Q: Should people with naturally curly hair have it thinned? I have noticed since I have been getting it thinned my hair does not curl as well.
A: Thinning the hair is used to reduce the amount of bulk in the hair, and most thinning techniques allow for bulk to be removed from
specific areas of the hair. However, one of the side effects of thinning the hair (or over-thinning) is that the hair has fewer
companion hairs to protect it from environmental factors that can cause loss of moisture. A common statement by women who’ve had their
hair thinned is that the hair dries more quickly. Yet, because of this the hair can also become drier more quickly because there is
less hair to contain the natural oils that keep the hair pliant and conditioned.
As the hair loses condition and moisture, it can become less manageable and can curl less, instead
appearing frizzed. In your situation, I recommend that you begin a routine of daily conditioning using a leave in conditioning spray,
and that you use a weekly deep conditioning treatment as well. This should help to restore the moisture, elasticity and manageability to your hair.
As for future thinning of the hair a good rule of thumb is that the hair should only be thinned
every third haircut at the most frequent. You should also make certain that your stylist doesn’t “over-thin” the hair when he or she
performs a thinning step. Generally, one or two “snips” at different points along the hairs’ lengths is all that’s needed for a given slice of hair.
