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While thin hair gains body and texture through teasing, thick hair responds more unpredictably. To get your thick hair looking wild, full or bouncy, you need different tools, styling products and looks than your fine-haired counterparts. Don't even try for that single-length shag, which turns into a massive wedge of hair when provoked. Instead, achieve a rock 'n' roll look by playing with different layers while it's damp and then doing what thick hair loves best: Leave it alone.
Tools of the Trade
You know that paddle brush that women with fine hair use to create a swoop or a beehive? Forget about it. Thick hair prefers a gentle teasing, so trade in brushes for wide-toothed combs with rounded teeth or just use your fingers and rake them through your hair. Super-thick hair prone to frizzing needs little more than a flip upside down and a few shakes to get body and bounce. If you want to detangle your thick hair before teasing it, do so in the shower and with thick conditioner on your locks to make them slippery.
The Power of Layering
Some dos work better for thick hair, particularly if it's wavy or curly. If you want to tease your whole head of hair, you'll get more volume and defined curls if you keep the top layer shorter. The curls on top will spring into curls that you can easily tease into tousled waves or spikes. Then, the hair underneath will have nothing weighing it down so that it can develop waves or curls as well.
Styling Products
Those watery sprays and alcohol-based gels for fine hair have little effect on thick hair. When teasing your thick hair, scrunch mousse through your roots to get some lift. If too much teasing develops pure frizz and flyaways, smooth putty or pomade at the roots and tips to keep a modicum of control. Use cloth-covered bands or simple clips to secure your hair, as rubber bands and combs pull on your hair and create knots and split ends.
Second-Day Hair
One of the easiest ways to make your second-day hair look stylish and fresh is by teasing your hair into a bedhead style, messy updo or deconstructed curl. Sleep on a silky pillowcase to reduce knots. In the morning, flip your hair and shake it. Work some mousse at the roots if you want more volume. Leave your hair loose for a bedhead look, or gather part of your hair into a loose ponytail for a partial updo. If you have tight curls, rock a deconstructed curl look by gently teasing your hair upward, away from your face.
