A good hairspray is a fine-haired person’s best friend. It adds volume and helps protect elaborate hairstyles that would otherwise fall flat in minutes. However, using the wrong hairspray for your hair type can result in something even more flat and lifeless. It can also cause breakage and drying, which can harm fine hair.
To help solve your hair woes, we’ve put together this guide to help you find the best hairspray for fine hair, learn more about how to care for your fine hair, and analyze exactly what to look for in a hairspray.
- The Benefits of Hairspray for Fine Hair
- Top 10 Best Hairsprays for Fine Hair 2024
- 1. Best Overall Hairspray for Fine Hair: Sebastian Professional Shaper Hairspray
- 2. Most Volumizing: Kenra Volume Spray Hairspray
- 3. Best Premium Hairspray for Fine Hair: Nioxin Niospray Hairspray
- 4. Best Budget Hairspray for Fine Hair: L’Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle BOOST IT High Lift Creation Spray
- 5. Best Lightweight Hairspray: Scruples High Definition Hair Spray for Men & Women
- 6. Best for Multi-Day Hold: L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hairspray
- 7. Best for Thin Hair: Beauty By Earth Sea Salt Spray for Hair
- 8. Best Medium Hold Hairspray: Nexxus Comb-Thru Finishing Spray
- 9. Best Firm Hold: Paul Mitchell Extra Body Firm Finishing Spray
- 10. Best for Humidity: TRESemme Anti-Frizz Hairspray with All-Day Humidity Resistance
- Hairsprays on Fine Hair
- Final Word
The Benefits of Hairspray for Fine Hair
Some of the chief concerns for those with fine hair are adding volume and thickness to their locks while avoiding breakage and frizz. While proper hair care is important to keep your hair healthy and voluminous in the first place, hairspray is a great quick fix to add instant life to flat hair. Here’s how it works:
Volume & Thickness
A good, volumizing hairspray like this one adds body to your hair by lifting up the strands at the root. It can create the illusion of thickness by adding volume to the lower layers of hair so that the top layer appears more substantial.
Another strategy the product might use is adding glossy or reflective ingredients to the hairspray formula. The more light reflects off your hair, the more it creates an illusion of depth and multi-dimensional texture.
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Frizz Control
Fine hair is highly prone to frizz and flyaway strands. It’s even more noticeable since fine hair lies flat on the scalp, so even a little frizz is more noticeable than on those with curly hair. That’s where hairspray comes in. A light hold spray can help bind your strands together, preventing the risk of those frizz-causing stragglers.
Texture
Another problem you’ll deal with if you have fine hair is flatness, especially in between washes. Daily shampooing can dry out your strands and cause breakage, but skipping it can make your hair look dull and lifeless.
By working a little hairspray into your roots and ends, you can add dimension and texture to your hair, bringing it back to life. So, put down the shampoo and reach for a lightweight, water-based hairspray instead!
Style & Hold
The problem with most hairsprays is that the formulas are either too heavy or too weak. Heavy formulas weigh your hair down, making that flatness and lifelessness even worse. They can also tend to turn your hair into a solid board that feels like it could snap in half.
Weak formulas, on the other hand, offer such little hold that you have to use a lot to see any difference. By the time you’ve added enough hairspray, your hair is falling flat under the weight of all that spray.
To avoid these problems that are so common for people with fine hair, you need to do your research and find the right formula that will provide lift, body, and life to your hair without weighing it down or plastering it into a solid sheet. Here are a few of the features you want to look for:
Level of Hold
You’ll want to customize your hairspray to your hairstyle and hair type, and the level of hold refers to how firm your hairspray is. Light hold sprays provide a small amount of firmness, more meant to add texture than to lock in a hairstyle, while firm hold sprays function to firm up a hairstyle and keep it completely in place.
Water-Soluble Polymers
Without digging too deep into those high school chemistry lessons we all forgot, polymers make things stick. Think of the polymers in your hairspray as the active ingredient, the one that makes it work.
