How to Determine Your Hair Characteristics: Curl Pattern, Porosity & Hair Thickness Explained
To choose the right CG products for your hair, it's important to first know your hair characteristics. Don't worry - it doesn't have to be complicated at all.
Your hair is defined by three important characteristics:
- Porosity – How well does your hair absorb and retain moisture?
- Hair thickness – Is your hair fine, medium, or coarse?
- Hair type (curl type) – Do you have straight, wavy, curly, or coily hair?
Together, these characteristics form your hair profile. Knowing this allows you to make much more targeted choices for the right leave-in, gel, or hair mask.
👉 Still unsure? With our hair test, you can find out which routine suits your hair in just a few minutes.
What is hair porosity?
Porosity indicates how open or closed your hair cuticles are. This determines how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture.
Porosity under the microscope: Hair with low porosity has smooth, closed cuticles, while hair with high porosity has open and raised cuticles.
Porosity can be affected by:
- Genetic predisposition
- Hair coloring or bleaching
- Heat styling (straightener, curling iron)
- Damage
Hair with low porosity has smooth, closed cuticles.
Hair with high porosity has open, raised cuticles.
Want to dive deeper?
👉 Read our comprehensive blog on hair porosity.
Low / Medium porosity
With low to medium porosity, the hair cuticles lie close together.
This means:
✔ Moisture has difficulty penetrating, but is retained well
✔ Your hair is often healthy and less damaged
✔ You are more prone to product build-up
Tips:
✅ Opt for lightweight products
✅ Apply products to wet hair
✅ Use small amounts of oil
✅ Consider using a heat cap with a mask
How to recognize low/medium porosity?
- Your hair has not been recently bleached or intensely colored
- You use little heat
- Products sometimes "sit" on your hair
High porosity
With high porosity hair, the cuticles are open.
This means:
✔ Hair absorbs moisture quickly
✔ But also loses it quickly
✔ Hair frizzes and tangles more easily
✔ Hair can feel dry or brittle
How to recognize high porosity?
- Your hair is bleached or colored
- You regularly use heat
- Your hair feels dry quickly
Tips:
✅ Use nourishing masks with protein.
✅ Opt for richer creams
✅ Use protein to strengthen the hair
✅ Limit heat use
👉 Want to know more about protein? Read our blog about protein and the CG Method.
What is hair thickness?
Hair thickness refers to the thickness of a single strand of hair.
You have:
- Fine hair
- Medium hair
- Coarse hair
How to test your hair thickness?
Take a single loose hair between your fingers:
- Can you barely feel it? → Fine
- Can you feel it slightly? → Medium
- Can you feel it clearly? → Coarse
Product advice by hair thickness:
Fine hair → Lightweight products
Medium hair → Balance between light and rich
Coarse hair → Can tolerate richer products well
What is your hair type (curl type)?
Hair type refers to the shape of your hair:
- Type 1 – Straight
- Type 2 – Wavy
- Type 3 – Curly
- Type 4 – Coily
Generally, this means:
✔ Wavy hair → lighter products
✔ Curly & coily hair → more hydration
👉 Unsure which curl type you have? Read here how to determine your curl type.
Which products suit your hair characteristics?
Write down your characteristics:
Porosity: Low / Medium / High
Hair thickness: Fine / Medium / Coarse
Hair type: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Then you can make more targeted choices:
📌 Product choice based on porosity:
Do you have low / medium porosity?
✅ Shampoo & conditioner → With or without protein.
✅ Hair mask → Small protein recommended.
✅ Leave-in → Small protein or without protein.
✅ Gel → With or without protein.
Do you have high porosity?
✅ Shampoo & conditioner → With or without protein.
✅ Hair mask → Large protein recommended.
✅ Leave-in → Large protein recommended.
✅ Gel → With or without protein.
Still unsure what suits your hair?
Combining curl type, porosity, and hair thickness can sometimes be tricky.
With our hair test, you'll discover in a few minutes:
- Your hair profile
- Which products suit it
- Which routine is best to follow
Frequently asked questions about hair characteristics
What are hair characteristics?
Hair characteristics consist of curl type, porosity, and hair thickness. Together, they determine which products and routine are best for your hair.
Why is curl type alone not enough?
Because porosity and hair thickness also determine how your hair reacts to products. Two people with the same curl type can have completely different needs.
How do I know which routine suits my hair?
By combining your hair characteristics. Unsure? Use our hair test for personalized advice.
