HAIR TYPES & ETHNICITY (2)- Asian hair

The characteristics of Asian hair

Asian hair is Straight or slightly curved , thick and has tensile strength. It has the capacity for  a longer life span and  grow to greater length than other hair types.  If you cut the hair, the cross section is round.   It resists damage well due to its hair structure.

The hair bulb is the tiny factory that manufactures hair. It sits snugly at the base of your  hair follicle that supplies the bulb with nutrients and water through a fine mesh of blood vessels. The hair cells die in the mid- region of the follicle and formed into a hair strand. The hair shaft  then exits through the skin of the scalp.

In straight Asian hair, bulb, follicle and shaft are all aligned directly above each other. The hair grows straight out of the scalp. Therefore, if you cut the hair too short, the thick strands will stick out like bristles of a brush.

Asian hair has a thicker cuticle (the outer ‘bark’ that protects the center of the hair, the cortex). It has up to ten layers of these scale-like cuticles.

The cuticles are laid at a steep angle and are closer to each other, providing better protection to the cortex. However, the oily ‘glue’ that holds the cuticle together is not as strong as Caucasoid hair. If you pull or stretch the hair too much, the glue give way and the hair breaks of in a long strand but can holds its shape due to the strong cuticle.

When cuticles lie close to each other along the length of the hair (closed position), it reduces the amount of moisture from escaping from the cortex. Moisture within the hair give it strength and suppleness. The flip side is it is more difficult for nutrients and moisture to penetrate the hair. For those who wish to color or perm their hair, it is also more difficult for dyes or chemicals to penetrate.

The positive aspect of close cuticle is the hair looks glossier because it reflects light better. When the cuticles are open, the hair looks  dull and feels coarse. Since Asian hair has up to twice the number of cuticle layers than other hair types, they feel very rough when the cuticles are open.