I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (2024)

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Victoria Moorhouse

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (1)

Victoria Moorhouse

Victoria Moorhouse is a New York-based writer and editor with over a decade of experience reporting on the beauty industry. Her writing has appeared on POPSUGAR, InStyle, and more.

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Updated on November 14, 2024 10:31AM

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  • Our Top Picks
  • Reviews
  • What to Look For
  • How I Tested
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Meet Our Expert
  • Why Trust Byrdie

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (2)

TL;DR

The Oribe Superfine Hair Spray is my top pick thanks to its impressive medium hold formula, volumizing benefits, and touchable finish that allows you to run your fingers through your hair. Another one of my favorites is the TRESemmé TRES Two Ultra Fine Mist Aerosol Hair Spray, an affordable option with a superfine mist that provides a medium hold and has a pleasant scent.

Curling my hair or giving myself a blowout is a total waste of time if I don’t apply hairspray. Before my curling iron or blow-dryer fully cools down, my fine hair will start to fall flat, and my freshly curled strands will begin to lose shape, so I always rely on the best hairsprays to save my hairdo. “Heavier finishing products like creams can weigh fine hair down, so a hairspray is a nice way to hold a style, clean up flyaways, and even help with humidity without overdoing it,” says Genevieve Collerton, a stylist at Cutler Salon in Brooklyn, New York.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that it can be difficult to find a quality formula that offers impressive hold without leaving my hair feeling crunchy or stiff. So, over six weeks, I tested eight hairsprays for fine hair to see which formulas truly perform—and make the extra effort of styling your hair worth it. For each test, I curled my hair using a curling wand, sprayed the hairspray on my hair as a final step, and reassessed my look at the end of the day. Ahead, read my thoughts on the best hairsprays for fine hair that made the cut based on factors like hold level, product texture, and overall application experience.

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Size: 9 oz | Hold Level: Medium | Scent: Woody and Warm | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Oribe’s Superfine Hair Spray was hands down the best hairspray I tested. The formula provides a medium hold that maintains the shape of my curls and waves for hours. When I use this hairspray, I can run my fingers through my hair without causing my waves to lose definition or volume; it never leaves my hair feeling crunchy or stiff. It also has an extremely fine mist that doesn’t leave behind any residue and supplies a noticeable boost in shine and fullness. The nozzle is easy to press and provides a continuous stream of mist. Even when I go a little heavy-handed in my application, I never feel like my hair is weighed down.

Oribe is known for its signature Cote d'Azur scent, composed of notes like sandalwood, vetiver, and amber. In my opinion, this hairspray holds a slightly lighter version of that classic fragrance. As someone who’s sensitive to fragrance, I find that it’s way less overpowering than some of the brand’s other products, namely the shampoo and conditioner. My only issue with this hairspray is that it can draw attention to flyaways. That said, using a boar bristle brush to take a quick pass over the surface of my hair solves the issue.

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (4)

Size: 6.7 oz | Hold Level: Light | Scent: Floral | Cruelty-Free: Yes

On top of giving my hair a mussed-up, tousled texture, this light hold styling spray did a decent job of holding the curls I created with my curling iron. By the end of the day, my loose curls had fallen into well-defined, effortless waves. If a flexible hairspray and a texturizing spray had a baby, this would be it. While it’s not the hairspray I’d reach for to create a budge-proof, slicked-back updo, I was still relatively impressed with its holding power.

The spray dispenses in an extremely fine mist that layers well without weighing down the hair and has a pleasant floral fragrance. I could feel a little residue on my hair, but that’s fairly typical for styling sprays designed to provide movement and airy volume. My only issue with this one is its nozzle, which I found very difficult to press down. This made achieving a continuous stream of mist nearly impossible. However, there’s a chance I didn’t fully break the seal.

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (6)

Size: 11 oz | Hold Level: Medium | Scent: Fruity and Floral | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re looking for an affordable hairspray that performs just as well as the pricier options, this is your answer. For less than $10, you get a whopping 11 ounces of a superfine, medium hold hairspray that performs just as well (if not better) as many other luxe alternatives. After a full day of errands and a nap, my tight curls fell into much looser waves, and since my fine hair didn’t fall totally flat, I classify that as a win.

The fine mist formula left a slight residue, but it didn’t stop me from running my fingers through my hair. When I spritzed on multiple layers of this hairspray, it got a little sticky and drew attention to some frizz and flyaways, so the key here is to avoid over-applying. Besides its price, my favorite part about this hairspray is its classic TRESemmé scent, a subtle fruity and floral aroma.

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (8)

Size: 10 oz | Hold Level: Strong | Scent: Fresh and Clean | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Kenra’s Volume Spray 25 definitely stays true to its name. The fine mist formula gave my hair a nice lift at the root and helped it appear fuller. It also didn’t leave behind any residue, draw attention to frizz, or feel crunchy—even after applying a few layers.

It's described as a strong hold hairspray that provides up to 24 hours of humidity resistance and 120 hours of a “super hold,” but I think it performed more like a medium or flexible hold hairspray. I tested it on two overwhelmingly hot and humid summer days, and my curls were mostly gone by the end of each day. That said, I liked that it didn’t make my hair feel overly stiff and gave it a nice sheen.

