Much of the attraction of a beautiful head of hair lies in its texture, or feel. The texture of hair depends on several things.
The first is the average diameter of the individual hairs. We have seen that these vary widely. The larger the hair diameter, the coarser it will feel.
Secondly, different people's hair naturally feels different: some hard and others soft, some silky and others wiry. The reasons underlying these differences are still a matter for scientists to argue over.Thirdly, the texture is affected by the degree of weathering of the hair.
Finally, hair texture is affected by what has been put on it. Repeated lavish applications of hair spray gives hair a different feel from that of hair that has been freshly washed and conditioned. Conditioners make hair feel soft and smooth. Conditioners that contain silicones even give a slightly different feel from those that don't (most manufacturers do put silicones into conditioners nowadays, however, as they protect the hair cuticle). Contrary to popular belief, this altered feel is not a sign of build-up.
The first is the average diameter of the individual hairs. We have seen that these vary widely. The larger the hair diameter, the coarser it will feel.
Secondly, different people's hair naturally feels different: some hard and others soft, some silky and others wiry. The reasons underlying these differences are still a matter for scientists to argue over.Thirdly, the texture is affected by the degree of weathering of the hair.
Finally, hair texture is affected by what has been put on it. Repeated lavish applications of hair spray gives hair a different feel from that of hair that has been freshly washed and conditioned. Conditioners make hair feel soft and smooth. Conditioners that contain silicones even give a slightly different feel from those that don't (most manufacturers do put silicones into conditioners nowadays, however, as they protect the hair cuticle). Contrary to popular belief, this altered feel is not a sign of build-up.