The majority of us are aware of our hair kinds. We can very readily discern whether our hair is thin and fine, thick and coarse, or somewhere in the middle after years of styling and caring for it, right?
Wrong. That’s because hair thickness and density play a role in determining whether you have thin or thick hair. Although many people confuse the terms thickness and density, they are two distinct metrics that combined establish your hair type, including how it behaves, what it requires, and how to style it for the best results. What does all of this imply? It means you could have coarse and thin hair as well as fine and thick hair. To put it another way, everything you thought you understood about hair could be completely inaccurate.
The diameter of your individual hair strands is referred to as hair thickness. If you’re wondering how to tell the difference between fine and coarse hair, there is a clear, measurable difference. Hair with a small diameter, also known as fine hair, has a diameter of roughly 50 microns. Larger-diameter hair, often known as coarse hair, has a diameter of roughly 120 microns. A piece of copy paper is 70 microns thick for comparison. Fine hair is almost half the thickness of copy paper. Coarse hair is about twice the thickness of copy paper. The amount of hair on your head, on the other hand, is referred to as hair density. Hair density, like hair thickness, varies dramatically from person to person. A person with thin hair may have 80,000 fibres on their head, while someone with thick hair may have 150,000 fibres.
The more fibres there are, the more interaction there is between them. To put it another way, dense hair appears and feels fuller than thin hair. People frequently mix the diameter of each fibre with density and call it “thin hair”. This is more properly referred to as “fine hair”. Hair thickness and density aren’t always correlated, which is why hair can be coarse and thin at the same time, and the thick vs. thin debate is often misunderstood.
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How to determine hair thickness
Feeling and looking at your hair is the best approach to measure its thickness. It will feel dry and scratchy to the touch if it is coarse. Because hair is mainly protein, coarse hair contains much more protein, resulting in stiffer hair.
What if you think your hair is fine or medium in texture? Looking at a strand that has come out in your hairbrush and holding it between your fingers is an easy method to figure out what sort of hair you have. You definitely have fine hair if you can barely feel it. You probably have medium hair thickness if your strands are neither light nor harsh. If you have fine hair, a cut with lots of layers may not be your best look. Avoid cutting layers into fine hair because this will decrease the volume even more. Blunt haircuts create smooth lines and the illusion of thickness for fine hair. People with low-density hair should think about length as well. It’s best not to let your hair fall past your shoulders if you have thin hair. Long haircuts can make thin hair appear even thinner, resulting in a lack of style. You won’t have to worry about your hair looking limp if you have thick hair. Because each fibre in high-density hair has a greater chance of interacting with other fibres nearby, it’s easier to achieve volume. Thick hair can manage layers and length, preventing hair from looking thick and heavy at the mid-length and ends.
How to take care of thin hair
- Shampoo your hair once a week with a volumizing shampoo. Showering is the most crucial step in styling fine hair. Avoid sulphates, which are detergents found in many shampoos and can weaken hair follicles over time, causing breakage and the appearance of thinning. Using a volumizing shampoo can help plump up the roots and replenish weakened strands with nutrients.
- Do not over shampoo. Over-shampooing should be avoided. Most people with fine hair feel compelled to wash their hair every day since it becomes greasy after one day. Fine hair, on the other hand, only requires two or three shampooings every week. Over washing can cause excessive oil production, resulting in flat, lifeless hair. Natural oils produced by little shampooing add volume and manageability to the hair. Dry shampoo is a great way to get rid of excess oil on second-day hair. Remember to wash it out after one to three uses, or the build-up might irritate the scalp and dry out thin hairs, resulting in breakage.
- Apply conditioner sparingly. Conditioner may seem counterintuitive for fine hair, but stylists say it can help, especially when used in conjunction with a volumizing shampoo. These shampoos are often highly drying, causing the scalp to produce excessive amounts of oil. A moisturising conditioner will assist maintain the balance, preventing the production of excess oils that would clog hair. Conditioner should never be applied to the scalp (just the mids to ends), and heavy molecules and additives should be avoided. A nickel-size drop of conditioner is more than enough unless your hair is extremely long.
- Brush your hair on a regular basis. Fine hair tangles more easily, which can lead to breakage if left alone. Don’t be alarmed if your hair starts to fall out—brushing finer hair stimulates the scalp and encourages growth. Hold the hair closest to the scalp when brushing to gently untangle it. Use a brush with soft or flexible bristles, such as a natural boar bristle brush, rather than one with firm bristles, to help you brush through without putting too much strain on your hair.
- Apply oils to your scalp. Scalp oils can aid in the growth of hair by providing a nourishing environment. Hydrating oils including argan, shea, almond, sunflower, and safflower are commonly used to help hydrate the scalp and build the skin barrier. Another benefit? Rubbing and massaging these oils into the scalp will help to improve circulation and promote hair growth.
- A silk pillowcase is ideal for sleeping. There are numerous advantages to utilising a silk pillowcase, but these advantages are multiplied when dealing with fine hair. “Satin’s gliding is less destructive since it decreases the friction that a cotton pillowcase causes. In the morning, you’ll have fewer frizz, flyaways, and breakage.
- Haircuts and trims should be done on a regular basis. Getting your hair trimmed on a regular basis is the key to making it the strongest—and even the longest—it can be. Because fine hair is more prone to split ends than other hair varieties, it requires more frequent trimming. These will just work their way up the hair shaft, thinning the strand. Because everyone’s hair is different, there isn’t a magic number here, but stylists recommend scheduling another session every six to eight weeks.
