Ah, the beauty of fine/thin hair

[jivete]

I've always lamented my fine/thin hair. However, my hair is just above BSL and I was able to do a tiny little infinity bun today. It looks pretty cute if not lopsided. I have some layers, so the last couple of inches are pretty tapered. I know I've heard it before, but I guess there really could be a benefit to skinny tresses...more updo's at shorter length! :)

I guess I did cheat a little and had to secure the ends with a little claw clip, but I still have the infinity symbol/figure 8. So this and the lazy bun are my new favorite up-dos.

[Honey39]

I love fine hair, I'm always so jealous of it! Some of the PRETTIEST hair I've known in real life has been gossamer fine, it's like silk. My friend had fine light hair, and it was pin straight - she could wash it and it would dry in this gorgeous way in about half an hour; although she wanted thicker hair, she could have beautiful straight fine hair at the drop of a hat!!!

We always want what we haven't got - you have very pretty hair, and it must be so exciting to master new updos!

[Sceleste]

A couple of weeks ago I had a customer with blonde hair. It was fine, thin and long. I've no idea how long because it was up but I imagine at least hip.

She had a figure 8 bun, with a lot of coils, held with a barrette. It looked so beautiful and very delicate. That look is harder to achieve with thicker hair. I complimented her updo which obviously made her quite happy. :)

I say, embrace your fine and thin hair. Your updos will always have delicate, almost artistic look.

[Katze]

what a great thread idea! Glad you are feeling good about your hair.

As someone with similar length and texture, I am still having trouble appreciating my hair. Not only is it fine and thin, but it's also wavy enough that I have trouble getting updos smooth, and I have tons of baby hairs, meaning it is doubly messy.

Also, when I do braid or put it up, the ends look so pathetic and it looks like I have less hair than I do.

The days I appreciate my hair is when it's been washed within the last day and I can wear it down, and I love it more when it has more wave. That way it looks like I have more hair than if I wear, for example, a single braid.

[Angelica]

I have poker straight hair that is so thin and without volume whatsoever I have no choice but to wear it up. Wearing it loose would result in rats tails.

I wish I could love my hair, but I don't. I never shall. Long or short it will still be horrible.

Wearing it up in some fashion disguises how thin it is, but I find most updos impossible to achieve in my thin hair and if I did so them they would look so pathetic.

I think you are lucky in that you have a nice wave to your hair and am pleased that you are having fun wearing it all different ways. :)

[Arctic_Mama]

Lucky girl :) I have VERY thick hair, even though its fine I have a ton of it... I always need it almost a good 8 inches longer than someone with normal thickness to achieve the same style!

Congrats on your little bun, how rewarding to be able to try new styles now. :grin:

[Xi]

Congratulations on your infinity bun :). I have thin, fine-ish hair, too, and used to mourn over how tiny my updos were. Now I kind of like how buns make my hair look shorter than it is; it's as though my hair is undercover.8)

[Hue]

Somewhere around here is a link to a remarkable series of photos on how to do various bun styles on some gorgeous, glossy thin and fine hair. I can't remember who it was that set it up, but I'll go digging.

Regardless, I think she was able to do such intricate and yes, delicate, work just because she wasn't fighting against volume. Really, they were quite beautiful updos. A major hair inspiration for me.

[embee]

I have poker straight hair that is so thin and without volume whatsoever I have no choice but to wear it up. Wearing it loose would result in rats tails.

I wish I could love my hair, but I don't. I never shall. Long or short it will still be horrible.

Wearing it up in some fashion disguises how thin it is, but I find most updos impossible to achieve in my thin hair and if I did so them they would look so pathetic.

I think you are lucky in that you have a nice wave to your hair and am pleased that you are having fun wearing it all different ways. :)

Ha! You must be my hair twin!

But I *love* my hair, it's just what I want. My updo selection is sorta slim because I'm challenged that way, but people think my standard everyday bun is exotic and difficult. I showed my cousin this very evening, in a parking lot, how to make this updo with only a hairstick and she was dumbfounded. :)

I love my fine thin fairytale ends, they wrap into any updo so well.

My only hair-sadness at the moment is lack of funds for some additional exotic hairsticks and forks!

Please remember that with thin straight hair, if it's short it's still thin straight hair. In fact, mine sort of disappears. Much better long.

And congrats to OP on the infinity bun... I *still* can't get one to look right, so you're way ahead of me!

[FrannyG]

I spent years lamenting not only my fine, thin, but straight hair. It's really only since joining LHC and learning dozens of styles that I really appreciate the versatility of my hair both up, half-up and down.

Now I'm really happy with my hair type. I know I'll never have the extreme lengths of some members here, but I can live with that. :)

[Delila]

Celebrate what you have!

I've had such a wonderful journey growing out my hair. Who knew my hair would grow this long? :cheese: Who knows how much longer it'll get?

The challenge for me has been adapting my notions of 'gentle handling' as my hair gets longer. Treatment and handling that used to seem gentle and slow, in retrospect, seems a tad rough and hasty.

[Unnamed]

I'm not sure if I've quite accepted the thin/fine part, as it's hard having thin ends on top of thin hair, especially with other's opinions of it (being unkempt, etc., and honestly, as such that's about what I think of mine). And you kinda wish it wasn't so thin to start with, as maybe the ends wouldn't be so super thin. :lol:

I finally gave up and decided to just let 'em be, as I want to see how long it'll grow, anyway (and plan/hope to stay at that length), so I better get used to thin ends at some point! :lol: They are great for anchoring buns, though, and generally stay 'in'. I've also found that thin ends (and thin hair) or not, I just plain like it longer. Helps distract me from the fin/thin/straight/eww/don't like parts a bit.

I will say that while it means many buns can be done sooner than others...long (waist-hip on) thin hair also gets more and more limiting on updos as it gets longer. :(

My hair probably gets soooo bored, as about all it gets to make are mangled cinnamon buns. :lol:

[sahiba]

Actually fine hair can be a boom for certain styles. I still do not like my thin and limp braid but I feel that my buns turn out very well. So I've decided to use my hair only in buns.And with so many buns one can't even figure out how fine the hair is.:)

[longhairedfairy]

I had always wished my hair was thicker, but lately I've been happy that it's fine because it's really, really soft:)

[vampodrama]

well, I think it's pretty much human nature to always wish for things you simply do not have... I have fine, thin hair as well. OK, before joining this forum I thought my hair was super-thin, hence the perpetually short hair so far in my life. when I measured my hair according to the criteria here, my hair turned out to be a solid ii, which was very surprising for me.

but still... I know my hair will never have 5" pony circumference, so I have learnt to accept it. do I *wish* my hair was 5" pony circumference? heck yeah! :D

but I fully agree on the updos part. you can do lots more styles on shorter hair. plus it doesn't weigh that much and it doesn't get that hot in summer! :)

[Little_Bird]

I personally think that fine or thin hair is gorgeous. Every hair type, if managed properly, can be very beautyfull. One of my all time inspirations to grow my hair is a friend of my mom, who I always knew having past waist lenght hair. Her hair is incredibly straight, fine and thin. She's probably a 1a / F / i . Her hair is amazing, really.

So don't fret with your hair type. Just embrace it and take proper care of it :flower:

[Gecko]

That's nice. :) I have fine, thin hair too... I like it, but sometimes it doesn't seem as long because it lays flat and it isn't all around my shoulders and back. So it doesn't seem very long until I shake it around and fluff it up or I look at the length from the back. But that's ok; when it's longer... it will look longer! I want to learn an infinity bun!

[Strongnlong]

Fine, thin & nappy! But I love it so! Acceptance is key and then it's smooth sailing from there.

