Hair Science | Hair damage and the Dyson solution Skip navigation
Thanks. We've saved your preferences.
You can update your contact preferences at any time in the Keep in touch section of Your Dyson. If you have a Your Dyson account, you can log in below to manage your contact options.
Hair sweeping behind statistics

The hair lifecycle


  • Lifespan of a hair in years


  • Up to 100 hair strands are lost each day


  • There can be as many as 150,000 hairs on a human head

Type 1 A, B, C

Straight to wavy hair. Straighter hair has a round cross-sectional area. This hair type can require washing more regularly than other types of hair to avoid a build-up of oils.

Type 2 A, B, C

Wavy to curly hair. Type 2 hair is often described as a wavy ’S’ shape with a round cross-sectional area, but is flatter than type 1 hair. This hair type also requires regular washing as oil can progress down the hair strand more easily.

Type 3 A, B, C

 Curly hair with tighter ringlets. Curly hair can suffer from dryness due to a lack of sebum across the hair shaft. It’s important not to use excessive heat when styling, and retaining as much natural oil as possible is crucial.

Type 4 A, B, C

Curly to coily hair. Type 4 hair has a flatter, more ellipsoid shape to form tight coils. These can tangle more easily, and be fragile when exposed to excessive heat. Type 4 hair can also be washed less regularly.

Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Line drawing of type 1 hair