Any hair thinckener product suggestions?

[Louise148]

I have very fine hair which drives me mad. Since joining LHC I only blow dry my hair about once a week on a low setting and have been taking much better care of my hair. However it is very fine so I need products that give it a bit of body. I have tried many over the years but most, while plumbing it up, also make it feel a bit on the stiff side. There are a few such as the one by Bed Head in the little round purple pumb despenser (can't remember the name of it at the moment) that don't stiffen but it contains a lot of silicone so can also make my hair limp.

I was wondering if anyone here has any recommdations for a hair thicker that gives body without the stiffness or the silicone limpness:confused: I would love body and suppleness but I'm starting to think that isn't possible. :cry:

[Allychan]

My hair has been pretty thin for over a while, but when I used to blow dry my damp hair (on the cool setting) I'd lean over and ruffle my hair from the roots and dry it with my head upsidedown (if that makes sense). This seemed to give heaps of body and bounce without having to use product. When I did use product I'd use mousse on my roots only but nothing on my length as that just weighed it down or made it go crunchy

[browneyedsusan]

Henna works great for me, but I love having red hair. Rock, solid, permanent red hair. Once henna is in, you can't lift it out, but if you're happiest as a redhead, it's the stuff!

Maybe cassia would be an alternative? it isn't permanent like henna, and doesn't change dark colored hair?

[Lauram]

I'd suggest cassia too, it helps my hair have more volume.

[Louise148]

I have thought about cassia but as it is a henna type of thing it scares me (daft I know). I henna'd once and hated it....really really hated it. I am not as dark as my sig picture suggests, I wish I was. I am a sort of mid/light brown (I used to be blonde when I was young so I guess I'd be considered a blonette now) and it has a lot of warm to it. In fact in the sun it looks quite orangey. Henna emphasised this to the max and I loathed it. In fact I have spent most of my life fighting this warmth with bleach, toners and even now I use dark brown temporary colours (the no peroxide wash in wash out type) as I prefer a more neutral brown to the warm brown I have.

I have read somewhere that cassia can be used by blondes to give a more golden tone so i worry that if I use it I will get even more warmth that I already have.

[Louise148]

Browneyedsusan - I can believe how long your hair is looking now. There was a time I thought we were at about the same length but I think you have overtaken me now. It's looking good!! :thumbsup:

[lapushka]

I'm a F as well, and I just make sure that my shampoo doesn't contain silicones (silicones that touch the scalp can have your roots go limp and flat). My conditioner? Doesn't matter if it does contain silicones, it's not touching my scalp in any case - and it doesn't matter because my hair's really long (between hip & TBL). I did make sure, though, that when my hair was shorter we used conditioners without silicones, as the hair is far too short for something really heavy.

[louzen]

I have fine hair too - I found CO washing really helped to give it volume.

[browneyedsusan]

Browneyedsusan - I can believe how long your hair is looking now. There was a time I thought we were at about the same length but I think you have overtaken me now. It's looking good!! :thumbsup:

Thanks! FWIW, I think our length is the same, you just have more curls! lucky girl!
--sorry for the derailing OP. It just crossed my brain that if I sleep with it in topknot, it's puffier the next day. Not an actual thickening product, just a puffy trick. Might be worth a try?

[rock007junkie]

Definitely henna or cassia. But if you are looking for a commercial product I'd definitely reccomend Living Proof's Full Thickening Cream (http://www.sephora.com/full-thickening-cream-P254603). It binds to hair strands making them thicker until you wash you hair.

[goldloli]

another vote for cassia. also i add castor oil to my conditioner for full volume, body and moisture... its never greasy! i think the conditioner disperses the teaspoon or so of oil across my hair, coating them to create the thickness and hydration.

oh and a super great commercial product is redken velvet gelatine, it does have cones but they are lightweight plumping type cones, this stuff creates an odd sensation when you touch it, like pillowy marshmallow bounce, its really very good and like nothing else on the market.

[Louise148]

oh and a super great commercial product is redken velvet gelatine, it does have cones but they are lightweight plumping type cones, this stuff creates an odd sensation when you touch it, like pillowy marshmallow bounce, its really very good and like nothing else on the market.

This sounds really interesting. I have just ordered some as I have tried redken products before and found them pretty good but I had never heard of this one. Can't wait to give it a go.

[WaitingSoLong]

OMGosh B.E.S. you are shoulder length!

Do you want your hair to FEEL thicker or BE thicker? This is going to sound crazy but I have two suggestions for temporarily thickening hair:

1. Wash your hair in liquid ivory soap.
2. Use shea butter or cocoa butter as a leave in. Or lotion. I did this the other day (day before wash) and it was fun to have a slightly thicker bun for a day!

