Learning To Love Fine Hair
As someone who works in helping people style their hair I find people saying disparaging things about their own hair. It isn’t just curly haired curls learning to love their natural hair. People with fine hair are struggling with self-love. I think it’s a “grass is always greener” situation. We see the beautiful parts in someone else’s hair but only the frustrations in our own.
Fine hair is flat
Many women with fine hair want it to have more volume. They don’t like that it lays so flat against their head. Some other complaints are that it doesn’t look as full, that it is slippery and difficult to style, and it is prone to breakage.
Can fine hair be thickened?
After being asked many times if fine hair can become thick I felt that it was time to write about how to love your fine hair and all the reasons why fine hair is great! Plus some tips on how to style fine hair.
Fine hair is awesome because…
- it does not need as much length to achieve hair styles
- it tends to be smooth, which makes it more shiny
Can fine hair be long?
Yes! You can grow fine hair long if you want to. It will appear thicker if it is shorter, but there’s nothing wrong with having thinner fine hair.
The key to growing fine hair long is avoiding damage. It is very delicate and you need to take more care than people with thicker hair types.
- avoid hair elastics or rubber bands with metal connectors
- make sure your wide toothed comb does not have seams in it, which will tear your hair. Many fine haired ladies really like the tangle teaser.
- detangle very gently from the bottom up
- wear up in gentle styles to avoid friction damage and especially if you are going out anywhere windy! Wind will tangle fine hair very quickly.
- you can up the shine with very light oils (for example coconut oil is too heavy for fine hair, but jojoba oil may work. Use just a couple of drops to seal moisture in your hair). Also try a flax seed gel rinses (thank you, Cat Weeks for that idea! She has incredibly shiny and gorgeous fine hair!)
- use very little product. Like with the oils, just use a tiny amount of product to avoid weighing your hair down
It is okay to wash your hair frequently. You may be hearing a lot these days about stretching washes and trying to wash hair only once or maybe twice a week. Often people with finer hair will notice greasiness a lot faster and it will weigh hair down. If washing every day feels good for you and your hair, it is okay to do that! (But dry it gently with a bamboo or microfiber towel and avoid heat).
How to style fine hair
Fine hair is often slippery, which can make styling it tricky. It doesn’t hold a curl well and bobby pins slide out. Many even struggle with hair sticks, which can slide out too.
But fine hair is fun to style because it does not need as much length to get hairstyles. So for example if you wanted to do a complex bun that usually requires waist length hair, you could probably do it at mid-back length. There’s less bulk to get in the way.
My friend Ebony Gammon recommends always braiding before bunning. A braid will give you some more grip in your style.
Another good choice to combat the slippery issue is a flexi . The figure-8 part holds your hair to the stick AND prevents the stick sliding out. Three of my customers with fine hair have raved about how well flexis are working for them!
For bobby pins you can try criss-crossing a couple of them and possibly adding a little hair spray or gel (I have not tried this)
You probably won’t get volume wearing your hair down, but you can put just a little bit up to achieve some balance to your face if that’s what you’re looking for. Try taking a very small section along your forehead and hold it as though for a half up. Twist it once and push up a little bit, then pin a mini flexi across just an inch or two back from your forehead.
Or do two french lace braids framing your face from a middle part out to about your ears and clip back with a small flexi.
Scrunchis are a safe and gentle choice for hair but if you find they slide out try doubling them up!
Love the hair you’ve got
It’s always good to focus on the best things about the kind of hair you have. Every type of hair has its struggles but there’s no reason to fight your hair’s natural texture. Look at its strengths instead.
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