Any suggestions for thin and flat hair?

[RapunzelKat]

Welcome, BabyB!

I also have flat hair. I had the same experience as you when I cut it short - no additional volume. My hair is thin, fine, and straight, so root volume is just not a thing I have. I've learned to embrace it and enjoy the look of sleek updos. As far as I know, the only way to actually thicken individual hair strands is henna, which gives the hair a red-orange color and is really permanent.

A couple ideas to make your hair look bigger:
Make a pouf in the front. Those little octopus clips are great for securing poufs in slippery hair. Having the extra volume above your face gives the overall impression of "larger" hair.
As others have mentioned, braidwaves. (I would guess you could do twin French braids at your length, which would give quite a bit of volume if done on damp hair.)
Heat-free curls are are also great for adding volume. (Or you can use a curling iron, if you don't mind using hot tools. )

You have very pretty, shiny hair!

[Anje]

Echoing that an inch in diameter isn't actually thin. You've got perfectly normal thickness hair, but it's that silky sleek straight stuff that lies really close together rather than fluffing out a bit because each strand has its own bit of wiggle that separates it out. It's good for that awesome "sheet of silk" effect when long, but I can totally get how it looks like a little helmet when it's short.

Does your hair hold any wave or curl, ever? I know some folks with your hairtype are pretty much stuck with hair that goes back to flat within an hour or so of anything.

Shampoo probably helps fluff it a little, compared to CO. Most of the volume conditioners you're likely to find are so called mainly because they're not heavy and will supposedly weigh hair down less. Whether that's actually true... who knows. Probably varies with the product.

Scrunching a little gel through when your hair is damp might give you a little more texture and volume. But my other suggestion is at least to give shampoo bars a try. Most of them are based on cold-process soap, and while it varies a LOT whether people's hair and local water get along with them, people like my husband have really enjoyed the additional volume they give. (If you do try them and your hair feels awful after rinsing, follow with a rinse of diluted vinegar. That may defeat the volume entirely or not, but it's necessary for a lot of folks.)

[summergreen]

Your hair is lovely, so shiny! You could try setting it on really big sponge rollers, maybe sleeping in them if you can bear to...I have some Goody dentless waves rollers which are so big they actually straightened my hair and just gave it body and curves, so they might work for you if you only want more volume

[longNred]

I don't have a thickness issue per se, but after a cassia treatment it's noticeably thicker.

I also agree your hair is lovely!

[Panth]

I do like to point out though that if your ponytail is 1" in diameter your circumference is just over 3" which puts you in the normal thickness range.

This!

I was also going to say that IMO your hair doesn't look that thin. It just isn't HUGE AND BACKCOMBED a la the current fashion - it's sleek and smooth and shiny, but that's just different and not intrinsically less attractive.

To increase thickness, nope there isn't anything you can do unless you've had hair loss. You could always have your doctor check your vitamin, mineral and hormone levels (especially vitamin D and B12, iron, thyroid hormone, sex hormones), though if you aren't seeing shedding or other symptoms then it's unlikely that you have a problem in that regard.

To increase the appearance of thickness, I'd try some no-heat wave/curl methods, e.g. braidwaves.

But, tbh, if it was me I'd just enjoy it as it is, as it looks great.

[meteor]

Your hair looks very shiny, healthy and lovely! I don't see any thickness issues but if you really prefer a "bigger" look, skip the CO-washing. CO-washing tends to result in flat, smoothed hair over the long run if you don't switch it up.
Clarifying shampoos, on the contrary, tend to give volume. Also, look for volumizing/thickening/texturizing in marketing claims on your products.
Apply products with a light hand and put hair in high buns or dutch braids overnight to create root volume in the morning. Dry shampoos can also create some volume at the roots on non-wash days.

Also, as far as conditioning is concerned try volume-inducing hydrolyzed proteins (gelatin, silk, keratin, etc), some coating herbs, like cassia and film-forming humectants. And maybe avoid too many oils and silicones, as they can smooth hair down a lot.
More on film-forming humectants: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca...-they-are.html

[gwenalyn]

I like to put my hair in a loose ponytail at the top of my head when I sleep, esp. after a shower. It seems to give a little more root volume in the morning. Sometimes it slips out at night, doesn't seem to matter.

[yahirwaO.o]

Well we are in the same boat flat and not super voluminous......

What Im doing to cheat thickeness is to trim my hair constantly to gain body from mid to ends because I have realized that eiher if its not super short and crazy layered to hell or back comb, my hair simply is not going to be volumious in the roots.

Heatless curls or a high bun might help tho

So yeah another gal who says embrace the look, a lot people really pay and damages their so bad just to have what we naturally have... and people often might think we are slave to straightners when we only have to brush and go.

[Breanna]

Welcome! I don't see anything wrong with your hair tbh. And that bob really really suits you! Very cute.
Maybe you can try shampoo bars? They seem to help a little with volume. And also while you're drying your hair (either with a blow dryer or just air drying) you can flip your hair over upside down (if air drying you don't have to do it the WHOLE time, just a bunch of separate times, while running your fingers through it). I've also heard that washing it upside down can help or something. Really I think your hair type is just going to always be what it is but it really doesn't look bad at all, I think it's quite pretty!

[Nadine <3]

If I want volume, I sprits my hair with water (or better yet, sugar water. 1 cup of water, a teaspoon of sugar dissolved will make a homemade hairspray) I just spritz it on near my roots and gently comb it through my hair with my head upside down. Pony tail it gently, and then put it in a suck bun or roll the hair into a bunch of foam rollers. In the morning the volume is NUTS.