[UP Lisa]

After all these years I still have a hard time accepting that my hair isn't thick. I still get envious when I see a head of thick hair. However, I have learned to appreciate the softness of my hair. I also like the color and the waves I have found in the hair I thought was 1a when I joined here.

[jivete]

Thanks everyone for all the encouraging words.

I think the hardest part about having this hair type is that it gets damaged and looks damaged so easily. If I'm not super careful, the ends look really thin and ratty. I am learning to accept it more and as I do, it looks better and better.

I love seeing all the fine/thin longhairs. It's very encouraging. My goal right now is just to maintain at MBL with full, blunt ends. You guys make me believe it is possible with this thin, fragile hair.

[Samikha]

I think the hardest part about having this hair type is that it gets damaged and looks damaged so easily. If I'm not super careful, the ends look really thin and ratty. I am learning to accept it more and as I do, it looks better and better.

It's interesting to see your perspective. The really longhaired people I've seen have mostly had straight, fine, thin hair, and personally I always wanted that. In my experience flyaways and broken hairs and everything just shows up better on thick hair because there are more of them:D And I do envy those with a bit less hair, you and your easily made updos and shine and just less to take care of - oh, and of course, less likely to get headaches from balancing an updo wrong. Ach!

The grass is always greener! We just have to remember that the neighbours must mow their lawn sometime too :)

[UP Lisa]

Well, my hair has always been very fragile. It just can't handle combing and brushing. That's why I never thougtht I could get it this long. And I can NEVER let it blow in the wind. I would have such tangles I could never get them out without breaking off all my hair.

[az_sweetie01]

This thread was exactly what I needed to see. Lately I've been "hair despairing." I am ALWAYS lamenting my fine, thin, super straight hair. It looks stringy and oily the day after a wash, with my sheds I have no idea how I'm not bald, my buns are not very full and my ears poke out of my hair on the sides (and my ears sit quite flat against my head, I assure you :) ) like little pixie ears. I'm constantly getting people asking why I have long hair and how much better it would look if I cut it back to my shoulders or added more layers or this that and the other thing to "make it look thicker."

However, yes, thin, fine, straight hair has that look of spun silk when treated right :) And it's much lighter (no neck pain to worry about hopefully as you grow).

Good for you for making an effort to embrace your own beauty :)

[girlcat36]

Great to see some thin fine hairs loving their hair!

".....must learn to love my hair, must learn to love my hair........"

[Lady Godiva]

However, yes, thin, fine, straight hair has that look of spun silk when treated right :) And it's much lighter (no neck pain to worry about hopefully as you grow).
You're right. My hair is fine and stick straight, but it's not thin, so I get neck aches regularly. Count yourselves fortunate if your hair isn't thick and you intend to grow very long.

[aisling]

I see that many with ii hair calls their hair "thin". But ii isn't thin, it's of medium thickness, I refuse to call my hair thin and I'm in the middle of the ii range. It's fine but fine hair doesn't have to be thin. How do you think that people with real i hair feels when you people with average thickness hair calls your hair thin?

[UP Lisa]

I only responded to this thread because my hair is baby-fine. I didn't say my hair was thin, although it is compared to a lot of people's hair.

[girlcat36]

I see that many with ii hair calls their hair "thin". But ii isn't thin, it's of medium thickness, I refuse to call my hair thin and I'm in the middle of the ii range. It's fine but fine hair doesn't have to be thin. How do you think that people with real i hair feels when you people with average thickness hair calls your hair thin?


Good point aisling! I have been i and ii, most recently getting into the ii category. I do still consider myself partly i because I am only a ii until it reaches neck length. From neck to APL, I am still solidly i.

[FrannyG]

I see that many with ii hair calls their hair "thin". But ii isn't thin, it's of medium thickness, I refuse to call my hair thin and I'm in the middle of the ii range. It's fine but fine hair doesn't have to be thin. How do you think that people with real i hair feels when you people with average thickness hair calls your hair thin?

You are correct, Aisling. I don't think I would refer to my hair as "thin" if the ii nape measurement didn't taper so drastically and quickly into i territory, but still, you're right. As usual. And by the way, you are not boring. :)

[rubyann]

I have a love/hate relationship with my fine thin wavy hair. I do love the softness, like silk, and the wavy wurlies. Unfortunately, when I wear my hair down, I can see light shining through it. Uggghhh. I do like that I've been able to do a simple cinnamon bun since it was just past shoulder length. I can do a teeny tiny figure 8 now, I just need to practice it a bit more before I feel comfortable wearing it out in public. I can do a small braided bun, too. Right now my hair would be BSL if blown straight, but I refuse to do that.

I've always longed for long and thick curly hair. I've decided to just accept the hair I have and be happy with it as it is!

[jivete]

I guess as far as calling it thin when it's in the ii range...I feel there's a huge difference between 3 and 1/2 inches and 2 and 1/4 inches. I've rarely met people with thinner hair than myself, but I have met a few and I imagine it must be very frustrating for them to try and grow their hair.

[Unnamed]

I guess as far as calling it thin when it's in the ii range...I feel there's a huge difference between 3 and 1/2 inches and 2 and 1/4 inches. I've rarely met people with thinner hair than myself, but I have met a few and I imagine it must be very frustrating for them to try and grow their hair.

Yes, there is a HUGE diference between 2.25" and 3.5". It's about double or a tad more. Someone with a 2" circ. has approx 1/2 as much hair as someone with a 3" circ., and someone with a 3" circ has approx 1/2 the hair as someone with a 4" circ. Someone with a 4" circ has approx FOUR TIMES as much hair as someone with a 2" circ. The ii range is a, huge, HUGE range.

Below about 2.5", it's just different than in that between 2.5-3.5" range, and personally I think it's below that 2.5" mark when 'thin' is right. 2.25" is thin, 2.5" is iffy, and 2.75" is not 'thin'. I started LHC with around 2.75-3". But lost half my hair a few months later (thank you, thyroid! was also growing out dyeline past nape then), and other than about that year with thicker hair, my hair has typically been thinner than it is now, actually. Sorta 'seeing both sides', it's very different. I think the last 10 years I've gone from a solid i, to the low side of a 'mid-ii' (while dyeing hair black) to a 'i/ii', and it's a huge difference just in how that much hair feels. Updos especially are soooo different now. I have twice as much pony length....but smaller buns. :lol:

If I cheat a bit and measure really really close to my head on freshly washed hair, I get 2.375". Dirty or measuring more like for a pony, though...it's more like 2.125" (2-2.25" max). :lol: I like the first number better, though, and, yes, it was desperately wanting to keep my nape measurement over 2" after getting a 2" even number with the big shed. :oops: Regardless, other than right at the nape (just over 2"), my hair is an i and behaves like an i.

And sorry (especially for rambling past that first paragraph!), I just don't want anyone to think I'm a ii, as I'm not. My hair is super fine and I'm very lucky in that in pictures it looks like more than it is. I'm actually currently hoping that treating my thyroid (hypothyroid probably since I was 10 or so) will change the thickness upward a wee bit, so I can be a real ii...if only at the nape. :lol:

[freznow]

So far, the only good thing I see about fine, thin hair is the lack of weight.

My hair's not particularly soft. At my length, the thinness makes updo's much more limiting, and I'm not updo challenged. The way it's damaged so easily and looks dirty and limp unless I strip it, at which point the flyaways are insane...

And I'm not even particularly thin! Just shy of 3". I've accepted it, and honestly I know I don't have much to complain about it. But I just don't see the glory in most of what people say is a plus for fine, thin hair. Truth be told, thick hair doesn't seem like it'd solve all my problems, but it does seem like I'd be happier with it. That may or may not be 'grass is greener' syndrome.

[Angelica]

Well I am not even going to bother saying how thick my ponytail is or how thin! lol! Everyone on here has better hair than me. Yes I am the true ia F i. Pretty bad. It is ultra silky, ultra delicate and poker straight. It probably looks better longer rather than short, because short would look very flat and long at least it can go up.

