Fashion
8 Thin Hair Mistakes You’re Making
Sorry, thin-haired friends, you may never be able to add any more height or density to your uber-fine strands (though there are always extensions), but you can learn how to make the most of what you've got. It doesn't have to be all flatness and lank ends. Here are the common mistakes you're making on the daily:
Thinking Your Hair Is Always Going To Be Flat
Sally Hershberger NYC salon stylist Travis Speck says this is a complaint he hears from fine-haired girls all the time. “They say that their hair is flat and limp with no body,” he says. But it doesn’t have to be this way: “I tell them to use a thickening spray or a root lifting spray to tackle this,” he explains.
Sally Hershberger Hair Plump Up Collagen Thickening Mist, $12, Check It Out
Sally Hershberger 24K Root Envy Ultimate Root Boost, $32, Check It Out
Using Too Much Product
Unfortunately, with fine hair you have to choose your products wisely. “Using too much product just weighs your hair down,” says hairstylist Sunnie Brook. “Also, applying conditioner to all of your hair instead of just at the ends is a huge mistake.” Concentrate any product to your hair tips — not your roots — to avoid adding extra weight.
Revivogen PRO Thickening Conditioner, $22, Amazon
Blow Drying Flat To Your Head
Thin hair: It’s all about the lift. “An easy solution for the flatness of fine hair is to blow dry your roots away from your scalp,” says Speck. Grab a round brush and lift your roots up and out from your head while blow-drying for extra height.
Harry Josh Pro 2000 Hair Dryer, $309, Amazon
Harry Josh Pro Round Brush, $59.99, Amazon
Not Knowing How To Combat The Limp When It Does Happen
Dig out your old-school crimper: It’s time to use it again. “I like to use a tiny crimper on the underneath layers of fine hair near the scalp," says Brook. “It makes the hair expand on top of itself instead of laying flat and gives the illusion of thicker hair.
Hot Tools Micro Crimper, $28.99, Amazon
Using A Curling Iron
Not that there’s anything wrong with a curling iron, but the trick for fine hair girls is to get on the roller train. “I like to use hot rollers for my clients," says Speck. He backcombs the hair from the roots and then adds in the rollers for large, voluminous curls that give the illusion of thickness.
T3 Voluminous Hot Rollers, $99, Amazon
Letting Your Hair Grow Too Long
Sad, but true: Most fine hair girls will never enjoy long hair, because their ends tend to look ratty the longer it gets. “I encourage fine-hair types to get a haircut that is at their shoulders or shorter so that the hair will maintain a good bounce and shape,” says Brook.
Letting Your Fly-Aways Take Over
There is a solution! “You tend to see a lot of breakage along the hairline with fine hair because the texture is more fragile,” says Brook. “I love using clear mascara to tame these areas — it really helps and doesn’t use a ton of product weighing your hair down.”
Maybelline New York Clear Mascara, $4.49, Amazon
Not Dealing With Product Buildup
Even when you don’t saturate your hair with product, shampoo, conditioner, and the elements can accumulate on your scalp, weighing it down. “A healthy scalp leads to healthy hair,” says Brook. “Use a clarifying shampoo regularly to keep your hair healthy and free from buildup.”
