What is a hair diagnosis?
Five ways to check your own hair
A hair diagnosis looks at five things: thickness, volume, curl, damage and scalp
You can check each with your hands and a mirror. We also note what a diagnosis cannot tell you
What is the Hair Finder?
The Hair Finder looks at thickness, density and how the wave falls, and puts in order what kind of nature your hair has
"Dry" means different things in fine hair and coarse hair. Fine hair dries because it cannot hold water; coarse hair dries because its surface is firm and water cannot get in. The remedies are opposites too
Once you know your hair's nature, you stop buying what does not suit it
Five things you can check yourself
No tools needed — your hands and a mirror are enough
① Thickness
Take a single fallen hair and pinch it between your fingertips. If you can clearly feel it, your hair is coarse; if you cannot tell you are holding it, it is fine. If you are unsure, treating it as average is perfectly fine
② Density
Tie dry hair back in one and look at the thickness at the root. About a thumb is a lot; about a little finger is not much. If yours is thick, product and rinse are easily left behind
③ Wave
Compare it wet and dry. Straight when wet and wavy when dry means hair that takes water in easily — this is the type that swells on humid days. If it bends even while wet, the cross-section of the hair itself is rounded
④ Damage
Pinch the wet ends lightly between your fingers and slide. If it squeaks and stops, the inside is hollow. If it slips too easily, that too is a sign the surface has gone
⑤ Scalp
Compare your roots in the morning with your roots in the evening. Heavy and flat only by evening means more sebum; dry all day long leans toward dryness. Changing how hard you wash works better than changing how often
Hair types: 27 combinations of thickness × volume × curl
Thickness (fine, medium, coarse), volume (low, medium, high) and curl (straight, soft wave, strong curl). Combining these three gives 27 hair types. SEAM calls them "hair frames" and builds the diagnosis on them
| What to look at | Three levels | How the choice changes |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | Fine · Medium · Coarse | The finer the hair, the lighter the texture to choose; the coarser, the more help it needs to take in moisture |
| Volume | Low · Medium · High | More hair means washing and rinsing more carefully; less hair means avoiding anything heavy |
| Curl | Straight · Soft wave · Strong curl | The stronger the curl, the more drying technique comes first and smoothing products second |
Damage and your colour or straightening history are "the current state", so we look at them separately from the type. Mixing them in would give everyone with heavy damage the same answer
How to check your own hair type (5 minutes)
- On a dry-hair day, keep one shed hair (thickness)
- Gather your hair at the back and look at the thickness of the base (volume)
- After washing, compare wet and dry in the mirror (curl)
- Pinch a wet end between your fingers and slide (damage)
- Compare the roots in the morning and in the evening (scalp)
Write the results down and the conversation in store goes faster. Check again every three to six months and you will notice changes
Hair changes
Hair is not only what you were born with. Repeated treatments, changes with age and seasonal humidity all change how the same person's hair looks
After straightening or bleach especially, both thickness and feel become something else. Keep choosing as though your hair were what it used to be and you will keep using what does not suit it. Looking again every six months is about right
What the finder can and cannot tell you
What you learn is how to wash the hair you have now, the direction worth choosing, and what is better avoided
There are things it cannot tell you. Itching that will not stop, hair loss that suddenly increases — a finder cannot tell you the cause of changes like these. Please speak to a dermatologist or hair specialist. A finder is only a tool for choosing care
What to choose after the finder
Fine hair collapses under a heavy oil. Start with a light milk and add more if you need it — that way you will not go wrong
Coarse hair has a firm surface, so it needs help opening before water can go in. Spending time on a rinse-out treatment changes more than a leave-in does
For hair with wave, changing how you dry it works faster than reaching for something to hold the frizz down. Aiming the air from the roots and drying without pulling already changes how it settles
Bleached hair is hollow inside. What fills it comes first, what protects it comes after — that order matters
Hair type diagnosis vs. the SEAM Hair Finder
Most things called a "hair diagnosis" ask about the degree of damage or your concerns. The SEAM Hair Finder separates what does not change (thickness, volume, curl) from the current state (damage, history). Because they are kept apart, the same concern can lead to a different answer
About ten questions, three minutes. No sign-up needed. The result is saved as your hair record and can be used as it is at any of our 7 stores
Free
The SEAM Hair Finder
We sort thickness, density and wave into 27 types and hand you the one that suits your hair now. Free, no sign-up, and about three minutes
Start the finderFrequently asked questions
Is the Hair Finder free?
The SEAM Hair Finder is free, needs no sign-up, and takes about three minutes
How does this differ from a diagnosis at the salon?
Only a hairdresser can judge the part that has to be felt by hand. An online finder is there to get your bearings before that. In store, you can bring your results and talk them through
Can I have it more than once?
Hair changes with treatments, age and the seasons, so we suggest looking again every six months
Do you mean drugstore shampoo will not suit me?
No. Price does not decide it. Whether a product suits you depends on how it matches your hair's nature, and the diagnosis looks at exactly that
Can it diagnose curly hair too?
Yes. Curl is one of the three axes. From the difference between wet and dry we separate soft waves from strong curls, and we suggest how to dry as well
Does the hair diagnosis work for men?
Yes. Thickness, volume and curl are not split by gender. Oily scalp and how long styling holds on short hair can be read the same way
Do I need an app for the hair diagnosis?
No. It opens in your browser. No installation and no sign-up, on a smartphone or a computer
How do I use the result?
The result is saved as your hair record and can be used as it is for a consultation at any of SEAM's 7 stores. In store we choose the right product for you from 197 salon-exclusive brands