How to help your fine hair look its best

If you’re someone with fine hair, having a reliable method to quickly add volume and texture is the dream. This means understanding how to manipulate your hair, and also using the right products.

Plenty of brands promise volume, and many deliver on that promise (at least for a few hours). Many of them though can actually weigh your hair down and make it feel greasy, or require heat styling. This can lead to washing more often, even daily, which can be counterproductive because – with the right methods and product – fine hair tends to look its best the day after a wash. 

Dry shampoo is often seen as just for combating oil and extending time between washes, but it’s indispensable for building thickness (dry shampoo and product distribution; my life would not be the same without them). My go-tos are O&M’s Dry Queen and K18’s Airwash – I love that it’s small enough to fit in your handbag. You could also use a lightweight hairspray.

Rather than wait for your hair to look greasy, use these products on freshly washed hair to add extra fullness. Right out of the shower, detangle, then rake a wide-tooth comb through your hair. Next, give it a little ruffle with your fingers. Then flick your head upside down, loosening your roots with your fingertips so your hair doesn’t stick to the top of your scalp and dry flat. 

Once your hair is dry, section it by lifting it up, then evenly spray dry shampoo 45cm away from the scalp (if it’s applied too closely, it’ll all end up in one spot). Sectioning means you can apply the product in areas people often miss – which are also the finest and oiliest parts – like the hairline, the nape, the top of head and the back of the head. 

Now give it a really good brushing, making sure the product becomes one with your hair. Ruffle it again – vigorously this time – before using your fingers to rub the dry shampoo down the lengths of your hair, then popping it back into place. You should notice extra thickness and fullness from root to mid-lengths. 

On day two, add extra thickness and remove some oil by layering even more dry shampoo – again combing, sectioning, spraying and ruffling. Really work it in. 

Product aside, a great cut makes a world of difference. A good stylist can bring movement and lightness into fine hair by adding light layers for texture, and softening the ends with a gentle clipping motion. Blunt ends mean too much weight, sitting heavy compared to the rest of your hair. 

If your fine hair becomes dry and brittle in summer, a conditioning mask or a leave-in conditioner is a great solution – just make sure you choose one that’s light, and only apply it to the mid-length and ends so you don’t weigh down the roots (also, the first 10cm of your hair tends to be healthy and hydrated). In winter, pulling on thick, woolen jumpers can create static-y flyaways and frizz. The best way to deal with this is to “reset” your hair with a fine misting of water from a spray bottle, then let it dry naturally. 

I love my fine hair. I never even really think about it as fine, or limp, or flat. It’s just delicate. And the beauty of delicate hair is that it’s unique to you. Many of the reference images people bring into the salon are actually of people with fine hair – it’s just been really well handled.