How do I know if my hair is healthy or not?

[Plenty]

What are the characteristics of health relaxed hair? I just want to know that I am off to a good start eventhough my hair is short.

 

[Crissi]

lack of breakage, no split ends, holds moisture well, has good elasticity

 

[Plenty]

lack of breakage, no split ends, holds moisture well, has good elasticity

Great advice, how do you know if your hair holds moisture well. I don't know what good elasticity is, but if I don't have either of those latter things can I get them back?

I don't have much split ends, and I have a little more than normal breakage?

What do you think?

 

[bluediamond0829]

i think good healthy hair is when someone has body and movement after doing a roller set or after flat ironing...and no split ends...no breakage...it doesnt look all weighed down by oils....

i wanted to add knw matter what the length a persons hair can be healthy....

 

[Plenty]

i think good healthy hair is when someone has body and movement after doing a roller set or after flat ironing...and no split ends...no breakage...it doesnt look all weighed down by oils....

great explanation! I am getting there...

 

[Crissi]

Great advice, how do you know if your hair holds moisture well. I don't know what good elasticity is, but if I don't have either of those latter things can I get them back?

I don't have much split ends, and I have a little more than normal breakage?

What do you think?

hold a strand of hair from root to tip and pull it, not to hard not to soft, ifit stretches b4 it snaps you have elasticity but if youpull and it just snaps, you have low/no elasticity, i think thats how you test for it, someone please correct me if im wrong

 

[morehairplease]

hold a strand of hair from root to tip and pull it, not to hard not to soft, ifit stretches b4 it snaps you have elasticity but if youpull and it just snaps, you have low/no elasticity, i think thats how you test for it, someone please correct me if im wrong

thanks for posting this!

 

[Crissi]

and another way (i got this out of a beauty book). Get a cold glass of water and put some strands in it, holds them down in the water for 10 seconds, if you hair floats its healthy, if it sinks its not, because the cuticle is damaged there for it just absorbs the water straight away. However I do not knowif the same rules apply for relaxed hair

 

[morehairplease]

and another way (i got this out of a beauty book). Get a cold glass of water and put some strands in it, holds them down in the water for 10 seconds, if you hair floats its healthy, if it sinks its not, because the cuticle is damaged there for it just absorbs the water straight away. However I do not knowif the same rules apply for relaxed hair

Crissi thanks for posting! I am going to try this now.

 

[Faith]

lack of breakage, no split ends, holds moisture well, has good elasticity

Even the most healthiest hair WILL HAVE split ends. What is good is having a low amount of split ends.

I would say...elasticity, low amount of breakage, low amount of split ends, has a shine to it (based on your hair type..not everybody's hair shines the same).

 

[Dark&Lovley]

Crissi that is how you check the hair 4 elasticity


Along with elasticity you also have 2 do a porosity strand check 2 c how well your hair absorbs moisture

so take 1 strand of hair & run your index finger & thumb slowly from the root 2 the end u should feel something like little bumps if you do that means the porosity in your hair is fine

That's another way 2 tell if your hair is healthy

 

[Faith]

I thought the bumps were split ends waiting for form? LOL!

ETA: I meant "to" form...lol

 

[Dark&Lovley]

I thought the bumps were split ends waiting for form? LOL!

You funny

No as was taught in school that's a sure way you check 4 hair porosity

 

[morehairplease]

Crissi that is how you check the hair 4 elasticity


Along with elasticity you also have 2 do a porosity strand check 2 c how well your hair absorbs moisture

so take 1 strand of hair & run your index finger & thumb slowly from the root 2 the end u should feel something like little bumps if you do that means the porosity in your hair is fine

That's another way 2 tell if your hair is healthy

thanks for posting Dark&Lovely!

 

[jackie1277]

Okay now I'm hella confused!

Just a few days ago someone posted this link

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5877.asp

Hopefully that works, but anyways so this woman says (b/c I the whole hair floating in the water test is not really helping me) that if you run you fingers along the hair that if it's smooth its good porosity but if its rough than it's poor porosity...

Which is correct?

 

[jackie1277]

Hey I found another site to confirm the previous link.

http://www.texascollaborative.org/hildasustaita/module files/activity2_1.htm

 

[Faith]

Hey I found another site to confirm the previous link.

http://www.texascollaborative.org/hildasustaita/module files/activity2_1.htm

BUT the site is talking about running your fingers upwards(ends to root)...D&L was saying run it downwards (roots to end)

 

[Dark&Lovley]

BUT the site is talking about running your fingers upwards(ends to root)...D&L was saying run it downwards (roots to end)

My bad if i'm wrong You are probably right. I haven't been in Cosmetology school since 97 but I can remember learning that technique as to if it feels bumpy it's porous. So I guess that sheds new light on me to I guess the saying is true "if you don't use it you loose it"



But I'll read up on that we studied the Milady Cosemetology book I'm going to see if I can pull it out find this section and I'll get back to this board.