[patienceneeded]

If you are looking for a product recommendation Bumble and Bumble has a line of thickening products (shampoo, conditioner, spray) that work really well. They're a little expensive but work amazingly well. I tried them ONCE and my already uber-thick hair was more than I could handle so I gave them away to a fine haired friend. She LOVED them. I don't remember feeling any residue or weirdness in my hair, it was just twice its normal size...which I do not need.

[dollyfish]

As someone with super thick hair, I definitely take notice when something makes my hair even thicker as opposed to smooth and nice ("thicker" for me means "lion's mane"!). Last night I decided to try a tea-bath because I was super stressed. I ran a bath and added 10 bags of chamomile tea, four bags of peppermint, and some vanilla and almond extract (I'm all out of EOs and need to order more!), and honey. That bath made my hair SO unbelievably thick that I'm doing an intense clarification today to get rid of it! I didn't rise anything out, as it was a bath, so perhaps filling your hair with tea will make in thicker for a day or two!

[Katze]

You seem to be talking about several different things. FINE hair is a TEXTURE; it's genetic, and nothing can change it. Your hair can look fuller, i.e. not lie as flat (which seems to be what most people on this thread are talking about) by styling (for example blow drying upside down, drying and sleeping in a bun, etc). That is what is usually referred to as 'volume.'

Volume and thickness are two different things, and they are different from the TEXTURE - the thickness of the individual hairs themselves. That, like your maximum thickness of hair at any given length, are genetically programmed.

My hair is confusing in this regard because it is thick at the roots, though mostly fine in texture, has a lot of volume (read: messy) but can look limp and flat and has very thin ends (natural taper, aka 'fairy tale ends'). So I have had to really learn the difference here between FINE and THICK and VOLUME. Apples, oranges, and bananas! :)

[Louise148]

You seem to be talking about several different things. FINE hair is a TEXTURE; it's genetic, and nothing can change it. Your hair can look fuller, i.e. not lie as flat (which seems to be what most people on this thread are talking about) by styling (for example blow drying upside down, drying and sleeping in a bun, etc). That is what is usually referred to as 'volume.'

Volume and thickness are two different things, and they are different from the TEXTURE - the thickness of the individual hairs themselves. That, like your maximum thickness of hair at any given length, are genetically programmed.

My hair is confusing in this regard because it is thick at the roots, though mostly fine in texture, has a lot of volume (read: messy) but can look limp and flat and has very thin ends (natural taper, aka 'fairy tale ends'). So I have had to really learn the difference here between FINE and THICK and VOLUME. Apples, oranges, and bananas! :)

Very informative post...thank you :)

I have fine hair in texture. The individual strands are very thin and always have been I think I have inherited this from both my dad and my mom's mom so a bit of a double whammy :( On the plus now I am really looking after it, it has got very shiny looking which I like...a lot. But this can also make it quite limp which I can improve with blow drying to some extent but I have stopped blow drying my hair in the week to cut down on heat damage and I only blow dry once a week now.

While i have always had fine hair I feel it has got even finer with age. I don't have bald spots and I don't shed a great deal but it does seem thinner than when I was in my 20's. Aging can suck!

dollyfish - tea sounds interesting but I am very wary of anything that has the possiblilty of adding warm tones to my hair. I have a natural abundance of warm tones in my hair already and really don't want to add to them as I prefer neutral tones. I have a friend who dyes lace with tea to make it look antique and I wouldn't want any of that going on...LOL! However peppermint sounds lovely, all soothing and tingly so may give that a go as I think I have some of those in the back of the cupboard somewhere.

Thank you everyone for your input. :D

[Accalia]

Did you already try ghassoul/rhassoul? It gives me (1a/f/ii) much more thickness though also more tangles. Good luck!

[goldloli]

This thread turned out great! a few suggestions i've never heard before like ghassoul?


This sounds really interesting. I have just ordered some as I have tried redken products before and found them pretty good but I had never heard of this one. Can't wait to give it a go.

i'ts probably one of their best, although it never gets any advertising or media coverage... i suppose thats because when people look for a blow dry cream they want something defrizzing, sleekifying and glossy, such as the satinwear which is highly popular. on makeupalley its rated a 4.8 and it's often used for catwalk shows. on damp hair i layer it on top of of any treatment type oils/products or i mix it with a dab of serum since it gives a silk type shine instead of a gloss type shine. its very unusual texture and a stand alone product, so perfect way of using might be different for everyone. i found it to give some protection too, i think thats due to it coating the hair.

[turtlelover]

a catnip rinse does it for me, and definitely did NOTHING to my grays after repeated usage, so I do not think it would add warm tones.

[Louise148]

Still waiting for my redken gelatin product to arrive so can't report either way yet.

Catnip sounds interesting and I may give that a whirl. However I do have a cat who really llluuuurrrrrvvveeesss catnip so I hope he doesn't start getting all high off my hair....although it could be amusing. :kitten: <---and as my cat is white this is very appropriate.