Not all polymers are the same, though. Most hairsprays on the market are made of one of two possible polymers: polyvinylpyrrolidone or polydimethylsiloxane. The first one is water-soluble. The second one is not.
Water-soluble polymers are lighter in weight, so a maximum hold hairspray with the first polymer will weigh down your hair less than a maximum hold hairspray made with the second polymer. For easier shopping, just remember, you want the complicated chemical with “vinyl” in it, not the other one.
Lightweight Formulas
If you get a firm hold formula, make sure it either has a fine mist diffuser like this one or spray it on your hands first and massage it into your roots and ends. Even “lightweight” firm hold sprays tend to be heavier than texturizing sprays, for example, so putting too much on will flatten and harden your hair.
Water-Based Over Alcohol-Based
Those water-soluble polymers you read about earlier are usually found in water-based formulas. The other ones are usually found in alcohol-based formulas. While the alcohol is needed to break them down and help them bind to your hair, the alcohol itself ends up drying up your hair and scalp. That’s where the flakiness and brittleness you might have experienced comes from.
Often, brands will make up for those drying effects by adding oils and other infusions to offer some moisturization. For fine hair, these moisturizing additives add way too much bulk to the formula and will weigh your hair down. It’s better to opt for a water-based formula that just isn’t as drying to begin with, so you can skip the heavy oil and cream additives.
A Note on Synthetic vs. Natural Formulas
Natural hairsprays are growing in popularity but there’s not much benefit to them and they tend to use heavy formulas that would add too much weight to your fine hair. This is mainly because they often use a kind of vegetable gum as the polymer in their formula. Vegetable gum is heavier than that long-named chemical with “vinyl” in it.
There’s also not really any notable benefit to your hair. It’s a little less damaging than synthetic hairsprays but the slight difference is not worth it for fine-haired folks who want volume without needing to put excess product in their hair. So, for most applications, stick with the unpronounceable synthetic chemicals. They’re quite safe for the body either way, and often less toxic than common makeups.
Each of the hairsprays in our list below offers lightweight formulas with ingredients that are safe to use on fine hair:
Top 10 Best Hairsprays for Fine Hair 2024
1. Best Overall Hairspray for Fine Hair: Sebastian Professional Shaper Hairspray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Light Hold
- 10 Oz.
This finishing spray from Sebastian makes for a great everyday hairspray to add body and texture to your hair while also managing frizz. The lightweight formula offers a flexible, light hold that’s strong enough to control frizz but won’t plaster your hair to your scalp.
Volume & Texture
This light-hold spray is one of the best choices for adding volume and texture to your hair. The formula was specifically crafted to lift roots and create texture without being too sticky or bulky to comb through or move. That flexible hold allows your hair to look naturally full of life.
Style & Hold
This is a light hold formula, so it’s best suited to your more casual, everyday looks. On those mornings when you’ve only got a few minutes to style your hair, you can spritz a little of this into your hair, and comb it through to create fantastic lift and texture.
It can also tame frizz and fly away strands on your casual ponytails or buns while preserving the effortless look of these more casual styles.
However, the light hold formula is not up to the task of maintaining an elaborate updo. If you need something to keep an elegant style firmly in place, consider this hairspray from Paul Mitchell, which offers a stronger hold and a similarly lightweight formula.
Pros
- Lightweight formula won’t weigh down fine hair
- Flexible hold preserves the natural movement of your hair
- Offers great frizz control
Cons
- Not a strong enough hold for more formal updos
2. Most Volumizing: Kenra Volume Spray Hairspray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Strong Hold
- 10 Oz.
This volumizing spray offers a unique balance of texture and hold. The formula is strong enough to withstand high humidity and winds up to 25 miles per hour, so you can use it year-round on any style.
Volume & Texture
As a stronger formula, it’s more intended for styling than texturizing. However, when used sparingly at the roots and ends, it offers long-lasting volume and layers that won’t go flat by the end of the day. It’s also a strong enough formula that the added volume won’t turn into a cloud of tangled frizz in humid or windy weather.
