Curls make thin hair look thinner?

[Annibelle]

I bought a Caruso steam rolling set, thinking that maybe, if my hair was curly, it might appear a bit thicker. I know I'm still getting the hang of using curlers, but my hair looks so much thinner when it's curled-- like, you can see through it to the wall behind me in a lot of spots. :o Does curly hair do this to others? Or am I just doing it wrong? I DON'T have a lot of hair, and what I do have is fine hair... so even when there's a lot of volume going on, you can see through parts of it. (Especially shoulder and below... I have a lot of taper that I'm hesitant to remove... it's hard to see in my sig pic cuz I try to post only the most flattering shots. ;) ) So... what do you guys think? Curls make hair look THINNER or THICKER?

[els23]

In general I think my hair looks much thicker when it's curled or at it's natural wavy/curly. Also, in sort of a reverse to what the poll is asking the few times I completely straightened my hair stick straight it look suuuuuper thin. I definitely think curls give my hair more volume and thus it looks like I have more of it.

[Annibelle]

Hmmm... maybe I'm just making really bad curls. :P My hair does look thicker when it's slightly wavy, which is its natural pattern... but lately it's been drying really straight for some reason. :( So I thought that maybe curls would fix it. I'll keep experimenting, though.

[ouseljay]

Mine looks thinner when I have pronounced bun curls. With curls it separates so you can see my shirt through it, which I find incredibly annoying. But I've never tried to properly curl it, maybe with proper curls at different heights in the hair it would be a different story.

[jaine]

Did you layer curls on top of each other? I think that definitely helps make it less see-through. (Make sure you are putting lots of rollers on top of each other from the top of your head down to your nape.)

as for my hair ... it's on the fence between wavy and curly ... it definitely has the most volume and is the least "see-through" when it's wavy and brushed. Styling it curly just makes everything a little more compact. I can see through my curls here and there even though my hair is too short to have any significant taper.

[Dars]

I have naturally curly hair and I find it looks thicker due to the volume. When I used to straighten my hair it was truly looking thin.

[luciferia]

My hair is fairly thin, yet being naturally curly/wavy it definitely looks thicker when I let it be. If I straighten it with my hands/fingers while it dries (I don't use a blowdryer or straightener, ever) it always looks thin.

[Loreley]

I think curls make it look thicker, especially if you have blunt hemline.

[CurlyCap]

Try making smaller diameter curls?

If all your hair is in a few curls, it'll look thin and you'll see scalp. You want the curls to be small enough that they can layer on top of each other.

(The granny perm effect...but not quite so far!)

[Annibelle]

Did you layer curls on top of each other? I think that definitely helps make it less see-through. (Make sure you are putting lots of rollers on top of each other from the top of your head down to your nape.)

as for my hair ... it's on the fence between wavy and curly ... it definitely has the most volume and is the least "see-through" when it's wavy and brushed. Styling it curly just makes everything a little more compact. I can see through my curls here and there even though my hair is too short to have any significant taper.


Try making smaller diameter curls?

If all your hair is in a few curls, it'll look thin and you'll see scalp. You want the curls to be small enough that they can layer on top of each other.

(The granny perm effect...but not quite so far!)

Thanks for the tips!!! I'm definitely a styling newbie, so any help is appreciated. These tips that probably seem obvious to everyone else are really helpful to me. :cheese: Will try doing lots from scalp to nape next time, and will also try some of my smaller rollers. I used the jumbo size Thursday and those basically left my hair how it naturally is-- slightly wavy. Tried the large size yesterday and it made it somewhat curly (maybe more like less-stretched waves) but I didn't like it. I'll try medium mixed with large next time-- I've got only 6 medium rollers and 12 large. Any ideas on how to mix them? Should I use medium from scalp to nape, and large on the sides? Vice versa? Hmmm I think I'll do a "how to curl with sponge rollers" search. ;)

[Annibelle]

So I didn't find anything about how to use sponge rollers. Maybe it's too obvious. :( Any advice?

[CurlyMopTop]

My hair looks much much thinner when I straighten it! :D

[Annibelle]

This makes me wonder if our natural patterns/textures make our hair looks its best. ;) Curlies say that straightening makes their hair look thinner... I wonder if some straighties will say that curling makes their hair look thinner...

Mine looks thinner when it's straight, and thinner when it's curly, but thickest when it's in my natural slightly-wavy pattern. Or maybe I just need help figuring out the curlers. ;)

[Orangerthanred]

WAY thicker. Then again, I have naturally curly/wavy hair. And it's really thick whether it's wavy or straight. Straightening it makes my hair poofier [more volume, in a bad way because I have too much already] and leaving it normal just makes it look and feel thicker.

[geminiwoman]

Mine gets really huge if I curl it! Try mixing up the curler sizes. The smaller size will produce tighter curls so I usually out a couple near the front for more defined curls near my face, and a couple near the crown for volume. Then take the next 2 sizes and alternate or vary them for the rest of my head.

[Annibelle]

Mine gets really huge if I curl it! Try mixing up the curler sizes. The smaller size will produce tighter curls so I usually out a couple near the front for more defined curls near my face, and a couple near the crown for volume. Then take the next 2 sizes and alternate or vary them for the rest of my head.

Thanks! I was looking for some directions on how to do this, and you've provided them! :) Small near face and crown, and alternate medium and large for the rest... got it! Also, about how many rollers do you normally use? :confused: I guess the more you use, the bigger the result?

