Meet the technology to find the best haircare for curls and kinks

The world of hair care can be a tangled web, especially for those with curly or kinky locks. Despite an increasing number of hair care brands targeting various hair textures, the vast majority of hair studies have focused on straight or wavy hair, particularly those of Asian or white origin. This has left many consumers feeling lost amidst conflicting advice and inconsistent results.

To help bring some clarity to this confusion, a team of scientists from Spelman University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst have set out to identify key hair properties that can help consumers select products and achieve more consistent results. Using their Texture Analyser, the team analysed the mechanical properties of wavy, curly, and kinky hair strands by uncurling and stretching them until they broke and measured the stresses, strains and forces to do this.