Flat hairs...?

[GoddesJourney]

I'm just curious, does anyone else have flat hairs, like the individual hairs are flat? I know this is normal for curlies, but I'm not. My hair is straight to wavy, just flat. If you look and one close up, it looks coarse or fine depending on which side you're looking at. If you roll one between your fingers, it flops, just like any other flat thing. I used to think this was just my curlies/coarsies on my crown, but it seems like I have them all over. I think it wasn't this way a few years ago. I know I used a curling iron a few times since then and I can see how that would've flattened my hair, but I tested the new growth and it's still rather flat. Why? Is this common in non-curlies?

[klcqtee]

Hm, I can't relate, I have head pubes all over.

My mom has hair that is flat, as you describe. I always figured it was because she dyes it (from mid brown to golden blonde). I'd hair type her as 1a/1b/f/i, and waist length. It doesn't seem you have much in common with her though...do you happen to work in a very warm environment? She works in a bakery, and her hair has become finer since starting. She says the flat hairs weren't as noticeable before starting in the bakery either.

[DanielleRenae]

Hm, I can't relate, I have head pubes all over.

Now that is something I can relate to. Especially my bangs.

[Airisuu]

This link might be helpful, although it tends to lean more towards information about how different genetics can impact the shape and texture of hair: http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=107

Generally speaking, it seems that the flatter a hair is, the more likely it is to be curly. Although several factors, including the weight of the hair as well as the condition and/or general lack of moisture seem to be able to heavily influence how hair lays as well. As an example, my hair is fairly wavy but I dry it to be (...more or less) straight. But if I oil it heavily as though for a treatment, it becomes extremely wavy and the fine hairs at my temple and neck curl up. (Which is not at all to imply that your hair is in any way damaged or dry or at all lacking! It's just a possible explanation as to why a type of hair that might otherwise be curly happens to be laying flat.)

I hope the link helps! If I completely missed the point of the question, I apologize.

[DanielleRenae]

This link might be helpful, although it tends to lean more towards information about how different genetics can impact the shape and texture of hair: http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=107

Generally speaking, it seems that the flatter a hair is, the more likely it is to be curly. Although several factors, including the weight of the hair as well as the condition and/or general lack of moisture seem to be able to heavily influence how hair lays as well. As an example, my hair is fairly wavy but I dry it to be (...more or less) straight. But if I oil it heavily as though for a treatment, it becomes extremely wavy and the fine hairs at my temple and neck curl up. (Which is not at all to imply that your hair is in any way damaged or dry or at all lacking! It's just a possible explanation as to why a type of hair that might otherwise be curly happens to be laying flat.)

I hope the link helps! If I completely missed the point of the question, I apologize.

I remember learning something in Anatomy about the cross-section of a hair. Straight hair appears to be round, curly hair appears to be flat, and wavy hair is somewhat oblong, I believe. I'm afraid this doesn't actually answer the question, but this does provide better understanding to what's going on.

[Gypsy]

My kinky, wirey hairs are flat- which is why they are kinky and those are the ones that snap right off because the kinks are so severe. Also where the driest spots are and where I have the most resistance.
My wavy and also my curly hairs are round, some are whisper thin, some are medium, some are thick- like double in thickness of the fine ones. They usually cooperate but can do what they want instead of what I want fairly often.
My in-between straight and wavy hairs are oval, which is why they are so smooth. Fairly uniform in thickness, kinda medium. These are the most compliant hairs.

[Elainehali]

I have very straight hair, but when I roll a strand between my fingers I feel *something* turning over. Maybe just slightly. Held up to the light I don't see a difference one angle to the next.

[GoddesJourney]

Yeah, I have some stray kinky hairs, just not a tremendous amount. I'm just not really sure why they all seem like this, even the ones that are smooth and straight. In fact, if I let a day go by without washing (my hair is pretty oily), my hair is almost stick straight. I would say a 1b.