question for j: help for fine hair?!
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
J’s response:
I think that there is a misconception that all nappies 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 thru the use of chemical processes. Here are some styling modifications that can be made in the case of fine/thin hair.
Products
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
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! 
Can I Make It Thicker?
I know this wasn’t asked but this is a question I get asked quite often. As far as ways to thicken your hair, there are options that have been helpful to thin or fine haired individuals. Try using black castor oil in your deep conditioning treatments as well as incorporating nightly massages on the scalp and hair. Consider adding a few drops of hydrolyzed silk protein to your moisturizer. As the protein binds to the cuticle, the hair appears and feels thicker. In my experience, adding silk protein to styling products imparts a smooth finish to the hair. If a vitamin deficiency is suspected, consider taking a biotin supplement to promote thicker hair growth. (Although taking biotin is generally safe, I am not at liberty to recommend dosages on BGLH due to individual health considerations). Furthermore, you may be tempted to try a thickening shampoo/conditioner, especially the ones with biotin. I haven’t heard of much success with those, but I always say it doesn’t hurt to try them out! If any of you have had success with them, please share! Another supplement associated with full, healthy hair is MSM, previously discussed on BGLH. I also believe Leila has had great success with achieving thicker hair over time, so chime in girl!
Precautions
I definitely would be sure to treat this type of hair more delicately than silk. This type of hair is especially prone to breakage. No rough detangling! And keep styling to a minimum to avoid losing unnecessary amounts of hair. In addition, if hair has thinned out significantly, please be sure to visit a physician/health practitioner to be sure that hair loss is not linked to a nutritional deficiency or previous hair trauma.
Thanks to Monisola and Tiffany for your questions and for visiting the blog! We appreciate your kind words of support! You are not alone in your styling dilemmas and your questions can serve to help other naturals. Now I’ll open up the floor to the BGLH readers, especially those of you with fine/thin hair: What are your styling tips for naturals with fine or thin hair?
~j~
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.
@ 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
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
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.
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.
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!