What is healthy hair?

[Amber_Maiden]

It seems to me that society has a different version of what healthy hair is, compared to LHC... or maybe, perhaps, society does know what healthy hair is but do loads of things to it regardless, and to the point where hair becomes unhealthy.

Anyways, my question is this; what do you think is healthy hair?

Think of it this way- If you were to evaluate someone else's head of hair to see if it was healthy, what would you look for? What would the perfect head of healthy hair look like?

Happy growing :D

[caadam]

1. Clear scalp
2. Soft, undamaged ends
3. Shiny and moisturized hair

All of this done without the help of conventional hair products. However, I don't find any TYPE of hair healthier than the other, such as fine hair better than coarse, etc. As long as the hair is healthy, then that's all I would look for. :D

[Nedertane]

Interesting question, but I'm hard-pressed for an answer! While you could look for shininess, there are a lot of products that can make hair look shiny, even if it's not healthy hair. Sometimes the ends are a clue, as there's usually a noticeable difference between ratty or damaged ends and ends that are just naturally thin. I can't say there's one standard, but it's sometimes easier to figure out than other times.

For example, I once got on a bus with a girl who had MBL-ish hair that was dyed platinum blonde. At first, her hair seemed shiny and the ends looked okay, so my first thought was "Wow, someone who knows how to take care of bleached hair for once!" And then I noticed that it was rather... Wig-like. Maybe the color just made it look that way, but it was a little disappointing. :shrug:

[EdG]

Visible hair is dead tissue, so healthy is not the best way to describe hair.

I think of hair as undamaged or virgin :eyebrows: if it hasn't been subject to mechanical damage (including cutting), heat, or chemicals.

I have virgin hair, except for breakage at the ends.
Ed

[Lady Neeva]

I'm thinking moistured hair here. Minimum split ends is another. Color treated hair that is not damaged.

[Anywhere]

If I were to judge whether or not someone's hair was healthy, I would look to see if they had noticeable splits/frazzled ends and how shiny the hair was. And if they had bits of scalp showing or not (not sure if that is what people call 'hair cleavage?').

[Mommyof4]

*Brushes/Combs don't snag through the hair, with gentle brushing.
*Minimal Split ends are visible
*Hair is shiny
*Scalp is healthy

[HintOfMint]

This is a fantastic question and a pretty challenging one.

I suppose the minimalist answer would be no or minimal split ends.

A higher standard would be no/minimal split ends, in addition to being well-moisturized. And then you have the question of hair that IS well moisturized or hair that FEELS well moisturized thanks to product.

An even higher standard would be no/minimal split ends, well moisturized (whether it is, or it just feels that way), and resilience against breakage.

Even more would be hair that remains tangle free or resistant to tangles in addition to all the other stuff before.

Then you have limitations of certain hair types. Some hairtypes are not silky or soft even if they are damage free.

Sometimes there is a tradeoff between shine and softness.

It's a tough question and I don't have an answer. Right now I have hair that is faking straight because I loaded it with silicone. I recently did a thorough S&D (yes I can still see splits through silicone) and so my hair is relatively split free for now. I don't use heat and I don't have frizz. My hair is soft and shiny and resistant to tangles. But that was with the help of Pantene conditioner and the mother of all silicone serums, John Frieda Frizz Ease. My hair LOOKS and FEELS healthy, but I'm sure some of the more natural leaning purist types on this forum would say that my hair isn't actually healthy.

[littlenvy]

If I were to judge whether or not someone's hair was healthy, I would look to see if they had noticeable splits/frazzled ends and how shiny the hair was. And if they had bits of scalp showing or not (not sure if that is what people call 'hair cleavage?').
If scalp is showing because of hair falling out, I can see that as sign of unhealthy but hair cleavage has nothing to do with unhealthy hair. Its just the pattern that hair grows in. Some people are even born with patches of scalp that have no hair at all. Its just genetics.

For me healthy hair is one that doesn't require additional product to make is shiny. Hair with very little breakage and very little change in texture between the scalp and the ends.
ie... not mine. :p

[Vanilla]

To me, deep shine is the ultimate indicator of truly healthy hair. I'm stuck on the Pantene commercials!

