Your Ultimate Hair Density Guide + How To Choose Products

Understanding hair density is essential when you’re curating your unique hair care routine, but it’s often overlooked. 

The density of your hair is one of the unique characteristics that help you choose the right products, styling techniques, and haircuts to suit your tresses. 

This guide to hair density will help you become an expert in your own hair density so you can achieve healthier-looking hair. You’ll learn what hair density is, how it’s measured, and the features of each type of hair density. 

I’ve also included some tips on picking the right hairstyles and curly hair care products for your hair density, plus links to our individual hair density guides where you’ll find more detailed advice. 

What Does Hair Density Mean?

Hair density describes the number of individual hair strands across your whole head and how closely they are spaced. It’s measured by counting the number of follicular units in each square inch of your scalp and is usually classified as high, medium, or low density.

It’s important to remember that no hair density is better than any other, and it doesn’t matter whether you have high or low density hair. It’s just one of your hair’s unique characteristics, like color or curl type. 

By understanding your hair density, you’ll be able to optimize your hair care routine and achieve gorgeous, healthy hair.

Not sure what hair type you have? Check out our quick Curl Type Quiz to find the answer!

Why Does Hair Density Matter?

Knowing your hair density is one step towards creating a personalized hair care routine that keeps your mane looking its best.

For example, keeping high density hair manageable requires heavy products that would overwhelm low density strands, and you’ll also need to apply more to be sure you’re coating every last strand.

Your hair density could affect professional treatments like colors or perms, because applying the treatment to high density hair will take longer than if you have low density hair. 

Being aware of your hair density also helps you monitor your hair health, as significant changes could be caused by underlying health issues. 

What Is The Difference Between Hair Density And Hair Thickness?

Many people use hair density and hair thickness as if they’re the same thing, but they actually describe different aspects of your hair’s condition.

Hair density describes how many hair strands are on your scalp, while hair thickness can describe the same thing or refer to how wide each strand is. This is also known as hair texture.

Your hair texture can be described as fine, medium, or coarse/thick hair, and each one can be combined with high, medium, or low density hair. 

So, you might have a low density of coarse hair strands, which doesn’t look thin because of the wider hair strands.  On the other hand, high density fine hair looks like voluminous hair but is tricky to pin up.

What Causes Different Hair Density?

Most factors affecting the density of your hair are genetic, such as age or ethnicity. Your hair density doesn’t indicate your general health, but health conditions, hormonal changes, or a poor diet can lower your hair density. 

• Genetics: Caucasian hair is likely to be more dense than African, Asian, or Hispanic/Latinx hair, according to a 2017 study¹. 
• Age: Your hair is likely to be densest when you’re in your twenties, and you may experience male or female pattern hair loss as you get older. This is due to changes in your hair growth cycle.
• Diet: Nutritional deficiencies such as low protein, iron, biotin, and vitamin D can cause hair loss², while too much selenium, Vitamin A, or Vitamin E has been linked to hair thinning³.
• Health: Medical conditions such as certain autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), scalp conditions, and an overactive or underactive thyroid can reduce your hair density. Perimenopause and pregnancy cause hormone changes that can also lower hair density.

How To Measure Hair Density

The average person has between 80,000 to 120,000 hairs on their scalp. Scientists can accurately count the number of hair strands using a trichoscope to magnify the hair strands up to 1000 times. 

Luckily, there are some simpler ways to measure your hair density at home.

The ponytail test is an easy way to check your hair density. All you have to do is tie your clean, dry hair up in a ponytail and wrap a flexible measuring tape around the base. If you don’t have a measuring tape, you can also use a ribbon or piece of string and mark where it overlaps.

Measure the length of tape, ribbon, or string that was wrapped around your ponytail. 

• If it measures 2 inches or less, you have low density hair
• 2-4 inches means you have medium density hair
• 4 inches or longer indicates high hair density

If you don’t have the hair length for a ponytail, you can also visually assess your hair density. Pull the hair at the front of your head over to one side.

• If your scalp is easily visible, you have low density hair
• If you can only just see your scalp, even at your part, your hair is high density
• Medium density hair has a visible scalp around the part, but you won’t be able to see it through your hair

It’s totally normal to find that you have different hair densities in different parts of your scalp. For example, many people find that they lose density around the crown of the head as they get older.

If you can’t determine your hair density through these two tests, you could ask a professional hair stylist for their thoughts. 

Types of Hair Density

Once you’ve determined your hair density using the tests above, here’s what your personal hair density means:

High Density Hair

High density hair has the greatest number of hair follicles per square inch of scalp skin. This voluminous hair density is often known as ‘thick hair’ and managing so much hair can be challenging. 

You might find it difficult to tie dense hair in a ponytail or pin it into an updo. Choosing heavier hair care products can make your high density tresses feel more manageable, and you could need to use extra pins or ties to style your hair.