[renia22]

Generally what I like best for my fine hair is avoiding silicones like the plague, and leaving my hair product-free. But 2 styling products that I have used & found to work nicely on fine hair are Philip B Maui Wowie Beach Mist and Bain De Terre Rise n' Shine White Willow Mousse. Both gave nice volume and shine without nasty, yucky residue or drying.

[catamonica]

Believe it or not, I read online that dehydrated chopped onion or dehydrated minced onion thickens hair. I have fine thick hair. I put two capfuls in my conditioner. I've tried both. My hair felt thicker. It helped. I hope you try it. It just might help.

[lovinglocks]

I first started using baby powder/cornstarch in my hair when it would look oily. But some days when my hair looks too flat/lifeless I'll put some baby powder in the roots and it makes it look so much more voluminous...

[Louise148]

Believe it or not, I read online that dehydrated chopped onion or dehydrated minced onion thickens hair. I have fine thick hair. I put two capfuls in my conditioner. I've tried both. My hair felt thicker. It helped. I hope you try it. It just might help.

Is there any smell when you do this?

[longforthis]

I've used a topical gelatin solution, and I've noticed that my hair appears to be thicker, and just healthier. :] I'm so happy with it! I've done it two or three times so far! It's said to also strengthen the hair, which I have noticed.

1 tbsp. Gelatin
1/2 Cool Water
Mix.
Add 1 tsp. ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) + 1 tsp. honey
1/2 warm/hot water
Mix.
Add 1 tbsp. Gelatin
Mix.
In shower, before I wet my hair, I add this and massage it in my head, and leave it in for at least 5 minutes. After that, I just rinse (I'm WO) but if you use shampoos/conditioners, follow your normal treatment. You could always figure out if you should do this before or after you wash your hair, you can experiment. Obviously mine is before, lol.

I am WO, and got more volume to my hair because of it. I think it's important not to strip your hair of its oils too much, or else it will just lie flat. With sebum at my roots (without looking oily) my hair has volume to it, and doesn't lie flat.

Otherwise, like what my sister does, bend over, massage mouse into scalp, and blowdry, lol.

[Louise148]

I definitely want to try a gelatine treatment such as longforthis suggests above as it sounds really interesting.

The Redken Velvet gelatine 07 product arrived and I have tried it out this morning. I did lightly blow dry my hair as it is pretty cold here at the moment with plenty of snow so I don't relish standing at bus stops with wet hair. My hair certainly feels like it has more body to it although there is a little sniffness also but that may be because I used too much. I'm going to try a bit less next time and see if it's a little softer. But it's not too bad at all and certainly something I would say give it a go if you have baby fine hair like i do.

[CarpeDM]

I used Sebastian Texturizer for about 15 years and it really thickens up fine hair. I used it to plump up my hair (put a little on freshly washed hair and blow dry, you will really see a difference) it worked really well: http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_038V005006541000P?sid=KDx01192011x00 0001&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-27857380-2

[goldloli]

I definitely want to try a gelatine treatment such as longforthis suggests above as it sounds really interesting.

The Redken Velvet gelatine 07 product arrived and I have tried it out this morning. I did lightly blow dry my hair as it is pretty cold here at the moment with plenty of snow so I don't relish standing at bus stops with wet hair. My hair certainly feels like it has more body to it although there is a little sniffness also but that may be because I used too much. I'm going to try a bit less next time and see if it's a little softer. But it's not too bad at all and certainly something I would say give it a go if you have baby fine hair like i do.

awesome! i've never used it straight, always add a dot of oil or serum, perhaps thats why i never experienced stiffness, or maybe it's because i use no more than a dime/5p size.

[MonaMayfair]

This is interesting, I might try out the Redken. I already use their leave in conditioner.
I just wanted to say that catnip DID make my hair feel thicker, also very shiny (I stopped using it because it's so time consuming) and cassia does too, (though on my hair, the effect is very temporary, only lasting about a week)
Louise, apparently cats don't take any notice of the catnip once it's in a rinse (I've read this, I didn't have a cat myself when I was using it) Also the cassia shouldn't affect your hair color at all unless you leave it to dye release, and then only if your hair is light.
I mix it up about 10 minutes before I use it. If I want it to make my hair more golden, I'd let it dye release for several hours.
The thickness producing effect is the same either way for me.

[Louise148]

Also the cassia shouldn't affect your hair color at all unless you leave it to dye release, and then only if your hair is light.
I mix it up about 10 minutes before I use it. If I want it to make my hair more golden, I'd let it dye release for several hours.
The thickness producing effect is the same either way for me.

How would I go about using it so I don't get any colour releasing affects? Do I only leave it on for a short while, if so how long, or do I still leave it on for a few hours?