Silicone serums impart a pretty shine, as do oils, but really healthy hair has this incredible shine from within.

[Kayla Nyx]

Healthy Hair..? hmm... I tend to look a lot at the ends of hair, little breakage vs. a ton. How smooth/soft the hair is. I don't quite know how to explain it. :hmm:

[ratgirldjh]

I've seen people with what I would call healthy hair who totally abused their hair IMO. I mean they use SLS shampoo with cones and a leave in with cones - both things my hair can't tolerate even once or my hair starts shedding!

So I think no scalp problems, soft, shiny, not damaged would be healthy to me :)

[Anywhere]

If scalp is showing because of hair falling out, I can see that as sign of unhealthy but hair cleavage has nothing to do with unhealthy hair. Its just the pattern that hair grows in. Some people are even born with patches of scalp that have no hair at all. Its just genetics.
[...]


Yes, I mean more severe cleavage from severe shedding. And it might be genetics, but if I saw someone with a lot of patchy cleavage spots, I would personally think their hair looks a bit unhealthy. It makes the hair look like tufts, which kind of makes it look greasy imo.

(I have some pretty crazy scalp cleavage where that hair swirly thing in the back of my head is. It's like a cleavage T. It's less intense than what I would consider to be unhealthy hair-esque, but it's pretty bleh looking).

So in a way, I am speaking from my own head of hair. :p

[Madora]

If scalp is showing because of hair falling out, I can see that as sign of unhealthy but hair cleavage has nothing to do with unhealthy hair. Its just the pattern that hair grows in. Some people are even born with patches of scalp that have no hair at all. Its just genetics.

For me healthy hair is one that doesn't require additional product to make is shiny. Hair with very little breakage and very little change in texture between the scalp and the ends.
ie... not mine. :p

But please also consider, littlenvy, that sometimes if the scalp is showing the hair the hair may not necessarily be unhealthy. It may be because of genetics or illness. The person may have suffered some kind of trauma that caused hair loss at some point but has regained healthy hair in a somewhat diminished sense.

That's my problem..a combination of a very nasty session with severe anemia several years ago, plus an auto immune condition. I have two patches where the hair is much thinner and it just hasn't grown back. Luckily, I can disguise the patches with the hair that remains.

To answer the question posed by Amber Maiden, I think healthy hair has fewer splits overall, and the hair looks vibrant. Of course, as someone pointed out, the shine can be obtained by using product..but a healthy head of hair is a thing apart..especially if it's a well kept head of long hair.

[PrairieRose]

Lots of shine and no splits!

[pepperminttea]

It's a tricky one this. I don't think it can necessarily be done on looks alone, so much can be hidden. And sometimes undamaged hair can look in worse condition than it is when it just needs some moisture. :shrug: What I typically think of as healthy hair is unprocessed; no dyes, bleach, or heat-styling - but there are many people (IRL and on LHC) who do these and still have beautiful, healthy hair.


1. Clear scalp


*Brushes/Combs don't snag through the hair, with gentle brushing.
*Scalp is healthy

By these definitions, I don't have "healthy hair." :p I have psoriasis on my scalp, it doesn't affect the health of my hair in the least. It's annoyingly itchy, and does mean I will always look as if I have really bad, angry dandruff, but I assure you my hair is quite alright.

And combs and brushes don't go smoothly through my hair either - I stop when I reach a "snag" and fingercomb the part they've stopped at, and carry on. It's just a tangle, not damage.

As for scalp cleavage - is there anyone who doesn't get that, at all? Even a little bit on really oily days?

[caadam]

I considered people with scalp conditions, and I realize that it can take constant treatment in order to keep them under control. I'm one of those people. If I don't stay on top of taking care of my scalp, it builds up lots of dandruff, starts to itch, and will be very uncomfortable. I HAVE to treat my scalp every day with a massage and brushing, and usually will wash every other day, sometimes with an ACV rinse to calm my scalp.

I'm more talking about some people who kind of let their scalp go and let it build up with gunk without caring. lol That's what I consider an unclean scalp, but a difficult scalp I consider to be a little different.