Style & Hold
The strong hold formula is meant for elegant updos and long-lasting curls. However, it’s still lightweight enough to use for more casual styles as well. Just use our hairspray tips below to apply this more strategically on your everyday looks.
The key drawback here is that it doesn’t dry as quickly and in larger quantities, it can get sticky. This is a common problem with stronger hold formulas. It’s avoidable if you use the spray strategically, but if you want something that won’t get sticky or buildup too quickly, consider a lighter formula like this strong hold hairspray by Scruples.
Pros
- High humidity resistance
- Wind resistant up to 25 mph
- Great frizz-control
- Ideal for elegant styles
Cons
- Becomes sticky and heavy if not used sparingly
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Strong Hold
- 6 Oz.
This uniquely crafted formula was designed specifically for thin and fine hair. That means it’s lightweight while also offering a strong hold. It thickens your locks while also lifting your roots. It stands up to heat and humidity without using overly harsh ingredients. It’s a great all-purpose hairspray for anyone with fine or thinning hair.
Volume & Texture
The ProThick technology binds to each strand to increase the density of your hair. This creates a naturally full look that’s finished with a subtle gloss to create a multi-dimensional style. It’s a great spray for adding texture to your layers or giving a boost of volume that you can comb through without flattening.
Style & Hold
The strong yet flexible hold provided by this formula makes it a great finishing hairspray. It’ll keep your looks in place all day long, even on humid, hot, or windy days. More importantly, it will do that without excessive drying, flaking, or residue.
For all these benefits, Nioxin does not come cheap. If you’re using this as your daily hairspray, the cost can add up. However, since it’s a gentle enough formula that you can safely cut back on shampooing, the extra cost of the hairspray might balance out with the money saved on using less shampoo.
However, for something a little more budget-friendly, you might prefer BOOST It spray from L’Oreal.
Pros
- ProThick technology thickens your hair
- Lightweight formula is gentle enough for daily use
- Strong hold design can withstand any weather conditions
Cons
- May be too expensive for daily use
4. Best Budget Hairspray for Fine Hair: L’Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle BOOST IT High Lift Creation Spray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Medium Hold
- 3 Oz.
This volumizing spray is a good all-purpose choice for someone who doesn’t want to clutter up the bathroom with a variety of different types of hairspray. It adds volume and body but also enough hold for most looks you might want to create.
Volume & Texture
The thickening spray is great for adding volume to fine hair. It instantly lifts your roots and clings to the shaft of each strand to make them stronger, thicker, and more full of life. It’s also easy to use for daily looks.
You just spritz a light coat across your hair and then blow-dry. The heat will activate the thickening and volumizing formula. So, you’ll have a salon-quality blowout without the hours of effort that usually requires.
Style & Hold
This is an especially great option for helping curls last longer. It’s strong enough to hold the curl but flexible enough to allow them to move naturally. The thickening formula will help the curl maintain its shape for a lot longer than you normally expect for fine hair.
For all its benefits, those in humid climates should be careful when using this product. Excess humidity can cause this to weigh down your hair and become sticky, creating a flat and clumpy look. If you live in a more humid climate, you might do better with this TRESemme hairspray, which was crafted to withstand extreme humidity.
Pros
- Great thickening and volumizing capabilities
- Easy to use
- Helps curls stay longer
Cons
- Does not hold up to humidity well
5. Best Lightweight Hairspray: Scruples High Definition Hair Spray for Men & Women
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Strong Hold
- 6 Oz.
The water-based, sulfate-free formula is one of the gentlest and lightest-weight formulas you can use on your hair. This makes it an excellent choice for daily use, although it can also handle your more formal looks for special occasions.
Volume & Texture
This lightweight formula dries quickly and gives a subtle shine to your locks. It’s a gentle recipe with no harsh sulfates or alcohols so fine hair won’t be dried out or damaged even with frequent use. That means you can use this for everyday body and texture, no matter how you choose to style it.
If you do use it often, you may find yourself needing to clean out the nozzle every couple of days. The spray tip is not the best design so it gets clogged easily. For best results, give it a quick rinse off before each use to make sure it’s spraying properly before you apply it to your hair. This will prevent you from over-applying on a specific area in your hair.