Oh and it is very soft as well, another minus for this hair type.

But like freznow I can see no glory in it at this present time. Unless of course when I am old I still have hair, because my poor mother is losing hers fast now! :(

But my hair has been exactly the same when I was a child. It is all down to the genetics.

I am really sure that no one really with thick hair would want this type of hair, and if they did happen to swap it they'd soon be begging for thick hair to come back.

There are so many gorgeous hair styles out there for those blessed with thick hair. I have a book here at home that I can't even attempt doing the styles because all the models have thick hair and my hair doesn't look right.

That's not saying that it can't look nice though. I often get it to look nice. Because you have to make the best of what you have. Just like putting make-up on really, you want to look your best. In the past I have tried hairpieces and it has been good to try and pretend that this was my own hair.

[Indigo Girl]

I think the hardest part about having this hair type is that it gets damaged and looks damaged so easily.

I very much agree. I have been at this length forever. I keep having to trim because of the ridiculous amount of damage I get; and I go to great lengths to protect my hair.

Doesn't really help!

[EvaSimone]

I am with the poster who brought up that having ii thickness hair isn't truly thin. It's normal and I really get aggravated when people act like having ii thickness is thin. Their are different levels of "normal thickness" (think a bell curve) the people who have a thickness of 2-4" fall more in the center of the bell curve, while others who have less (i) or more (iii) fall to either side. Some iis will have thicker hair or thinner hair than other iis but that doesn't mean that either of the people truly have thin hair. I think us ii people need to stop comparing ourselves to the people on the far end of the bell curve :p

So anyways I digress...

I am a solid medium thickness but my hair is very fine. One of the pluses like other posters have brought up is that your hair can look really soft and almost like spun silk. Another plus is that my hair is very shiny even without the aid of silicones.

The negatives is that it can just look too delicate. I've seen pictures of myself where I thought that if my hair looked any more fine it would be spiderwebs... :rolleyes:

[maria_asa]

Somewhere around here is a link to a remarkable series of photos on how to do various bun styles on some gorgeous, glossy thin and fine hair. I can't remember who it was that set it up, but I'll go digging.

Regardless, I think she was able to do such intricate and yes, delicate, work just because she wasn't fighting against volume. Really, they were quite beautiful updos. A major hair inspiration for me.


I would love to see this site! I really need some positive inspiration.

I'm having a really hard time with the thinness of my hair. I'm exactly at 2" at the nape and then I have extreme taper. I love braids but whenever I do them on myself I just get depressed because they look so ridicolous. I also never wear my hair down because from BSL and down it's completely seethrough (it looks much worse IRL than on photos) and I just don't think it looks good. I've been thinking of cutting but in the end it will just leave me with shorter, just as thin hair.

The only thing I like about my hair is it's softness. However it's only soft where it's not damaged and it damages so easy.


Yes, there is a HUGE diference between 2.25" and 3.5". It's about double or a tad more. Someone with a 2" circ. has approx 1/2 as much hair as someone with a 3" circ., and someone with a 3" circ has approx 1/2 the hair as someone with a 4" circ. Someone with a 4" circ has approx FOUR TIMES as much hair as someone with a 2" circ. The ii range is a, huge, HUGE range.


I totally agree with this. There is a huge difference between 2" and 3" and hearing people well in the ii range complaining about their thin hair sometimes feels like a slap in the face.

[jivete]

I would be curious to see how the normal range was selected. I'm in it, barely, but every hair dresser I've even been to comments on how fine and thin my hair is. Mind you, they usually say it's not super thin, but thin nonetheless. I figure they handle lots of hair, so although my hair might be categorized as normal thickness by the hair typing chart, it's still thin by popular opinion.

So if the hairtyping system represents a bell curve, I have to ask how it was determined. How large was the survey group? Did it include all ethnicities? Etc, etc.

I'm just curious. It's not a big deal to me. My hair is what it is and while it's pretty thin, it's not super thin by any means and I might reach 2.5" if I can grow out all my breakage.

For fun, I made a table comparing circumference to area, which for a given length, really represents volume. Area is basically (Circumference^2)/(4PI). Hmm, my table didn't come out, but you get the idea.

Circum., in Area (in2)
1.5 0.18
2 0.32
2.25 0.40
2.5 0.50
3 0.72
3.5 0.97
4 1.27
4.5 1.61

[jivete]

Maybe this'll be easier to read. In inches/square inches.

Circumference/Area
1.5/0.18
2.0/0.32
2.25/0.40
2.5/0.50
3.0/0.72
3.5/0.97
4.0/1.27
4.5/1.61

[UP Lisa]

Hairsylists have always considered my hair thin, too.

[aisling]

Hairstylists here claims everybody's hair is thin, if it's not incredibly thick and then it's too thick instead :rolleyes: Seriously, this is something I've read lengthy discussions about in Finnish and at least here it seems to be something they're taught, if you have "typical, Finnish hair" which is pretty much what I have, then they've obviously been taught it's thin, because it's some kind of mantra "everybody" gets to hear :)

[ilovelonghair]

Katze your hair has grown! I just noticed it from your avatar:).

I don't know if I have fine hair, I think it's more medium, and if I messure my ponytail I just end up in ii, but then I see people with thicker ponytails talking about their hair in topics like this! So I wonder which category I belong to. Some months ago my hair was really thin, due to hair loss, but now it has been growing back like crazy :)

[ilovelonghair]

Actually fine hair can be a boom for certain styles. I still do not like my thin and limp braid but I feel that my buns turn out very well. So I've decided to use my hair only in buns.And with so many buns one can't even figure out how fine the hair is.:)


How long is your hair? It's says in your profile hip lenght? In that case it's good to see fine/thin hair can grow really long :)

[Aries_jb]

My ponytail circumference is 2.5in, but my taper is what makes me feel like I have thin hair. I've been told by so many people that my hair is thin. So imagine my surprise when I join this site, type my hair, and find that I fall into a normal range. Still, all the breakage on top of being thin on the ends gets me down.

On the upside, my hair is between shoulder and APL and I'm able to do some nice buns. The ideal length for most updos in my hair is about BSL, which is a lot shorter, I imagine, than many people with thicker hair.

[FrannyG]

Hairstylists here claims everybody's hair is thin, if it's not incredibly thick and then it's too thick instead :rolleyes: Seriously, this is something I've read lengthy discussions about in Finnish and at least here it seems to be something they're taught, if you have "typical, Finnish hair" which is pretty much what I have, then they've obviously been taught it's thin, because it's some kind of mantra "everybody" gets to hear :)

Here in Canada, it's a bit different. All of the hairstylists who've worked with my hair have said to me, "You've got baby fine hair, but a lot of it." I like that. Of course, also here in Canada, we have every possible hair type imaginable. :)

[kittymomma]

I evidently need to do some searching on the forums! I have always lamented my thin hair and envied those with golf-ball-diameter ponytails!! I think that's one reason I'm so hair-obsessed...because I usually hate my hair! It doesn't have enough curl to be curly, and it's only straight on the ends, so trying to make it do anything resembling a style is a nightmare. Oh, did I mention I'm also a product junkie? :p

[Amara]

I have fine, fairly thin hair. I am learning to love it, too! :)

What's bad: gets tangles fairly easily, can show "scalp cleavage" more easily, looks oily if I get even *slightly* too generous with the oil. Have oil travels so quickly from ends to roots is beyond me.

What's good: I can put it up in a variety of ways I know thicker haired people have a harder time with. It can look like a silky sheet on a good day. It's lighter weight for hot days.

[sky]

what a great thread idea! Glad you are feeling good about your hair.

