Fine hair is often synonymous with flat hair. And a lack of fullness, bounce, and volume aren’t the only issues.
When fine hair is at its healthiest, it’s visibly silky and smooth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to tangle and damage these delicate locks. Thin, fine hair is prone to becoming brittle and lifeless more than any other hair type, especially when improperly cared for. But with the right hair care, styling tricks, quality products, and the occasional trim, you can give fine hair the lively boost you’ve been craving.
Without further ado, here are some of the absolute best fixes for fine, flat hair.
Keep Your Hair Shorter
The longer fine hair becomes, the flatter it will usually lay. By keeping your hair shorter, you will naturally give it more body. And you don’t necessarily need to do anything drastic.
Sometimes, it only takes cutting a couple of inches to give your hair more life and shape. To feign fullness and keep your hair healthiest, hair experts advise keeping fine hair’s length slightly above the collarbone.
Turn to Hair Color for Volume
Some colorists claim hair dyes may actually plump up the hair shaft, making the hair appear fuller. But not so mysteriously, repeated dye jobs can also cause hair damage. So don’t rely solely on changing your hair color to give you the volume you seek.
Another dye trick is incorporating highlights. Adding another layer of color or two will give your hair more dimensions and therefore, it will appear thicker. Placement is important as well. For instance, balayage highlights are a great way to give your hair a fuller, more dynamic look that allows your colorist to paint your hair where more body should be.
Look Into Layers
Layers are a common trick for adding lasting body to fine hair. Layers give hair dimension, movement, and pizazz. With that said, layers aren’t always the answer. Sometimes, a single-length cut is the best way to make fine hair look full. If you go overboard with layers, you run the risk of hair looking too stringy and lacking in shape. In contrast, invisible layers are a safer bet for anyone looking for a new do, especially those with fine hair.
Keeping your hair at one length can strengthen it and add volume at the same time. If you want to try layers, be sure to tell your stylist not to over-layer. Otherwise, the result will be choppy.
Do note, fine hair doesn’t necessarily mean thin hair. Some women have thick, but fine hair (meaning they have a lot of it.) If this applies to you, talk to your stylist about thinning your hair when you plan to layer it. But if you have thin, fine hair, thinning it, even more, is not necessary.
Go Long Without Going Flat
While keeping your hair shorter is one solution, you don’t have to turn your back on long locks if you love them. You just need to be ready to do the upkeep and know what tricks to use.
One of the simplest ways to keep long, fine hair voluminous is to switch up your part from time to time. Fine hair adapts to its environment more seamlessly than other hair types. In turn, the longer you leave it parted one way, the more it will conform to that pattern and lay flat. So switch things up.
If you want to keep your hair long, what we said about layers applies to you. Opt for a few layers to keep your hair lifted, but only a few. Then maybe have your stylist do some face-framing wisps or face-framing highlights. If you’re okay with a less natural approach and want results ASAP, extensions are always an option as well.
Bangs are also an option worth noting. Bangs will create the illusion of fullness while adding body where you need it.
Read More: How To: Grow Your Hair Faster, Longer, And Stronger
Invest in a Good Shampoo
One of the biggest mistakes many women make is using the wrong shampoo. Fine hair can easily become oily, sometimes during the same day it was washed. And if this happens to you, your shampoo may be the biggest cause.
Those with fine hair should completely avoid creamy and rich shampoos formulated for medium, thick, and coarse hair. Aim for clarifying shampoos and shampoos that are designed to create volume and body. Here are the 12 best shampoos for fine hair, according to The Strategist.
Make Sure Your Shampooing Properly
It’s not just a matter of what you’re shampooing with, it’s how you’re shampooing. All too often, women with fine hair run into greasy roots and dry ends. When this happens, you might instantly reach for the conditioner. But the reality is, you should probably only be putting conditioner on your ends if you have fine hair.
Stylists often recommend that women with fine hair avoid shampooing daily, but never skip a day of conditioning. Striking the perfect balance for you will require trial and error, but here are a few things you should definitely do:
- Wet your hair in cool or warm water and apply a quality shampoo to the scalp and roots only.
- Massage your shampoo into the scalp and DON’T work it down to your ends.
- Apply conditioner on the shaft of your hair completely and avoid the scalp.
- Rinse thoroughly with cool water. While you rinse, the shampoo will travel down your hair and the conditioner will come out.
Condition Correctly
All it takes is a gust of wind for fine hair to go from tousled to tangled. Fine hair is easily prone to knots, tangles, and breakage. That’s why light conditioners and detanglers are often flat, fine hair’s best friend. Some experts also say to try conditioning before you reach for the shampoo. Conditioners sometimes leave residue behind and as the shampoo runs down your hair, it will take whatever’s been left behind with it.
Whether you use conditioner before shampoo or after, only apply it to the bottom two-thirds of your hair. If conditioner comes in contact with your scalp, it’ll heavily weigh down your hair and make it appear even flatter.
Let Your Hair Air Dry
Let your hair air dry as often as possible. Fine hair is prone to breakage. And so, blow dryer use can significantly contribute to damage. There are also rules to follow when air drying. Following your shower, don’t rub your hair with a towel. This can lead to brittleness and breakage as well.
