to be focusing on:

• Get to know your hair type,
• Try identifying your hair concerns,
• Refer what each type of hair care product does for your hair
• Start out with simple basic hair care routine steps and work your way up and
• Don’t forget to check out our weekly blogs for more hair care content.

So, there you have it, a short introduction to Hair and Hair Care by Beauty Barn. We hope this short article helps you to get to know more about your hair and start your own hair care journey.

Stay tuned for more hair care related blogs.