By Jenteel
From Monisola…
Hello!
I adore your blog! I just discovered it three days ago. I recently made the decision to grow my mini fro (like 3 inches 4b) into a joyously full Afro! I have a question: how can I tell whether my hair is fine or not? Last, should I moisturize my hair more or less because it is fine, should I deep condition more/less? What general accommodations should be made because i may have fine hair? (I seem to notice that I only need to moisturize every other day because everyday leaves my hair wet all day long). How much moisture is enough? How do I know when to stop?
Thanks!
~Monisola
…and from Tiffany
Hello BGLH!
My name is Tiffany and I recently fell in love with your blog. ITS GREAT!! Loves it. Time is most likely of the essence for you so I will be brief. My hair is 60% 4a and 40% 3c and fine in texture. I see various women with beautiful hairstyles, my favorite has to be the twist/braid outs and I try to achieve the looks but my interpretation of them never mirror the pictures posted. I’m thinking it has something to do with my hair being fine. Do you know of any hairstyles that work well with fine, 4 inch hair? Thank you so much for your time.
~Tiffany
Misconceptions About Natural Hair and Thickness
I think that there is a misconception that all naturals have thick hair. When you think of a natural, the image that comes to mind is of the all encompassing AFRO. But there are some natural girls out there with fine hair, thin hair or a combination of both. Fine hair describes the actual diameter (size) of the hair strand, while thin hair describes the number of strands per square inch. So it is quite possible for your hair to be fine in diameter and coarse in texture. Weather can also affect the width of hair. Fine hair is the hair type most easily damaged by the use of heat and chemical processes. Here are some haircare and styling modifications that can be made in the case of fine/thin hair.
Products for Fine Hair
In caring for fine hair, it is more about the type of product used. You don’t necessarily need to condition more or less because of thin/fine hair, just be sure to concentrate product on the ends. This is so that you don’t weigh down the roots, thereby decreasing your hair’s volume. It is easier for your scalp’s natural oils to reach the first few inches of hair making conditioner more useful on the ends of the hair. Heavy products are a big no-no on this hair type because they weigh the hair down. Stay away from butters, gels and pomades. If you can’t part with your precious butters, use only a little on damp hair. Use light styling aids like natural spritzes, and water-based styling aids. As far as moisturizers, look for yummy ingredients like herbs and nutrient rich oils.
I always say if your hair is thirsty, feed it! So in regards to how often to moisturize your hair, feed it good things when it’s hungry! If your hair looks and feels greasy, you know you’ve overdone it! I find it easier to moisturize on damp hair because it penetrates better. This way I have a better idea of when enough is enough. I like my hair to feel smooth and moist. The product should sit in your hair and not your hands. Most importantly, pay more attention to moisturizing the last few inches of your strands. Again, avoid coating the roots. As many naturals will tell you, it is about trial and error. You have to learn what your hair likes because no two heads are alike. In contrast to thick haired naturals, fine/thin haired naturals might actually may find that they need to moisturize less as this hair type can retain water and product longer (as Monisola experienced).
Styling Fine Hair
In the past, we’ve briefly discussed styling fine hair. Naturals with fine hair tend to be wary of twists, braids and cornrows because they feel these styles look too “scalpy”. However, this shouldn’t limit your styling options! Naturals with fine/thin hair can still be stylish! Instead of twisting/braiding the whole head, just do a small section and let the rest be free! Look for styles that add volume to the hair, in particular “out” styles – braid outs and twist outs. Just make your parts bigger so the resulting “out” doesn’t still hold “marks” of the parts used to create the style. Of course the fro works great for fine/thin hair! To make it look thicker, you can braid or twist it first for a day or two before. When taking it out, fluff it out with your fingers. If some shine is needed, add a light oil like coconut to your fingers while fluffing. Updos are also a wonderful option for fine haired naturals – this way you can maneuver most of the volume to the top! And for those of you out there doing this: Stop comparing your hair and its abilities to the next girl! Celebrate and enjoy your hair for what it can do instead of cursing it for what it can’t! :)
Next Page: How to Make Fine Hair Thicker
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wow this article is so on point! i have thin natural hair and i do all of the things you mentioned with great results. i use to hate my permed hair because my hair had no life…. now it rocks! it's not super thick but i consider that a blessing in disguise. twisting my hair every night is not a burden. also, i allow my hair to have some shrinkage to give the appearance of some volume. after i do a twist or braid-out. i wet my fingers and massage my scalp at the root so that the tips of my hair remain in the more defined curl pattern.
Okay, I have fine hair. And I don't think I'll ever be able to do a big afro.
When I try, my hair just flops down.
I am SOOOO with you…I read about some that say they have thin hair and now it is thick????….ummmm I know for me that is uterally impossible…my hair is soft, thin and a little fine…the shrinkage is not as bad now that it has grown….but I still have fullness…the article helped alot and I will try some new thing to help with fullness…
I use whole egg treatment once a month to make my hair thick. I like it thick because I think that it’s stronger and it has more body.