For hairspray with a better nozzle, consider the Nexxus Comb-Thru Finishing Spray with a fine-mist spray tip that diffuses the hairspray better and doesn’t clog as easily.
Style & Hold
This is strong enough to handle any kind of style from beachy waves to a formal updo. But it’s also light enough to preserve some of your hair’s natural movement, so it doesn’t ever look like you’ve got hair plastered to your head.
Whether you’re just taming frizz on a messy bun or adding definition to your curls, this is the hairspray for the job. It’s a great all-purpose choice for anyone with fine or thin hair.
Pros
- Super lightweight formula ideal for fine hair
- Strong hold is suitable for all hairstyles
- Subtle glossy finish adds dimension to your looks
Cons
- Nozzle clogs easily
6. Best for Multi-Day Hold: L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hairspray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Maximum Hold
- 11 Oz.
For an extra-strong hold that can withstand any weather condition, this special satin formula from L’Oreal is the way to go. With just a spritz of this hairspray your look will stay in place, even after a night of sleep.
Volume & Texture
The satin formula sprays on lightly and creates a strong hold that is still fully touchable so you can use this to add volume and texture to your less formal looks. It also adds a subtle sheen to your locks which can add life to chemically treated or heat-damaged hair.
Style & Hold
This extra strong hold formula is kept in a bottle with a fine mist diffuser. This is what makes it a great strong hold pick for fine hair. Normally, an alcohol-based formula like this would be too heavy and too damaging for fine hair, but the firm hold makes it easy to create volume with this product.
The fine mist diffuser allows you can get maximum hold with far fewer products. So, in the end, you get a strong hold that’s light enough weight that your style and that won’t flatten out in a few hours.
Even in moderation, this formula is not gentle on your hair, though. It’s more suited to special occasions and nights out. With daily use, the harsh formula can dry out your hair and cause damage. For those with fine hair, avoiding damage as much as possible is a top priority. So, break this heavy-duty hairspray out only for the styles that gentler hairsprays can’t handle.
For a hairspray more suited to everyday use, consider the Nioxin Niospray Hairspray.
Pros
- Maximum hold can keep any hairstyle in place
- Fine-mist diffuser makes it safer for fine hair
- Formula adds shine to your look
Cons
- Formula is too harsh for daily use
7. Best for Thin Hair: Beauty By Earth Sea Salt Spray for Hair
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Light hold
- 6 Oz.
This light-hold hair spray was formulated to be your daily hairspray. It’s a gentle, non-drying formula that adds texture and depth to flat or thin hair. The nourishing natural ingredients are extremely lightweight and water-based so you aren’t dealing with heavy oils that weigh your look down.
Volume & Texture
Texture is the main function of this sea salt spray. It was crafted specifically to recreate that “just back from the beach” wave look, minus the sand and sunburn. You can apply it to damp or dry hair to add thickness and body with almost zero effort.
The lightweight spray will lift your roots and create natural-looking layers in your hair. It’s perfect for casual, effortlessly stylish looks.
Style & Hold
You can tame frizz and fly away strands in a ponytail or messy bun. You can also extend the life of curls. However, this is a very light hold formula that’s more suited to adding dimension and depth to your hair rather than holding styles in place.
For those days when you need a stronger spray to keep your formal hairdo in place, you might do better with this strong hold hairspray from L’Oreal.
Pros
- Adds lots of body, thickness, and texture to fine hair
- Gentle, nourishing formula that won’t weigh hair down or dry it out
- Easy to use
Cons
- Not strong enough for updos
8. Best Medium Hold Hairspray: Nexxus Comb-Thru Finishing Spray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Medium Hold
- 10 Oz.
Usually, lighter hold sprays are harder to find because they do so little that you need a lot of product to see any results and all that product weighs your fine hair down. This medium-hold finishing spray from Nexxus is a great solution to that problem.
Volume & Texture
The Nexxus bottle design and formula help make it a great all-purpose spray for both styling and texturizing. It’s crafted to provide a flexible yet firm hold, meaning it can be easily adapted to your needs.
