Today I have the fabulous Kirsten of Kirsten & Co to share how she styles her fine curly hair. My hair is very thick so I loved hearing how she styles her fine hair. Check out her step-by-step curls style guide and here she gives us her top tips for styling fine curly hair.
I don’t know about you, but my fine curly hair is what can only be described as High Maintenance. It takes ages to air dry into a relatively frizz free curl and once it is dry it can’t be touched or the curl will be destroyed!
However, recently I’ve developed a quick and easy routine that takes me no longer than 5 minutes to do and results in well formed, almost frizz free curls.
Here are my top tips for how to style fine, curly hair:
1. Start with a good haircut.
Despite my hair looking quite thick, it’s actually very fine, there’s just a lot of it. As a result, my fine locks struggle to maintain any volume, so layering is a must! If you have fine curly hair and it’s currently all one length, ask your hairdresser to create a few layers through it. You’ll be amazed at the body and bounce it will give your hair!
2. Moisture is a curly haired girls (and guys) best friend!
Every morning I have the same routine. I wash my hair, gently towel dry it, brush it using a Tangle Teezer, apply a lightweight mousse (Redken Full Effect is my favourite) and then I make sure my hair is almost dripping wet before I start styling it.
Locking in such a high level of moisture results helps to combat the frizz and while it does take a while to dry, the end result will be a perfectly formed curl, so it’s definitely worth the wait!
3. Avoid the scrunch.
Scrunching fine curly hair when it’s wet is not something I recommend as it will mess up your gorgeous curls and result in a very high frizz factor. Instead, I use a sturdy wide tooth comb to style my hair into how I’d like it to sit once it’s dry and then wait patiently for it to dry. If volume is required, I make sure my fingers are spread apart like a claw and very gently push my hair up.
4. Be patient.
Air drying fine curly hair is the key to ensuring the frizz factor is low. It takes time (about an hour for me), shouldn’t be touched at all during this step and if you live in a humid area, drying your hair with the air conditioning turned on will definitely help combat the frizz!
Once it’s dry, simply loosen the curls up a bit with your claw hand (see step 3) and very light scrunching (only if needed), work a little volume powder through the roots (Schwarzkopf Volume Powder is ideal), give your hair a spray of hair spray to lock in the curls and you’re good to go!
Do you have fine curly hair too? How do you style it?
You can find more of my curly hair tutorials here.
My problem is keeping my hair fresh from one day to the next. My hair is fine, thin, curly and gray. Most products weigh my hair down the day after I’ve gotten the style I like after shampooing. I only shampoo once or twice a week. L
I have quite fine curly hair with 3B curls and struggle also to find the right method to dry my curls without them turning into a separated mess. Air drying from sopping wet is the best way for my curls to stay curled. But in a country with very cold long winters the air-drying method means I can’t leave the house for 4-5 hours until my hair is dry, which is totally unachievable. Then if I put anything like a diffuser near my hair it it fluffs out the curl and I get ‘stringy fluff’ rather than defined ringlets (which I’d get if I air-dried). Sleeping with a pineapple plop also ruins the curls (though my hair is usually too short to that to anyway as with fine curly hair it’s best not to have a style that is too long as it drags the curls down and they end up looking limp). This see-saw of challenges has made me go from optimistic growing to drastic chops every two to four years:( I’m in the new stage of optmism for growing and am nose length now. I just want to know if anyone has found a solution to the drying and then the maintaining of the ‘definition of the curl’, for very fine curly hair.
My daughter (4yr old) has similar curls except from the root until her ears start is fairly straight. Is there something we should do to bring out curled on the top or is her hair just not curly there?
Hi Kirsten,
I will often use my hairdryer (w/diffuser) to help speed up my drying process, but will at times have to deal with too much frizz when I do this.
Do you have any suggestions re products to help combat the frizz issue?
I try not to move the diffuser too much as I dry, as more friction = frizz. Sometimes a gel spray in really wet hair can help to set curls and stop frizz from forming. Then once your hair dries, use a tshirt to scrunch out any crunch from the gel – more tips here https://www.hairromance.com/2016/11/sotc-scrunch-out-the-crunch-curly-hair.html xx
Hi Kirsten,
I love what you’ve shown re your tutorials. I, too, have fine, very curly hair. I think you’re spot on re styling, etc., but the one issue I have is the ‘dry time.’ My hair can literally take 4 to 5 hours to dry! I would LOVE it if it only took around an hour to air dry.