Find out more in our guide to High Density Hair.

Medium Density Hair

Medium density hair is the most versatile hair density. It is sometimes called ‘normal hair,’ although this term can also refer to the oiliness of your hair. 

The number of hairs per square inch of medium hair lies between high and low density, so your hair will feel balanced rather than thin or bulky. You’ll also have the widest choice of hairstyles and hair care products.  

Find out more in our guide to Medium Density Hair.

Low Density Hair

Low hair density has a lower number of individual strands per square inch of scalp. This makes the hair feel thin and it can easily be overwhelmed by rich hair care products. 

When you tie thin hair back in a ponytail, you’ll probably find the tie slips off easily unless you wrap it around the hair an extra time.

Find out more in our guide to Low Density Hair. 

Can I Change My Hair Density?

Hair density is generally determined by genetics, so it’s only possible to increase your number of follicles through medication or a hair transplant. 

However, these tips will help your hair appear thicker and denser.  

• Opt for lightweight products instead of rich creams and oils that weigh down low density hair 
• Use volumizing products to plump up your strands and make thin hair look fuller
• Try a new hairstyle like a blunt bob or fewer layers your curls to give the appearance of denser hair
• Choose a lighter hair color or add highlights to reduce the contrast between your scalp and hair

Eating a balanced diet and ensuring your hair is well-hydrated will improve your hair’s health and reduce breakage and hair fall, which can make your hair look denser.

How To Choose Products For Your Hair Density Type

Knowing your hair density is an essential step towards creating your personalized hair care routine. This knowledge helps you choose products that keep your mane looking its best. 

Here are some tips on picking hair care products for each hair density type.

Low-Density Hair

Heavy creams, butters, and conditioners will weigh down low density hair and make it look even thinner. Using lightweight products will give the illusion of fuller hair, especially if you choose volumizing shampoos, conditioners, and styling products that plump the hair strands. 

Keeping your hair well-hydrated will help reduce hair fall and stop your hair looking thinner. 

Medium-Density Hair

Medium-density hair is the easiest density type to care for, as you can choose from a wider range of products without worrying about your hair looking flat or too full. 

You can emphasize your hair’s volume with volumizing mousses and styling sprays, or use leave-in conditioners and a hair serum for a sleeker look. 

High-Density Hair

High density hair has a high number of closely packed strands of hair, so it can easily get tangled. Look for rich moisturizing products that give plenty of hair slip to make detangling easier. 

Heavier creams and oils will also help keep your hair moisturized and frizz-free, making it softer and easier to style. 

Best Hairstyles For Each Hair Density Type

Choosing the right hairstyle can make low density hair look more voluminous or reduce the bulkiness of high density hair.

These tips will help you choose hairstyles to suit your hair density.

Low-Density Hair

Blunt cuts like bobs or short layered cuts can create a fuller look on low density hair. Pinning longer hair up in a high bun or other updos will also help create the perception of thicker hair.

Diffusing your hair upside down is a useful tip for boosting hair volume on low-density tresses. You can also apply volumizing products, use brush styling techniques, and add root volume to create fuller-looking hair. 

Medium-Density Hair

Most hair styles will work well with medium density tresses. Have fun trying different textured styles like twists or braids, or go for a sleek, straight look without the risk of your hair appearing thin.

High-Density Hair

Embracing your natural curls will show high density hair off to its best. High density hair has a lot of natural fullness, which you can accentuate with twists, braids, and other updos. 

Keeping your hair long will elongate the strands and make it look less voluminous, or you could ask your stylist to reduce some of the fullness with thinning shears.

FAQs

Still looking for details about hair density? You might find the answers you need in these frequently asked questions.

Can I Increase Hair Density? 

Because hair density is determined by the number of hair follicles on your scalp, it’s difficult to increase the amount of hair follicles without using pharmaceuticals or medical procedures.

How Can I Make My Hair Look Thicker?

Although you can’t change the number of strands on your head, it’s possible to give the illusion of fuller hair using some of the styling tips in this article.

How Does Hair Density Affect Your Hair Care Routine?

Understanding your hair density will help you decide what results you want to achieve and choose the right products and techniques. Knowing your hair density also lets you tailor the amount of product you apply, as high density hair requires more product to cover all the hair strands. 

The Bottom Line

Understanding your hair density is an essential part of curating your natural hair care plan. 

Most factors affecting hair density are genetic, like age or ethnicity, so it’s not usually possible to increase your hair density. However, once you know whether you have high, low, or medium density hair, you can select hair products and hairstyles that will accentuate its best aspects. 

Combining that information with other features like your hair porosity, curl type, and hair texture will improve your hair’s overall appearance and help you achieve your hair goals.

References

1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6219221/ 

2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/ 

3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/