Our hair texture, density and thickness vary just like our facial features and body shapes do. Although coarse hair is often described as “difficult” and “challenging”, the main issue is knowing how to look after this kind of hair structure.
Indeed, styling coarse hair requires some effort – from detangling the knots to the potentially longer drying process. While this can sound like a lot to handle, these struggles aren’t harder than styling fine and flat hair; it’s all about learning some tricks and embracing the unique features of your hair.
What is Coarse Hair?
Coarse and thick hair are often used interchangeably. However, hair thickness is defined by the number of the strands, their density, while coarse hair is hair with a bigger diameter of each individual strand. You can easily check if you have coarse hair by taking a bunch of hair and rubbing it between your fingers: if you can define separate strands and they feel and look like threads, you have coarse hair.
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The main downside is that this hair structure is more prone to dryness; consequently, it can easily become knotty, wiry, and uncontrollable. On the positive side, coarse hair is very good at holding styles and volume and it doesn’t require too frequent washing. Hence, using good quality hydrating and restoring products, you can easily make coarse hair your best friend.
Both straight and curly hair can be coarse and fine, as well as thin and thick. On the hair type chart, 1C, 2C, 3C and 4C types are often on the coarse side. While coarse hair structure is mainly determined by genetics, hair often becomes coarser when graying.
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7 Tips for Coarse Hair Treatment
Here are 7 tips and tricks that will help you cater to the unique needs of your hair structure. Amend your routine, learn to deal with the challenges, and your hair is sure to be your source of pride and confidence.
1. Start with the Haircare Products for Coarse Hair
A healthy hair care routine is the ultimate base needed for good-looking locks, and for coarse hair the key point is moisturizing. The best hair products for coarse hair are those without parabens, sulphates, and other drying ingredients.
While you might not be ready to switch to completely natural hair products, try using weekly coconut oil masks – it will noticeably soften and smooth your hair. Shea Butter Deep Treatment Mask and the whole moisture retention collection is also a good choice for deep hydration of coarse hair. Even though finding products that are right for you can be a bit of a journey, it will soon pay back with healthy and lustrous tresses.
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2. Use the Right Brush
As mentioned before, coarse hair tends to tangle. For detangling, use a nylon paddle brush: firm and smooth bristles penetrate the strands and glide through the hair without causing any damage, while an air cushion protects and massages your scalp. Ideally, brush your hair when it’s semi-dry – it is not as fragile as soaking wet strands and not as knotty as they become when they dry out completely.
A ceramic round brush with longer nylon bristles is a great choice for blow-drying your hair – it retains heat, thus speeds up the process. For a smoother finish, always use cold air in the end.
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3. Straighten Hair with a Hairdryer Instead of a Flat Iron
It is certainly healthier to blow dry your hair rather than use straighteners or other hot tools. Follow these easy steps to achieve a sleek, salon-worthy blow out:
- Use some heat protection spray or leave-in conditioner and air dry your hair until it is 75% dry.
- Separate the lower nape area and put the rest of your hair in a top knot using a suitable size clip.
- Put the round brush under the strand and the nozzle of the hairdryer on top of the strand so that your hair is placed between the brush and the dryer and slowly move both hands down. Repeat until dry (normally twice or three times should be enough). If your hair is long, it might be easier to move it forward over your shoulder.
- Push the cool air button and run through the hair again to cool down the hair and achieve a smoother result.
- Separate the next section and carry on with the same process.
- Dry the front section forward or backwards, lifting the roots perpendicular to the scalp; let the parting fall naturally.
Even though these steps might require some perseverance at the beginning, blow-drying skill will save you some money on salon styling appointments. Most importantly, your hair will be healthy and silky.
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4. Choose the Right Temperature
While you are in process of advancing your blow-drying technique, straighteners are understandably a handy and quick option. Try to reduce the heat to 350F: it is quite likely that this temperature will be absolutely enough to straighten or curl your hair.
Important note: if you apply a heat protecting spray before curlers or straighteners, always make sure the product dries out before you use the hot tools. Applying heat on wet hair literally fries them, which causes immense damage.
Related Post: Top 6 Heat Protectant Hair Products and How to Use Them
5. Pick the Best Hair Styling Products for Coarse Hair
Think smoothing creams and shine sprays to get a sleek, polished, and frizz-free look. If you like reading ingredients as much as we do, bear in mind that ideally, silicones shouldn’t be listed as the first three in the list on the bottle. Although silicones create a protective layer around hair shafts, this ingredient can also create buildup which causes hair breakage and a dull look.
Briogeo Farewell Frizz silicon-free leave-in conditioner would be a great option that smoothes hair, boosts shine, and eases detangling. Unfortunately, sea salt sprays aren’t made for you – those are making hair rougher and drier – certainly, not the outcome that you are looking for.
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6. Choose the Haircut That Works for Coarse Hair
A graduated bob or long layers are the best options for coarse hair. These shapes won’t look bulky on thicker hair and will show off the beauty of coarse hair: it’s natural volume.
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7. Love Your Coarse Hair
Embrace your natural hair texture and appreciate its advantages like full-body, ability to hold curls and any other styles.
We hope these pieces of advice were useful and you will implement some of them in your day-to-day hair care routine to achieve the best styling results for your coarse hair.
