Hair Glossary

Alopecia

It is an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to come out. The amount of hair loss is different for everyone. Bald patches of skin are smooth, with no rash or redness. But you may feel a tingling, itching, or burning sensation on your skin right before the hair falls out.

How to Identify Alopecia

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

A condition that makes your skin red and itchy. It’s common in children but can occur at any age. Atopic dermatitis is long lasting (chronic) and tends to flare periodically.

How to Identify Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

Dandruff

A common chronic scalp condition marked by flaking of the skin on your scalp. Dandruff isn’t contagious or serious.

How to Identify Dandruff

Elasticity

The hair’s ability to stretch and return to its original shape. Elasticity has three ways of being rated: low, normal, or high.

How to test your Elasticity

Frizz

Is hair that does not align with the surrounding hairs. Frizzy hair will stand up or curl independently, and create a fuzzy or irregular texture.

Products That Help with Frizzy Hair

Hair Density

Looks at how thin or thick strands are collectively, in a group.

How to Estimate Hair Density

Hair Texture

Also known as Hair Width, refers to the thickness or circumference of a single strand. There are three types of hair texture: fine, medium, and coarse.

How to Measure Hair Texture

Hair Width

Refers to the thickness or circumference of a single strand hair. This can also be referred to as Hair Texture, however, it should not be confused with the way the hair feels.

How to Measure Hair Width

Humectants

Are ingredients used in moisturizing products to draw moisture from the air to retain it in the hair's cortex.

Natural Humectants

pH

The measure of how acidic, alkaline, or neutral a solution is. It is measured on a scale between 0 and 14. Neutral is 7, anything greater than 7 is more alkaline, and anything less than 7 is more acidic.

The pH of hair is between 4.5 and 5.0. Maintaining this normal pH balance helps to seal hair cuticles, prevent unwanted breakage and lock in natural oils. It acts as protection against bacteria and fungus.

How to Test Hair's pH

Porosity

Is how easily your hair is able to absorb and retain moisture. Hair porosity is identified by three categories: low, medium, and high.

How to Test Porosity

Psoriasis

A common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. It causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells from scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful.

How to Identify Psoriasis

Relaxer

Similar to textuizer, a relaxer is a processing cream designed to help loosen tightly coiled hair. However, the difference between a relaxer and a texturizer is the amount of time the processing cream is left on.

Products to Help

Seborrheic Dermatitis

A common skin condition that mainly affects your scalp. It causes scaly patches, red skin and stubborn dandruff. Seborrheic dermatitis can also affect oily ares of the body, such as the face, sides of the nose, eyebrows, ears, eyelids and chest.

How to Identify Seborrheic Dermatitis

Sebum

An natural oily, waxy substance constantly produced by your body’s sebaceous glands.

Products for Sebum

Silk Press

A chemical free technique used to straighten coarse/textured hair. Silk presses emphasize body and sleek shine.

Achieve a Naked Silk Press

Texturizer

Also known as a Texlax. A texturizer is a processing cream designed to help loosen tightly coiled hair. The difference between a texturizer and a relaxer is the amount of time the processing cream is left on.