Skin and Hair Analysis
Skin analysis
Assess in good light on cleansed skin: oiliness, pore size, hydration, sensitivity, pigmentation, vascularity and texture. Standard types are normal, dry, oily, combination (oily T-zone with drier cheeks) and sensitive. The Fitzpatrick scale I-VI describes sun sensitivity and guides laser or IPL suitability; it is not a skin "type". Note the acid mantle at about pH 4.5-5.5 and avoid over-cleansing.
Hair analysis
- Texture: fine, medium or coarse.
- Density: thin, medium or thick.
- Porosity: how readily hair absorbs moisture. Float test: a clean strand that stays afloat is low porosity; one that sinks quickly is high porosity.
- Elasticity: wet stretch test on a single strand. Healthy hair stretches and returns; hair that snaps is damaged.
- Scalp: dryness, oiliness, dandruff, redness, lesions, pattern of hair loss.
Choosing products from the findings
High porosity and damage call for protein and moisture treatments, low-pH shampoo and gentle detangling. An oily scalp with dry ends calls for a gentle or clarifying shampoo on the scalp and conditioner only from mid-length to ends.
Worked example
Client: scalp greasy by evening, ends rough, hair recently coloured. Reasoning: combination condition. Recommend a sulphate-free shampoo for frequent washing, conditioner from mid-length down, a weekly moisture or bond mask, no conditioner on the scalp, and a scalp tonic. Avoid heavy oils at the root.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing Fitzpatrick type with skin type.
- Diagnosing a scalp disease instead of referring.
- Testing porosity on conditioner-coated hair.