What is Hair Elasticity?
The key to healthy hair is understanding what healthy hair is, what it isn’t and why it is the way that it is. Learning about all of this can be a little bit overwhelming. If that’s how you are feeling right now about your hair journey then you’ve come to the right place. At The Good Hair Co, we aim to help you uncover the mysteries of the hair world to bring you closer to understanding your hair and establishing your hair’s profile.
Let’s talk about hair elasticity.
WHAT IS HAIR ELASTICITY?
One of the main indicators of a healthy head of hair is its elasticity. Elasticity is the measure of how much your hair will stretch and return to a normal state without losing curl definition or breaking off.
Your hair shaft, the hair that grows out of your head, is typically made up of 3 layers - a medulla, a cortex and a cuticle. If you have a medium or coarse hair texture then you likely have all 3 layers.
The medulla providing the support your hair needs to be strong. Around the medulla, is the cortex made up of compressed, keratinised cells that have been fused together and is responsible for the colour, strength and texture of your hair. Hair that is well moisturised keeps the cortex hydrated allowing your hair to experience healthy, stretchy, bouncy goodness. The outermost layer is the cuticle. When the cuticle layer is damaged, your hair will struggle to retain moisture into the cortex leading to dehydration, dryness and eventually leaving your hair prone to damage and breaking-off.
The cortex layer is made up of coiled proteins, also called keratin, that helps to maintain the elasticity of your hair. Think of the structure of the proteins like a coiled telephone cord. When you stretch the cord the coils begin to straighten and when you let go it coils back-up without any pieces of the plastic coating coming away. This goes for your hair too. When you stretch your hair you are straightening the coiled proteins and when you release your hair, the proteins coil back up. This is a sign of healthy hair and often the cause of shrinkage. However, if your hair breaks off when you stretch your hair or it doesn't curl back-up, then the fibers of the cortex have become weak and damaged, causing them to start fraying like a rope.
WHY IS ELASTICITY IMPORTANT FOR MY HAIRCARE?
Knowing your elasticity i.e. how much your hair stretches or doesn’t stretch without breaking off, allows you to find the products, methods and routines that you need to maintain or improve your hair’s elasticity levels.
These are the general levels of elasticity:
High Elasticity - Your hair stretches but doesn’t bounce back straight away. This could be a sign of too much moisture in your hair and not enough protein
Normal Elasticity - Your hair stretches and then bounces back straight away. This is healthy hair with a good moisture and protein balance.
Low Elasticity - Your hair stretches then breaks straight away instead of bouncing back. This could be a sign of too much protein in your hair and not enough moisture.
HOW DO I FIND THE ELASTICITY OF MY HAIR?
Elasticity of your hair can be measured by stretching a strand of your wet clean hair and observing how quickly the curl returns back to its original form. Try this:
Take a few strands from different parts of your wet and clean shed hairs (or pluck some from your freshly washed head).
Take one end of the strand and wrap it around your forefinger before holding it securely with your thumb.
Take the other end of your strand and wrap it around your other forefinger before holding securely with your thumb. There should be a distance of 4 cm between your hands when holding the ends of the hair.
Pull the hair apart slowly and observe what happens. Is your elasticity high, normal or low?
Remember that this test is only an indication. Every hair on your head is different, and the elasticity of your hair can also change along the hair shaft due to nutrition, environmental agents and hair practices. For instance, the root of your hair might be higher in elasticity than the middle and end of your hair. That is why it is important to do this test more often to continue to observe your hair. But don’t do it too much or you might go bald!
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Now that you have an idea of hair elasticity and how it indicates the health of your hair, read our post on the difference between moisture and hydration? Better yet, book your consultation with one of our certified hair experts. Get a personalised regimen consisting of highly effective product recommendations to solve your hair and scalp concerns. Let us help you discover the expert hair care advice you need to get the healthy hair you want.