How can a barber assess a client's hair type?

Assessing a client's hair type is essential for providing tailored haircuts and treatments that suit their specific needs. Analyzing the hair's texture, density, and curl pattern is the most effective method because these characteristics directly influence how hair behaves and what styles or techniques will work best.

Texture refers to the thickness or fineness of individual hair strands, which can affect styling choices. Density indicates how many individual hair strands are present on the scalp, impacting the fullness of the hairstyle. The curl pattern determines how the hair naturally falls and its overall volume. By carefully examining these attributes, a barber can make informed decisions about cutting techniques, products to use, and styling methods that will achieve the desired look while ensuring the client's hair health.

While reviewing a client's previous haircuts, using a survey, or referring to a hair type chart can provide some insights, they do not give the same hands-on, immediate understanding of the hair’s unique properties that a direct analysis does. Therefore, assessing texture, density, and curl pattern directly gives the most accurate and actionable information for a barber.