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

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.