If you're a lass with arrogantly fine hair, part of your daily struggle involves trying to perform magic on something that looks like angel hair spaghetti. It's just so thin. So flat. So... Gollum-like.
(For reference):
Image: Giphy
And you've tried all your usual root-boosting, volume-cranking magic dusts and creams. Oh, how you've tried. But they all just bugger off after, like, an hour.
Watch: Want some bite-sized hair tips while you're here? Of course you do! Here's five ways to lift your hair game. Post continues below.
Your style won't hold. Your hair is flatter than ever. Your scalp oils are having a TIME. What a bloody shame.
But what if it has not so much to do with your products and *everything* to do with your hair colour?
It might be, you know.
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That's what Virginie Gayssot reckons. And we kinda believe her, cause she's a Colour Expert and Head of Education at Frank Provost, Australia. And we're... not.
So, rather than wallowing over how little hair we were blessed with (WHY THO), we asked Gayssot to give us some tips on what we're doing wrong with our hair colour game, and what to avoid at all costs.
Friends, here's what you're probably doing wrong:
We've all either seen it, had it (heyyy, Emo phase) or kinda have it right now - we're talking about hair that's so dark, rich and inky that it looks almost blue.
While the colour may look glossy and chic on the right head of hair, it's an extremely unforgiving colour for those who have thinner hair. So stay clear of this colour, you guys!
"I would avoid very dark harsh colours as we can see the scalp more with thin dark hair, so jet black/blue or anything heavy is a no go," said Gayssot.
Instead of going dark or light all-over, add a bit of depth and dimension to the party with multi-tonal shades.
"Try to avoid one all-over colour which can make hair appear lifeless and flat. Creating various tones can help to reflect light while plumping the hair follicle to give a fuller appearance," said Gayssot.
For example, light brown hair can be enhanced with a combo of highlights and lowlights. "Should you have lighter hair, I would suggest lightening it a few more shades. Because we all know that light colour amplifies volumes."
*Clears throat*.
Erm, well - yeah. We do now!
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If you have a deeper hair colour, like chestnut or caramel brown, Gayssot said you can use this same lightening technique to add body and movement to your hairstyle.
"Should you have darker hair I would suggest trying balayage, which creates an optical illusion that hair is thicker and fuller."
Thicker AND fuller?! Swoon!
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Heard of balayage approximately a thousand times before, but don't actually know what it is?
We gotcha covered.
Basically, balayage is a hair colouring technique that describes the painting or 'sweeping' of hair (no foils required) to resemble a sun-kissed look.
It's different from ombre (don't worry, everyone always gets them mixed up), as it can be used on any hair length and will give a more natural highlighted effect.
"Franck Provost himself was one of the pioneers of balayage (which means 'to sweep' in French) and it is perfect for adding dimension and depth. Think of it like contouring," said Gayssot.
Important: If you’re going lighter, just remember that light tones are prone to annoying things like brassiness, so you need to make sure you have the right products in your armoury in order to avoid that unwanted tint. "In terms of how to get the most out of each colour - it's cliche, but always use a colour-specific shampoo and conditioner tailored to your hair type," said Gayssot.
Okay, we know we just suggested going lighter, but if you're super pale and also have platinum blonde hair, you're going to have a bad time.
Having a combo of pale skin and hair is not only going to make your strands look really washed out, but it'll also lack the depth to appear thicker.
Sad face.
So, instead of opting for with a hair colour that's close to your natural skin tone, try adding a few different shades into your style to keep it from looking flat (pretty much everything we discussed above).
It's a tricky game, we know.
A good rule of thumb? Pair your hair colour with some layers. Don't cut it blunt. This is more of a styling one than a hair colour one, but it's just as important.
If you have shoulder-length hair or longer, hair cuts that lack any kind of layering can definitely make hair appear thinner. So, ask your hairstylist for some layers through your style. You could also ask for some face-framing pieces - whether it's a side-swept bang or a few traditional layers.
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Another hot styling tip: "You can make your hair appear fuller by avoiding centre parts and styling it in waves rather than straight," adds Gayssot.
Ditch these mistakes, and you'll be destined for a level of volume that would rival old mate Hagrid.
Feature image: Getty
Do you have fine hair? What are some of your tips? Share with us in the comment section below.