 

[mahoganee]

and another way (i got this out of a beauty book). Get a cold glass of water and put some strands in it, holds them down in the water for 10 seconds, if you hair floats its healthy, if it sinks its not, because the cuticle is damaged there for it just absorbs the water straight away. However I do not knowif the same rules apply for relaxed hair

I've read this for testing to see if your hair is dry before coloring. I think it was on clairol's website. I do this before I dye my hair.

 

[sareca]

I found this on the Web a month or so ago...

Elasticity

Elasticity is the ability of the hair to stretch and then to spring back to its original state. Elasticity is important when doing chemical treatments, styling, or just maintaining healthy hair.
If the hair does not have elasticity, it can stretch to a point where it can break. To test for elasticity yourself, take a strand of hair and gently stretch it. If it springs back, it’s fine, if it breaks, however, do not attempt any chemical applications.

Pososity

Porosity of hair is the ability of the hair to absorb liquid or moisture. It is important when doing any sort of chemical treatment that the hair is not overly porous as it can soak up the chemicals too quickly and damage the hair.

If the hair does not have the same porosity over the entire head, some areas will process too fast. An easy test for porosity is to take a lock of hair and let it float on water for two minutes. If it floats, the outer layer is healthy. If it sinks, the outer layer is too open and will allow chemicals to absorb too quickly—in this case don’t process with any chemicals until treated with the proper reconstructors. -- http://hair.lifetips.com/tip/8398/hair/hair-tips/porosity-of-hair.html

Here's what it looks like...

Acidifiers (lemon or ACV rinses) can close raised cuticles.

 

[morehairplease]

I found this on the Web a month or so ago...

Elasticity

Elasticity is the ability of the hair to stretch and then to spring back to its original state. Elasticity is important when doing chemical treatments, styling, or just maintaining healthy hair.
If the hair does not have elasticity, it can stretch to a point where it can break. To test for elasticity yourself, take a strand of hair and gently stretch it. If it springs back, it’s fine, if it breaks, however, do not attempt any chemical applications.

Pososity

Porosity of hair is the ability of the hair to absorb liquid or moisture. It is important when doing any sort of chemical treatment that the hair is not overly porous as it can soak up the chemicals too quickly and damage the hair.

If the hair does not have the same porosity over the entire head, some areas will process too fast. An easy test for porosity is to take a lock of hair and let it float on water for two minutes. If it floats, the outer layer is healthy. If it sinks, the outer layer is too open and will allow chemicals to absorb too quickly—in this case don’t process with any chemicals until treated with the proper reconstructors. -- http://hair.lifetips.com/tip/8398/hair/hair-tips/porosity-of-hair.html

Here's what it looks like...

Acidifiers (lemon or ACV rinses) can close raised cuticles.

sareca a billion thanks for posting this!

 

[Faith]

So the week or a few days before a chemcial process maybe do an ACV rinse to close t he cuticles??

 

[An_Original_Copy]

To test your hair's moisture level---Take a cup of water. Place three strands of hair in it. If the strands float to the top, then it's healthy and moisturized. If they sink to the bottom then that means that they're lacking moisture, which is why the strands are sinking in the water because they are trying to gather up that moisture.

To test your hair's elasticity---Take a strand of hair and measure it. then multiply that length by 0.3, and add that to the actual length of the strand. If it can stretch to that legth WITHOUT breaking, then your hair has good elasticity.

For example, take a strand that is 9 inches long:

9+(0.3)(9) = 9+2.7 = 11.7 inches(If that 9-in. strand can stretch to 11.7-in. without breaking then your hair good elasticity, because experts say that a stretch of 30% or more means you have good elasticity.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I totally agree w/Crissi.

lack of breakage, no split ends, holds moisture well, has good elasticity

 

[HoneyDew]

When testing hair's elasticity, do you test when it is wet or dry?

 

[jackie1277]

I did the test where I ran my hand down the length of a hair and it was very bumpy so I did about 20 minutes with porosity control on my hair w/ a cap on and so now........

I it feels a LITTLE bit better it doesn't seems AS bumpy......so I'm thinking its not suppossed to be 100% smooth right? Like of the picture posted above normal has a little bit of a raised cuticle-that's good, right?

Okay I"m going to try the water test again, I'm glad somebody have a time limit of two minutes cuz nobody ever gave that before....

oh lordy.