As someone with similar length and texture, I am still having trouble appreciating my hair. Not only is it fine and thin, but it's also wavy enough that I have trouble getting updos smooth, and I have tons of baby hairs, meaning it is doubly messy.

Also, when I do braid or put it up, the ends look so pathetic and it looks like I have less hair than I do.

Me, too! What I hate is that when I put mine up, it flattens out and clings to my head, making it look smaller then the rest of me. LOL!!!!

[Tapioca]

That is a nice thing about finer hair. All the wonderful updos you can do at shorter lengths.

[kate46]

I see that many with ii hair calls their hair "thin". But ii isn't thin, it's of medium thickness, I refuse to call my hair thin and I'm in the middle of the ii range. It's fine but fine hair doesn't have to be thin. How do you think that people with real i hair feels when you people with average thickness hair calls your hair thin?

Aisling while I understand what you are saying here and I must admit I sometimes envy even those with ii thickness, it doesn't really bother me because it's all relative, if someone with ii thickness is not happy with their hair then they are probably as upset as I get with my hair. It's a bit like saying someone who is just a stone overweight should not feel upset by that when there are other people who may be 3 stone overweight and more entitled to be upset. (Not that anyone should be upset about their weight, I was just trying to think of an example).

[Babyfine]

Thank you for this thread! I always used to consider my fine hair to be a "curse", as it's fine, wavy, and tends to frizz-and I'm updo challenged so I have trouble doing many updo's, that don't look flat to my head.
I've always lamented the fact that my hair seems to damage so easily-(I "have" to color, for example) but since I've been treating my hair better the last couple of years-(like fine lace) it's rewarded me with looking so much better and shinier, and has gotten silkier, as fine hair can be.

[Babyfine]

Hairsylists have always considered my hair thin, too.
Wow UP Lisa- you are hip length!
I remember when your hair was much shorter!
What's your routine?

[ktani]

I've always lamented my fine/thin hair. However, my hair is just above BSL and I was able to do a tiny little infinity bun today. It looks pretty cute if not lopsided. I have some layers, so the last couple of inches are pretty tapered. I know I've heard it before, but I guess there really could be a benefit to skinny tresses...more updo's at shorter length! :)

I guess I did cheat a little and had to secure the ends with a little claw clip, but I still have the infinity symbol/figure 8. So this and the lazy bun are my new favorite up-dos.

I know how you feel. I can put my hair up in a sort of twist and hold it up with only one roller pin (a long straight type of bobby pin, but it is stronger and a thicker metal).

A long time ago, I made peace with my hair and decided to go with it, instead of fight it.

I find that using catnip tea, or any herb rinse I have tried, makes my hair 1. wave more and 2. much more full than any conditioner I ever used.

The result is that my hair looks thicker. Someone commented a few summers back, this was pre catnip tea but with a herb rinse, that my hair was thick. I was shocked but that is how it appeared.

Herb rinses are very light but many can also be very conditioning.

[Delila]

I just thought I'd butt in with a moment of contentment. :)

I'm loving my hair more the longer it gets. I've never really disliked my hair, exactly, and I've always enjoyed the color, but I was always disappointed with the styling results I'd get before I realized that my hair was wavy and before I quit blowing my hair dry.

In my case, both steps were necessary, to realize that a) blow drying makes it harder for my hair to gain length and b) that I have to be careful to condition just enough to help my hair without flattening out my waves completely.

In recent weeks, I've finally achieved a routine that doesn't need to vary. Whee!

Don't get me wrong, I love haircare experiments, but I'm glad to have found a routine that works for me long term. Who knew I could get bored with conditioning experiments?

I'm quite happy with the results I get using a catnip rinse just after I use a moisturizing shampoo and just before I condition my length with a moisturizing conditioner. Nothing I'm using is expensive or hard to find, and the scents don't linger in my hair. Hair nirvana. :cheese::cheese:

[busnutmedic]

I'd almost rather have stick straight hair (or I *think* I would) than have fine, thin hair that has just enough body to it to make it come apart in clumps. It depends on how it dries.

I vacillate SO Much between liking my hair and disliking it. It's a good thing I can't really change it once because I know I'd want to change it again and again. So I may as well live with what I have :D

[eaglefeather71]

I had a MAJOR shed when I went no-poo (BS and ACV). It was so bad my co-worker started asking me if I was ok, when I asked her why, she said I was losing my hair. I have since changed up my routine and am currently somewhere between WO and CO 1xweek. My hair has really gotten back to ii. I'm not sure why, but I really have fluctuated between i and ii a few times throughout my adult life. I may have even been iii a couple years, but its been a while. I do have a hard time when its feeling flat or thin, I just dont feel like its attractive on me because if the shape of my face. I do think its attractive on most everyone else though. Crazy.

[kittymomma]

Weird, I know...that lovely fine glossy sheet seems to look fine on everyone else (I have round features on an oval face, go figure)! Good to know about the shed cause! I've been trying to find out what will work best for my oily, thin hair for YEARS. What a struggle, I feel your pain. Thank you for the info...and hang in there!

[UP Lisa]

Hi. I'm not sure I have a real routine. I have never found a shampoo or conditioner that I love so much that I use it all the time. I tried CO washing for about a year, but went back to shampoo. I have tried natural shampoos. I have been using several different shampoos and conditioners. I use leave-ins on the length, but I'm not sure it does anything.

Mostly I just try to keep it from tangling. That means wearing it up most of the time, and braiding it at night. I generally just finger-comb, since combing and brushing are murder to my baby-fine hair.

Thanks for asking!

Lisa

[intothemist1999]

Volume-wise I have a ton of hair, thickness-wise they are very skinny. Considering how much hair I've got, when I put it into a chinese bun, or do a gibraltar bun, I've got the tiniest knot on my head. Even the one successful figure-8 I did wasn't very big! I don't like small knots on my head for a 'do, so I haven't worn them to work, although I do have to start coming to terms with other such up-do's.

The one good thing about having fine hairs, is that I just COULD NOT imagine in the hot weather having all this hair AND it be very thick.

[Auntbeast]

Lucky girl :) I have VERY thick hair, even though its fine I have a ton of it... I always need it almost a good 8 inches longer than someone with normal thickness to achieve the same style!



So it isn't just me? My hair barely exists, yet there is a ton of it. I just had a trim and can't seem to put it up in anything other than a pony tail even though it is arm-pit length.

[Speckla]

I'm very thankful for thin, fine hair! Mine's very curly and would be impossible to care for if it was any bigger!!
________
Ford gyron (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Ford_Gyron)

[vindo]

My hair is the funniest thing, it is neither fine or thin but many people find that it looks like it.
I also get refered to as fine and thin haired LHCer.

Before I had my strands measured with a micrometer I thought I had lots of fine hair.
But I can't use that as an "excuse" anymore..they are M with 0.06-0.07mm, so when I joined LHC, I thought I would be an i or i/ii. But I was well above that.

Now I know that my hair just compresses very much, damp and dry hair is the same, oiled too and my ponytail is uncombed as thick as the circumference..no more.
The tendency for stringiness adds to the picture.:)

I try not to think too much about whether I like it or not, since I used to greatly dislike it..I focus on making the best out of it.

[Angelica]

So it isn't just me? My hair barely exists, yet there is a ton of it. I just had a trim and can't seem to put it up in anything other than a pony tail even though it is arm-pit length.

Auntbeast you are not alone. I have been cursed with this type of hair all my life! I find no beauty in it at all. Let's face it, truth be known no one with thick hair would really want this type of hair not when they realise it can't even hold a slide from Claire's Accessories without the aid of an elastic band to keep it in. Hair that has no volume, no body whatsoever.

"Oh has your hair always been so thin and fine?" one rude person in work said to me once as if she expected me to tell her, "no it hasn't I lost it through ill health..."

