*Be sure to check out the update from 8/2016 at the bottom of the post for the latest product recommendations!*

Just because you were blessed with fine hair doesn’t mean that you have to settle for flat, stringy hair on a daily basis. The following are some fun facts, tips and tricks and a how-to guide to help make fine hair look thicker. 

Fine hair can be a blessing and a curse. On the upside, it’s usually smooth, soft and shiny and quick to dry. On the downside it’s difficult to hold curl, easily tangles, is flat and greasy and is typically not on your “best features” list if you have it. Just remember, the grass is always greener. Those lucky folks with luscious locks have their own set of issues to deal with.

A Few Facts About Fine Hair

• Fine hair is common among Scandinavian decent.
• It tangles the most out of any type of hair, as the cuticle is more open than others.
• Bleached, fine hair opens the cuticle even more than it already is so it will tangle even more.
• Hair strand diameter is what makes hair fine or thick. It can range from 20 to 40 micrometers thick.
• Fine hair can be beautiful hair!

Fine Hair is Not Thin Hair

I will be the first to correct someone when someone says I have thin hair. Fine hair is not thin hair! Fine hair means you’re strands have a smaller diameter, not less follicles. There, it’s settled. 

Celebrities with Fine Hair

And just for a confidence boost, these gorgeous ladies all have varying degrees of fine hair.

• Cameron Diaz
• Jessica Biel
• Katherine Heigl
• Keira Knightley
• Gwyneth Paltrow

Make Fine Hair Look Thicker

Become a Virgin

Consider growing out your color to opt for virgin hair. Once I began to grow out my processed hair, I all of a sudden began to love my hair. There’s no better time than now to start going natural; after all, ombre is in. 

The healthier your hair, the better your fine hair will look. Chemicals open the hair shaft to deposit or bleach color out, in turn damaging your hair. Your fine hair will appear thicker the healthier it is. Plus you lose hair when coloring, only adding to your small pony problem.  

Disclosure: Some of the following links are affiliate links. The price will be the same for you and I’ll receive a small commission that helps support my blog. Don’t worry though, I’d never promote something I wouldn’t purchase myself. 

Wash With a Great Shampoo & Conditioner

 I have used so many different shampoos and conditioners ranging from cheap to pretty darn expensive. My family would joke that my bathroom had more products than Target. Now, I am pleased to say I have found what I was looking for: Theorie Grapefruit Revitalizing Shampoo and Theorie Grapefruit Revitalizing Conditioner.

It’s a little pricey but is perfectly compatible with my fine hair. As a giant plus, it is a more natural choice than most. It is sodium, chloride, sulfate, phosphate and paraben free and has no propyelene glycol, petroleum or mineral oils. Plus it contains real botanical compounds and fruit extracts, Vitamins C and E and wheat proteins. I will never attempt to replace this product. It’s that good!

Reduce Water Temperature

Your fine hair is like silk. Treat it like your delicate garments, hand wash and avoid heat (as much as possible). Hot water opens the hair shaft and makes it more susceptible to damage when combing. Try to wash and rinse with lukewarm water and if you can stand it, do a cold water shock to your hair before getting out. 

Brush with the Tangle Teezer

My girlfriend with beautiful, fine blonde hair gave me this brush as a random gift one day. Thank you Giselle! It breezes through even the toughest tangles, wet or dry. No wincing for you, no damage for your delicate silk-like strands. If you have fine hair you need the Tangle Teezer Hair Brush. *Be sure to see the updates below!*

Towel Dry First

After you comb out your wet hair, wrap it up in a towel for at least 5-10 minutes. Get most of the moisture out of your hair before blow-drying. This reduces damage to your hair by limiting time under the blow-dryer. Plus, the more time your strands spend pulled away from your scalp the more volume you will create. 

Products Before Blow-drying

Mousse 

Much like my shower used to be, underneath the sink still looks like an aisle in the beauty supply. What can I say, I’m a product junkie. So what I’ve learned is that more isn’t always better. I’ve tried all kinds of (expensive) volumizing gels, mousses, serums and foams but to tell you the truth, I really like TRESemme 24 Hour Body Foaming Mousse.

Shake, shake, shake, dip your head upside down then apply a baseball-sized amount to your roots only. 

Texturizer

When I discovered this product I was over the moon excited! The brand is Bumble and Bumble and it’s called Surf Foam Spray. This BY FAR is my absolute favorite product. If I could choose only one product, it’d be this one! Just a few spritzes creates the perfect amount of texture after drying. And if I’m in the mood to create big volume with teasing, it creates the perfect base. Not sticky, not crunchy, just perfect lifted hair from the roots.

