Thin or thick hair? We often tend to think that frizzy hair, which looks voluminous, is thick in nature.
In reality, they are most often thin. It may seem surprising, but Asian hair has a much thicker diameter than European hair.
Even if these are generalities, remember that each hair is unique.
A fine hair being more fragile than a thick hair, requires a particular attention in order to avoid any breakage.
But how do we know the thickness of our hair?
I explain everything in detail with a simple trick to determine the thickness of your hair.
Thin or thick hair: All about hair thickness
For starters, the scalp is made up of many hair follicles .
These look like tiny pockets in which hair grows.
Similarly, the thickness and texture of the hair depends on the size (diameter) and shape of these follicles.
In other words, it is the size of these follicles that determines whether your hair is thick or thin in nature.
Large follicles produce thick strands, while small follicles produce thin strands.
Quite simply !
Another important point, the amount of follicles present on the scalp determines the actual number of hairs crowning your head.
Very dense hair is usually associated with thick hair, while sparse hair is the result of thin hair.
On average, our head has about 100,000 follicles .
But be careful, do not confuse thickness and density. Density refers to the number of hairs present on the scalp, while thickness refers to the diameter of a hair.
Note that your scalp may have multiple layers of hair . There are 3 of them.
Thick hair
Thick hair is easily spotted, even when placed on a surface of the same color. Rolled between the fingers, the hair seems big and thick and you can almost hear it.
Thick hair is strong and very rich in protein. They do not require daily protein care. An excess of protein can therefore make the hair porous and brittle.
If your hair is thick and damaged, you can do a protein treatment occasionally.
The advantage of this capillary nature is the fact of being able to use “heavy” products: styling creams, butter, vegetable oils… In moderation of course.
Fine hair
Fine hair is almost translucent if viewed in the light: it is difficult to spot on a surface more than 1 meter away, even if this surface contrasts with the color of the hair.
To the touch, its texture is similar to a silk thread, which can sometimes be difficult to feel.
Unlike thick hair, fine hair is low in protein. They therefore require regular care.
Their nature tends to stretch faster. They are therefore fragile and easily damaged.
Fine hair must be handled gently and requires the use of light products: gels, styling milks.
It is best to apply products in low doses to avoid weighing hair down.
Medium hair
Medium hair, on the other hand, would rather be a mixture of the two types mentioned above.
A medium hair is similar to a cotton thread once rolled between the fingers: it is neither coarse nor rough.
It is fairly easy to spot, on a pillow for example.
This means that this type of hair is quite strong, without being as resistant as thick hair. On the protein side, you can test the treatments that best suit your hair type.
Use the hair products that interest you and see how your hair reacts. It will be necessary to adapt if necessary.
How do you know if you have fine or thick hair?
A simple technique to determine hair thickness is to compare it with a piece of sewing thread . The steps are simple:
- Take one of your hair.
- Fix the two ends of the thread on your thumb and index finger.
- Pull the thread tight.
- Do the same on the other hand with the strand of hair.
- Then bring your two hands together to compare them.
That’s all !
If your hair strand looks similar to sewing thread, you have medium diameter hair.
If your hair strand is wider than the strand, then you have thick hair. If it seems smaller than the sewing thread, your hair is thin.
Another simple technique is to measure the resistance of the hair.
If the hair breaks very easily, it is fine. A break with a little more difficulty means the hair is medium. If you struggle to break it, the hair is thick.
Do you know your hair type? If not, discover my dedicated article on this subject by clicking here.
Can fine hair be thickened?
A question often enough asked. There are solutions that are useful for people with fine hair.
You can first try black castor oil in your deep care , without forgetting to massage the scalp.
A quick reminder: fine hair is low in protein.
For this, add a few drops of hydrolyzed silk protein to your moisturizing milk.
As the proteins spread over the hair fiber, the hair will appear thicker.
As I mentioned earlier in the article, this type of hair is particularly prone to breakage.
- No brutal disentangling!
Avoid pulling your hair too much to avoid unnecessary hair loss.
- Consult a specialist if necessary
If you find that your hair has thinned (dull for example), consider consulting to make sure you are not suffering from a nutritional deficiency or previous hair trauma.
If your hair was naturally thick, you may have a vitamin deficiency. A course of B vitamins is recommended to promote hair growth.
- Limit the heat
Minimize hairstyles with heat.
When using a heater, be sure to use heat protectants that are silicone-free and contain natural oils.
Example: Kérastase thermal protectors
Thin or thick hair: 7 tips to gain volume
The spiral shape of curly, frizzy, and frizzy hair naturally makes it look fuller because our natural hair tends to grow upwards and outwards .
However, the density of your hair also plays a role in how much volume your hair can create. Indeed, our hair follicles are tight against each other on the scalp.
A person with low density or fine hair cannot get as much volume as a person with dense and thick hair.
Despite the fact that you can’t change the diameter of the hair fiber, creating more volume in your natural hair is quite achievable.
Here’s how to get more volume in your natural hair:
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Pineapple hair tie
This simple trick works wonders for creating fuller natural hair. After applying your styling products, simply tie your hair up in a bun or pineapple and let it dry. Since your locks are stretched, it helps lengthen the curl pattern and reduce shrinkage.
If you missed my article about shrinkage, you can find it by clicking here .
Let’s get back to the subject. Once your hair is almost dry, loosen your hair, shake out and style as desired. You get fuller hair that falls into place naturally.
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Stretch the hair
Another way to get more volume in your natural hair is to stretch it. You can try one of the most popular hairstyles by clicking here: the twist out.
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Lift the roots
A simple technique that involves using a wide-toothed hair comb .
Once your hair is dry, gently grasp the roots and use your comb to lift the roots.
Style as desired, using your comb all over the hair.
Be careful not to comb over the entire length of the strands, as this can create frizz.
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Use a diffuser
Many women have achieved more volume with their hairstyles by using a diffuser. Not only does this speed up the drying process, but it can also create voluminous hair faster.
As you dry hair with your diffuser, one way to create more volume is to flip your hair over and dry the parts closest to the scalp.
Another method is to gently stretch your hair and then apply the diffuser to reduce shrinkage.
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Use light products
Using a product that is too heavy or too much can lead to excess product, which can weigh hair down.
And of course, it can also create less volume and even finer hair. So if you’re trying to achieve a more voluminous look, go for lightweight products and avoid layering too many products at once.
If the hairstyle you are looking for requires multiple products, allow them to air dry so the product can be fully absorbed.
Sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil are great choices for sealing in moisture without weighing hair down.
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Use volumizing products
If you think you’ve tried everything and nothing works for you, you can consider volumizing hair products.
There are hair products, including shampoos and leave-in products, that can give the appearance of thicker hair. Also, for people with thin hair, these products may provide more benefits.
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Style hair differently
A last simple solution to have more volume is to part your hair differently. Flipping different layers of your hair to the other side can give the impression of fuller hair.
So you can also style your hair differently to create more volume.
The final word
Finally, keep in mind that each type of hair needs to be treated differently. As I was able to tell you at the beginning of the article, frizzy hair can appear thick in appearance.
The easiest way to know the thickness of your hair is to compare a strand of hair with a sewing thread. Like what, no need for specific equipment or consultation to determine yourself. A sewing thread, your fingers, and that’s it!
Regardless of the nature of your hair, I strongly advise you to favor natural care in order to nourish it deeply without weighing it down.
Thus, you preserve the health of your hair while keeping it silky and shiny. Do not hesitate to write in comment tips to take care of our hair.
And you ? How thick is your hair?