However, if you aren’t used to the fine-mist diffuser on this bottle, you might end up using more product than you need because it doesn’t feel like much is coming out. This could lead to a sticky look that flattens down into a mess in a matter of hours. So, there is a little bit of a learning curve with this product. For something a little easier to use for beginners, consider the Sebastian Professional Shaper Hairspray.
Style & Hold
This is strong enough to keep your style locked in place, whether that’s a casual bun or a more formal style. Most importantly for those with fine hair, you can get that hold with far less product. This lightweight formula combined with the fine mist diffuser nozzle allows you to get full coverage while still having soft enough locks to brush through.
Pros
- Medium hold formula makes it a great all-purpose spray
- Fine-mist diffuser allows you to get the same hold with less product
- Lightweight formula
Cons
- Can be tough to use for beginners
9. Best Firm Hold: Paul Mitchell Extra Body Firm Finishing Spray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Maximum Hold
- 8 Oz.
- Specialty: Thickens roots
Paul Mitchell is the brand many stylists rely on for getting that strong hold without the sticky, plastered on look. You’ll keep your hairdo in place without the flakes or residue. It also still allows for natural movement in more casual or flowing looks.
Volume & Texture
The formula used in this hairspray includes thickening ingredients that cling to each strand of hair. This provides a fuller look and adds volume without going overboard. The formula also helps to create texture and add dimension when used sparingly.
However, this maximum hold spray may be a little too powerful to be your everyday hairspray. It’s not as lightweight as some of the other sprays on this list, so daily use will require daily washing, which could lead to dry, brittle hair.
If you’re looking for a daily-use hairspray, go for something a little gentler and more lightweight like this sea salt texturizing spray.
Style & Hold
Preserving your curls all day long or keeping that elaborate updo pinned in place is exactly what this hairspray was designed for. It’s one of the best styling sprays on the market because it provides that secure hold without being sticky or bulky. Your hair will still look natural and touchable.
Pros
- Maximum hold for formal or elaborate styles
- Provides a touchable finish
- Includes thickening ingredient that adds body to fine hair
Cons
- Not the most lightweight formula
- Nozzle clogs easily
10. Best for Humidity: TRESemme Anti-Frizz Hairspray with All-Day Humidity Resistance
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Strong Hold
- 11 Oz.
- Specialty: Humidity resistant
For anyone living in a humid climate, this is the hairspray to get. It can provide a secure hold without adding stiffness, which is a unique product feature in the world of humidity-resistant hair sprays. You usually have to sacrifice some flexibility in your look to get that humidity-fighting capability. This product uses a unique formula to provide you the best of both worlds.
Volume & Texture
As a strong hold spray, this is meant more for finishing your style and keeping curls well-defined and bouncy. However, if used sparingly at the roots and ends, you can create impressive texture and add fullness to your look while still controlling frizz.
Style & Hold
The water-free formula provides a strong hold that dries quickly and locks your look in place without any leftover residue or flakiness. Whether you just want to tame that humidity-induced frizz or keep your glamorous curls pinned in place, TRESemme can do it.
Being an alcohol-based formula, you need to use it sparingly, even for formal looks. While it is a lightweight formula, it’s just not as gentle as you’d need it to be for your fine or thin hair. So, spritz it on sparingly and don’t use it as your everyday hairspray.
For a non-alcohol based spray that can provide a reliable hold, consider this hairspray from Scruples. The water-based formula is safer for fine hair, although not ideal for humid climates.
Pros
- Humidity resistant formula
- Strong hold is great for protecting formal looks or curls
- Great frizz-control
- No sticky residue
Cons
- Alcohol-based formula may be too harsh for fine hair
Hairsprays on Fine Hair
As a quick hack to luscious volume and shining hair, it’s no wonder hairsprays are so popular for those with thin and fine hair. Learn more about the popular beauty product below.