Seal Your Ends

Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends is irreplaceable. A pea sized amount applied only to the bottom 2 inches of hair helps to fill those whispy ends and smooth your split ends to make the ends of your hair look fuller. I have never come across another product like this one. Yes, it’s a bit on the pricey side but 1 tube lasts around 9 months.

Blow-dry

Yes, air-drying will save your strands from heat damage, but you need the blow-dryer if you want volume! That’s why we should limit heat in other areas to save for this one. In my mind, there is no substitute for skipping this step. You cannot appear to have your fine hair look thicker without blow-drying. 

Put your head upside down and aim for the roots. Once the roots are mostly dry, stand up and brush straight with Tangle Teezer while applying heated air.

Products After Blow-drying

Dry Shampoo to Texturize

Before dry shampoo came on the market, I was making it at home. In junior high I would make a salt and water solution to spray on my roots to soak up the oil. I then moved on to baby powder (I had bleached blonde hair at the time). How elated was I to see the new trend emerging of dry shampoo! Awesome, awesome, awesome. I’m fond of many dry shampoos, this one included: Batiste Dry Shampoo. **** See the updates section for my latest discovery…tinted dry shampoo (for dark hair)!****

Don’t expect dry shampoo to give the same results as washing. It should be used to zap any excess oil throughout the day and as a texturizer right after blow-drying.

After blow-drying, part your hair in cross-sections and spritz just a bit only on your roots.

Powder to Texturize

Sexy Hair Big Sexy Hair Powder Play Volumizing and Texturizing Powder. This stuff changed my life. Powerful I know, but nonetheless true. Fine hair needs texture and this powder provides it. If you have fine hair, there is no reason why you should not have this product.

My second favorite in line is Schwarzkopf OSiS Dust It, if you want an alternate to the first. Does the same thing but is a bit stickier than the above.

How to Use Powders to Make Fine Hair Look Thicker 

• Take a U-shaped section of hair on your crown, hold hair straight up in the air and sprinkle a dab on roots only. 
• Keeping section of hair fully upright, tease hair just a bit at the roots with the Spornette Little Wonder TeasingBrush.
• Take a few more cross-sections of hair, sprinkle powder on roots and lightly run your teasing brush along the root of the suspended hair.
• Dip head upside down and rub fingers all over scalp to mix in the goodness and texturize all roots.
• Pay attention to massaging the powder down to around your hairline area to give just a touch of texture there.
• Comb out with your Tangle Teezer.
• Ckeck out the new update below for more great products!

Finishing Touches

• Curl ends to smooth and give a bit of body.
• Style into an easy up-do, pin a section back or wear parted to the side.
• Pony it up the second day
  • If you plan to do a pony, tease a ton, then brush it out. You’ll love your new full head of hair look even in a pony tail.

Depending on my schedule, I will wash and do this routine every other day. 

Update 8/2016!

As always, I try new hair products to add to my crazy collection. I wanted to share a favorite I discovered fairly recently that I will NOT LIVE WITHOUT ANYMORE!

• Blowpro Dry Texture Spray is currently my best friend. Lately, I’m finding myself so busy that my regular routine explained above isn’t happening. Therefore, I need volume and texture in the morning quick style! I spray this amazing stuff all over my roots prior to putting it up in a pony and voila! You can’t see my roots when it’s pulled back and it looks like it’s been blow dried. If I do blow dry, I use it as a texturizer to the roots prior to a small tease. Best of all, it’s the BEST “hairspray” to hold my curls. Typically, I spiral my long hair and need a bit of hairspray to hold them. This is the best way to do that without making it crunchy or sticky. Just a bit holds them all night! And they don’t look “sprayed”. Trust me, you NEED this product. It’s changed my life!

• I have some Blowpro Body By Blow No Crunch Volumizing Mousse in my Amazon cart and will let you know how I like it! Hoping it will be a winner like it’s cousin above! 
• I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Wet Brush, well this is it’s better big sister. Meet the Wet Brush Shine. It has boar hair in the bristles so it doesn’t pull hair at all when combing. 1000% better than the original Wet Brush… oh, I’m so glad we met! Wet or dry, its a winner. 
  
• This is also in my cart as we speak, it’s TINTED dry shampoo! Since I grew my hair out, dry shampoo tends to leave white splochies on my dark locks. SO excited to try Klorane dry shampoo natural tint for bunettes!
  
• (Yes, I shop a lot!) This will also be under my sink in just a few days (gotta love Amazon). My hairdresser used this on my hair last time I saw her and I LOVED it. I loved the smell and the way it held my curls without feeling like hairspray. It’s a super light mist called Paul Mitchell super clean flexible style finishing spray.
  
   I hope I have given new hope to those beautiful ladies out there who want their fine hair to look thicker!

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