Fine Hair, an owners manual

Understanding your hair can go a long way toward you being more satisfied with it. Here is some help for owners of fine hair:

Fine or coarse is the diameter of each hair, fine hair has a smaller diameter than coarse, making it more flexible. Thick or thin is the overall amount of hair you have, so you can have fine, thin hair or fine, thick hair. Fine hair can be straight or curly, although usually curly hair is often more on the finer side.

Fine hair is more easily damaged than coarse hair, so your stylist needs to be skillful, aware and concerned about its health.

How difficult or easy it is to get volume and movement depends on several factors:

- how much hair is there, obviously thicker, wavier hair gets more volume more easily than straight, thinner hair.

- growth patterns. All hair of any type is affected very significantly by its growth patterns (see my post on this subject on my Facebook page salonserenecomoxvalley or on my website under “Ask an Expert”). Growth patterns significantly affect volume and manageability.

- the haircut makes a huge difference. If the layers are too long or too short it will be difficult to get volume. Too short and there’s not enough weight left to create volume, too long and there’s too much weight and it collapses. As in all things, balance is required. The angles cut in the layers also make a very significant difference, certain angles work much better than others. There is a certain sweet spot when all the factors in the haircut are in harmony and balance, at that point you know the hair is doing the best it can do, given its fundamental character. A good cut makes styling much easier because the correct shape is in the haircut, you’re not having to forcefully create it through styling.

- goo (also known as mousse, gel, etc.). Goo is good, but not all goo. Finding the right goo for fine hair can be a challenge. There is an ocean of goo out there, most of it claiming it will take your hair and make it something Rapunzel would hold up a corner store for. Most of us have enough unused goo in our bathrooms to know how questionable that is. I have some light weight goo I use in the salon that works very well on fine hair. I like some hold, but not a sticky mess. I like hair that moves.

- artificial hair color, either all over the head or as highlights, swells up the hair shaft, helping with volume. The hair is slightly damaged in an aware, conscious manner. When it’s done correctly you get more volume and shine, a nice color enhancement and less styling time and effort. When it’s done poorly you get fried, dull hair (even if it does have more volume). The quality of the hair color and its application are the factors. I use Natulique, a low toxicity, gentle color that creates beautiful color with very minimal fumes and no itching or drying out the hair or scalp.

Accept what you’ve got, work with it, treat it well and resist torturing it in attempts to force it to be something it’s not. With that kind of love and care your fine hair will gladly be the best it can be. And who really wants Rapunzel’s hair anyway? I once cut it and all she did was whine about how long it takes to dry, the cost of shampoo and how much time she spends at the chiropractor.