What is hair elasticity?
Generally speaking, elasticity is the extent to which you can stretch your hair before it returns to its normal state. This is what's behind your curl formation, body and bounce. It also affects the styling process by affecting your crimp retention.
Some people say their curly hairstyles, like body wave, Jerry curly, are easy to lose bounce after night due to the low hair elasticity.
What affects the elasticity of your hair?
The elasticity of hair depends on two main factors. Read the sections below to find out what they are.
1. Protein and moisture
Hair strands are made up of protein and moisture, and the balance between the two determines their elasticity. And it plays a major role in the elasticity of natural hair but synthetic wigs. Human hair wigs have the same hair strand structure, but the elasticity of synthetic hair depends on its materials, such as fiber.
2. Hair diameter
The elasticity of the hair also depends on the diameter of the hair. Relative to thicker hair, it is more difficult for finer hair to not withstand external stress, such as sunlight and heated tools. As a result, the cortex in finer hair is damaged at a faster rate, resulting in its low elasticity.
How can you figure out the elasticity of your hair?
Follow these tips then you can find out the types of hair elasticity: low elasticity, medium elasticity, or high elasticity.
Please bear in mind: do not pull hair by strong force or it might hurt and break because of that.
1. Clean a strand of your hair with shampoo. Make sure it is out of oil.
2. Dry it with hair. A heat dryer plays a bad role in reducing its elasticity.
3. Pull the hair by your fingers until it is straight, and keep this posture for three seconds.
4. Lose your fingers and see how well it curls up.
Curly hair shows a more explicit effect than straight hair.
High hair elasticity: if your hair stretches to 5 cm and bounces back into a tighter curl than before, then it is super strong and has high elasticity.
Medium hair elasticity: Your hair can be classified into medium elasticity if it stretches partially and curls up to 50% of its original curl size.
Low hair elasticity: if the hair does not curl back to half its original curly size or even it snaps under stretching, it falls under the category of low elasticity.
How to improve hair elasticity?
1. Avoid excessive use of hair styling hot tools
Please reduce the usage of heat tools, such as flat irons, dryers, or other curl styling devices. As the factor part mentioned, hair strands are made up of protein and moisture, and the balance between the two determines their elasticity. In lack of water, hair will become brittle, dull, and lose elasticity. Hot tools can suck all the water from your strands that cause moisture loss.
2. Use conditioners and moisturized spray to keep hair moisture
After washing your hair, apply a hair conditioner to lock moisture, then increase the elasticity of your hair.
Moisturized spray is also a must-have in daily life. Spray it on your hair when it touches a little dry, especially for curly wigs.
3. Add olive oil to your hair care routine
What is the function of olive oil? To strengthen your hair. Strong hair has more elasticity and is hard to damage and break by unconscious force.
Moreover, olive oil adds luster to hair, which makes it looks more glossy and radiant.