How to Apply Hairspray to Fine Hair
Those with fine hair need to take special care when applying hairspray to their hair. Even with the perfect formula in hand, you won’t get the look you’re going for just by spraying a thick cloud of mist over your head. It takes some finesse and attention to detail to get it right. Here are a few tips to improve your hairspray technique:
Spray It on Your Hands First
For texture and volume only, there’s no need to spray anything directly on your head. That technique is used either for frizz-control or for setting an updo. If your hair is down or in a loose style, you can skip the hairspray cloud.
Instead, spritz some hairspray on your fingertips and run your fingers through your hair. For volume, focus primarily on massaging it into your roots. For texture, focus primarily on the ends of your hair.
Either way, leave the middle section of your hair alone. By allowing most of your hair to remain loose and flexible, you minimize breakage and avoid weighing your style down with too much product.
Spray Curls Separately
If you are trying to hold an entire look rather than just texturize or add body, you should spritz it directly on your hair. If you’re doing curls, do short spritzes on each individual curl rather than an all-over mist.
The reason for the individual attention is to encourage your curls to remain separate and distinct. If you do an all-over mist on your freshly-curled hair, the distinct curls may cling together. After a few hours of activity, instead of being a glamorous head of ringlets, you’ve just got a wild mane of frizz.
When spraying each individual curl, be sure those spritzes are short and light. Hold the canister underneath the curl and spritz upwards to ensure you don’t over-saturate it.
Hairspray Hacks
Hairspray is a pretty remarkable product, helping to hold looks together, tame frizz, and even nourish hair with the latest formulas. The following beauty hacks can maximize the value you get out of a hairspray.
Tame Fly Away Strands with a Toothbrush
@actandacre a hack hack that does wonders for flyaways. @helenreavey #hairtutorial #hairtok #hairhack #hairstylist
If you’ve got baby hairs or random flyaway strands, it’s not worth dousing your whole head in hairspray. Doing so will result in way more product than you needed on your hair. That will lead to a flat, brittle look by the end of the day. Instead, spritz a little hairspray on a toothbrush and brush back those flyaway strands or baby hairs.
Use Hairspray Before Curling
Those with fine hair know the struggle of trying to get curls to hold. It seems like you need more hairspray than most to get them to last even an hour. But if you use too much, you end up weighing the curls down, causing them to fall flat before you even get out of the house.
The secret is to use the hairspray during the actual curling process. Spritz a very light mist over each strand just before you wrap it around your curler. Then, pin the curl to your scalp once you’ve released it from the curling iron. When all your curls are done, unpin them. Gently shake them out and give one last light spritz over each curl. That’s it! Don’t do this frequently, though, as it will lead to hair damage.
Tips to Add Volume and Thickness to Fine Hair
The best way to make hairspray more effective for fine hair is to take away some of its workload. With proper care and maintenance of your hair, you can increase the natural volume and thickness a little so that by the time you’re spritzing on hairspray to finish your morning look, it doesn’t have to work as hard to create lift and body.
Improve Your Health
While fine or thin hair is partially just genetics, it can also be affected by your diet and health. This is especially true if you’ve just started to notice your hair becoming thinner or weaker. If that’s the case, a check-up with the doctor may be in order. Otherwise, use these tips to minimize breakage and hair loss:
- Drink more water. Hydration is key to keeping your locks plump and more resistant to breakage.
- Eat more healthy fats. Omega-3s and other fatty acids are needed to add thickness and shine to your hair.
- Eat iron-rich veggies. Getting more iron in your diet will make your strands stronger.
- Eat enough protein. Your hair is primarily made of protein. Not getting enough protein in your diet can contribute to thinning and brittle hair.
Basically, staying hydrated and eating a healthy and balanced diet will provide the building blocks to help your hair become as thick and full as it can be.
Stop Shampooing Daily
For those with fine hair, it tends to look the most voluminous and lively right after you shampoo it. This can tempt you into daily shampooing to keep getting that volume. However, in the long run, excessive shampoo dries out your hair and leads to increased breakage and thinner strands.
So, for long-term volume, you need to cut back on the shampoo. Use it no more than two or three days out of the week. On your no-shampoo days, use a little hairspray to add some volume instead if it’s starting to look too flat. Dry shampoo can also help keep your hair clean without reducing volume: check out our favorites here.
