How do I know if I have fine hair?

This is probably a stupid question, but how do I know if I have fine hair?

I always thought I had fine hair... but now I'm starting to wonder. It is pretty straight, and hangs pretty much straight down with no fullness.

It's most obnoxious quality is that it sticks together, just like cornsilk. (You know- those fine green hairs when you shuck an ear of corn)
I never know if I should buy 'fine hair' products or not. Nothing I've ever tried will cure the cornsilk symptoms.

I used to use volumizing shampoos, I but I read that those just 'plump' your hair shaft, which is to say they spread the cuticle, which is what you don't want. A spread cuticle would stick to another hair's spread cuticle, like velcro. Or... like cornsilk!

Does anyone have any thoughts for me?
If someone knows how to cure my cornsilk problems, I would be forever indebted.

Cornsilk does pretty much describe fine hair. I happen to like volumizing shampoos but I also really like the clarifying ones too. If my hair is really clean it behaves much better. Another way to determine if you have fine hair is if products that are supposed to plump up hair weigh it down and make it greasy instead. Products like gels, pommades and waxes, and even some mousses will weigh fine hair down and actually have the opposite effect from what you were looking for. Also, layers don't work well either unless they are very lightly done on the surface.

The diameter of fine hair is smaller than that of people with "normal texture." Fine hair generally has to be washed and styled every day to look good and is often very thin (although thick fine hair is out there too) and can be curly or straight.

Hope that helps.

Oh, just another thought. All my life people have made comments to me about the lack of body in my hair. If people are constantly saying stuff like that to you, you can pretty much be assured that you have fine hair.

Ask your hairdresser. S/he will know for sure.

I definitely don't have fine hair, but I do know that most volumizing products work in one of two ways: They do plump the hair shaft as Traci pointed out. This can either be a detrimental or helpful process, depending upon what kind of ingredient is doing the plumping. Lightweight water-binding agents such as glycerin and propylene glycol can help hair retain water and thus a fuller appearance. However, other chemicals such as the emulsifier ammonium xylenesulfanate swell the hair shaft artificially, which can actually be damaging with repeated use.

Another way in which volumizing conditioners work is by coating the hair shaft with conditioning agents such as protein, collagen or panthenol. This approach works well for fine, dry hair but can leave the finest hair flat or greasy. That's the problem with conditioning formulas: they do coat the hair shaft but can weigh it down as well.

I don't really have much advice on fine hair, as I've got the opposite problem (frizz, big hair and medium thickness.) From what I've heard, using a gentle yet effective shampoo with no conditioning agents added plus a leave-in conditioner instead of a rinse-off (unless hair is dry) works the best. I hope someone else can offer you suggestions!

I stopped going to salons cos of the way they talk about my hair. "you poor girl, look at your hair. no bosy at all. thats so sad"

YOU GO GIRL, RENEE! :)

oops i meant body. lol :D