Fine Hair vs. Thin Hair: Understanding the Differences

Have you ever wondered whether or not you have fine or thin hair? Perhaps you didn’t know there was a difference between the two. However, as hair experts, we are here to tell you that knowing the main differences between fine and thin hair can help you better take care of or treat hair. And if you’re a hairstylist, you may be asked by clients to determine whether their hair is fine or thin. Knowing the main characteristics of thin and fine hair can also help you better understand how to treat hair when performing a color or a cut on a client.

Fine and thin hair often get confused for being the same thing because they can both be attributed to feeling like you have less hair than those with thick or coarse hair. However, both of these hair types and textures are different.

Whether you want to understand the differences to get to know your hair better or you want to help your clients as a hairstylist, this article will walk you through the main differences between thin and fine hair. We will also share expert advice about which professional hair care products to use and tips on caring for fine and thin hair.

What Is Fine Hair?

Fine hair is a type of hair texture, which usually describes the width and circumference of each hair strand. For those with fine hair, each strand is usually small in diameter and much thinner than other hair textures. If you have fine hair, you probably notice that your hair may not hold or have much volume.

What Is Thin Hair?

While fine hair speaks to the density of each hair strand, the thickness of hair speaks to how much hair is on your head. If you have thin hair, you will have less hair on your head overall. You may notice that you can see your scalp through your hair or spots of your scalp where hair isn’t growing.

Does Hair Thin or Fine with Age?

Another reason why thin and fine hair may be confused with one another often is that as someone ages, their hair can thin out and become finer. Studies show that hair follicles actually become finer and lose pigment as a person ages. Hair can thin out and stop growing in certain places with maturing as well. These changes can occur simultaneously or one at a time, but it’s inevitable that both men and women will experience hair thinning and hair follicles becoming finer with time.

How Do I Know Whether I Have Fine or Thin Hair?

To figure out whether or not you have fine or thin hair, you can visit your go-to hairstylist for expert advice, or there are steps you can take at home to determine your hair texture better.

• Pluck a Strand of Hair – It will be helpful to define your hair texture and thickness with a strand of hair.
• Analyze Your Strand – Place your strand on a dark background if you have light hair and a light background if you have dark hair. Take notes on the appearance of your hair. Is it thin? Is it transparent? Is it straight, curly or wavy? You can also compare your strand to objects like thread to see how it stacks up.
• Look at Your Scalp – One way to tell if you have thin hair is if you can see your scalp through your hair. If you can’t see your scalp through your hair, you probably don’t have thin hair.
• How Your Hair Responds to Products – When you’re using professional hair styling products, how does your hair respond? Does your hair get weighed down by excess products like deep conditioners or hairspray? If so, this may be a sign that you have fine hair.

How to Care for Thin and Fine Hair

If you want more volume and healthier feeling hair, here are some routines we love for thin and fine hair.

• Avoid washing hair with hot water.
• Only apply conditioner to the ends of the hair to avoid an oily scalp.
• Use root spray to cover areas where hair loss or thinning has occurred.
• Use restorative and repairing serums for fine hair.
• Use hair products sparingly when styling so you don’t weigh the hair down.

Hair comes in all different textures and styles. If you have thin or fine hair, we hope this article showed you how to identify and care for it properly.