@ sewdope… actually, scratch what i said. you're right. my hair only stands up when i get MAD shrinkage. if i ever try an afro, it will be small. i don't think i'll ever get a big a$$ afro
:( sadness
yeh I can’t wear a big afro either…floppy mcgee over here..lol. i still love my version of an afro though!
If any of you have favorite products for fine hair I'd LOVE to hear them. All of the leave-ins and butters I hear everyone fawning over are too heavy for me and leave my hair greasy. :(
I'm with sewdope, to get more volume I let my hair shrink up and the fluff it out. It's a less defined wash and go, but it DOES make my hair look insanely thick
ITA. Although my strands are fine, when my hair shrinks up it looks so much thicker. I find that allowing my hair to dry in an afro puff or just out (like a wash and go) makes it look fuller as opposed to allowing my hair to dry while in twists or braids. Once my hair dries or is almost dry, I use an afro pick on my roots only to help fluff out my hair for some added volume. As for products, ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing lotion and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie appear to add volume to my hair when I use them as leave-ins. Additionally, I have recently being using biotene shampoo which claims to thicken your hair. It is too soon for me to determine how effective the shampoo is just yet, but my hair definitely feels thicker during the shampoo process and immediately afterwards.
Forgot to add that I have been taking MSM pills and they seem to be helping as well.
Hi Bridget what are MSM pills?
This might help:http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-522-MSM%20(METHYLSULFONYLMETHANE).aspx?activeIngredientId=522&activeIngredientName=MSM%20(METHYLSULFONYLMETHANE)
As fine haired natural – I find that my hair hates most butters but loves water based leave in conditioners. First ingredient on the label MUST be water.
I find that diluting regular products with water works well for my hair. I dikute my conditioner with water in a spray bottle for a nice leave in. I also make a leave in with Shea Moisture products. Check my blog for more details!
I like to use water to thin conditioners out my favorite right now us giovanni direct leave in. All vegitaran. no bad stuff.
this makes sense, i was wondering if my strands were fine, and also why my twist outs looked a little scalpy even tho my hair is thick & coarse..thanx for the info!
you're very welcome!
oh woops… but yes J, my hair has gotten THICKER over time because of castor oil, cassia and MSM sulphur.
What is MSM sulphur?
I have longish (bra-strap), fine hair and I've managed to get a big-ish fro. Here's my method.
I do two-strand twists and then bantu-knot them. I lightly dampen my hair first. This is important because I noticed this doesn't work on my hair if it's too wet. So, lightly dampen just to make it easier to comb. Then I apply a very small amount of leave-in conditioner or shea butter and a very small amount of aloe vera gell. When I take them down in the morning. When I get close to the ends of my twists, I like to apply some sort of sealant. Bantu knot the twists and sleep. I do between 8 or 12 twist-knots depending on how curly I want my fro to be. In the morning, I take the knots out and separate each section of the twist into two parts. I end up with a very pretty, curly fro. Depending on the style I want, I may repeat this the next night. If I want a really big fro, I just sleep in a satin cap and then spritz in the morning and fluff. Works for me. May work for someone else.
I think it's just a matter of playing around and finding what works for you. Doing 5 or 6 big braids using the same products adn then putting them on rollers also gives me a nice result.
I preform this hairstyle regiman every now and then and the results are beautiful, my hair look full and vibrant with curls galore. Finally someone that use bantu knots method to create the curly fro.
I recently tried a bantu knot out and it is probably my favorite style so far. I have such thin hair and when I do the twists my hair ALWAYS looks so thin so I can never wear them I have to wear a twist out. I don’t have a problem with shea butter because my hair is dry so the more the better. That mixed with water and tea tree oil is my go to sealant. Also, I’ve been using castor oil in everything for the past few months and it has definitely thickened up my hair. My new growth and my edges are looking so good.
This is a really nice blog entry. Thanks for the knowledge :)
Yea, i have fine hair and i was able to get a nice curly fro. It is actually very similar to the above person. on dry hair i spritz with my conditioner and water, do two strand twists then bantu knot them. When they are dry the next day i take them out and boom! curly afro!
(though maybe it depends on the length as well.)
I also noticed after stop taking biotin and some hair vitamins with MSM, my hair is no longer growing thick as it was before.
i think the updo tip is a nice one (as a thick and dense nappy, who can very rarely fit her hair into a hair band or clip without much pain). i assume finer hair has the advantage on manoeverability.
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
Nice Blog. Congrats.
{ Treasurer-T & S }
I have thin/fine hair and until I gain more length, chunky fros will have to do. I use shea butter melted down with oils but what I find works better is shea butter lotion from komaza care. It's light and moisturizing and allows my fine hair to gain volume without a greasy feel. Quite pricy for a bottle but work with it!
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