I know to make sure my hair is sopping wet before I apply product (right before styling), but at the same time, when I do this, my hair takes FOREVER to dry.
Any solutions to this? Anyone? I simply don’t have the time to spend 5 hours per day drying my hair! To be sure, my hair looks terrific when it’s been air dried, but I just can’t spend that much time waiting for it to dry.
Thanks.
-Kim
Hi Kim, I speed up my dry time using a diffuser on my hairdryer. Turning up the heater in your car helps too. I also make sure t squeeze out as much water as I can with a tshirt or microfibre towel xx
Plopping your hair in cotton T-shirt while
Scrunching out the exces water and waiting ten
To fifteen minutes and diffuse on high with
Lowest heat setting works great and eliminates
The frizz and Shea moisture leave in conditioner
Is amazing for fine curly and it helps keep the
Tangled under control and frizz, I have fine curly
Hair and this works great, I’m starting to
Really love my curls. The definition of my curls
Rock.
I definitely love this article, my hair is pretty much identical wave pattern and all.
i’m going to try this at home today
Thankyou!!!
thanks Jes! xx
1 hour to dry???? Try using a stand up house fan on high. Dries mine in 15-20 mins, usually while i do my makeup plus the cool air is better than a hot hair dryer.
I loved your advice to be patient. Many people just get their hair done and expect it to look perfect immediately. That is just not out how it works. It takes time and patience. If you rush the process, you probably won’t get the desired effect. What kind of hair style would you say is the hardest that you’ve done? http://www.escapehairsalonak.com
Thanks Jordan, I think the first time you try any style is hard. Waterfall braids took a time for me to master, as did the high crown braid. Now I would say it’s one of the easiest styles for me. Patience and practice are key 🙂
I seriously love Hair Romance!! You do such a great job with the tutorials and I loved this one, too. I have very fine hair and I have difficulties styling it myself. Would it be possible for you to post more tutorials for thin or fine hair?
Thanks so much Amy 🙂 That makes my day! I am definitely trying to cover more hair types and am getting my friends to lend me their hair xx
Thank you Kirsten & Co for the tutorial. Is it possible for Hair Romance to do a few styles on your hair next time you collaborate? My hair is just like yours and a few styles/ideas will be e helpful.
Curly RULE!
Gen T
Great idea! We live in different states but next time we catch up we’ll do it 🙂
I love seeing how folks style their curly hair! Your curls are awesome, Kirsten!! My hair is fine as well and it can get limp and stringy very easily. I have struggled to find a routine that gives me volume and good curl formation, but must second Kirsten’s suggestion of adding layers. Layers have made a HUGE difference in my hair – I was seriously layer-phobic and put it off for years before letting my hair dresser add some.
While I tend to product-hop trying to find the holy grail for my curls, my current routine has left me loving my curls more than any other. I use L’Oreal’s EverPure shampoo and conditioner – the curly line shampoo and the volume line conditioner. For styling, I use Not Your Mother’s Sea Salt Spray and Pantene’s voluminzing spray gel. The sea salt spray is probably the BEST curly product I have ever used for boosting my curl formation. Recently, I switched from mousse to spray gel to get better hold.
I am a scruncher, though…I need to try Kirsten’s no-scrunch technique to see what it will do for my curls!
Thanks for continuing to share the curly love!
–Jessica
Thanks Jessica! and thanks for sharing your product tips too xx
Layers are key! Loving the sound of your product recommendations too x
So glad the Sea Salt spray worked for someone else. It left my hair so dry I had to throw it out. I couldn’t even fix it with a deep conditioner.
As for my fine, long curls I use herbal essences totally twisted creme mixed with suave curly gel. Now, I’ve only used it twice, so it could be one of those “we’ll only work for a month and you’re outta luck” things, but it works right now. I’ve also started plopping with a tshirt and it works, too. It seems to be more curly than if I let it air dry. I really want to try the EverCurl shampoo and conditioner, but I need to finish the arsenal I have in the shower now…. haha
Thanks for sharing your tips Kiley! I agree with the t-shirt as this has made a huge difference to my hair too 🙂
I love your curls Kirsten! I have curly wavy hair when it’s not straightened and it’s very thick.
I would love to see your hair wavy Bec! I bet it looks beautiful x
Thank you so much for having me on your gorgeous blog! x