I know in my sig pic my hair looks quite dark but it has a dark brown stain only colour on it there but when that washes out my natural colour is a blonette. I was a very light blonde as a child but it darkened as I got older so it's now a VERY warm mid brown. I really don't want any more warmth added to it I have loads.

I am really tempted by cassia as so many people seem to love it but I am so put off by the possibily of a yellow hue on my hair.

[MonaMayfair]

How would I go about using it so I don't get any colour releasing affects? Do I only leave it on for a short while, if so how long, or do I still leave it on for a few hours?

I know in my sig pic my hair looks quite dark but it has a dark brown stain only colour on it there but when that washes out my natural colour is a blonette. I was a very light blonde as a child but it darkened as I got older so it's now a VERY warm mid brown. I really don't want any more warmth added to it I have loads.

I am really tempted by cassia as so many people seem to love it but I am so put off by the possibily of a yellow hue on my hair.

YOu only need to leave cassia on for about 30 minutes to get a good conditioning effect, and for thicker feeling hair. I'll just say that some people (I am one of them) find that cassia makes their hair feel quite dry and rough at first, but that calms down with the next wash. Others find it makes their hair smooth and shiny straight away, so you never know until you try how your hair will respond.

When I WANT it to make my hair more golden, I leave it on for about 3 hours. my natural color is blonde, but I'm growing out henna (which made my hair a lightish coppery red) I used to use henna/cassia on the roots and just cassia on the length.

Now I'm mostly dyeing my hair dark brown with deposit only dyes (both to disguise the contrast of my growing out roots and red length, and because I'd rather be brunette), so not using cassia so often, but I still do sometimes.

Remember, cassia washes out fairly quickly. On me, I'd say the effects, whether of color or thickness, are gone within a couple of weeks. So if it DID give your hair more warmth, it would wash out quite soon, and you'd know to leave it on for less time in the future.

[goldloli]

cassia wouldn't leave that strong of a yellow hue in your dark hair even if you did leave it for hours.

I have pale gold/red hair and was worried about too much warmth after cassia, making my hair too red/orange. I left it on for an hour, wasn't a notable change in hair tone. My hair was tangly after first wash but that went away by the following wash, strands were slightly plumped and slightly straightened. effects were washed out after a few weeks. I feel as though my hair would be more protected from damage and splits with cassia, due to the the hair being coated, i might go back to it to reach my goal quicker.

[Naiadryade]

Castor oil applied to the scalp has given plenty of folks on here added thickness--as in more hairs, not thicker strands--and faster growth. I'm using it for these reasons and I love it for other reasons, though it's too early to tell about the added growth for me.

The castor oil thread is here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18265

[Louise148]

Thanks for all the input everyone.

I do use castor oil although I tend to vary what oils I use as my hair seems to become immune to things if I use the same thing all the time. I have just made a spary bottle up with equal amounts of castor oil, jojoba, a large amount of aloe vera gel some distilled water and I have scented it with ylang ylang, jasmine and a touch of rose. I have no idea the actual measurements I used as I'm more a 'make it up as I go along' kinda gal. But it smells gorgeous. I'm gonna start using this reasonably often and see how it goes.

I also think at some point I'm going to give cassia a whirl and see how my hair reacts to it.

[maborosi]

Henna or cassia, by far, are the best things at thickening up individual hairs. I find that they help strengthen my hair immensely and I love the results I get with both of them. Henna is stronger and more permanent, though. I use cassia more often 'cause I don't have to worry about changing my color! (it does make my hair slightly warmer-toned, but other than that, not much change but shine and thickness)

~maborosi~

[longforthis]

I definitely want to try a gelatine treatment such as longforthis suggests above as it sounds really interesting.

The Redken Velvet gelatine 07 product arrived and I have tried it out this morning. I did lightly blow dry my hair as it is pretty cold here at the moment with plenty of snow so I don't relish standing at bus stops with wet hair. My hair certainly feels like it has more body to it although there is a little sniffness also but that may be because I used too much. I'm going to try a bit less next time and see if it's a little softer. But it's not too bad at all and certainly something I would say give it a go if you have baby fine hair like i do.

I have to do the gelatin treatment only 2-3 times a week, but since I wash my hair whenever it needs washed (every two to three days) I typically use it every other time I wash my hair. Or more spread out than that. It can be very drying, so just make sure you moisturize real good with it. I only leave mine on for about 5 minutes or so. I use coconut oil on the body of my hair (not much at all, but just enough to help) to help moisturize.

I'll continue using it, and let you all know.

I love using it on my scalp. I'm wondering if it'll effect my hair growth at all. So far, I'm pleased!

edit: Coconut oil can have a protein effect, so I also use Apricot oil on my ends. I'd use whatever oil you prefer for your hair.