"I’ve been aware of my fine hair for about as long as I’ve been able to dress myself (for someone who’s always been into fashion, that’s a long time.) Back then, it meant that my french braids never looked quite as full as my classmates’. Today—still in the throes of comparison—it means that I’m constantly reassessing my hair routine and willing my thin hair to course-correct itself. Thankfully, over the years, I’ve managed to master a foolproof routine that makes my hair something I’m not self-conscious about—which for me, is really saying something.
Thanks to far too many bleach and tones in my early 20s, the state of my already-fine strands had my hairdresser concerned a few short years ago. The damage forced me to commit to a years-long journey to regrowth, and after many months (and even more trial and error), I can officially say that my hair routine keeps my fine hair looking voluminous, healthy, and happy.
Keep reading for my tried-and-true tips to making my fine strands look fuller.
1. Brush Your Hair Regularly
This may sound obvious, but regular brushing is a vital part of maintaining healthy hair. In my usual stayed-up-way-too-late state of exhaustion, I used to remove my claw clip (a given at the end of a long day) and jump into bed without giving my hair a brush-through first. What I failed to realize was that by skipping this, not only was I failing to remove the day’s tangles, but I was also missing out on the opportunity to distribute my hair’s natural oils throughout the lengths of my strands. Now, I make sure to thoroughly brush my hair out both morning and night.
2. Invest in a Scalp Massager
After admitting that I was too lazy to brush my hair at night, it should come as no surprise that it took me a while to come around to the idea of using a scalp massager. What I once saw as “another thing to buy” has proven to be a top contender in my beauty routine. This tool exfoliates and massages the scalp to stimulate blood flow, remove build-up, and support healthy scalp care. And did I mention it feels amazing?
3. Try a Clarifying Shampoo
Until I embarked on my regrowth journey, I was never one to read the fine print on my shampoo bottle. Selecting the right shampoo—a beauty product we’ve been exposed to since birth—became an afterthought as I moved into adulthood due to the assumption that all shampoos were made equal. My hairdresser (a real one) was the one to point out that it was probably time to try something new—more specifically, a clarifying shampoo. Just recently, I picked up Ouai’s Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and it’s totally changed the game for my dry, flakey scalp.
4. Utilize a Hair Oil
Before this year, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bottle of hair oil in my medicine cabinet. In my mind, that was reserved for my course, curly haired friends—definitely not me and my fine, straight locks. Then I stumbled upon Fable & Mane’s HoliRoots Pre-Wash Treatment Oil, whose plant-root blend formula promises strengthening and anti-breakage results designed for thin hair. One to two drops directly on my scalp each week has left my hair feeling fuller and healthier than ever.
5. Avoid Over-Shampooing
As a certified fine-hair gal, it takes some serious willpower to resist shampooing every day. If you, like me, are guilty of over-shampooing—a seemingly well-intentioned step to correcting grease-prone locks—you could actually be causing more harm than good. Washing daily can lead to stripping your scalp of its natural oils, furthering the propensity for dull and lifeless hair. Shampooing 2-3 times per week has drastically improved my hair over time.
6. Opt For a Less Harmful Blowout
While I’d love to be able to afford a Dyson Airwrap (whose primary benefit is to style hair with less heat), I’m not yet in a position to make the investment. Instead, I’ve been styling my hair with the Mane Hot Thermal Round Brush, and for under $100, I’ve been super pleased with the blowout-like results. Mane’s version is user-friendly and only has one temperature setting to limit further damage caused by routine heat exposure. When used on dry hair, it delivers root volume and an all-day blowout.
7. Schedule Frequent Cuts
I get it, hair cuts are expensive nowadays, but however pricey the cost of a routine cut may be, it’s played a large part in my regrowth journey while improving the health of my hair. The scraggly ends that I’d let take shape for a solid 6-9 months are now routinely cut every three months or so, and I’ve found the blunt ends to give the illusion of fuller-looking hair.
8. Make the Return to Mousse
In my youth, the quantity of mousse I used was criminal. After the solid decade it took me to habituate to life without scrunched hair (IYKYK), I felt the pull to give it another go. Today, I stand before you as a born-again mousse patron. With a quick pump from root to tip, my otherwise lifeless hair literally stands the test with sky-high volume. BRB—going back for the other bottles on the shelf.
9. Go Natural
What started out as a few blonde highlights in my teens eventually turned into a six-year commitment to bleach blonde hair. I couldn’t see it at the time (probably from all the bleach), but my hair didn’t stand a chance it being healthy with how frequently I was coloring it. Though I still add a few highlights to my hair a couple of times a year, allowing my hair to return to a shade closer to its natural color has made a day-and-night difference.
10. Find the Right Dry Shampoo
As someone with grease-prone hair, I’ve been a long-time dry shampoo user (cue: memories of me with freshly baby powdered hair in the seventh grade). After testing dozens of different versions, I finally tried this one from Divi, and love that it eliminates excess oil without any pesky white cast, and gives my hair some much needed-volume. I give my roots a spritz of it every morning and get to leave the house with plumped-up strands that I didn’t know were possible for me.
Tinsley Crisp, Fashion & Beauty Staff Writer
Tinsley Crisp is a Fashion & Beauty Staff Writer at The Everygirl and specializes in reporting on the season’s latest trends and hottest products. As a New York City-based stylist, she’s committed to injecting joy into the art of getting dressed and delivering attainable yet aspirational content to our readers.