How to Care for Fine Hair to Retain Length

Last updated on October 29th, 2024 at 10:32 am

Continuing with sharing tips to maintain length on fine natural hair, now we are going to talk about the actual care of your fine tresses. You can read part 1 here. Picking up with the tips…

Wash Hair in 6 Sections

For my hair at the length it’s at now, I’m finding 4 sections is not enough. The crown tends to be a bit more stubborn and requires much more gentle handling. You may find that your crown is the same. I’ve read a lot of ladies complain about their crown area.

On wash day and while applying my pre-poo (another good thing to protect your strands), I section my hair in 6. This way I have the front, middle and back sectioned off. I can attend to washing and conditioning each section more easily and finger detangling (yet another great thing for fine hair) is easier as well. I noticed that I was able to wash my hair much faster in 6 sections vs. 2 or 4. Faster = easier = less manipulation.

Protein, Protein, Protein!

You always read/hear about the importance of moisturizing natural hair. That’s important, no doubt. A dry head of hair will snap, crackle and pop. Moisture is critical. I get it.

BUT, protein. So many ladies have said they have “protein sensitive” hair. I’m sorry ladies but I don’t agree there is such a thing. I believe the amount and type of protein should vary by individual head. For us fine hair curlies, a regular regimen of protein is critical.

Protein not only adds “weight” to our strands over time. It helps to curtail breakage. Since our hair is made predominantly of protein, it makes sense. I use protein in my hair regimen weekly. I alternative the protein I use between Aubrey Organics GPB (Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner) and a tweaked version of my friend Shelli’s goat’s milk conditioner recipe. I’ve found my happy protein spot! I experience very little breakage between and on wash days. That’s because my hair is stronger thanks to the protein.

Back to the topic of moisture though; after any protein treatment you need to follow it with a moisturizing deep conditioner to balance out that protein application. The only exception I have found is with the use of Aubrey Organics GPB. This product balances your moisture and your protein. ♥.

Seal Your ends daily

Since fine hair is lighter in weight, it’s also much easier to split in two…or three…or four. Sealing your ends with a thick product like Jamaican Black Castor Oil or Shea Butter will help keep those ends fused together. Sealing my ends has made a huge impact on how much length I retain.

Tedious though it may seem, sealing your ends on a daily basis will fight splitting and single strand knots. This is one of your best defenses against breakage. Fine hair may weigh down with heavy oils so avoid using a heavy sealant on the entire hair shaft. That’s why we focus on the ends. Plus, as you’ve undoubtedly heard…the ends are the oldest part of the hair. As a matter of factl, seal slightly up above the end. That hair is old too 🙂

Trim Individual Hairs by Feel

Last of all, we all know the importance of trimming hair. While it doesn’t impact the growth of your hair, having healthy ends will keep your hair from looking raggedy and worn.

It’s a good idea to get a professional trim at least once a year but in the interim (maybe more if you regularly heat style), you can maintain your length by only trimming off visible damage. In the case of a fine hair lady, “seeing” the damage is a bit of a challenge so going by how your hair feels can help you hone in on damaged strands.

Since the idea is to retain length, you don’t want to chop off perfectly healthy hair. Therefore, trimming individual strands is helpful for retaining length. On wash day, I feel my ends for little balls (not knots). I figured out these were splits forming after snipping one off and holding it under a microscope LOL (that’s the life of a true fine hair gal!). Sure enough it wasn’t a single strand knot. It was a split. Clipping just the individual hairs in this condition helps with retaining length. Over time, the hair is a bit less even but when you wear your hair in it’s curly state most of the time, who cares about even?