[leslissocool]

I think

1) Shiny

2) Visible health (no chemical damage or heat damage, virgin)

3) Well moisturized, and strong (meaning, it doesn't break easy)

My kids have healthy hair. It's shiny, super soft (although my hair was never soft), and virgin. No split ends, and shines in a way I just love. My daughter's hair is an interesting ash color. I love their hair.

ETA: I thought we were talking about clean hair. My hair looks awesome right after a wash, but like crap right when it's dirty ,with skin (not dandruff, skin flakes) hanging from it and super oily. but it looks shiny and somewhat healthy (it will look great when I cut the damage off completely!!!) when down now.

[Miss Catrina]

If I were to judge whether or not someone's hair was healthy, I would look to see if they had noticeable splits/frazzled ends and how shiny the hair was. And if they had bits of scalp showing or not (not sure if that is what people call 'hair cleavage?').

I thought hair cleavage referred to scalp showing due to hair just not laying evenly across all parts of it, usually because of greasies. How does that make it unhealthy? :confused:

[jeanniet]

Hair cleavage is more due to cowlicks and the way the hair grows, plus the weight of longer hair. I have it because of cowlicks, but when my hair is shorter it doesn't show much because there's more lift. It's definitely not due to damage!

[PixxieStix]

If I am evaluating a head of hair I look for
- Dry, damaged, broken, and/or split ends. Lack of those is a good step in the right direction.
- Moisturized, is it or isn't it?
- How shiny is it? Healthy hair is *usually* shiny. Shiny hair + splits/damage = not healthy.

Just my vague overview. Out of all of it, the worst to me is damage/breakage. Coloring doesn't matter too much to me as long as the hair isn't horribly damaged.

[arcane]

When I look at others hair I tend to compare it to how my hair behaves when it's damaged:

1. Does it lay correctly? I find damaged hair just doesn't lay as nicely as healthier hair.
2. Is there visable splits/damage ends?

I don't tend to think shiney hair indicated health because even at my most extremely damaged my hair was very shiney.

[barely.there]

my friends bangs grow at a bizarre angle, so she parts her hair a lot deeper than just "above the eye line". It wont stay if she doesnt part it that way. genetics.

healthy scalp
little to no damaged ends
shiny hair with little or no frizz.

i think thats fair :)

[darklyndsea]

I *hate* the "healthy hair is shiny" perception. Yeah, most people's hair is shiny when it's healthy, but although my individual strands are shiny the whole mass doesn't look close to shiny unless it's in braids (because of my wave pattern? I don't know). And honestly it looks kind of funny when I accidentally make it shiny overall, so I'm happy with that.

[xoxophelia]

healthy hair=whatever the owner is happy with.

[Dragon Faery]

This is very subjective, since everyone's hair is so different. To me the broadest definition of "healthy" hair would be hair that is behaving at its optimum performance level for that type of hair.

More specifically:
Straight hair would likely have shine (unless perhaps it's extremely coarse), and no splits. It would be straight without being limp.
Fine hair would be soft and maybe silky, perhaps a bit floaty but not staticky. Definitely not limp or overly greasy. (Protective coats of oil not included inmy definition of "greasy".)
Wurly and curly hair would have a defined wave/curl pattern rather than frizz (other than perhaps new hairs growing in that aren't long enough to "fall in line" yet, and would be well-moisturized. Not limp, but soft and springy. It wouldn't necessarily shine, but there would be no splits.
And super-curly or kinky hair would be soft and springy (as in, well moisturized) with little to no breakage.

[sfgirl]

I think it's really subjective. I guess I think unhealthy hair is hair that is beyond repair. I would still call dry or frizzy hair healthy, if it could be fixed with a little moisture. Sometimes you just have a bad hair day, but it doesn't mean your hair is unhealthy.

[janeytilllie]

When I'm out and about things I look for in healthy hair are

1. Moisturized hair that isn't dry
2. Very little split ends
3. Shiny hair
4. A hemline that isn' frazzled or extremely see through.

