Today I met with Sadie, founder of Strandprint (10% off with GENA10) and chemist, and we went over the findings of my hair analysis. We conducted a live question and answer session where we discussed misconceptions around hair porosity, texture changes, and more interesting hair facts. Here I am sharing some of the key takeaways and you can watch the recording below.
Check out Strandprint to get your own, custom hair analysis and save 10% with code GENA10.
Meet Sadie
“My name is Sadie and I’m the owner of Strandprint. As a cosmetic chemist and hair analyst, I know first hand how important healthy hair is, as well as how difficult it can be to find products that help you achieve your hair goals. I founded my company to help people understand their hair type and know what products will actually be beneficial for their hair.”
What is the Strandprint Process?
“Strandprint provides microscopic hair analyses for individuals who are struggling with their hair health, products, or routines. Our analyses examine your hair’s porosity, elasticity, and width under a microscope, which are crucial factors in determining suitable products for your hair. Knowing your hair type is essential for finding effective products, and without an analysis, selecting the right products can be challenging and frustrating.
First, purchase a Hair Profile from our website’s Shop section to receive a hair collection kit by mail. The kit contains everything you will need to send your hair sample back. Next, complete the accompanying questionnaire about your lifestyle and hair health, which will help us understand the current state of your hair. After we receive your sample and responses, we will analyze your hair and email you a Hair Profile as a PDF within 3-4 weeks of your sample’s postmark date.”
What’s analyzed?
- Elasticity: determines how much protein or moisture your hair needs.
- Porosity: determines how much damage you have, which informs products and routines.
- Strand width: determines how heavy or lightweight your products should be and how much conditioning you need or don’t need.
Results of My 2020 Hair Analysis
Elasticity (Dry): High
Elasticity (Wet): Normal/Borderline Low
Root Porosity: Medium
Midshaft Porosity: Medium-high
Tip Porosity: High
Average Width at the Root: Medium-coarse
Average Width at the Tip: Fine-medium
Overall 50% medium width, 50% coarse, kinky, medullated
Results of My 2025 Hair Analysis
Elasticity (Dry): Low to Normal
Elasticity (Wet): Low to Normal
Root Porosity: Low
Midshaft Porosity: Medium
Tip Porosity: Medium to High
Average Width at the Root: Medium
Average Width at the Tip: Fine
Overall Medium, Medullated
Surprises/Call Outs
Watch the recording to see Sadie’s answers to my questions below.
- Change in strand width – what factors contribute to this?
- Change in porosity, specifically the roots were previously “normal/medium” and are now “low”. Is the criteria different?
- Does everyone’s hair grow out of their scalp as “low”? Would nutrient deficiencies and other internal factors impact porosity?
- Gray hairs showed the same normal porosity has non-gray hairs. What about strand width?
Questions
The following questions were answered in the livestream at the timestamps listed below. Watch the recording above for answers.
31:17 Is virgin new growth always low porosity?
33:11 Should we do more than one analysis?
34:36 Damage and knots in the back
36:22 Winter coats causing frizz & tangles
38:12 Does henna & hair dye affect analysis results
40:17 Reducing static in the winter
42:05 Straight roots
43:32 Gray hairs, texture of grays, & sun damage
46:18 Is all-over hair dye damaging?
47:26 Can you upgrade Strandprint packages?
48:07 Does the scalp need to breath and do bonnets impact it?
49:07 What’s coming this year for Strandprint
50:20 Bond building recommendations & how do you choose?
54:32 How does the hair with seasons? Should we avoid glycerin?
59:00 How many hairs for the sample & how do you collect them?
Products Mentioned
- Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Envy Cream
- Marc Anthony Define & Hold Flex Hair Styling Gel
- K18
- Olaplex No. 3
- Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve
- Living Proof Triple Bond Complex
- Redken Acidic Bonding
- Curlsmith Miracle Shield Heat Protection Spray
Get your own hair analysis
Check out Strandprint’s packages if you want to get a hair analysis done and learn more about your hair. Save 10% on Strandprint with code GENA10. Share your results and tag myself and Sadie so we can see what you learned about your hair.
Need personalized help?
I offer both group coaching and private coaching where I assist clients with diagnosing their exact hair issues and reducing the need to refresh. This saves them both time and frustration in their routine. If you’ve tried everything and you’re still not getting the longevity out of your routine, I would love to discuss how we can improve your routine. Join the waitlist for my private coaching here, or my next round of group coaching here.