Having trouble with fine hair? Here’s how to take care of fine hair in 10 easy steps. Follow most of all of these tips to get fuller, thicker, and more voluminous hair!
1. The Best Haircuts for Fine Hair
The best hair starts with the right haircut. One of the best haircuts for fine hair is the classic bob, which builds volume and fullness even before adding products or styling. Wearing hair medium length is another way to make the most of finer hair.
If you want to wear fine hair long, shoulder grazing is just the right length to keep the ends from looking limp. There are some differing opinions on whether or not to add layers. We’re in the pro camp. Light layering can add volume to hair. A blunt cut is also a great option with extra fullness all over.
2. Air Dry
Fine hair dries faster than other types so stylists recommend letting it air dry. In addition to saving time, skipping the blow dryer means less heat, breakage, and styling damage. Out of the shower, gently pat hair dry with a towel, old t-shirt, or microfiber towel
towel to remove excess water. Never rub hair or twist it into on the top of the head to avoid frizz and tangles.
3. Second Day Hair
Ever notice that hair looks the best the day after a shampoo? When maintaining fine hair, less is more and that means skipping a wash as well as the blow dryer. If you’re not getting sweaty, shampoo and condition every other day and use a dry shampoo
to boost volume and keep hair fresh.
For hair that tends to be oily, this is even more important. Daily washing strips the scalps oils, stimulating it to produce even more. A spritz of dry shampoo will soak up oil and bring back body. Make sure dry shampoo doesn’t sit in hair like a talcum powder bomb went off by choosing one that works for your hair color and combing it through thoroughly. Check out these formulas for blonde
and dark hair
.
4. Hairstyles for Fine Hair: Waves and Curls
Does limp, stringy hair keep you from wearing long, fine hair down? A trendy fix is tousled waves or loose curls that add fullness and texture.
There are a few easy ways to get the look. Braiding damp hair in 2″ wide plaits all over and letting the air dry is the easiest. Speed up the process by braiding straight hair and running a flat iron over each braid to set the wave. Then undo the braids and finger comb hair. To get long lasting waves, start with a saltwater spray like the highly rated Bumble and bumble Surf Spray
.
Another gorgeous and on trend way to add body to fine hair is loose ringlets. Protect delicate locks with a heat protectant spray and one of these best curling irons for fine hair. The key to curling hair is to pinch the strand between fingers before wrapping it around your iron. Skipping this step compresses hair between the barrel and clip, making it look thinner. Pinching and winding allows the curl to expand for a thicker and fuller look.
5. Fake It
You could always work in some extensions but that’s not what we’re talking about. Highlights and lowlights add dimension to hair that make it appear thicker. Shadowy lowlights add depth while bright highlights draw attention to the hair’s surface. In contrast, uniform hair can appear flat and dull. If professional highlights are out of your budget, try one of the color enhancing shampoos out there that bring out the highlights and enhance color of blonde
, red
, and dark hair
.
6. Products for Fine Hair
What products are best for fine hair? Here’s what to look for and what to avoid. First, volumizing is the key word whether it’s shampoo, mousse, or dry shampoo. Also look for products that contain the ingredient panthenol, a scientific name for provitamin B5. This compound plumps the cuticle of each individual hair, building fullness and texture.
However, the current trends of adding oils to serums and lotions is not good for fine hair. They weight down hair and often make it limp and greasy. Some lighter products that boost shine, tame fly-aways, and fight frizz are Aveeno Nourish+Style Smoothing Crème
and drybar Cream Soda Smoothing Cream.
7. The Best Shampoo for Fine Hair
For fine hair, there are two choices for shampoo conditioner. You can add volume or thickness. Which one is better, is up to you. If you style hair to add volume, the best shampoo for fine hair is one that thickens. If you don’t do much styling, amp up volume with your shampoo and conditioner.
To boost volume, check out Rene Furterer Volumea Volumizing Shampoo
, a two-time winner of InStyle’s Best Beauty Buys. Avalon Organics Rosemary Volumizing Shampoo
is a natural, option. For colored hair try, Big Sexy Sulfate-Free Volumizing Shampoo
.
To add thickness, Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo plumps up hair, contains panthenol, and is color-safe, all with a delightful scent.
8. The Best Conditioner for Fine Hair
Conditioner can weigh down fine hair but don’t skip it, especially color, style with heat, or get dry hair. To balance volume and conditioning, only apply conditioner below the ears. An easy trick is reverse the usual order, conditioning before you shampoo.
Look for something formulated for your hair type like John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Conditioner for Fine Hair
is boosts thickness and volume. Pair it with the shampoo
for even more impact. To protect and extend the life of colored hair, try Pureology Hydrate Light Conditioner
.
Or substitute a leave-in conditioner applied just the ends. Again, look for a lightweight formula like Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner for “weightless moisture”. Wait until hair is 50% dry to add in leave-in conditioner or frizz reducer to keep product from weighing hair down.
9. How to Style Fine Hair
When using products, avoid the roots. Just like conditioner, applying serums or creams to the roots will leave hair limp and flat when what you want is volume! A few products that will pump up your volume are Root pump, mousse and thickening spray are all good choices. Unite Boosta Spray
and KMS Add Volume Volumizing Spray
also provide heat protection and can be used with a blow dryer or styling tools. If you like a mousse, Alterna Volumizing Whipped Mousse
transforms flat lifeless hair.
10. Round Brush
The easiest way to add body to fine hair is with a round brush while blow-drying. The technique takes a bit of practice but is so worth it. Start using the round brush when hair is about 70% dry to get all the volume with less work. For fine hair, steer clear of metal round brushes that heat up too fast and can damage hair. Instead use one with a mix of nylon and boar bristles
.