[Littlewing13]

Shiny, not oily/dry, voluminous, not lightened or too sun damaged, no split ends or frizz that comes from heat styling/lightening

[julliams]

I always get comments about my hair being healthy when it's straightened. Since products have been using silicones, I think there is an idea out there overly shiny completely straight hair is healthy looking. When my hair is in it's wavy state, no one ever comments and yet I know that my hair is definitely more healthy since I stopped heat styling it every 3 days.

To me, healthy hair hangs nicely, is shiny (naturally - not fake shiny), is clean, the scalp is not itchy, and the ends are mostly split-free. I can finally say that my hair does in fact match this description when in fact it was the opposite of all of the above when I started here at LHC (except it was clean and I didn't have splits because I did cut it more often and it was only APL length so splits didn't have time to form yet).

[hototogisu]

That's a tough question. Very curly hair won't look as glassy or shiny as straight hair because it's, well, curly, and I think a lot of curlies would have a tough time getting a comb through their hair from roots to ends. Heck, my mostly straight hair is healthier than it's ever been and and I have to be very, very careful detangling - I just have tangly hair.

I can only say what my definition of healthy is, and that's soft hair, few or no split ends and a comfortable, non-itchy scalp and minimal shedding.

[leslissocool]

This is very subjective, since everyone's hair is so different. To me the broadest definition of "healthy" hair would be hair that is behaving at its optimum performance level for that type of hair.

More specifically:
Straight hair would likely have shine (unless perhaps it's extremely coarse).

Coarse hair can be really shiny. You can floss your teeth with one strand of my hair, without breaking it, my hair is like REALLY coarse, yet it's super Shiny unless it's damage. It's not straight completely, but it's shiny when straightened too.

Asian coarse hair is shiny too for the most part, there are some super shiny gorgeous heads of coarse hair here!

[lapushka]

To me healthy hair is hair that's not been chemically treated in some way, so no color, and definitely no bleach. Virgin hair in fact. Also, hair without splits or white dots. Hair that's not been exposed to too much heat (a blowdryer when used wisely is still okay to me, but not a flat iron or a curling iron).

[dwell_in_safety]

To me, healthy hair is hair that is being cared for in a way that is optimal for its texture, eventually showing in its appearance. To me, beyond obvious significant splits and frazzled ends, what is more important in determining the health of hair is how it behaves, how it feels. Healthy hair has a degree of suppleness to it that damaged hair does not, and in general the moisture difference is most tangible via touch.

[spidermom]

I generally have a good opinion of hair if it's shiny and the ends aren't frayed-looking. It's not a matter of completely natural hair to me. I've seen dyed or bleached hair that looks to be in good condition and completely natural hair that looks like rats have been chewing the ends.

[Renate]

Very shiny hair. To me this is the ultimate sign of healthy hair.

[torrilin]

Yes, I mean more severe cleavage from severe shedding. And it might be genetics, but if I saw someone with a lot of patchy cleavage spots, I would personally think their hair looks a bit unhealthy. It makes the hair look like tufts, which kind of makes it look greasy imo.

(I have some pretty crazy scalp cleavage where that hair swirly thing in the back of my head is. It's like a cleavage T. It's less intense than what I would consider to be unhealthy hair-esque, but it's pretty bleh looking).

So in a way, I am speaking from my own head of hair. :p

It may look weird to you, but that's just a standard way for fine hair to behave. It tends to clump up. To some people it looks "stringy", to others it looks "oily" or like "rat tails"... to me it looks like hair :P It's also something that curly hair tends to do. Someone who has very fine and very curly hair can have pretty incredible scalp cleavage.

The funny part is to go along with this, fine hair doesn't tend to section very well. French braids often appear to just blend into the mass of hair, and many styles can look blurred from the floaty halo most fineys have.

It's not an unhealthy thing, just a hair type trait.

[Firefly]

IMO, hair looks healthy if it's smooth, shiny, and has good movement (on straight/wavy hair) or has well defined curl (on curly hair, obviously!) Also, not a lot of frizz/obvious damage--especially on the ends, and a clear scalp.

