In contrast to African hair that is more flattened and often has twists and turns, Asian hair tends to be round in shape, straight, and more cylindrical. The low values of average curvature in Asian hair suggest a relatively straight hair.
It has been reported that Asian hair is generally straight and is the thickest, while its cross-section is the most round-shaped among these three. Caucasian hair is generally straight or wavy and is the thinnest, while its cross-section is relatively elliptic.
Amongst Indians for example, South Indians typically tend to have thick, coarse and curly hair whilst North Indians generally have thick, fine and straight hair.
We believe one of the reasons is that super-straight hair — also known as type 1a hair — is so rare. In fact, it's the rarest hair type. Only 2% of the world's population has 1a hair. It's mostly found in people of Asian descent.
Many Asians have naturally straight hair, but there is a significant group of us who do have naturally curly or wavy hair! However, because it's the norm to see straight and sleek hair, curly haired boys and girls tend to think that their hair is some kind of unruly straight hair that isn't behaving.
genes and me » hair curl. Human hair comes with all sorts of colors, textures and shapes. Notably, African hair is more coiled and dry; Asian hair is straighter and thicker; and Caucasian hair is somewhere in between with around 45% having straight hair, 40% having wavy hair, and 15% having curly hair.
Individuals of African ancestry, for example, are more likely to have curly hair due to the oval shape of their hair follicles. Additionally, the Keratin Associated Protein (KAP) cluster genes, responsible for the structure of keratin fibers, have been found to have variations in many African populations.
Type 1: Straight Hair
Type 1A hair is very straight and fine, with no hint of wave or curl. As it is so straight and fine, when the natural oils travel to the ends, it tends to cause it to look like oily hair. It is the rarest hair type and is common among women of Asian descent.
A general observation across experiments was that straight hair was perceived as younger, healthier, and more attractive than wavy hair and darker shades (medium copper and brown) were perceived more positively than blonde hair.
The average diameter, or thickness, of Asian hair is from 80 to 120 µm, compared to 65 µm in Caucasian hair and 55 µm in Black hair. The average diameter of Hispanic/Latino hair tends to fall between that of Asian and Caucasian. Caucasians have the highest hair density among the ethnicities studied.
Very dark brown hair, easily mistaken for black hair, can be found occasionally in parts of East Asia.
The thickest strand of human hair is 772 micrometres (0.03 inches) and was plucked from the beard of Muhammad Umair Khan (Pakistan), in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, as verified on 3 March 2021.
The African hair is generally curly or frizzy, and grows almost parallel to the scalp. It has the slowest growth rate of 0.9 centimeters per month due to its spiral structure which causes it to twist on itself as it grows. African hair has a flattened shape.
Still, there are genetically influenced variations in people: Whites tend to be hairier than blacks, and among whites, Mediterranean and Semitic people tend to be hairier than Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons. The least hairy peoples are Asians and American Indians.
People from countries like Japan, China and Korea tend to have mostly straight hair, while Africans have curly hair and Europeans are mostly a mixed bag.
Type 1A hair is very straight and fine, with no waves or curls whatsoever. This hair type tends to get very oily and requires frequent shampooing. It is the rarest hair type and is common among women of Asian descent.
How common is strawberry blonde hair? Having natural red hair is rare (like, two percent of the population rare), so coming across someone with natural strawberry blonde hair isn't common.
And while the results did vary, in the end we found that 58% of the fellas agreed that curlier is sexier.
Fine Hair. Fine hair is typically very soft and delicate. Made up of only two hair layers (the cortex and the cuticle), these hairs can be silky smooth and sleek, but they're also the most prone to breakage.
Thick (Coarse)
Thick or coarse hair texture is the strongest hair texture and typically feels coarse or thick to the touch. Coarse hair contains all three hair layers – the cortex, cuticle and medulla.
Type 1 hair is hair that lies flat, or straight. Straight locks tend to be on the shinier side because the hair's natural oils are able to travel from root to tip. This hair category includes divisions 1A, 1B, and 1C. Type 1A is “stick” straight hair that has no hint of curl or wave.
Puberty, menopause and pregnancy all cause hormonal shifts that can make your tresses go from straight to curly hair. In fact, 40-50% of women experience major changes in their hair while pregnant or breastfeeding.
For example, black-haired parents can unknowingly each carry an unexpressed blond-hair gene that can pass to their fair-haired child. This explains why siblings can have different shades of hair.
Let's talk about the features of type 1b hair: Generally straight from the roots to the ends, but with some subtle bends mid-body, finished off with gently curled ends. Shiny and sleek (just like type 1a hair) Mostly fine hair strands interspersed with a few coarse fibers.