You can see right through my hair if the light is strong enough behind me. When I gather it into a ponytail, I can almost wrap my little finger all the way around it. "Ethereal" is a complimentary term for it; "wispy" and "sparse" are some not-very-nice variations. There's no doubt about it: I have baby-fine hair, and there are days when I get so frustrated I want to grab the nearest razor and shear myself like a sheep. (I have successfully stopped myself doing this several times with the knowledge that by the time I have even chin-length hair again, I will be in a retirement home and will be lucky to have hair at all, if my dad's genetics are anything to go by.)
Complaints aside, though, fine hair is gorgeous if properly taken care of. It has been considered in the past a mark of great beauty to have very fine, fair hair and I think today, fine-haired ladies are done a great disservice by people who advise us to just chop it off and make the best of it. The trick to having elegant, envy-inspiring fine hair is keeping it healthy, and today I want to take a few minutes and go over the basics of hair health.
Raise your right hand and repeat after me: I will minimise the messing about I do with my hair. That means heat treatments, colouring, and any chemical alterations to the protein structure (perms, straightening treatments, etc.) High heat, bleaching, and chemicals in general are incredibly damaging to your hair, so unplug that iron and put away the hairspray. The more you damage your hair, the more it will break, and the more breakage you have, the finer your hair looks. It's best to embrace your natural texture and colour, at least for a while, to let your hair recover.
If you absolutely must blow-dry, straighten, or curl those tresses, use a heat protectant. Find a good spray, lotion, or oil (for those whose hair is not naturally greasy) that says some version of "high heat protection" and use it liberally every time you use heat on your hair. It will slow the progress of split ends and afford you more time between trims. Moroccan argan oil is especially great for this. Heat protection is especially important for those trying to grow their hair! (Editors' note: there are plenty of ways to curl and straighten hair without heat. They'll be posted on a #HairstyleSaturday coming soon!)
Try to look for a shampoo and conditioner that are sulfate-free. All-natural is the absolute best you can do for your hair. Shampoos with biotin or wheat proteins will help hair look thicker, but anything natural is nourishing. Stay as far away from harsh chemicals as you possibly can.
While we're discussing showers, wash your hair with cold water. You don't have to use cold water the whole time, but when you rinse and condition your hair, make the water as cold as you can handle. Hot water makes your hair even more fragile than it already is, cuts down on shine, and can be damaging over time, while cold water seals the follicle and gives wet hair a little added strength. Hair is at its most fragile when it's wet, so after a shower, treat combing your hair like open-heart surgery. I try to avoid combing my wet hair at all costs, but if you must do it, make aquaintances with a wide-toothed comb post-haste. The less hair you lose, the better for your style.
For those with greasy hair, this advice is daunting, but only shampoo your hair every other day. Too-frequent shampooing can strip hair of its natural oils and eventually dry it out, making it more prone to breakage. Once your hair gets in the rhythm of an every-other-day shampoo regimen, it should start to look less oily between washes. Try it. I dare you. (Another upside to this is that second-day hair makes the updos we post every Saturday both easier to do and prettier, with more texture.)
However, you must condition every day, and when you do, leave conditioner in for at least three minutes in the shower before rinsing it out. This is a commandment from on high. Leaving your conditioner in and giving it time to soak into your hair allows for maximum moisture, which is a Thing You Want. (Moisture helps prevent all that breakage we've been talking about.)
My final Word of Wisdom this Thursday is really generic and good for pretty much every complaint you have about your body: eat properly and drink lots of water. Your hair is protein, right? And we know from high school biology that proteins are made up of amino acids, which are found in our diets. Eating a proper diet gives your body the raw materials it needs to grow longer, thicker, and healthier hair. Things like dark leafy greens, fish, beans, and meat proteins are especially good. Remember, 6-8 glasses of water a day will cure pretty much whatever ails you. Now, go free, drink water, and be fabulous!
Caleigh is a writer, editor, and blogger who spends way too much time playing with her hair. Follow her on Twitter @CaleighCross!
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