Struggling with fine or thin hair that looks limp or flat? Sometimes the answer to your fine hair challenges is closer and easier than you think! Fine hair can look just as beautiful as any other type of hair, you just need a great hairdresser, shake up your hairstyle a bit, some excellent products and a good hair routine! How easy is that?

Go from whispy to sassy by eliminating these 6 fine hair no-nos from your life!

Firstly, you need to find out what the reasons for limp hair might be. A great hairdresser will help you understand the reason for your fine hair challenges.

  • Sometimes people mistake fine hair with thinning hair. Hair texture and density may change after pregnancy or for other health-related reasons.
  • Fine hair is characterised by hair strands that are very “thin” and the limpness is because the internal structures don’t support a lot of bodies.
  • People with fine hair can actually have a lot of it. The weight of the fine hair can pose an extra challenge because of the amount of hair (in density or length).
  • Is the hair really “fine hair” or is the client using the wrong shampoo, conditioner or styling products for the hair type?

1. Not having the right shape and design cut into the hair and not having the hair cut regularly.

All hair can look stringy if the wrong haircutting techniques are used.

The first place a person with fine hair should invest is in a great hair cut – some fine hair will need a strong shape and a blunt finish to the ends. This type of haircut is best used when someone has light, fine or wispy hair.

Heavy fine hair (when you have a lot of fine hair) requires a strong shape but will definitely need some weight taken out, and strong texturising to ensure you get lift and volume in the style.

This is where a lot of hairdressers go wrong.

Master cutters create shape and texture in a structured approach to the hair design for fine hair that maintains body and adds movement. Women with thin or fine hair actually often have a lot of hair, but the length is too long which makes hair look flat at the root.

Try: Different hairdressers if your present style feels wrong – seek out someone with fine hair experience. Try stalking some Instagram accounts. Consider trying a shorter style. Keep to the schedule recommended by your stylist – regular haircuts keep your hair looking great and always in its style.

2. Going for bleach blonde highlights

Many women with fine hair make the mistake of continuously getting bleach blonde highlights or getting an overall head of bleach. Bleach will weaken the fine hair strands and make the hair look finer and thinner.

Try: Booking a colour consultation with your hairstylist to look at making some changes to restore hair health. Just remember even if you go from blonde to brunette, your hair is still “blonde” underneath and should be treated with care.

3. Not washing hair regularly

Some people need to wash their hair daily, others can wash their hair every 5 days without it looking limp and unclean. Understand how many days is the maximum your hair can go without it being washed. At the point your scalp is greasy – that’s one day too long.

Try: Experiment to find the number of days you can go without washing and get into a regular routine.

4. Not washing your hair with the correct shampoo and conditioner.

Supermarket brand products that are high in silicones and petrochemicals can weigh the hair down, don’t wash out easily and build up over time. They can make the hair look limp and drab even if it is freshly washed.

Professional haircare available at hair salons often carries specific products that cater to fine hair.

Try: Take the recommendations of your hairstylist to try professional brands like Wella, Oribe or R+Co.

Add the appropriate Wella products:  https://www.systemprofessional.com/en-GB/products/volumize

If you’re looking for a little luxury then try the Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner for Magnificent Volume – apart from being sulphate and paraben-free, colour and keratin safe and having UV protectants, it contains ingredients that plump the hair shaft, is a weightless formulation and helps strengthen the hair.

5. Letting the hair dry naturally.

Nearly all hairstyles look better when they are blow-dried. If you’re used to letting your hair dry naturally, the weight of the moisture weighs the hair down at the root. As it dries, the hair is prevented from achieving any sort of lift and body.
Same goes for tying hair back when it is wet – this not only flattens the hair at the root but also has the effect of weakening an already fine hair strand.

Try: Creating a routine to allow time for blowdrying. Even if you are time-poor, taking most of the moisture out of your hair will give it more body.

6.Using styling products that are too heavy for fine and thin hair.

Using products that add weight to the hair when it’s not required will create limpness. For example, if you have straight hair tending towards dry, you may think that using a rich moisture-based treatment product will help with the dryness, but it just weighs the hair down. Instead, look for product combinations that provide body and that treat the dryness without adding weight.

Always comb through your styling product before a blow-dry.

Try Oribe Foundation Spray which is a light moisturising treatment applied to towel-dried hair and follow up with Oribe Grandiose Mousse to blow dry it.

My go-to fine hair styling products are from Oribe and R+Co:

  • R+Co Rockaway Sea Salt Spray to blow dry into short hair because it creates strong lift, and hold. I also LOVE R+Co Badlands – once the hair is dry I use it to increase the hold, texture, and style.
  • For longer hair, I use Oribe Grandiose Hair Pumping Mousse in the blow dry because it creates support and fullness and body.
  • I like to finish with the R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo to ensure the body and movement will last all day.

7. Not protecting fine hair when heat styling

Heat styling tools like irons and tongs apply an intense amount of heat to the hair shaft. Not using heat protectants can cause hair to look thin, whispy and brittle. Using heat styling tools will erode the health of the fine hair over time and will actually thin the hair strand out further.

Heat protectants shield hair from thermal damage and are an essential part of your hair care routine.

Try: Oribe Balm d’Or Heat Styling Shield applied to damp hair and blow-dry it in.

So, as you can see, a lot of the best tips are actually really doable to make your fine hair look fuller: finding a hair cutter experienced in fine hair, choosing a shorter hairstyle more suited to fine hair, washing your hair more frequently with professional products especially formulated for fine hair and using appropriate styling products.