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30 Comments

  1. Thank you so much <3 Huge help! Finally I got some proper advice for my fine curly hair. Was almost about to go back to my flat iron becauce all the product was to heavy formy hair. Now I can skip the cream and I think it will solve some of my problems. Thnx <3

  2. As a south asian woman with very fine curly hair, so much of this article resonates with me!
    I didn’t even think about the plopping one though as I frequently use a tshirt. I’m going to try just using it when it’s super damp and then putting my products in after that from now on.

    I also have an incredibly sensitive scalp which is why cowashing, not washing, and not clarifying curly girl methods make my head ACHE.

    Thank you for writing this!

  3. I love the idea of a clarifying shampoo but the one you recommended has rosemary and sage in it. I have allergies to both. Any other recommendations for those of us with sensitive skin?

  4. Hi, your information was so helpful! I have fine thin curly hair. Do you recommend a leave in conditioner?

    1. Gabriella says:

      It depends, is the honest answer. A leave in conditioner isn’t a necessary step in a styling routine, simply don’t rinse out all of your conditioner – to save money, product, plastic and packaging. But if you really want to use a leave in conditioner you can, you just need to be mindful of what one you use, how much you use and that you rinse out your conditioner fully before applying it.

  5. I like this article but it seems to assume that curly/coily hair cant be fine. You can have fine type 3 and type 4 hair. I’m mixed, my grandmothers hair was very fine and straight. My hair is type 4a and 3c. Most hair products marketed for curly/coily hair has never worked because my hair is fine and low porosity. The products usually just sit on my hair even when using a minimal amount. For curly/coily fine hair, pre-shampooing can be helpful but it just depends on what you use.

    1. Gabriella says:

      Hey, I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s absolutely not the case at all. I myself have fine type 3 curly hair. But the last thing Black or mixed race people need is another white girl telling them what to do with their hair. There are lots of amazing Black content creators in that space already. Anyone can have fine hair, and this post is tips for fine hair. x

  6. Hey! So I know plopping your hair is technically bad for fine hair, especially using a t-shirt or shower cap. However, does that apply to hair nets as well? I have one that’s literally just a big net, and it air dries for the most part. Would that be okay, or does it still cause issues?

    1. Curl Maven says:

      Hey there! Any kind of plopping, regardless of the material, is going to have the same effect on your hair.

  7. So for fine 2A wavy hair…
    Wash, condition, squeeze out excess water with hands.. then add the gel or foam and scrunch… then wait 10 mins to scrunch with microfibre towel..
    What about scrunching out the water with the towel 1st and then adding the product then air drying?

  8. Jessie Stephens says:

    I have fine 2b-2c with a couple 3a low density wavy/curly hair. I see so many girls put leave-in, mousse and gel in their hair and then brush through it to evenly distribute. However when I do that all I get is stringy curls. What am I to do?

    Thanks

    1. Curl Maven says:

      Hey there! You don’t have to brush your hair after applying products. You can use your hands, in the praying hands motion, to distribute products in your hair. You can also try using a wide tooth comb! Good Luck!

  9. So pleased to have read your article.Iam from Australia and having a terrible time with my hair. Separation from the back middle section and red hair going white. Not sure what to do as cut it short and keep colouring it which appears to make it thinner.or grow it as I wanted to and put a white colour over it.i certainly need help , my hairdresser keeps putting bright red through and lots of product to hold it in place.not loooking healthy or feeling good.

  10. Great article! Applying several tips! Thank you!!

    1. Curl Maven says:

      Thank you for your kind words and support!

  11. So excited to have found your posts — they’re super helpful! I have a dumb question: I see that you don’t recommend any kind of plopping for those with fine hair. So… if I’m taking a shower on wash day, and I wash/condition/put styling product in my hair, how do I get dressed without ruining my curls? Like, I’m trying to imagine pulling a t-shirt or sweater over my head without it being up in a towel. Or do I just shower, then diffuse my hair naked?

    1. Curl Maven says:

      Hey there! So you can do a number of things when you get out of the shower! You can clip your hair to the top of your head, get dressed, then style as usual.

  12. What type of products do you recommend to put in your hair after you wash it? Just a mousse and gel, one or the other etc.? I’m struggling to find products that work with my fine curly hair and this article has been a revelation because I’ve been using the curly girl method and trying to add more moisture but what you’ve written makes so much sense ‍♀️

  13. Melissa Garcia says:

    Wow! I’ve always known that I’ve had fine curly hair I’m a type 3A. However I just started plopping and wondering why my hair felt like a fluffy mushroom cap and I still had to fix things afterwards and pull it down! It makes so much sense because heavy hair We’ll pull the curls down after the block you’re not supposed to find the hair which just stays up. Now I’m off to the 2nd part to read what I should do with my fine hair! I wish I had found this post sooner but I’m glad I found it when I did thanks so much for all the information!!!

    1. Curl Maven says:

      I’m glad you found my post helpful for your fine hair! I hope the second part of the post provides you with even more valuable information.

  14. Hi Gabriella, thank you so much for this great advice. I’m wondering if you have any recommendations for a lightweight leave-in conditioner? It seems that as in #10, curl creams tend to be a bit too heavy for my hair, but I’d still like to use something I can put in my hair to get more slip for brush-styling. Thank you <3

    1. Gabriella says:

      Hi Kristina, yes! The Giovanni Weightless Moisture Direct Leave In is incredibly lightweight and great for slip. You can get 20% off Giovanni at Look Fantastic who ship worldwide, using code CURLMAVEN. x

  15. Thank you for the informative post 🙂

    Would you recommend leaving some regular conditioner in fine hair or rinsing it out and using a leave in instead?

    1. Gabriella says:

      totally up to you. I usually recommend not rinsing your conditioner out fully, depending on how dry your hair is. Which saves on more product, more packaging, the wrong product, too much etc (if you use a leave in conditioner). But if you prefer to use a leave in, I’d recommend using the spray ones, like Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave In for example. Or the Giovanni Weightless Moisture Leave In – CURLMAVEN for 20% off at Look Fantastic. Hope that helps x

  16. Debbie Skelton-Bethell says:

    Hi Gabriella
    I’m post menopause and my hair is getting drier with more wispy bits leaving a halo over my head!
    Can you recommend any products for this please?

    1. Gabriella says:

      Sure! When you condition, take a little extra product and glaze it over the top halo to give this area of your hair some extra TLC, and do the same with your gel – preferably a lightweight moisturizing one like Bouclème Curl Defining Gel or Curlsmith Hydro Flexi Jelly – CURLMAVEN for 20% off both brands at Look Fantastic.

  17. Hi Gabriella,
    Never before did I think that I had fine hair, but like most I thought of the word fine and a synonym for thin… Trying to figure out how to incorporate this newfound information with my curls! As always, thank you for the wealth of information you provide us curlies ☺️
    Megan