While your hair is damp, use all necessary products. Spray in a deep conditioning detangler with your brushing process in mind. Fine hair is especially sensitive to brushing. You should never brush your hair while it’s completely wet, as this can cause more damage.
When your hair is fully dry, it may fall flat in a few hours. Resist the urge to use more products. If this happens, you can simply wet your fingers and massage your scalp with a boost. As someone with fine, often flat hair, I also find that washing my hair at night leads to volume and body in the morning. Sometimes, it’ll be fluffy and perfectly messy, you won’t even need to brush it.
Get a Trim Regularly
To keep your fine at its fluffiest, you need to keep it as its healthiest. We can’t stress how essential it is to prevent breakage enough. Fine hair always has the potential to be shiny, soft, and full of life, but it’s more delicate than other hair types. So in addition to being gentle with it, you need to take maintenance seriously.
For healthy hair, commit to regular trimmings. Experts say that if you have fine hair, you should pencil in a trim every six weeks, at a minimum. The longer you want your hair to grow (and the longer you like to wear it), the more important it will be to regularly have it trimmed.
Use a Blow Dry For Volume, Occasionally
The one place you should say yes to blow-drying is at the salon and in the hands of a professional. A truly great blow-dry session can do wonders for your hair for up to three days, no matter how oily it may be. At home, you can give yourself a salon-quality blow dry too. You just need correct, quality products and tools.
Here’s a guide to blow-drying your hair at home like a pro, compliments of The Urban Company.
Buy The Best Brush For Your Hair
Using a brush designed with your hair type in mind can make a big difference. For fine, flat hair, search for a mix of boar and nylon bristles. Many of the best in the hair biz say this winning combo will detangle, add volume, and give your hair softness that lasts. And proper technique goes a long way too.
Some hair care professionals say you should never be brushing your hair when it’s wet. But with the right brush and a quality detangler, you can tackle your tangles when it’s still damp. Start from the ends and work your way up. Starting at the top and working your way down will likely break your hair while it’s in its most delicate state.
These are the top ten brushes stylists recommend for fine hair, according to Well and Good.
Detoxify Your Hair Once a Week
All hair types suffer from buildup from time to time, especially if you use hairspray, styling gel, or mousse. However, product build-up is particularly prevalent for those with fine hair. Products can weigh fine hair down more than anything else. The good news is, you can get rid of build-up naturally.
Consider incorporating an apple cider vinegar rinse into your shower routine every other week. Apple cider vinegar is useful for breaking down residue, adding body, and potentially even dealing with dandruff. Personally, I find straight apple cider vinegar too harsh, even when diluted with water. And I’ve found this Detox Shampoo from OUAI (with apple cider vinegar) to be a lifeless hair saver.
Pick Products Designed For Fine Hair
While picking the best products for your hair definite way to achieve volume, overusing them will weigh your hair down even more. Look for volumizing products that add body. Then use your products wisely.
Hair pros say to massage your volumizing spray into the roots of hair when it’s slightly damp. Add spray to the crown of your head and comb it through with a wide-toothed comb for even more oomph. Add pomades and serums to help tame flyaways and frizz, but be sure to use them sparingly. The golden rule is no more than a pea-sized drop.
Give Your Locks a Boost With Mousse
Mousse might seem like a hair product of the past, but if you have fine hair, don’t sleep on this one. Mousse is a great way to add volume, texture, and softness. Thanks to modern haircare advancements, many of the formulations today won’t leave your hair feeling stiff or dry. With the right volumizing mousse, it’ll be touchably soft and look effortlessly tousled.
Start with one squirt in your palm and work it through your hair from your roots to the mid-shaft. If you want soft waves, softly squeeze your hair at the ends with your hand or a towel. Then add hair spray for extra bounce and lasting hold.
Use Dry Shampoo Between Washings
For those who suffer from perpetually oily or flat hair, dry shampoos have become a staple. They can add volume and help your hair look its best between washings. Remember, if you have fine hair, hair care professionals say you shouldn’t be washing it every day.
While you shouldn’t use it every day or let it replace your shampoo, it can be a miracle worker on your hair’s greasiest days. With that said, not all dry shampoos are created equally and some are loaded with chemicals that are definitely counterproductive to achieving healthy hair. So be sure not to read the ingredients.
To help you on your dry shampoo quest, here are 10 of the best natural dry shampoos on the market.
Try Salt Spray
Many women are blessed with a certain amount of natural wave to their hair. But sometimes, your hair needs a little help to show what it’s really working with.
To bring out the wave in fine hair, try spritzing damp hair with a salt spray from time to time. Then as with mousse, give it a little scrunch with your hands.
Give Rollers a Whirl
Obviously, curls can add volume and body to your hair. If you wish, you can reach for the curling iron. However, rollers might be a better option for fine hair. Try Conair’s Self-Grip Hair Rollers on for size and see what you think.
Ask any hairstylist, when they want to give their clients’ hair a full and flowy feel, they reach for the rollers more often than not. But no matter how you add life to your hair, make sure you’re taking care of it. Styling will always add strain to your locks, so pamper them lovingly to help them reach their liveliest.
Read More: Want Silky Smooth Locks? Here Are 5 Hair Secrets You Need to Know About