Truth is it is in our genes and there is nothing at all we can do about it. Sure some people might have ill treated their hair in the past and the hair has broken off or whatever. Some people might have very poor diets, or suffer from calcium deficiency...but usually I do believe it is down to the genes.

Now for hairstyles. Buns look absolutely pathetic, so I have to opt to disguise the tiny size of it with a scrunchie, or a doughnut ring. I could never wear a simple plait down my back that would just look too silly.

French braiding is easy and a good way to disguise how "thin" the hair is, but only if the tail of the braid is tucked in. Of course it would still look far more dramatic on someone with thick hair.

Ponytails - absolutely do not go there.

French braids will work and so will a French Pleat. And if you really want to cheat there are bun holders available - I am talking about the barette that have a snood type of "bag" attached to them and make it look as if you have a lot more hair. I also find that rolling the sides of the hair when I pin it up now is much more flattering and makes my hair less flat.

I wear it up to disguise just how fine my hair is.

Oh yes and I have yet to see anyone with this hair type, in its truest form grow it to great lengths like the ankles or whatever. I know some have claimed to have seen this, but it seems very unlikely to me. I mean hair grows thinner, it doesn't grow thicker the longer it gets.

We have to make do with what we have regarding our hair.

Sometimes when we lose that extra inch in length it makes all the difference on what styles we are able to achieve.

[UP Lisa]

It is true that having fine and/or thin hair is difficult, but being so down about it will not help anything. If we have our health, that is what is important. We must be grateful for all that we do have. It may very well be that the person with the gorgeous, thick hair has some other problem to deal with that we know nothing about.

[jivete]

It is true that having fine and/or thin hair is difficult, but being so down about it will not help anything. If we have our health, that is what is important. We must be grateful for all that we do have. It may very well be that the person with the gorgeous, thick hair has some other problem to deal with that we know nothing about.

I agree. While I often wish mine were a little thicker and less fine/brittle and I can either accept it and take really good care of it, cut it short or just wear lots of fake hair. Or a combo of all of the above. I must say I do love the clip-in hair extensions for adding volume. Once my color stabilizes, I plan on buying some more for times when I want to add a little heft to my hair.

I will also add now that I'm taking better care of it, ie not dying, blow drying, straightening or curling, I like it a lot better. Plus, just like our bodies, faces, partners ;), sometimes we just have to decide to love something for what it is, not lament over what it is not.

[Babyfine]

Hi. I'm not sure I have a real routine. I have never found a shampoo or conditioner that I love so much that I use it all the time. I tried CO washing for about a year, but went back to shampoo. I have tried natural shampoos. I have been using several different shampoos and conditioners. I use leave-ins on the length, but I'm not sure it does anything.

Mostly I just try to keep it from tangling. That means wearing it up most of the time, and braiding it at night. I generally just finger-comb, since combing and brushing are murder to my baby-fine hair.

Thanks for asking!

Lisa

I tried CO for awhile, but it didn't work with my oily scalp and my hair looked flat and lank all the time. I now alternate between gentle sulfate free shampoos and Nioxin Step 3 as a clarifier, and that seems to work fine. I try to stretch shampoos to every 3-4 days.

[Xi]

The trouble (at least for me) is that other people keep telling me my hair is "so thin", generally with the implied (or bluntly stated) suggestion that I ought to do something drastic to "fix" this "problem".

Now that I'm wearing my hair up more (and trying to appreciate my little bun), I get fewer unsolicited comments from strangers. That and the wonderful environment at the LHC (where everyone has the outlandish opinion that people should do what they want with their own hair!) help me to like the hair I've got and ignore the nay-sayers.

maria_asa:
Sorry for the delayed response -- but I just wanted to say your hair looks very beautiful in your signature picture. I know you think it looks nicer in photos (I sometimes think the same about my hair), but I also think we can be overly self-critical, and that most people out there in the blowfried/bleached/haircut-a-week world don't have the aesthetic taste to appreciate real, honest-to-goodness, pretty long hair. LHCers aren't biased -- we see truly! ;)

[Aries_jb]

I agree with you Xi. I think I would like my hair a lot more if people didn't tell me it was thin as if there's something wrong with that. Granted, I have some breakage that has caused the thinness, but I'm working on fixing that. People telling me to do such and such to it, especially things that I KNOW will not stop the breakage (like shampooing more) does not help me view my hair in a great light.

[lapushka]

Great to see some thin fine hairs loving their hair!

Here's another fine haired wavy. I have lots of hair, though, which recently made a hairdresser go, "yes you see, but your hair is okay because you have lots of it." I didn't quite get that, maybe she was talking about the cut itself, that it's maybe not easy to cut as good a shape into thin/fine hair, I don't know. My mom has fine hair too; she has very thin hair (and has BSL hair) and she's reluctant to have a stylist cut a shape or cut into it. That's why she wears it up all the time.

The first thing they always seem to notice is the fine hair.

I have fine oily hair, was wondering how many of us fine hairs have oily hair.

[Angelica]

Of course being down about fine/thin hair won't help.

What hair type are we taking about here? Ponytails that measure 1 inch compared to 2 inches or 3 inches, there is a big difference here. Someone with three inches surely can't refer to their hair when there are those with just 1 inch thickness?

Even the two inch thickness is double to what the one inch has.

What I find odd is when I am in work I see these girls with the super thick hair that I have always longed for and they bleach it and straighten it as if there is no tomorrow. I even saw one girl with bits of hair all over her shoulders as if she had been moulting. I thought she had had a trim, but no, she just said that she had used the straighteners on it! I was really shocked but of course it's not my place to tell her about the damage she is doing to her hair.

If there is any beauty in my hair it is just natural. Whether that is good or not remains to be seen. But I certainly don't abuse my hair. It's as fine as silk and has to be treated very gently.

[kittymomma]

I can definitely say that I have a very oily scalp. I also tried CO but couldn't stand it for more than a week because of the severe greasies! If I don't do some sort of wash (I use diluted Nioxin as well, along with a diluted JASON shampoo) every other day, my hair gets lank and my scalp starts to itch. Bleh. In my siggy, the before pic is the DAY AFTER washing and it already looks horrible! :mad: I'm hoping the henna will thicken me up a bit.

[lapushka]

I can't CO either, kittymomma. I have to use shampoo, and a strong shampoo preferably, without any conditioner - that's the only way I can limit it to two washes a week. At this length it isn't that tangly and the shampoo alone works just fine. Having an oily scalp messes up the whole be more natural with your hair routine for me. Milder shampoos are great, but that means having to wash more as well. I do only use a SLES shampoo for normal hair, not oily hair (too strong).

[Auntbeast]

I know I posted earlier in the thread, but as always, I have more to say.

When I was growing up, my hair was always described as long and stringy. My brother and mother both have incredibly thick, wavy horsehair, I mean their hair is THICK and they have a ton of it, and here I was, this stringy haired string-bean. I used to hate my hair and since I grew up in the 70's and 80's, big hair was well, big. I would curling iron it, blow it dry, attempt perms, because God Knows, I got told enough I needed one. To give you an idea, when my daughter was born, my Grandmother lamented "Oh hell, that poor child got Lisa's stringy, blah hair!" (My husband had dark brown ringlets of hair, amazing really)

Fast Forward about 20 years. I have gorgeous hair. I've gotten more compliments on my hair as an adult than insults when I was a kid. I finally realized my hair really isn't all *that* thin, and there actually is a lot of it. I'm a far cry from Elaine on Seinfeld, but my hair is wonderful. It may not curl, but it looks great straight.

As my daughter is now 3, and we've never cut her length, I see how gorgeous her hair is, it has made me like my hair better, because it is the same darn hair!