Condition the Right Way
With fine hair, you need to be careful with your conditioner. If you skip it entirely, you’ll end up with dry, frizzy strands that are prone to breakage. But if you use too much, you end up with permanently flat hair.
To avoid both problems, massage a small amount of conditioner into the ends of your hair only. Then, massage an even smaller amount into your roots. Let it sit for the recommended two or three minutes. When you rinse, do so with cold water to lock in the moisturization while still thoroughly rinsing out excess product.
Trying Mousses
While some write off hair mousse as a relic of the 1980s, new formulations have come back and made mousse popular again. These high-end mousses add volume, texture, and fortify hair from dryness and malnutrition. You can find a list of our favorite mousses here.
Be Gentle with the Towel
Drying your hair with aggressive rubbing can cause some hair loss and breakage. So be gentle. Instead of scrubbing at your scalp, just gently pat your hair with the towel. This will dab away the excess moisture without ripping and scratching at the hair itself. This gentler technique also helps minimize frizz.
Treat Dandruff
A flaky scalp is no fun under any circumstances. Not only is it unsightly, but the buildup of dandruff can actually cause hair loss! The dandruff blocks new hair growth and any scratching you do will pull out strands.
If you have dandruff, use a good dandruff shampoo and use it regularly, even after the flakes have disappeared. With long term treatment, more of your hair follicles will be free and clear to grow new hair. This will add some thickness to your hair.
Give Natural Hair Oils a Chance to Work
It’s not just the use of harsh detergents in your shampoo that cause drying when you wash your hair daily. The simple act of rinsing your hair under water is stripping away its natural oils. This just makes the drying effects worse and increases the chance of breakage.
So, in addition to shampooing your hair less often, make sure to protect your hair with a shower bonnet to keep it dry while showering on days when you aren’t washing your hair. This will give the natural oils in your hair a chance to moisturize and deposit minerals along each strand. The result will be stronger, thicker locks.
Don’t Brush Wet Hair
Wet hair clings together well which means that as you move a brush through it, you’re more likely to pull strands out. Instead, wait until your hair has dried to brush it. When you do brush, do so gently and start at the ends to work out tangles. Work your way up toward your scalp.
Switch Your Part Seasonally
This one sounds weird but it works. Keeping your hair parted the same way all year round, all your life causes those strands where your part is to flatten. It also means that the same part of your hair is being exposed to sun, wind, and cold all the time.
By moving your part, even just by a quarter of an inch, every few months, you can prevent this damage and add an instant lift to your hair.
Is Hairspray Bad for Thin Hair?
Hairspray isn’t really ‘healthy’ for any hair type, as it tends to pull moisture out rather than put moisture in, but modern formulas are far less harmful than older ones. It’s also important to note that hairspray does not cause hair loss but it can exacerbate the problem if not used properly.
Hairspray is designed to hold your hair in place. When the spray dries, it hardens around the shaft of your hair. As a result, the strands become much less flexible. The natural movement of your hair throughout the day that normally wouldn’t be a problem is now a potential cause of breakage.
If you run your brush or your hands through brittle or overly-sprayed hair, you’re more likely to yank out strands than if you were to brush through soft, flexible hair. That’s where any hair loss you notice would come from. It’s not the chemicals in the formula. It’s just the loss of flexibility and the increased risk of tangles that come with using hairspray.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t wear hairspray at all. It just means that it’s much more important to pay attention to the formula and choose a quality brand. You need something lightweight enough to still allow some flexibility and movement without breakage. Select a hairspray that is non-drying but without added oils that will weigh your hair down.
Final Word
The most important features of a great hairspray for fine hair are a lightweight formula, a water-soluble formulation, and a lack of additives. Another feature that’s nice to have is a fine mist diffuser nozzle so that you can get more coverage with less product. Above all, your goal is to get as much lift with as little product as possible. The less you can get away with using, the less weight you’re adding to your hair, helping add lift all day long.