How Gels, Sprays, and Other Chemicals Impact Hair Shape

Hair sprays, gels, perms, and other chemical products and
processes exist for only one reason: So you can force your hair to
do what you want. It’s part of human nature to want what you
don’t have. People with straight hair want curls and people with
curly hair are constantly trying to tame it into straight submission.
Hair, however, has a mind of its own and has certain built-in char-
acteristics that must be overcome if you want it to do your bid-
ding. Some factors that influence the look of your hair are:
 The thickness of the hair shafts
 The density of the hair
 The natural stiffness of the hair (which keeps it from lying on
the scalp like a wet noodle)
 The natural curvature of the hair
 The slippery nature of the hair (how it slides over its neigh-
boring hairs)
 The cohesiveness of the hair (how it sticks to other hairs)
This section looks at the ways changing your look with chemical
products and processes can also change the composition of your
hair — for better, for worse, and sometimes forever.