Curly hair is a symbol of chutzpah and personality. It even might have helped early humans stay cool and conserve water.

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1. It’s more porous than straight hair.

Aside from genetics, hair porosity is the biggest factor that determines your curly or wavy hair. Straight hair is less porous than wavy or curly hair because the cuticles on a straight hair strand are tightly aligned, which means that it’s more difficult for moisture to come in and out. Curly hair, on the other hand, has looser cuticles, which allows more moisture to pass in and out of the strands.

Moreover, the shape of your hair follicle can also determine how porous your hair is. This is because the way a hair follicle grows the strands of your hair can affect how well or poorly the hair is aligned when it dries. A flat follicle produces straight hair, while a curved follicle produces wavy or curly hair.

The more kinked and curly your strands are, the more they tend to be porous. This is because the kinks in your strands cause them to bend and move around, which creates a lot of friction.

Adding to this, the geometry of your hair fibres plays an important role in how much or how little natural oils traverse your hair strands. For instance, a study found that the geometric arrangement of keratin fibres in curly hair is bilaterally oriented, with more type C cells on the concave side than on the convex.

This can mean that your curly hair has a higher porosity than straight hair, even if it’s naturally smooth and shiny. The good news is that you can treat your hair to increase its porosity if you want to. If you have low porosity curls, try using a protein hair treatment to add strength to your strands.

If you have high or mid-range porosity curls, you can use oil treatments to prevent your strands from becoming overly dry and damaged. Try pre-shampooing your hair with coconut, sunflower, olive or grapeseed oil. Apply the treatment to your strands, especially the ends and the top layer of the strands, but don’t apply it too heavily because it could cause your hair to look greasy.

If you have very high-porosity hair, you might need a more intensive hair treatment. The more damage your hair has, the more it will need to be treated with a deep conditioner.

2. It’s thinner and more fragile.

Curly hair is prone to breakage and dryness, and thin, curly hair tends to be more fragile than thicker strands. That’s why it’s important to take a gentle approach when caring for your tresses. Over-brushing can create unwanted friction that breaks down the protein bonds in your strands, leading to frayed ends and an unattractive appearance. And over-washing can strip your strands of essential moisture, leaving them vulnerable to further damage.

It’s also important to understand your specific curl type. From loose waves to tight corkscrews, there are many different textured hair types out there. The best way to identify your hair type is by examining the shape of your hair follicle. The more oval- or asymmetrical they are, the more curly your hair will be.

According to studies of the macro- and micro-fibres of curly hair, broad trends have been observed between fibre diameter, cross-section, curliness and strength – a positive correlation for the former and an inverse one for the latter. Moreover, some studies have shown that African fibres show a lower lustre and greater torsional rigidity than near-straight European or Asian fibres.

If your strands bend or form an ‘S’ shape they are considered wavy hair (type 2A to 2C). Wavy hair has a natural bounce and holds more moisture than other curly hair textures. Wavy hair can look very different depending on how defined your ‘S’ shape is, with ‘A’ strands being more elongated and ‘C’ strands having more of a gentle ‘S’-shaped bend.

If your strands fall into loose waves or soft kinks, you have medium wavy hair (type 3A to 3C). This texture is characterized by natural sway and can be a little more frizzy than other curly types. This hair can be quite thick and voluminous, but it’s also prone to dryness and can become weighed down by heavy products like gels and mousses. A lightweight leave-in and nourishing hair masks will help keep your strands hydrated and looking beautiful.

3. It requires extra strengthening.

Curly hair is very fragile and needs a lot of extra strength to hold those curls in place. It’s also drier than other hair types and requires special care to keep it moisturized. Always choose sulfate-free and silicone-free shampoo, and a conditioner that is rich in natural oils and nourishing. Look for a moisturizing leave-in conditioner that contains argan oil or glycerin. You can also use a pre-wash treatment or deep conditioning mask that’s formulated to nourish your curls and prevent breakage.

Curls need to be strengthened both at the follicle and keratinized portions. This is why most curly haired women follow a no-poo or low-poo routine (washing the hair 2-3 times per week using only a non-sulfate and non-sulfate, low-lathering shampoo).

Depending on the nature of the intended research, fibre behaviour studies may be characterized or comparative. Characterization studies aim to determine how a normal fibre deviates from its usual character under certain conditions, e.g. during mechanical stress. Comparative studies are used to establish performance ranges for different types of fibres, e.g. by comparing them with a reference group. Generally, the comparison groups are either race/population or degree of curliness.

For example, studies describing how curly and straight fibres react to stress have found that a curly fibre has a significant lag in the toe region before heeling into elastic deformation, whereas a straight fibre immediately responds to load elongation. These results suggest that tensile testing methods used to evaluate the strength of straight and curly hair, which are based on load elongation at constant rate, fail to account for the viscoelastic properties of curly fibres.

A study analyzing surface characteristics of curly and straight hair fibres concluded that the curly-fibre surface is characterized by higher friction coefficient, less lustre, and more surface damage. A study assessing rater reliability of the STAM curl class classification system showed that the more curly the hair, the higher the rater variability, and suggested that STAM should be modified to include additional classes for very and extremely wavy/curly hair.

Most curly haired people require a balanced diet of protein and moisture, but those with finer and higher porosity types will benefit from the use of a high-quality, hydrating hair product with added strengthening ingredients. Luckily, the majority of products available from Curlsmith have both protein and moisturizing ingredients to support the needs of all hair types.

4. It’s more sensitive.

The coiled shape of curly hair creates more friction against itself, so it’s more susceptible to heat damage and requires a higher combing force. That’s why you need to make sure your hair is properly conditioned before using any heat styling tools or braiding your strands.

Additionally, curly hair is prone to frizz because the structure of the curl prevents the cuticle from fully closing. That’s why it’s important to use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that is specially designed for textured hair.

You should also look for products with ingredients such as hydrolyzed proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins to help nourish the strands and keep them healthy and strong. You can also use a hot oil treatment or leave-in conditioner to add extra moisture.

Finally, curly hair is more sensitive to humidity. Humid conditions can cause the fibres to absorb more water, resulting in increased moisture and swelling. This can lead to the formation of frizz, so it’s important to protect your strands with a moisturizer and a heat protecting spray.

In the past, research has used race as a way to discriminate between different hair fibre types. However, a new hair classification system called the segmentation tree analysis method (STAM) has moved away from a racially-based approach. STAM classifies hair into eight different curvature phenotypes, from I-straight to VIII-tightly curly. However, this model can be complicated to work with and has high inter-rater variability, especially when assessing very curly hair. This suggests the need to further develop a more meaningful model for understanding and describing fibre behaviour under stress or extraordinary conditions. In the meantime, try to avoid using a shampoo and conditioner that are formulated for straight hair.

Sarah Hopper