You may think of hair in terms of obvious comparisons, such as long vs. short or brown vs. blonde, but what about differentiating between fine hair vs. thin hair? While these terms may initially seem one and the same, that’s surprisingly not the case. We tapped Jose Ramón, Spanish L'Oréal Professionnel stylist, to clarify the distinctions between thin vs. fine hair to ensure you’re treating your hair type right. Keep scrolling for all the intel.
Fine Hair vs. Thin Hair: What’s the Difference?
The terms "fine" and "thin" hair are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually marked by different characteristics. “Thin hair refers to the overall density of the hair, and fine hair refers to the diameter of the individual strand of hair,” explains Ramón. Let’s explore each a bit more in-depth.
What is fine hair?
Fine hair means that the width of each hair strand is super slender. Typically, fine hair is a result of a narrow hair follicle (a trait usually pre-determined by genetics) that produces an equally narrow hair shaft. And, while fine hair is often delicate and lacks volume, it can still be dense and appear thicker if you have a lot of strands on your scalp. This brings us to our next point…
What is thin hair?
Thin hair refers to the number of strands you actually have per square inch on your scalp. Or, put more simply, how much hair you have on your head. Thin and fine hair aren’t mutually exclusive either; the texture of thin hair can be fine, medium, or coarse. Regardless of texture, however, thin hair generally appears more sparse.
Good hair day by @avastanleysocial.
How Do You Tell If You Have Fine Hair vs. Thin Hair?
A few tricks can help you determine whether you have fine vs. thin hair. The first is to look at the width of your hair strand and compare it to a piece of sewing thread. If your hair is smaller than the thread, chances are good your hair is fine. Examining your scalp is another way to differentiate between thin vs. fine hair. Those with thin hair often notice that their scalp is more visible through their hair and that their part line is wider. Lastly, how your hair feels and behaves can be tell-tale indicators, as fine hair often feels soft and silky and tends to slip out of hairstyles like ponytails.
Good hair day by @salonnaman.
How To Care for Fine and Thin Hair
Fine and thin hair have one thing in common: Both are usually flat and lack volume. Here are four haircare habits that can help your mane look full and vivacious.
Alternate your shampoos
A volumizing shampoo is key to plumping up your hair. However, a clarifying shampoo is also needed to help remove buildup that can weigh fine or thin hair down. For the former, we love Matrix High Amplify Shampoo to help boost the structure of limp hair and leave it with lasting volume. As for the latter, you can’t go wrong with Redken’s Hair Cleansing Cream Clarifying Shampoo to detoxify hair and eliminate impurities.
Pick up a strengthening treatment
Fine, thin hair can be weak and easily damaged. As a result, hair may require strengthening products to help minimize breakage. Among our favorite formulas is Biolage Professional Strength Recovery Strength Repairing Spray. This lightweight leave-in treatment, which is infused with vegan squalane, helps care for, strengthen, and protect sensitized hair.
Choose the right haircut
We always recommend letting a pro handle all of your haircutting needs, but we can’t stress it enough for those who have fine or thin hair. The wrong cut can remove too much length or weight from your mane, further emphasizing its flat look.
“When giving a fine haircut, I work the internal layers to get more support and body,” Ramón explains. Ghost layering, for example, is a great technique for adding volume to fine hair. These layers are sliced beneath the top section of hair at a sharp angle, which then “push out” the outer layer of hair so it appears fuller.
“When working with a thin haircut, I look for longer lengths in the layers and less distance between them,” Ramón explains. Unlike choppy layers, longer layers can help add subtle dimension to flat locks without removing any of that much-needed density.
If you’re in need of a new hairdresser to style your thin or fine hair, use our salon locator to book a consultation with a stylist in your area.
Good hair day by @_styledbyjillian_.
Switch your part
One of the simplest ways to add fullness to your hair sans new products or cuts is to change how you part it. For example, a deep side part can lift your hair at the roots to give the illusion of body. A jagged or zig-zag part, on the other hand, will cause the top layers of your hair to stand in different directions so it looks thicker.
Next Up: Flat Hair: Why It Happens and 22 Expert Tips That Will Add Volume
Header photo credits (left to right): @matrix, @styledbyjillian_ and @biolage
