A few easy tips to manage your mane.
We regularly get requests from our readers and customers for an imaginary shampoo that would thin down thick hair. Whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly, or frizzy, this is a concern many of you have expressed. While such shampoos may still be completely out of the realm of what is achievable, this article will help you understand why certain types of hair are thick, and how we sometimes make things worse with counterproductive habits.
What causes thick hair?
Let’s start with a pleasant reminder: a head full of hair is generally a sign of good health. The state of your hair is closely linked to your diet, overall fitness, and genes. Your genetic makeup determines the amount of hair you have, the size of each individual hair, as well as their shape.
The average number of hair follicles on a human head is anywhere between 100,000 and 150,000, i.e. an average of 200 to 300 hairs per square centimetre. The diameter of each of these hairs varies from 0.04 to 0.1 mm depending on the person. A high number of hairs per square centimetre or individually broad hairs can be enough to give the impression of a thick head of hair. In some situations, both combine for the most impressive of manes. This also explains how some men have hair that is both straight and thick.
As far as wavy, curly, and frizzy hair types are concerned, these naturally take up more place on the head due to their coily nature. This shape also prevents the sebum — which is produced on the scalp — from doing its protective work. These hair types therefore tend to be drier, and the drier they get, the higher the risk of them looking like a stack of unruly hay. Humidity should also be factored in, as hair fibres absorb water molecules, and curl up upon doing so. For straight hair, this will result in a slight waviness, while curly hair will frizz up and swell, becoming thicker than it already is. Thankfully, there are a few good habits you can pick up that will help tame your thick hair.
Use nourishing shampoo, but use it less often
Washing your hair is always followed by a tough battle between frizziness and discipline, so you might as well go through it less often if you can. Instead of washing your hair on a daily basis, only do it once or twice a week. Switching to sulfate-free shampoos can also be helpful, as these aggressive surfactants tend to dry the hair out and weaken it. The hair becomes porous as a consequence, and swells even more. A gentle shampoo should solve this problem. Rinsing your hair with cold water will further help by closing the hair’s scales, and therefore reduce the overall volume of the hair. Finishing off with a nourishing conditioner that will tighten your hair, eliminate potential frizzes, and hence make your hair thinner and easier to style.
Better drying
The hair drying stage is also crucial, as using the wrong technique could lead to unwanted frizzing. For example, the hot air blown out by the hair dryer creates swelling, which you can avoid by using a towel. Even better, invest in a microfibre towel. It absorbs humidity better, and will dry much faster once you’re done using it.
Using the right tools and products to style your hair
After washing their hair, some men pop on a beanie to flatten it out. This is a helpful tip, which will enable you to go on with the rest of your morning routine before you style your hair. If you haven’t washed your hair, but need for it to be wet to style it, a water vaporiser will come in handy. A styling cream will help tame your hair while you style it with a comb or your fingers. Be careful, plastic brushes and combs often create static electricity, which will lead to frizzing. Needless to say, they are definitely not recommended for use on thick hair.
A hairdresser to thin your hair
As we mentioned earlier, thinning shampoos don’t exist (yet). The next best thing is getting your hairdresser to thin down your hair with thinning or texture shears. These scissors are specifically designed to remove weight from your hair without affecting its length. Getting your hair thinned by a professional will require a visit to your local barbershop every six weeks or so. While you’re there, you can also try a smoothing keratin treatment that will unify your hair texture, make it weatherproof, and eliminate frizz. Just remember to get the treatment done on a monthly basis.
You see, taming thick hair only requires a few simple adjustments to your routine: wash your hair less often, remember to use nourishing conditioner to it tighten it up, dry it with a microfibre towel, and do all styling with your fingers or a (non-plastic) comb and cream pomade. Easy peasy!