- Examine your hair to see if it’s fine or thinning. If you’re discouraged by a lack of hair, the first step toward achieving your hair objectives is to understand the hand you’ve been dealt. Understanding the difference between fine and thinning hair is the first step. The diameter of each individual strand should be smaller than a strand of thread when you have fine hair. Thinning hair, on the other hand, relates to the number of strands per square inch of your scalp, or how much hair you have on your head.
- Air-dry your hair 75 percent. The 75 percent guideline should always be followed when it comes to fine hair. This is when you air-dry your hair until it’s around 75% dry. While being pulled, wet hair is the most susceptible to straining and breaking. After that, blow dry your hair upside down to add volume and form to the roots. This will give you the perfect blown-out look while causing the least amount of harm.
- Because fine hair is so delicate, it is especially prone to breakage, which is why using too much heat when styling it is often discouraged. If you must style your hair, instead of using a curling iron, consider using hair rollers. Based on the diameter of the roller, divide the portion of hair you’re rolling (so if the roller is two inches in diameter, use a two-inch section of hair). Rolling at a 90-degree angle to your head and all the way down to the scalp to secure it is the key to producing volume with rollers.
On the last two notes, it is best if you use a hot air brush to dry the remaining wetness in your hair. Hot air brushes grab every strand of hair and are quick making sure that your is not susceptible to extra heat and damage. Here are our best suggestions for hot air brushes for fine hair that also cause the least damage and quick in drying your hair.
My Best Hot Air Brush For Fine Hair Choices
The babyliss Big Hair styler, which has a spinning movement, is great for adding maximum volume and luster to your hair. The Big Hair styler is simple to use and comes with a revolving styling brush and a 700 W hair drier that lifts and shines your hair for a big volume effect. Professional hairdressers have been using a brush and a hair dryer to create the huge hair appearance for famous clientele for years. With the Big Hair styler, you can easily achieve the same high volume, full body celeb style. For maximum volume, use a rotating styling brush.
The Big Hair styler adds volume to your hair in a unique way for maximum effect. The Big Hair styler re-creates the volumizing process used by hairdressers and is easy to use, combining the drying force of a 700 W hair dryer with a revolving fashionable brush. The multi-directional styling brush rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise, allowing you to swiftly switch directions as you lift and shine your hair from side to side, thanks to two huge buttons on the handle. With a style brush, achieving a full volume look has never been easier.
Product details:
- Features 42 mm ceramic barrel with soft brush bristles for ultimate volume and shine
- Two heats plus a cool setting. For added lift, hold the brush close to the roots for a few seconds. Move the brush through the section, start to rotate the brush away from your head by pressing and holding the appropriate button. Move the brush away from the head in an upwards motion
- Two rotation speeds for total control
- Multi-directional spinning brush
- High-shine ionic conditioning
Are you a working lady or a stay-at-home mom? Are you bothered by your flattened hair and the unkempt hair of your children? Do you want to go to the hair salon but are put off by the huge lines and three to five-hour process? Do you want to use a flat iron straightener but are afraid of scalding your skin and fingers, the scent of burning hair, the intricate tricks, and your children becoming impatient with the flat iron? Yoozoo’s Fusion Hair Styler makes straightening, curling, and shaping your hair as simple as combing it. You can style your hair in as little as 10-20 minutes, compared to an hour or more with other products. It also has a 2.4m swivel cord to ensure easy mobility while styling and to prevent cord tangles and ceramic plates and fast heat-up for professional styling capability. Thanks to the curved frame of the straightener, you can add curls, waves, and movement to styles in addition to straightening which will surely add more volume to a set of fine hair strands.
Product details:
- 4 In 1 Multifunctional Hair Dryer Brush: Hair dryer brush is detachable to accommodate your different styling demand. The hot air brush combo including a 54mm styling hairbrush head for straightening varus and volumizing, a soft smoothing brush head for gently align and smooth hair, a 25mm curly hair heads for volumize and shape fine, flat hair, Pres-styling dryer for takes hair blow dry, ready for styling.
- 2 Speed and 3 Temperature Settings: 3 different temperature and 2 level of wind speed can meet the needs of different times. The hot air brush emits negatively charged ions, allowing smaller water molecules to penetrate the hair shaft to reduce static and damage to hair at high temperatures, leaves your hair shiny and silky smooth, and can be flexibly used for different types of hair and different seasons.
- Ionic Technology and Ceramic Coated: Hot air brush with High performance motor, ceramic coated brush barrel and ion generator, ensure steady distribution of heat and the optimum styling temperature. The hot air brush emits negatively charged ions, allowing smaller water molecules to penetrate the hair shaft to reduce static and damage to hair at high temperatures, leaves your hair shiny and silky smooth.
- Convenient and Portable: One-Buckle button design for easy installation and removal. It’s the perfect travel hair dryer and provides easy storage for those on-the-go and easy home organization. The hair dryer brush can heat up in 15 seconds, spend less time in styling hair and save more time to enjoy your life. The 360-degree swivel cord allows high flexibility to move freely without the cord becoming tangled and damaged.
- What You Get: The hot air brush comes with 900W performance. It is designed for 220 Volt UK outlets ONLY. Fast Hair Dryer Brush is equipped with a safety lock, which could lock the brush head when changing the brush head to prevent it from falling during use. 100% money back guarantee for any issue in 30 days, 90 days warranty support. You have no risk to try.