For many of us, when we go natural, one of the things we aim for is THICK hair! The appearance of thick hair has become the sign of healthy hair in the curly, natural community. I know that this was my number one aim when I stopped relaxing my hair. But if you’ve ever had the pleasure of touching other natural’s hair you’ll discover that appearances aren’t everything. Hair that looks “thick” can actually be a combination of high density, fine hair strands.
As someone who has always had the appearance of thick hair (apart from my relaxed years), I can tell you that taking care of my hair has not always been easy! I remember being about 5 or 6 years old, standing in the bathtub SCREAMING my head off as my mom attempted to detangle my mane of thick curly hair and my dad stood by the bathroom door wondering how a little child could scream so loud!
But despite having “thick” hair, you still have to treat your curls with some tender love and care. ‘Thick’ usually refers to the volume of hair on your head (how many hair strands per square inch of your scalp), meaning that your hair has a high density. Despite having lots of hair strands, your individual strands might be quite thin and fine so your hair is still fragile and prone to damage. That’s exactly how my hair is – high density but fine strands.
Here are some tips for taking care of natural hair with high density but fine strands:
Deep Condition – Deep conditioning is so important! It adds moisture and softens the hair. This also makes your high density, fine strands easier to look after because the hair becomes more manageable.
Do Stretched Styles – Doing a wash and go on very high density, fine hair can be stressful! This is because wash and go’s are more prone to tangling. If you do a braidout, twistout, bantu knot out etc., your fine hair strands are less likely to get tangled, making wash day a lot easier.
Experiment with Thicker Leave In Conditioners and Creams – As your hair gets healthier, you may need thicker moisturizers. I’m sorry to say that your light leave ins of the old days may not cut it! You probably need to use them in conjunction with something else. Again, if your hair is moisturized, it’s a lot more manageable.
Use Thicker Sealants – In the same vein as the previous point, you probably need to use a thicker sealant, ESPECIALLY in the winter months. A thicker sealant will slow down the speed at which moisture evaporates from your hair. For example, you can try shea butter or olive oil instead of lighter oils like Jojoba.
Detangle Gently – If you try to haphazardly rip through your hair with your comb, it’ll take the power of God to stop you shaving it off! That’s because it’ll hurt like crazy AND you’ll probably rip half of your hair out. Section your hair, apply lots of conditioner with great slip and detangle gently from the tip to the root. I found that as my hair got healthier, finger detangling was the way to go. But if you don’t want to do that, use a wide tooth comb.
Protective Styling – Try protective styles more often to preserve your fine hair strands and prevent tangling. There are many beautiful styles out there for us natural girls. These styles will keep your hair healthy, moisturized and will be perfect for those days when you’re just too busy to do your hair.
Remember to embrace your high density, fine beautiful hair. And if you look after it properly, it won’t be as difficult as you think!
Photo Credit: Mel of Rock Yo Rizos taken by Malek Naz Photography
Thank you!!!
Yes!!!! Thank you thank you!!! I’ve been skipping the deep conditioning! Shame on me! I finally learned my hair is like yours, super dense with fine strands and I’m on a journey to waist length hair.
The only thing I’ve been missing is deep conditioning so I finally picked a deep conditioner and will be trying it out to see if weekly deep conditioning is the answer to my hair problem!
Hey! Yes, deep condition is super important. I try and do it at least every 2-3 weeks! I’m glad this article was helpful for you :)
Hi there! My daughter is 6 and your description of yourself matches our experience to a T!! I have really struggled to learn her hair as she is biracial and I am new to the curly life, with my stick straight hair. Do you have any recommendations for products- deep conditioners, styling products, etc. Thanks in advance!
They get me.
This is so true! Yesterday, I went to my first Caucasian stylist who told me how fine my hair was. I had no idea. I’ve gone to many Black stylist who treated my hair like a ping pong. She took her time, and did not hurt me. Isn’t that something?