You recently discovered you had fine hair and realized why it’s been so hard to deal with, and now, you want to know the steps to take to ensure it’s appropriately cared for and the right products to facilitate that.
Fine hair can be difficult to manage because of tangles, grease, and a flat appearance. However, it also has a naturally smooth and silky appearance.
What is Fine Hair? Signs You Have It
Fine hair is categorized by its texture, which encompasses the hair strands’ width, diameter, and circumference. Fine hair strands are smaller than coarse hair, which has a thicker diameter.
Take a single strand between your fingers to determine if you have fine hair; if you can’t feel anything, you have fine hair. Although fine and thin hair is interchangeable, they relate to different hair types.
While thin hair emphasizes the density of the hair follicles or how closely adjacent individual strands are to one another, fine hair emphasizes the texture of the strands. Your hair is probably thinning if, when you run your hands through it or wash it, you feel there is less of it or none at all.
Basic Steps to Caring for Fine Hair
Fine hair is delicate and requires careful and conscious effort to thrive. Using the right products and following the proper steps would help your strands to shine and stay healthy.
1. Washing your Hair
Due to the texture, fine hair tends to look greasy and weighed down quite quickly. So, it is essential to wash frequently; unlike other hair textures, frequent washing might not be advised, but this is unavoidable for fine hair. It is not necessary to wash fine hair every day, as it could stimulate the production of excess oils.
Replace your ordinary shampoo with a volumizing shampoo; fine hair lacks volume and has a flat appearance; using a volumizing shampoo is designed to help with that.
To shampoo, pour a small amount into your palms, and rub them together; using your fingertips, massage it into the scalp to eliminate the oils, dirt, and greasiness. After which, you give your hair a thorough rinse.
2. Clarifying Treatment
Use a clarifying shampoo once weekly to get your hair rid of product build-ups, dirt, oils, and minerals that could weigh hair down, making the hair limp and lifeless looking.
The clarifying shampoo can be used the same way as your everyday shampoo; natural home remedies can substitute for a clarifying shampoo.
3. Condition Hair Well
Using a conditioner is tricky because as much as you want your hair to stay hydrated, you also don’t want it to become weighed down or greasy after applying a conditioner.
Your fine strands need moisture as well. The key is ensuring they do not become over-moisturized. Properly conditioning your hair helps eliminate tangles because the softer the strand is, the less likely it will intertwine with other strands.
To apply a conditioner to your strands, remember less is more for fine hair. Take a small conditioner and coat the strands from the mid-length to the tips. Also, incorporate the use of a lightweight leave-in treatment into your hair.
4. Do not Brush Wet Hair
After conditioned hair has been given a thorough rinse, please do not use a terry towel to attempt to dry hair, as it is rougher on the hair strands, making the hair prone to breakage and encouraging frizz. Use a microfiber towel or t-shirt to pat moisture out and not rub vigorously.
Fine hair, when wet, is more susceptible to breakage, so refrain from brushing when wet. To detangle wet hair, use a wide tooth comb working your way up from the tips to the roots.
5. Limit Heat Styling
Stay clear of heat! In addition, if you choose to blow-dry your hair or use heat, wait until it is 75 percent dry before, and be sure to apply a heat protectant and use heat on a low setting. Heat causes the cuticle to dry out, which makes it tangle- and frizz-prone.
6. Dry Shampoo and Texturizing Spray
Dry shampoo reduces oil, dirt, and grease and doesn’t require washing out from the hair. It is perfect for an after-gym workout to remove excess oils and sweat or extend a blowout. And a texturizing spray is a buildable, weightless hair spray that helps with volume and holds a style for much longer.
Fine hair suffers from a lack of volume and greasiness. These products are essential for their manageability. I’d advise you to add the dry shampoo before going off to bed; you’ll likely garner more volume from the tossing and turning, and the excess oils will be adequately absorbed.
7. Use mousse or styling spray
Choose a mousse or styling spray if you typically style your hair using styling products. Products like mousse and spray are light. However, creams or serums would make your hair appear limp because they will weigh it down.
Go for a volumizing mousse or spray whenever possible. If your hair is oily, you might want to use a product without oils; remember, when it comes to fine hair, less is more, so ease up on the products because when used excessively, even light solutions can weigh down hair.
7. Get Frequent Trims
Fine hair is prone to split ends due to how thin the strands are. Split ends occur when there is a separation at the hair shaft and, unfortunately, can not be repaired. Leaving split ends results in stunted hair growth and breakage, so it’s of the essence to visit your stylist for frequent trims.
Ensure you get a trim every 10 – 12 weeks, depending on your hair’s health. If you wait too long before getting a trim, the split ends will travel further up, and that’s just more damage to cut off.
8. Sleep with a Protective Wrap
Never retire to bed without a head wrap for protection. As you toss and turn in bed, the cotton sheets absorb moisture and strain the strands, placing stress on the delicate fibers and causing breakage, split ends, and frizz.
Wrap your hair in a silk scarf or satin bonnet to shield it from the elements. Satin and silk have smooth surfaces so that the strands can glide through effortlessly. Purchase a satin or silk pillowcase as additional protection if you are a restless sleeper.
9. Incorporate Oils in your Hair Care Regimen
I know that you want to avoid oils as much as possible to prevent greasy and flat hair. However, using essential oils—notably milder ones—can be beneficial. For example, jojoba, almond, and argan oils can be absorbed relatively quickly. Before going to bed, apply these oils to the ends of your hair to keep them hydrated and reduce frizz.
10. Avoid Tight Styling
Avoid wearing ponytails and other hairstyles that put tension on the strands to prevent hair thinning and breaking. Use a silk or satin scrunchie for a softer grip if you must wear a ponytail.