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (10)

Size: 8.2 oz | Hold Level: Flexible | Scent: Warm and Sweet | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Touchable or flexible hairsprays are meant to provide an extremely light hold to increase the longevity of your hairstyle without making your hair feel stiff. In other words, a hairspray with a touchable finish should allow you to still touch and toss your hair around and this hairspray does just that. It has a very fine, lightweight texture and provides a natural-looking finish. I could easily run my fingers and a comb through my hair after applying it.

Thanks to its humidity-fighting formula, I think it did a great job at preventing frizz. My curls fell into looser waves after a few hours, but providing a strong hold isn’t this hairspray’s intended purpose, so that didn’t bother me too much. I found the warm vanilla fragrance to be a little overwhelming, but I’m also sensitive to fragrance, so others may not feel the same way.

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (12)

What to Look for in Hairsprays for Fine Hair

  • Hold Level: In general, the stronger a hairspray’s hold level, the better it should be at locking in a finished look and preventing flyaways. For example, if you’re styling your hair in an updo that needs to to stay in place for a few hours, a strong hold hairspray will come in handy. However, Collerton says some strong hold hairsprays can weigh down fine hair, causing your style to lose its shape. Typically, she recommends touchable or flexible products for her clients with fine hair. These formulas offer less hold than strong hold hairsprays but allow your hair more flexibility or movement. If the hold is your top priority but you’re worried about a potential weigh-down, opt for a medium hold formula.
  • Finish and Texture: Some finishing sprays add a subtle or light-reflecting shine to hair, while others dry down to more of a soft matte finish. Strong hold hairsprays tend to be better suited for slicked-back, glossy styles. When choosing a hairspray, consider how you want your hair to look or feel. Light hold or workable texturizing sprays are usually the best choices for adding volume, texture, and airy movement to the hair. That said, they tend to leave behind a slight powdery or gritty residue.
  • Scent: Most hairspray formulas are typically made with fragrances, and the scent is usually described in a more general sense on the bottle. For example, you’ll find products labeled as "fruity and floral” or “fresh and clean.” If you’re sensitive to scent, look for a product that’s unscented or lightly scented.

How I Tested Hairsprays for Fine Hair

To determine the best hairsprays for fine hair, I tested eight picks over the course of six weeks. I applied them on my dry and freshly styled hair, always holding the can between 6 and 10 inches away from my head. For each test, I chose to curl my naturally straight, fine hair with a curling wand to see how well the hairsprays maintained the style. I took a photo of my hair immediately after applying the hairspray and then again at the end of the day to document its performance. I used each hairspray at least two times during the six-week testing period. Below are the factors I took note of while rating each formula to determine my top picks:

  • Hold: The products on this list offer various hold levels, from flexible to strong. While testing each formula, I considered each formula’s specific hold claims while assessing how well it maintained the shape of my style.
  • Product Consistency and Application: Did the hairspray have a fine mist? Did it feel lightweight on my hair, or did it weigh it down? I also considered whether the mist came out of the nozzle in an even, continuous stream or if the application was patchy.
  • Finish: One of the biggest factors I considered while testing was whether the hairspray made my hair look or feel stiff, crunchy, or sticky. Some of the products on this list enhance shine, while others provide more of a soft-matte finish. I kept those claims in mind during each individual test, too.

FAQ

  • How do you prevent hairspray from weighing down fine hair?

    How you apply your hairspray can make a big impact on your final look, and if you feel like hairspray weighs down your hair, it’s time to reassess your application process. According to Collerton, placing a bit distance between the nozzle and your hair when applying is key. “Using the bottle size to determine the distance is a nice trick to keep in mind,” she says. For instance, if your bottle is roughly 8 inches long, spray the product about 8 inches away from your hair.

    You’ll also want to avoid overapplying hairspray, which tends to contribute to that crunchy effect. “It’s much better to mist the hairspray and build on it that way, rather than to be heavier-handed with spraying it close up on the hair,” explains Collerton.

  • Can hairspray prevent frizz?

    Collerton says that a flexible or brushable-finish hairspray is a great tool for tackling frizz and flyaways. “A nice trick I like to use is to gently spray my Mason Pearson, or any wide brush, with a light hairspray, and then gently brush the hair with it,” she explains. “This will distribute the hairspray evenly through the hair, erase those flyaways, and set a blow-dry in place without weighing down the hair.”

    If there’s a halo of frizz around the crown of your hair, Collerton recommends spritzing the hairspray directly into the palm of your hands and gently patting the product onto your hair for more control.

Meet Our Expert

For this story, Byrdie interviewed the expert below to learn more about using hairspray to style fine hair.

  • Genevieve Collerton is a stylist at Cutler Salon in Brooklyn, New York.

Why Trust Byrdie

Victoria Moorhouse is a Byrdie contributing writer. She has over 12 years of experience in the beauty industry and has tested hundreds of haircare products over the course of her career. Because she has fine, straight hair, she’s always on the hunt for haircare and styling products, like hairsprays and texturizing sprays, that add volume and help her hair appear fuller.

Edited byShauna Beni-Haynes

I Have Fine Hair and This Hairspray Kept My Curls From Falling Flat (2024)
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