Tips for Fine Hair That You’ll Want to Try

During college my hair was thin instead of thick as it is now. I know that sounds hard to believe but it changed in texture after one drastic haircut. You probably are thinking what happened to my hair was coincidence, but what I had was not a trim but a very short, layered cut that chopped off most of my thin, shoulder-length hair. Maybe this fine hair rescue is an old wive’s tale, but I credit it for this texture change because it was not just some temporary styling illusion from how it strengthened my hair as you might assume. Though you may be skeptical and wouldn’t dream of going that far, I also want to pass along some other fine hair rescue tips that can help improve the look of your hair.

Genetics play a part in the type of hair you have, but hair products can also be factors in making more problems for fine, thin hair. Overdoing hair oils and serums to heavy conditioners can weigh hair down to make it limp.

To begin, another of these tips for a fine hair rescue definitely worth trying is changing your shampoo and conditioning habits. Instead of following with a lighter daily conditioner, try conditioning first before shampooing. If your hair knots easily, then massage the conditioner in gently to work it into the scalp. Plan to leave the conditioner in for a minute or two or several minutes longer depending on how needy the strands are before rinsing out. You’ll have fewer problems with tangled hair if you don’t rub too vigorously.

Using this reverse order method for shampooing and conditioning will help prevent that flatness that you may notice after using a hair conditioner. At the same time, it also will end your static hair issues. I dare you not to see improvement after this fine hair rescue.

What else that is extremely important as a fine hair rescue is getting rid of an accumulated hair product overload that may be weighing the hair down. Aim to use a clarifying shampoo at least once a week can make a big difference for giving fine hair more volume. In fact, you can just add a tablespoon of baking soda to a few tablespoons of your normal shampoo to make your own clarifying shampoo.

How heavily you rely on finishing products also might need to be reconsidered. Heavy hair sprays can often weigh fine hair down and do the opposite of the look that you’re going for. If you need to use hair spray, then stick with a lightweight formula enriched with botanicals and vitamins giving flexible hold instead of a hard lacquered one. You also might find it helpful to try my DIY lemon hair spray recipe for providing hold without making the hair limp.

By the same token, any silicone-based hair products like pomades and texture creams can weigh fine hair down. Some examples of how to spot silicones are looking for names like this: cyclomethicone, dimethicone, cetearyl methicone, amodimethicone, dimethiconol, dimethicone, cyclomethicone or cyclopentasiloxane, stearyl dimethicon, etc. You want to switch to a hair product like mousse, which is a more lightweight styling option as an alternative fine hair rescue and another of these tips. Of course, you also might need extra hold for something like the bang area. If so, you could try a water-soluble hair gel or wax, which can often remedy a problem. Use about a nickle amount of hair gel and about a pea-size amount of wax are all needed for styling fine hair. Yet, some formulas also add ingredients such as castor oil or another heavy oil so be aware of those ingredients.

Something else that you may not be aware of that can affect hair is what type of water that you have. Many of us have hard water, which also has plenty of minerals such as calcium and magnesium among others that can make complicate matters for fine hair such as dryness and buildup from the minerals, add to frizziness to helping fade hair color more quickly.

A fine hair rescue for hard water is using a vinegar rinse after shampooing and that weekly clarifying shampoo to gain more volume.  Another suggestion if you wash your hair in the shower is changing your shower head for a new shower filter that is better equipped to remove the lime and other minerals in your water. Investing in a water softener is the only permanent way to keep hair healthier since it keeps the hair pH levels balanced.

Living with fine hair is one thing. But being happy with it is another. However, I do hope that you take these hair care tips to heart because they can help deliver the fine hair rescue you never thought possible.