


The hair also grows outward from the scalp, so it sticks out in different directions. It makes the hair very dry, frizzy, and hard to brush. Uncombable hair syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the hair's genes. Straight hair also tends to be oilier, which protects it better during the cold. Because straight hair lays against the skin, it may have provided more protection from the cold. Straight hair may have become more common during the Ice Age, about 65,000 years ago. Interesting Facts About Hair Types and Texture Perms can do the opposite and give you curls. Relaxing your hair with chemicals can get rid of waves and curls. Bleaching, straightening, and coloring your hair can make it more dry and brittle. How you treat and style your hair can change its texture. Aging also makes your hair drier because the oil glands in your scalp start to shrink. Humidity can make your hair frizzy or curly, while cold winter air can make hair dry and static-prone.Īs you get older, your hair changes and becomes thinner and finer. Your environment can have a big impact on your hair. Genes aren't the only thing that affects your hair type. Genes can also interact with each other to determine your hair texture. That's why in the same family, hair can be stick-straight, curly as a spring, or anything in between. So, while curly-haired parents tend to have curly-haired kids, there's no guarantee it will happen.īecause many different genes are involved, even a curly-haired parent can have-and pass along-straight-hair gene variations. But hair curl is what's called an "additive" trait, which means that the amount of curl you have depends on how many curly hair gene variations you inherit. Research shows that your hair's wave or curl is passed down in your genes. For example, if you have one of the curly hair types, it can be type 3a (loose curls) or type 3b (tight curls like a spiral). You can break down the hair types and texture even more based on your hair's curl pattern, density, porosity, width, and length.