[geminiwoman]

How many you use will depend on how thick and long your hair is. I only have hot rollers, there are 20 in the set and I use them all (when I use them, which is rare). If I had enough, I'd probably use more like 25. Some people can get away with a lot less. The more curlers you use, usually the tighter and more defined the curls will be. Also like many said you want lots of curled strands sitting on top of each other to achieve the volume you're looking for so either use more rollers or gently separate the curls a bit once they're cooled so you have more sections. Hope that makes sense :)

[growingpains]

I think curly makes my thin ends look thicker. I just have a preference for straighter. I can see though why a couple big curls would make it seem thinner. The trick for me is to allow curls to provide natural separation, which draws attention from the thin ends.

[Annibelle]

How many you use will depend on how thick and long your hair is. I only have hot rollers, there are 20 in the set and I use them all (when I use them, which is rare). If I had enough, I'd probably use more like 25. Some people can get away with a lot less. The more curlers you use, usually the tighter and more defined the curls will be. Also like many said you want lots of curled strands sitting on top of each other to achieve the volume you're looking for so either use more rollers or gently separate the curls a bit once they're cooled so you have more sections. Hope that makes sense :)

Thanks! Based on your profile info, we have the same hair type. (Though I have a lot of taper, so that could change things.) My rollers are kinda big (they have the shields), so I'm not sure how many will fit on my head, but I'm gonna try today to fit as many as possible. If it looks bad, it's okay, cuz it's a wash day. ;)

[Annibelle]

I think curly makes my thin ends look thicker. I just have a preference for straighter. I can see though why a couple big curls would make it seem thinner. The trick for me is to allow curls to provide natural separation, which draws attention from the thin ends.

Oh this is a relief! My thin ends are the only part that really bothers me. :o They look really bad if I'm not wearing black... I really should chop to BSL or so, but I don't have the guts! Maintaining at waist for however long it takes to get thick ends! >3<

[Oksana]

mine looks almost double in thickness when i curl it. I do think it depends on your natural texture and hemline though :)

[PraiseCheeses]

For me, I think it depends on what products I use in my hair.

If I go outside in high humidity with straightened hair (just coconut or jojoba oil) I get really loose, fluffy wurls. My hair looks thicker. If I scrunch my just-washed hair with a bit of aloe vera gel mixed with a bit of coconut oil, I get more defined but still voluminous curls, and my hair looks thicker.

But once I tried plopping my hair with a bit of Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie after seeing rave reviews and pictures with defined curls. I should have had a head of spirals, right? Nope. It was everything I hate about my hair - flat, stringy, dull - and super thin. I looked like I had gray worms growing out of my head. And I used a tiny, tiny amount!

I normally wear my hair straight. Drying it in a lazy wrap bun on the top of my head works wonders - gives me straight-enough hair with great body. But the last time I was in a salon (and they flat-ironed it), it looked and felt super thin. I like my fluff. :)

[Ostelot]

This makes me wonder if our natural patterns/textures make our hair looks its best. ;)
;)

That's an interesting idea. But I can't agree with that, my hair is so flat naturally that any curl/wave will give it volume boost. My hair amount seems to double after combing the braid waves. And some volume flatters my face shape better than my natural straight hair.

[Annibelle]

That's an interesting idea. But I can't agree with that, my hair is so flat naturally that any curl/wave will give it volume boost. My hair amount seems to double after combing the braid waves. And some volume flatters my face shape better than my natural straight hair.

Darn, that's that for my theory. ;)

[MissManda]

If I make my hair curly or wavy, it gets so huge that it sticks out past my shoulders and looks like a big, triangular lion's mane. Most no-heat curling techniques leave me with flat roots and super-fluffy length. My hair looks thinnest if I use 'cones and/or if I use a brush/comb on my hair when it is damp.

I've found that I don't need products to give me volume (especially at the roots) when my hair is in its natural state. As long as I don't touch my hair when it is drying, the root lift I get is pretty decent. It isn't the vava-voom kind of volume from blowdrying or using mousee, but it still looks nice with my straightish texture.

[Lostsoule77]

The few times I had my hair straightened (with a flat iron) it looked so thin! With my wurls it looks more normal, not too thick or thin. I think if you follow the directions other already said you'll get better results than with using all larger rollers. That probably just clumped your hair together with no stacking effect and that's why it appears thinner.

[Quixii]

You can't really tell how much taper I have because my hair ringlets by the time it gets to the bottom and so it looks thicker. :o

[Annibelle]

You can't really tell how much taper I have because my hair ringlets by the time it gets to the bottom and so it looks thicker. :o

My hair is certainly not curly, but when it's wavy (got wavy after CO, and then gradually got straight again... weird), the bottom has loose curls. The only reason I felt good about leaving the taper was because it looked like I did it on purpose for the curls... but now that it's straight again, it just looks damaged. (Which it isn't-- it's virgin and very gently cared for...) :o But your hair is BEAUTIFUL, and I would never guess there was taper! It looks super natural and pretty. :)

[kidari]

I'm with the majority: curls make my hair look thicker and my hair looks thinner when it's straight. Have you tried gently brushed out your curls in small sections? That might help.

[QMacrocarpa]

lilithedarkmoon (http://www.youtube.com/user/lilithedarkmoon) has a bunch of curling tutorials on youtube, you might find some helpful tips there (try searching "curls" in the search box above the list of videos). I have no experience with curlers, my only idea would be to gently split up your curls with your fingers if you find they're clumping to the point of leaving gaps that annoy you.

[Annibelle]

Thanks, QM! That's just the sort of thing I was looking for. :flower:

[RainbowHawk]

My hair is very thin and fine. It only looks like I have any volume at all because I have curls. :)