Having fine hair and curls can be both a blessing and a curse. Luckily, if you have fine hair that happens to be curly, too, it naturally adds more volume to your style without having to pick up a heat tool. Unfortunately, however, many products that will help you achieve your best curl are made and marketed towards those with coarser, denser hair. Finding balance between the two, while difficult, is possible and here are a few tips on how to have your best fine, curly hair.
1. Become obsessed with reading labels.
- Stay away from products marketed as butters, milks, and lotions
- Instead, style with a light hold gel
Nothing will ruin your fine hair style faster than heavy products. This includes the conditioner that you think you are rinsing completely out in the shower. Many times these products, when purchased specifically for curly hair, are made with oils that will remain on your hair to nourish even outside of the shower, although that can mean stringy, greasy looking strands for your fine hair. Becoming an obsessive label reader will help tip you off to when a product seems like it may weigh your hair down. There are clear red flags, too. Products marketed as a butter, a milk, or a lotion generally pack a moisture punch that, for many curlies, is necessary. But it can leave you feeling limp if you have fine hair. In many cases, you may only need to leave in a small amount of your in shower, rinse it out, and top off with a serum, such as Curl Keeper or Jessicurl Rockin Ringlets, to control frizz. If your fine curls are still unwieldy after this, adding a gel to your routine can hold your curls without weighing them down.
2. Add a protein in your regimen.
- Shampoo after using a protein mask for the benefits without the weight
- A sulfate-free shampoo is the perfect balance between moisturizing and build-up removal abilities
Remember to add protein to your fragile locks. While adding a protein can be scary when dealing with delicate hair it can be exactly what your hair needs. Adding in a protein will strengthen your hair and reduce the amount of breakage that you experience, which is very important to keeping your hair looking full and healthy. You can find many deep conditioners that contain proteins that are able to add in moisture if you feel that the conditioner may weigh your hair down. Also, you can always shampoo after using the mask in order to get the protein benefits without the weight of the moisturizers.
Fine hair can many times be prone to looking dull and lifeless, if this is the case you may have your cleanser to blame. For fine hair a lot of times co-washing simply isn’t enough to give it the clean that it needs, but regular shampoos are much too harsh and can cause tangles which lead to breakage. For fine hair, a sulfate-free shampoo is a perfect balance between the moisture for detangling you need and the ability to remove build-up from curls to enhance their shine and bring back bounce.
3. The way you dry your hair matters.
- Minimize frizz with prong clips
- Use a diffuser instead of a blow dryer
To add volume to your curls, remember clips can add as much as diffusing your hair. Fine hair tends to want to sit closely to the scalp, which can cause you hair to become greasy and can make your curls look run down. Using a blow dryer on your fine hair can cause unwanted frizz, so next time reach for two prong clips during your hair drying time can give you the lift your curls need without frizz or damage. There are many different looks they can help you go for.
While having fine curly hair can be a daunting thought, caring for it and styling it doesn’t have to be. How do you combat the weighed down look on your fine hair?
