Curly Hair, Wavy Hair, Straight Hair
The Difference Between African, Asian, and Caucasian Hair Types
Each person has a complex, unique genetic makeup resulting in their own individual rate of hair growth, hair size, texture, and shape. There are, however, some general differences in the type of hair fibers for people of different ethnic descent; diverse ethnicity will likely produce "combination hair".
You can alter the appearance of hair fibers through chemical and heat processes, although these changes come with the price of damage. You cannot, however, change the type of hair you naturally produce. No product will make your hair grow in thicker, straighter, or curlier.
Chemical Bonds & Hair Strength in African, Asian & Caucasian Hair Types
The (sulfur) chemical bonds that fuse the molecular composition of a hair fiber maintain its structural integrity and strength, contributing to the prolonged healthy physical appearance of each hair. African hair tends to have a lower ratio of low-sulfur proteins to high-sulfur proteins than observed in Asian or Caucasian hair types. This may contribute to people of African descent having more delicate hair that is more susceptible breakage.
Scalp Follicle Density by Ethnicity & Hair Color
Asian Hair Follicle Density
The density of Asian hair on the scalp (the number of follicles per unit area on the skin) is generally the lowest of the three groups; at the low end of the spectrum, Asian scalp hair density may be as low as 90,000 follicles and rarely exceeds 120,000.
Caucasian Hair Follicle Density
Hair follicle densities among Caucasians range from 100,000 to 150,000 follicles per scalp, and density is generally correlated to hair color. Red haired people typically have the fewest follicles per scalp, whereas blonds have the most, and brown-haired people have a follicle-hair density somewhere in the middle.
African Hair Follicle Density
The scalp density range of those of African descent is similar to that of Caucasians. Besides ethnicity, other influencing factors include age, and hormone levels.
Thickness, Cross-Section & Shape
Asian Hair
People of Asian descent have, on average, the thickest and most coarse hair compared to people of Caucasian and African descent. Asian hair is almost always straight and circular in cross-section.
Caucasian Hair
Caucasian hair is quite variable in its appearance, with straight, wavy, or curly hair all being rather common. The fiber can be circular or oval-shaped in cross section, and each hair fiber is generally thinner (less coarse) than Asian hair.
African Hair
People of African descent frequently have very tightly coiled or spiral hair. On average, a cross section of African hair is elliptical to the point of being almost flat, and ribbon-like in some cases. This profile results in hair a length of hair that alternates thick and thin. This, in turn, means that there is more strength in and rigidity to the hair fiber in the areas of greatest cross section, but the hair is much more delicate and pliable across the narrow section. The alternating thick and thin hair fiber produces hair that naturally coils along its length.
Moisturizing Black Hair
It was previously believed that people of African descent's scalp follicles produced less oil and natural moisturizers due to the tendency of their hair to be dry. It is now believed that "African follicles" may in fact produce more oils and that the lack of moisture is due to a poor distribution of oils along the length of the hair fiber due to its ribbon-like, undulating or coiled conformation. Also, curly hair is generally more difficult to brush. Products with added moisturizers and mild cleansing agents may alleviate the hair's natural tendency toward dryness.
References:
- Anthony Dickey. Hair Rules!: The Ultimate Hair-Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly, or Wavy Hair, 2003. Random House Publishing Group, New York.
- Stanford School of Medicine: Understanding Genetics
How Hair Grows - Hair Types
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