I see all the photos on this site (but not the albums yet!) and think over and over again "Gosh, that is beautiful hair!" "Oh, how pretty!" I've yet to think "Yuck!"

[WaimeaWahine]

My hair has always done a perfect paigeboy (sp?) but after that it's just wispy thin and breaks easily.

There's a possibility that mine wasn't meant to ever be long. It has no volume at all and I've maybe seen 1 person here who has hair as thin and fine as mine. :(

I equate fine as having fine hair shafts and thin with just not having a lot of hairs. It's like having tiny nylon strands that snap at the smallest snag.

On a positive note :) there was someone who posted once that they envied my little natural ringlets at the base of my neck. When they said that I began to like my ringlets too.

[Arctic]

--- On a positive note :) there was someone who posted once that they envied my little natural ringlets at the base of my neck. When they said that I began to like my ringlets too.

This is exatly why I try to give compliments, because similar things have happened to me to: some feature of mine got complimented and it chaged my view on it.

Here's to beautiful fine hair!!! :beerchug:

[ilovelonghair]

Auntbeast you are not alone. I have been cursed with this type of hair all my life! I find no beauty in it at all. Let's face it, truth be known no one with thick hair would really want this type of hair not when they realise it can't even hold a slide from Claire's Accessories without the aid of an elastic band to keep it in. Hair that has no volume, no body whatsoever.

"Oh has your hair always been so thin and fine?" one rude person in work said to me once as if she expected me to tell her, "no it hasn't I lost it through ill health..."

Truth is it is in our genes and there is nothing at all we can do about it. Sure some people might have ill treated their hair in the past and the hair has broken off or whatever. Some people might have very poor diets, or suffer from calcium deficiency...but usually I do believe it is down to the genes.

Now for hairstyles. Buns look absolutely pathetic, so I have to opt to disguise the tiny size of it with a scrunchie, or a doughnut ring. I could never wear a simple plait down my back that would just look too silly.

French braiding is easy and a good way to disguise how "thin" the hair is, but only if the tail of the braid is tucked in. Of course it would still look far more dramatic on someone with thick hair.

Ponytails - absolutely do not go there.

French braids will work and so will a French Pleat. And if you really want to cheat there are bun holders available - I am talking about the barette that have a snood type of "bag" attached to them and make it look as if you have a lot more hair. I also find that rolling the sides of the hair when I pin it up now is much more flattering and makes my hair less flat.

I wear it up to disguise just how fine my hair is.

Oh yes and I have yet to see anyone with this hair type, in its truest form grow it to great lengths like the ankles or whatever. I know some have claimed to have seen this, but it seems very unlikely to me. I mean hair grows thinner, it doesn't grow thicker the longer it gets.

We have to make do with what we have regarding our hair.

Sometimes when we lose that extra inch in length it makes all the difference on what styles we are able to achieve.


I so understand this! I've had times where my hair was so thin that everything looked sad. I tried everything to make it look fuller and thicker, so I started by perming it. That made it dryer and fluffier so it looked kind of fuller. I bleached it so that also helped making it fluffy. At the same time I didn't know that I was making my own hair even more thin.
Then I had times where I was so desperate I used hair pieces to fill it all up.
In those times I never did a braid or a ponytail, but always put it up in some way.
I guess i was lucky because my hair became better over time (even though I kepts chemically dyeing it). Now I have stopped doing that all it's much better. I'm actually amazed to find out it's not that thin at all. of course it's not like how I want it, but it's good enough.



Oh yes and I have yet to see anyone with this hair type, in its truest form grow it to great lengths like the ankles or whatever. I know some have claimed to have seen this, but it seems very unlikely to me. I mean hair grows thinner, it doesn't grow thicker the longer it gets.

I've also never seen that, it's always people with more hair who have that (there are enough people with such hair on this forum and they all have really thick hair)

[jivete]

What hair type are we taking about here? Ponytails that measure 1 inch compared to 2 inches or 3 inches, there is a big difference here. Someone with three inches surely can't refer to their hair when there are those with just 1 inch thickness?

Even the two inch thickness is double to what the one inch has.



I agree Angelica. My hair is just over 2" in circumference. It used to be less than 2", but I've been able to thicken it up with decent care. I understand the frustration even though mine has now crossed over into the "normal" threshold. I still struggle with it looking see-through and it's not as thin as some and it's wavy, but I can empathize at least.


Mine is also pretty oily. I do CO, but I have to every other day. I used to be a daily S&C, but it killed my already fragile hair. It is much thicker and less prone to breakage now. I do think I need to give up combing, but it's so hard as mine is really prone to stringyness.

[UP Lisa]

My scalp is also very oily. I think I inherited it from my Dad's side of the family. However, since each hair has at least one oil gland, if your hair is fine, you probably have more hairs on your head, which can mean more oil production.

[Rosepatrice]

I wanted to chime in here and say thank you for this thread. I, too am a fine haired friend... I lost alot of hair the last few months, so it really looks thinner now.

This is such a wonderful support place.:pumpkin:

[windinherhair]

I have always thought that my hair was thin, but every time I have went someplace to get it trimmed, I am always told that my hair is thick.

I am just glad that my hair is not thick enough that it would give me headaches. I have heard ladies talk about how they would never wear their hair long because of the headaches. Not me! :)

[scata999]

I spent years lamenting not only my fine, thin, but straight hair. It's really only since joining LHC and learning dozens of styles that I really appreciate the versatility of my hair both up, half-up and down.

Now I'm really happy with my hair type. I know I'll never have the extreme lengths of some members here, but I can live with that. :)

I'm a guy, one of the reasons I joined this forum is that I find long haired women beautiful. Your pictures caught my eye, you look elfish.

[Fethenwen]

I'm a guy, one of the reasons I joined this forum is that I find long haired women beautiful. Your pictures caught my eye, you look elfish.
Yeah, I must say the most beautiful hairs I've seen on LHC are the fine and thin types. Like pure spun silk :)
Please embrace your hair girls and treat it like a baby. Thin hair can look wonderful too.

[natt i nord]

Oh yes. I always hated my fine thin hair, but now I love it - infinities, lazy wraps and even a celtic knot are fantastic for me :D With BSL hair.

[kdaniels8811]

I have been told all my life I have fine, thin hair and my ears used to stick out of it to prove it! Plus it was very greasy and had to be washed every day. Fast forward to finding LHC. When I signed up, I put down that my hair was fine/thin, etc. Today, when I was posting about reaching BSL, someone complimented me on how thick my hair is! What? Who's hair? Certainly not mine! Then I took a good look at my photo and while it is not thick, it certainly is not as thin as it used to be and my ears are well hidden.

Since I have the same hair I always did, I can only give credit to using herbs exclusively to color, condition, and shampoo my hair. And coconut oil to help the ends. Having lived with fine, thin hair my whole life, I can fully understand the frustration of some seeing other post normal hair as fine. I guess I need to go re-type myself! Yay, catnip and henna! Great topic, by the way. I love seeing how people starting appreciating thier hair once someone complimented them on it. I will have to try to post my thoughts more often instead of keeping them to myself. I see several people here that I have serious hair envy over.

[MsBubbles]

I have been told all my life I have fine, thin hair and my ears used to stick out of it to prove it! Plus it was very greasy and had to be washed every day. Fast forward to finding LHC. When I signed up, I put down that my hair was fine/thin, etc. Today, when I was posting about reaching BSL, someone complimented me on how thick my hair is! What? Who's hair? Certainly not mine! Then I took a good look at my photo and while it is not thick, it certainly is not as thin as it used to be and my ears are well hidden.

