Healthy hair test?

[Darkhorse1]

I've been reading some contradictory things in regards to finding out if your hair is healthy or not.

I read somewhere that healthy hair will stretch to double it's length. But here, I read that if your hair is stretchy, it's lacking protien?

Are there any articles here that I can read up on in regards to findin out if your hair is healthy? I read that you can take a strand of hair and see if it sinks/floats in a cup of water. Again, one article said if it floats, it's healthy but if it floats, it's not healthy.

Just ever so curious! Thanks!:cheese:

[Igor]

I know I have seen something similar once and I have been looking ever since to try to find but with no luck
As far as I remember it, it had a few steps to try… Something like “Run your nails over a shed strand and if it coils up like this and that it’s lacking this and that. Take a shed hair and pull it apart until it breaks and if the break looks like this it’s lacking this and if it’s breaking like that it’s lacking that.”
Following this thread to see if anyone can help! :wink:

[Riot Crrl]

There are two that I know of. If it sinks in water, it is porous, if it floats, it is not so porous. Though I suppose there are other things that can affect this.

The stretching it is to check the protein/moisture balance. If it snaps without stretching at all, it does not need protein and needs moisture. If it stretches way long, it may need protein. The figure I usually hear for how far you want it to be able to stretch is like 20-30% ideally. But what may be the most important part is if you stretch it far as you think it will go, then let go of one end, does it revert to something close to its previous length. It doesn't have to go back exactly the same, just somewhat. If it doesn't revert at all and stays stretched out, it may need protein.

[tiny_teesha]

Oh i know the link....ill fish for it!
eta
-here (http://www.verticalsinhair.com/test.shtml)

ok above there is a list of tests at the top left! :)
Porosity
elasticity
and structural

[flapjack]

I always thought it was SO weird that my hair floated in water. Now I know why, thanks guys, hahaha. Sweet! I will have to try the other tests later from some hair on my brush.

[FlipHunny]

This site taught me how to "wet assess" my hair:
http://blackbeautyblackhair86911.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/511

When I first tried this last year, my hair literally felt like gum when wet. Like if I smushed a bunch of strands in my hand, it felt like they would bind together into one clump. And if I stretched a strand, it stretched really far and thinned out before breaking. Like melted cheese on a pizza! lol

If anyone else has let harsh chemicals touch their hair repeatedly, you probably know what I'm talking about.

But mine might be an extreme case of needing protein, considering I had a really bad chemical straightening on bleached hair at that time. So bad that as I was driving home, my hair was breaking off as it rubbed against the seatbelt. I then drove directly to another salon, crying :rolleyes:, and had my hair chopped off the same day.

I kept "wet assessing" as I nursed my hair to test its strength and health. I found this was effective for me to get where I am now.

[gthlvrmx]

This site taught me how to "wet assess" my hair:
http://blackbeautyblackhair86911.yuk...ewtopic/id/511 (http://blackbeautyblackhair86911.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/511)


Oh my god this is perfect!!!

I had no idea actually stretching the hair wasn't right for testing.
Because one thing, if my fingers were closer together on the hair, it'd break fast. If my fingers were far apart, it'd stretch more and then break.
Had no clue combing and touching were the best ways.:D

[Ligeia_13]

Wow. I just pulled one hair out to see, just for fun, and its so stretchy its not even funny. It feels like an elastic band O.o

[breeanna92]

my hair was super stretchy when i had it bleached blonde from black......but that cant be good.

[breeanna92]

sry i meant from black to blonde lol

[Lapin]

wow, that wet assessment site is a FANTASTIC resource! As a guess, I would think I need more protein, but nope! More moisture! Can do! Maybe that's why my hair types as coarse when i'm looking at the individual strands even though it's actually soft to the touch. and frizzy, but only a bit wavy. sigh.

i've been looking for an excuse to buy nexxus hummectant, that smell is heaven! and i think suave makes a knock-off version of the conditioner.

also, just saying, this article led to me gathering loose strands of hair and hunching over at my desk, surreptitiously doing the dry breakage test and parying nobody walks by my office :whistle:

[melmmo]

I'm sitting at work too stretching shed hairs that I've gathered. Pretty sure I need moisture. It stretches a little bit but doesn't spring back, then breaks if I keep trying to stretch it. The fact that my hair feels a little dry and rough in general could have also tipped me off. Going to try an SMT this weekend.

[Anje]

This site taught me how to "wet assess" my hair:
http://blackbeautyblackhair86911.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/511
I love that site. The descriptions make more sense to me than anything else I've read about maintaining protein/moisture balance and finding the happy middle.