[longcurlygirl<3]

Clean scalp
soft manageable end(so no Velcro or dry ends)
hair that hasn't be maltreated with heat tools.
Soft and moisturizer hAir

[longcurlygirl<3]

IMO, hair looks healthy if it's smooth, shiny, and has good movement (on straight/wavy hair) or has well defined curl (on curly hair, obviously!) Also, not a lot of frizz/obvious damage--especially on the ends, and a clear scalp.

Agreed here! :)

[swearnsue]

If hair is healthy you should be able to run your hand through it and have only shed hairs come out and not broken pieces of hair. This is in addition to shine and no/few splits. It's almost one of those things that you know it when you see it. There is a kind of glow to healthy hair.

[Maelyssa]

~ Clear, clean scalp

~ Soft, damage free length and ends

[Dragon Faery]

Coarse hair can be really shiny. You can floss your teeth with one strand of my hair, without breaking it, my hair is like REALLY coarse, yet it's super Shiny unless it's damage. It's not straight completely, but it's shiny when straightened too.

Asian coarse hair is shiny too for the most part, there are some super shiny gorgeous heads of coarse hair here!

You're right. :) I guess I just mean that healthy hair doesn't necessarily "shine", and my coarsest hairs are my least shiny. (The hairs on my own head range from fine and almost blonde, to medium and brown or red, and all the way to black and coarse. I can get incredible shine, but it has more to do with oils on the surface than the hair itself. I can dry it almost straight or fairly curly.)

But yes. I'm well aware of the blinding shine properties of coarse hair, especially of the straighter persuasions. :)

[Mesmerise]

I would be looking for hair that appears to have a healthy cuticle, and has few splits or white dots (no splits or white dots in shorter hair... and only a few in long hair... I think it can be impossible in some hair to avoid them altogether). A healthy scalp is also important, although I do believe that a person can have a bit of dandruff and still have overall healthy hair.

[Mayflower]

I don't know about shine.. my hair is incredibly shiny when the sun hits it (henna) but I like a more "fluffy" look to my hair, soft and wavy. I don't like overly shiny hair because it looks (and feels) cone-y to me. I just like a normal, natural shine to hair to consider it healthy.

The same texture from roots to tips is important too. No dry ends. Hair that is naturally soft without being coated with products.
Also hair that doesn't look processed, i.e. that cotton candy texture. I don't know, just hair that moves and flows in a natural way, without needing a lot of products/leave-ins.

[jacqueline101]

I'd say I'd look for split dry or broken frizzy ends. Look at the shininess of the hair moisture level and the scalp to see if there are sores or dandruff. Things that would indicate an unhealthy scalp. I'd look at the care it gets. How gentle its treated.

[blondie9912]

Springy/bouncy, moisturized, "lush" looking, not stringy at the ends, and a full hemline doesn't do one any disservices :p

[Bedhead]

Well since I joined LHC I think I've been more aware of others' hair, and I notice I'm most impressed by the health of the hair when I see a softness to it with a soft shine, regardless of hair type. The hair sits or hangs in a way, I can tell it's breathing and is hydrated. And with this seems to come a lack of damage, breakage and few split ends.

I think I just described my goal. :silly:

[cremenoir]

i agree with what others have said so far. this thread reminded me of something i saw in line at the store the other day. the high school age girl in front of me had beautiful shiny brown hair to about bsl... but then her almost waist length ends were absolutely destroyed. i mean nearly every single hair ended in a big white split or bubble, it was so sad! it was obviously from flat iron abuse. i just wanted to sneak up and cut off about six inches, because above that point it was so pretty.

so to me, split-free ends are really important in defining healthy hair. split ends can make otherwise healthy hair look so unattractive.

[melusine963]

For me, healthy hair means few splits and little damage. I judge other people's hair by the number of split ends I can see, and the state of their ends. I'm used to having plenty of frizz on my own hair no matter how well I take care of it, so that's not something I fault other people for having.

[holothuroidea]

Scalp is clear of evidence of disease, and smells neutral. Hair flows in a normal way, and is able to be worn comfortably, is free of foreign material and can withstand normal activity without breaking or splitting.