Hair band test: the only method you need
What’s your hair type? Do you know about porosity? Do you need protein? Have you done the glass of water strand test? Trying to determine the best way to take care of our curls can feel overwhelming.
We’ve been bombarded with ‘advice’ since the natural hair industry took hold. But we are here to cut through the noise, because it turns out you do not need to know your ‘hair type’ 'or guess whether or not protein is required, or drop a strand of your hair into a glass of water to know which products you need.
When you’re trying to care for your hair it can feel like a minefield, we know. Which product, and where to start? We’re taking things back to the simplest level: how do you know which product to use?
You just need a hair band. This shows you exactly which product to use and why:
Using your hands collect your hair into a pony tail.
Ask yourself: how easy is it to do this?
EASY
If it is easy to put your curls/waves or Afro hair into a pony tail like the image on the left you have fine strands, regardless of the curl shape (coily, ringlets, kinky, tight kinks). You therefore need a light, hydrating product that will reveal your curls without weighing them down like Eight.
Examples of fine hair below:
Note the gaps in Afro, wavy and curly hair: In each photo there is not a lot of hair to collect into a ponytail irrespective of curl shape (like Afro, ringlet or wavy).
Here’s how to use our leave-in formulated exclusively for Fine curls.
NOT EASY
It’s not hard, but there’s a lot of hair: You are blessed with thick hair. Like a lot of us with thick hair it can feel very hard to manage, but using Ten leave-in conditioner makes detangling and hydrating all of your hair significantly easier.
Examples of thick hair below:
See how thick the plaits are, the density of the hair, and how it easily holds shape. Fine hair does not do this, thick hair does. And it is more likely to ‘stay’ in a pony tail rather than slip out. Here’s how best to use Ten on thick curls and waves.
HARD
If you are struggling to collect all of your hair into a pony (not because you have short hair, but because there’s so much hair to get into the ponytail), you have very thick hair. Ten pro leave-in conditioner makes light work of this stunning, richly textured hair.
See the examples of thick hair below:
It is not just Afro hair that is very thick. Many of our customers with Jewish, Asian and interracial heritage that is barely wavy show us they have beautiful, very thick hair. Unsure how to use? Here’s our guide.
Many of us with Afro and curly hair believe our hair is very thick just because it is ‘big’ and it does not lie flat. That is not the case. It is the thickness of hair strands (how easily they are collected into a pony tail), which determines the product you need for hydrated, beautiful curls every single time.
Fine Afro hair needs Eight, our lightest leave-in, thin curly hair needs Eight. Thick, even straight very thick waves love Ten pro, our richest hair conditioner formulated for very thick hair.
Things have been confused by the internet and misinformation. But that stops now. We’re here.
Looking for more advice? Peruse our how to use posts