Since I have the same hair I always did, I can only give credit to using herbs exclusively to color, condition, and shampoo my hair. And coconut oil to help the ends. Having lived with fine, thin hair my whole life, I can fully understand the frustration of some seeing other post normal hair as fine. I guess I need to go re-type myself! Yay, catnip and henna! Great topic, by the way. I love seeing how people starting appreciating thier hair once someone complimented them on it. I will have to try to post my thoughts more often instead of keeping them to myself. I see several people here that I have serious hair envy over.

So you looked at an individual strand and determined you're medium thickness instead of fine?

Cool! Good for you. I would not be upset if that happened to me :D but as it is, I guess I'm not complaining!

[florenonite]

So you looked at an individual strand and determined you're medium thickness instead of fine?

Cool! Good for you. I would not be upset if that happened to me :D but as it is, I guess I'm not complaining!

Really? I'd be disappointed. I've got a small section that looks more M than F (Maybe I should really be classed as F/M, but meh) and when I notice it I start worrying I'm turning into an M. I like having fine hair.

[curls2grow]

Just wondering about this. Someone commented to me (can't remember if it was online or IRL) that if hair takes several hours to air-dry, then it's not thin/fine. I have considered my hair thin/fine for 10+ years. My hair takes 2-4 hours to totally dry by air-drying. The comment was that thin/fine hair should be completely dry in 1-2 hours air-drying. I'm interested in other thin/fine people's thoughts on that theory.

[florenonite]

Just wondering about this. Someone commented to me (can't remember if it was online or IRL) that if hair takes several hours to air-dry, then it's not thin/fine. I have considered my hair thin/fine for 10+ years. My hair takes 2-4 hours to totally dry by air-drying. The comment was that thin/fine hair should be completely dry in 1-2 hours air-drying. I'm interested in other thin/fine people's thoughts on that theory.

Well, I have definitely got fine hair and it takes at least five hours to dry wholly, so unless it's just the thickness that makes it take so long that theory's looking inaccurate. Have you measured your ponytail? That'll tell you if you really do have thin hair or just think you do (if your ponytail's circumference is less than 2"/5cm then your hair is thin), and if your hair really is thin and fine then, yeah, the idea that thin/fine hair takes only a couple hours to dry is rubbish.

Also, the healthier your hair is, the longer it takes to dry, IIRC, so that might influence it, too.

[natt i nord]

Just wondering about this. Someone commented to me (can't remember if it was online or IRL) that if hair takes several hours to air-dry, then it's not thin/fine. I have considered my hair thin/fine for 10+ years. My hair takes 2-4 hours to totally dry by air-drying. The comment was that thin/fine hair should be completely dry in 1-2 hours air-drying. I'm interested in other thin/fine people's thoughts on that theory.

I'm in the 1-2 hours and really have fine hair. But I think this doesn't count for curls - curls usually take more time to air dry.

[curls2grow]

yes, I measured my ponytail circumference -- it's 2". I will take that as a bit of inspiration amid my frustration about drying time -- that the healthier the hair, the longer it takes to dry. I'd never heard that before. :cheese:

ETA: I didn't realize that curls could slow down drying time also. Seems like they would create more air pockets along the length to help reduce drying time. :undecided As you see, the science of hair escapes me.

[rhubarbarin]

Just wondering about this. Someone commented to me (can't remember if it was online or IRL) that if hair takes several hours to air-dry, then it's not thin/fine. I have considered my hair thin/fine for 10+ years. My hair takes 2-4 hours to totally dry by air-drying. The comment was that thin/fine hair should be completely dry in 1-2 hours air-drying. I'm interested in other thin/fine people's thoughts on that theory.

I see you are very curly.. if you use leave-ins that can greatly increase your drying time - it doubles mine. Also it depends on how porous your hair is, which doesn't always have anything to do with texture.

[curls2grow]

Yes, I definitely use leave-in every time I wet my hair. Can't detangle easily otherwise.

Thanks for this info, ladies!

[dolcevita]

Well I guess it's kinda nice having fine and thin hair in a way because I can use ONE bobby pin and keep my bun in place... and my hair is almost at BSL...

(I still wish that I needed 1 million bobby pins and my hair was 10x as thick... but that's life!)

[florenonite]

Well I guess it's kinda nice having fine and thin hair in a way because I can use ONE bobby pin and keep my bun in place... and my hair is almost at BSL...

(I still wish that I needed 1 million bobby pins and my hair was 10x as thick... but that's life!)

I was surprised to see you're classed as a i; your hair looks so thick in your siggy!

[dolcevita]

I was surprised to see you're classed as a i; your hair looks so thick in your siggy!

Angles!! They work wonders! And it was just blownout so it had some more volume.

I think if my hair were naturally straight, something like a 1A, I'd be more eager to embrace it's fine/thinness.

With waves, it makes your hair looks SO sparse and messy when it just clumps together and you can see the pattern on your shirt clearly through the hair. Eek. I'm hoping that when it gets longer something magical will happen. Maybe it will look like my siggy because it will have more weight. Actually, that's what happened when I was younger - *fingers crossed*

EDIT also my hair is more like my avatar in real life... actually my avatar was taken when it was still a bit damp, hence the waves look more uniform. I never feel like taking a picture of my hair on a "normal" day when it doesn't look picture-worthy! *blush

[MsBubbles]

Really? I'd be disappointed. I've got a small section that looks more M than F (Maybe I should really be classed as F/M, but meh) and when I notice it I start worrying I'm turning into an M. I like having fine hair.

Well I did say I wasn't complaining. I'm happy either way. You have iii thickness. That makes a huge difference. I don't think I'll ever be a iii thickness, so then if I could be M ii it might look like I had more hair. I've been noticing some ladies here with gorgeous straight M hair (emichiee for one, of course).

[florenonite]

Well I did say I wasn't complaining. I'm happy either way. You have iii thickness. That makes a huge difference. I don't think I'll ever be a iii thickness, so then if I could be M ii it might look like I had more hair. I've been noticing some ladies here with gorgeous straight M hair (emichiee for one, of course).

Oh, yes, some people do have gorgeous M hair, but I don't know how soft theirs feels, though I know my F hair is soft.

And you're right, it does make a difference that I'm a iii; I suppose I have difficulty comprehending people wanting more hair because I'm only a couple inches from waist and still can't do buns that others can do at APL :mad:

[Melisande]

I remember that when I was a child, I heard the thin-fine-hair comment a lot. Everybody said that I can't grow my hair but well, I did and always had it long and longer. As adolescent, my hair was long and not thick but it was no longer thin. I shed after health problems and then had really really thin hair. Luckily, I have been able to recover my old volume. Still, my braid looks flimsy and my hair is flat.

I find that the circumference matters less than the growth pattern. My hair seems to grow really flat to my head, it has no volume at all. There are people who may have less inches but their hair looks fuller and thicker because it is "springier" and floats around them in a nicer way.

I also find that on women with long, slender necks and fingers, thin hair looks much better than they imagine. On a thick, short neck and broad shoulders like mine, hair LOOKS thinner than it is. I have a huge head and my buns always look small although they are not. I'm also on the tall side... I dwarf my own buns ;-) So don't judge your hair only according to a number.

In a way, our measuring system here is a bit incomplete. It's not a matter of numbers, it's the total look - structure, growth pattern, overall appearance.

I'm not complaining. When i was sick, I would never have believed that I could have the hair I have no. Henna, sulfate free shampoo, gentle handling and oil massages have given my hair more volume than the alcohol-laden styling mousses I used to stuff into my hair.

Hair changes, mine certainly did. And I learned here that no hair type is all roses and no thorns.

[Furiana]

Now for hairstyles. Buns look absolutely pathetic, so I have to opt to disguise the tiny size of it with a scrunchie, or a doughnut ring. I could never wear a simple plait down my back that would just look too silly.

French braiding is easy and a good way to disguise how "thin" the hair is, but only if the tail of the braid is tucked in. Of course it would still look far more dramatic on someone with thick hair.

