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How Do I Care for Fine Curly Hair?

Amber Eberle
Amber Eberle

Fine curly hair can be difficult to manage. Fine hair tends to look flat and limp, and curly hair may frizz easily. Hair that is both fine and curly usually has both of these traits, which can make caring for it and styling it a challenge. To keep fine curly hair healthy and looking its best, care should be taken to use the right shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Specific styling methods and hair cuts should also be used on this hair type.

A person with fine curly hair should use a shampoo that is designed to volumize the tresses. When washing the hair, it should be rinsed thoroughly to remove all residue. The shampoo should be used several times a week to keep the hair clean, as excess oil from the scalp can make this lay flat against the scalp.

Curly hair may be difficult to style on humid days.
Curly hair may be difficult to style on humid days.

A very lightweight conditioner is best for hair that is both curly and fine. The conditioner should be applied to the ends of the hair, but never on the crown of the head. For hair that is extra fine, a spray conditioner or detangler is an option that often works well. Hair should be thoroughly rinsed again after conditioning, to be sure no residue remains.

A person with fine curly hair should use a shampoo that is designed to volumize the tresses.
A person with fine curly hair should use a shampoo that is designed to volumize the tresses.

After washing and conditioning, the hair should be gently dried with a towel to remove as much water as possible. The hair should never be rubbed vigorously with the towel, however, as this can lead to frizziness. A wide-toothed comb can then be used to detangle. Hair products, such as volumizing mousse or an anti-frizz serum, should be applied to damp hair, but only a small amount should be used to prevent weighing down the hair.

Washing fine curly hair with a clarifying shampoo is a good idea to remove residue from hair products.
Washing fine curly hair with a clarifying shampoo is a good idea to remove residue from hair products.

If the hair is being blown dry, a diffuser attachment should be used on the hair dryer. This can protect the tresses from becoming frizzy, as well as help the curls form. A round brush can also be used, especially on the crown of the head to help build volume in the hair. Fingers can be used to scrunch strand while drying to add bounce to curls and volume overall. Fine curly hair can also be left to air dry, but will generally not have as much volume as hair dried with a blow dryer.

Fine curly hair should be shampooed multiple times a week to reduce oil buildup.
Fine curly hair should be shampooed multiple times a week to reduce oil buildup.

This hair type should be cut regularly to remove split ends. The best kind of hair cut for fine curly hair is usually one that is not too long, as longer hair tends to be weighed down more. Layers cut into this type of hair generally give it more fullness and may make it easier to style.

Discussion Comments

Fa5t3r

@bythewell - Most of the time your hair isn't going to develop long term problems because it's constantly renewing itself. So, if just using conditioner works for a month, it's probably going to continue working.

This is a good thing, because I think the reason a lot of people have trouble with frizz is that they insist on straightening their curls. There is almost no way to do this without damaging the hair, even if you only do it once. And then you feel like you have to do it over and over in order to hide the damage.

But, since hair isn't permanent, the damage isn't either, so you just have to wait until it grows out.

bythewell

@MrsPramm - I don't know if I could go that far. It seems like there must be a reason to use shampoo, even if it doesn't work for every kind of hair. I'd rather just use products that are specially geared towards curls.

Generally, I find that reviews can be really helpful. Even if the place you're buying the product from doesn't have them (or if you're buying in store) you will probably be able to find reviews online at other places and they will be able to steer you in the right direction.

MrsPramm

My hair isn't particularly fine, but it is extremely curly and it used to be very frizzy as well. I don't really like to do very much with it. I'm sure I could stop the frizziness with the right kinds of gels and things. But, I decided instead to try a few different techniques and see if I could figure out how to stop it from frizzing in the first place.

Eventually I settled on what they call the "no-poo" technique and it works perfectly for me. I simply don't use shampoo at all. I just wash my hair with conditioner every couple of days and sometimes scrunch some gel into it then let it air dry.

That's it. It's fairly short (a little over a finger length long) and I don't even need to brush it. I just run my hands through it in the morning and it settles into a nice, defined halo of curls. No frizz.

This might not work for everyone, of course, and I don't know if it would work for particularly fine hair, but my hair never feels weighed down or anything.

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    • Curly hair may be difficult to style on humid days.
      By: javiindy
      Curly hair may be difficult to style on humid days.
    • A person with fine curly hair should use a shampoo that is designed to volumize the tresses.
      By: Africa Studio
      A person with fine curly hair should use a shampoo that is designed to volumize the tresses.
    • Washing fine curly hair with a clarifying shampoo is a good idea to remove residue from hair products.
      By: Roman Gorielov
      Washing fine curly hair with a clarifying shampoo is a good idea to remove residue from hair products.
    • Fine curly hair should be shampooed multiple times a week to reduce oil buildup.
      By: Piotr Marcinski
      Fine curly hair should be shampooed multiple times a week to reduce oil buildup.
    • Detangler spray can help people handle curly hair.
      By: m_dinler
      Detangler spray can help people handle curly hair.