Oklahoma Barber Practice Exam

To effectively assess a client's hair type, evaluating the texture, density, and growth pattern is essential. Texture refers to the thickness or fineness of individual hair strands—whether they are straight, wavy, curly, or coily—which influences how styles are formed and maintained. Density refers to the number of hair strands per square inch on the scalp, affecting fullness and volume. Understanding the growth pattern, including how the hair naturally falls and the direction in which it grows, assists barbers in creating styles that work with the hair's natural tendencies.

To fully understand a client’s hair characteristics, examining these three aspects provides critical information for choosing appropriate products and techniques, ensuring successful cutting and styling. While factors like washing frequency, color, and overall length may have an impact on styling preferences or how hair behaves in certain conditions, they do not directly inform the specific type of hair in the way texture, density, and growth patterns do. Therefore, focusing on those primary characteristics is the most comprehensive approach to assessing hair type.