Ponytails - absolutely do not go there.

French braids will work and so will a French Pleat. And if you really want to cheat there are bun holders available - I am talking about the barette that have a snood type of "bag" attached to them and make it look as if you have a lot more hair. I also find that rolling the sides of the hair when I pin it up now is much more flattering and makes my hair less flat.

I wear it up to disguise just how fine my hair is.

You know, I really *like* tiny, delicate hairdo's. Does anyone remember Madeleine (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=81897&postcount=2)'s hair? She had the most beautiful buns/French twists/etc I've ever seen! :crush:

[Ponytale]

I so appreciate this thread. I was within an inch of my goal finally (32") and noticed my ends looked "chewed on" despite the care and tips I have acquired and added over the years of having fine long hair. I told my husband to cut back to where it looked good and lost almost 2 inches.

In some ways, I have given up on really long hair, and want some quality instead, but its hard to do. After a drastic cut a number of years ago, a friend said my hair actually looked longer shorter because it was more full. Just have to make peace with it I guess.

[JamieLeigh]

I hear ya. My buns tend to look rather lopsided sometimes, and my figure 8's are treble clefs. *sigh* I so love my fine, thin hair.

[hockeygirl256]

Wow Franny G, your hair is gorgeous. We have the same type, color etc, but your's in much better condition, lol.

[angelhr]

Well, if anyone feels their hair is really thin, you'll probably feel better when you see mine. :D UGH. I've always wished just for a NORMAL head of hair, and when I see people with THICK (to me) hair lamenting how thin it is.... well, it's just depressing. Ah, well, I figure I have my health, and I will make do with what I have. But, oh.... some of the heads of hair on this forum are TO DIE FOR. *sigh*

[sunshine-locks]

Well I am not even going to bother saying how thick my ponytail is or how thin! lol! Everyone on here has better hair than me. Yes I am the true ia F i. Pretty bad. It is ultra silky, ultra delicate and poker straight. It probably looks better longer rather than short, because short would look very flat and long at least it can go up.

Oh and it is very soft as well, another minus for this hair type.

But like freznow I can see no glory in it at this present time. Unless of course when I am old I still have hair, because my poor mother is losing hers fast now! :(

But my hair has been exactly the same when I was a child. It is all down to the genetics.

I am really sure that no one really with thick hair would want this type of hair, and if they did happen to swap it they'd soon be begging for thick hair to come back.

There are so many gorgeous hair styles out there for those blessed with thick hair. I have a book here at home that I can't even attempt doing the styles because all the models have thick hair and my hair doesn't look right.

That's not saying that it can't look nice though. I often get it to look nice. Because you have to make the best of what you have. Just like putting make-up on really, you want to look your best. In the past I have tried hairpieces and it has been good to try and pretend that this was my own hair.


How is having soft hair a bad thing?? Would you rather have rough hair? I'm confused, lol

[DoubleCrowned]

My ponytail is 1.375". Rolling hair between my fingers, I can't feel anything until there are 7 hairs together. I've spent quite a bit of time trying to get a picture of it, but the fine hair does not show up very well. And some people here think a 2" ponytail is thin!

Still, I like my hair.

The gentleman who commented that fine hair is elfin (was that the word?) I think made a good point. Of course, I've often thought I would like to have hair I could wear down and not, as someone put it, see the print of my clothing through it; but when I imagine myself with a mantle of heavy, thick hair, I realize that it would not be "me." I'm sensitive by nature, quiet in a way, somewhat intuitive, physically more fragile than most... Big hair would probably make me feel as awkward as wearing clothing that went against my personality would.

That doesn't mean I am not trying to thicken and strengthen my hair. I think I will be able to adapt when my up-do finally needs more than one bobby pin.

[UP Lisa]

Soft would be nice if it didn't usually go along with fine and thin.



How is having soft hair a bad thing?? Would you rather have rough hair? I'm confused, lol

[Bonkers57]

You wouldn't believe how long it took me to finally figure that out! Oh, I could make mine look a little fuller when it was short by blow drying and spraying it with "superglue," but I don't have the inclination anymore to do that. (Or the reason - I haven't worked in a conservative office environment in years.) Mine is finally to a point where I like it and can see some progress - I can look in the mirror and say I actually like my hair!



Ha! You must be my hair twin!

But I *love* my hair, it's just what I want. My updo selection is sorta slim because I'm challenged that way, but people think my standard everyday bun is exotic and difficult. I showed my cousin this very evening, in a parking lot, how to make this updo with only a hairstick and she was dumbfounded. :)

I love my fine thin fairytale ends, they wrap into any updo so well.

My only hair-sadness at the moment is lack of funds for some additional exotic hairsticks and forks!

Please remember that with thin straight hair, if it's short it's still thin straight hair. In fact, mine sort of disappears. Much better long.

And congrats to OP on the infinity bun... I *still* can't get one to look right, so you're way ahead of me!

[Bonkers57]

"Rough" hair tends to hold a style longer, even in humiditiy. And it generally looks fuller.


How is having soft hair a bad thing?? Would you rather have rough hair? I'm confused, lol

[girlcat36]

The gentleman who commented that fine hair is elfin (was that the word?) I think made a good point. Of course, I've often thought I would like to have hair I could wear down and not, as someone put it, see the print of my clothing through it; but when I imagine myself with a mantle of heavy, thick hair, I realize that it would not be "me." I'm sensitive by nature, quiet in a way, somewhat intuitive, physically more fragile than most... Big hair would probably make me feel as awkward as wearing clothing that went against my personality would.


I have often thought the same thing about my hair! It is the 'same' as me----small, meek, sensitive, and physically fragile.

[vanillabones]

I see that many with ii hair calls their hair "thin". But ii isn't thin, it's of medium thickness, I refuse to call my hair thin and I'm in the middle of the ii range. It's fine but fine hair doesn't have to be thin. How do you think that people with real i hair feels when you people with average thickness hair calls your hair thin?

Bald. Inadequate hair thickness plagued on the scalp forever.

[Bonkers57]

**Raises hand** Mine's fine, straight and oily!


Here's another fine haired wavy. I have lots of hair, though, which recently made a hairdresser go, "yes you see, but your hair is okay because you have lots of it." I didn't quite get that, maybe she was talking about the cut itself, that it's maybe not easy to cut as good a shape into thin/fine hair, I don't know. My mom has fine hair too; she has very thin hair (and has BSL hair) and she's reluctant to have a stylist cut a shape or cut into it. That's why she wears it up all the time.

The first thing they always seem to notice is the fine hair.

I have fine oily hair, was wondering how many of us fine hairs have oily hair.

[Kristamommyx3]

I have fine straight hair, and it grows well, but I've always wished I had more, like the thick haired ladies I see on LHC. However, since this is supposed to be a positive thread, I say that people tell me my hair is very shiny. :)

[Slinks]

lol .. another thin and straight hair person here .. I like it tho I do wish my braid/plaits were a bit thicker ..

[SwordWomanRiona]

And another one with fine straight hair that's not as thick as I would like :). I've always pined for thicker hair...especially when seeing that one of my friend's updos (she has waist length hair) are SO bigger than mine (with classic length hair) :(. And, of course, when seeing all these thick gorgeous heads of hair in the LHC.
But there are nice things about having fine straight hair too! There is a lot of gorgeous fine straight hair in the LHC too, and that is being so encouraging to me! So pros: My hair's sleek and shiny and silky without any need to do anything to it, and that's great. And the fact that many associate it to Elves is great too :D. Plus I can get braidwaves that last until my next wash if I want wavier hair, so 1a hair shouldn't be my major problem.
So the only problem is that I would want a little more thickness (this is something I can't change, sadly, so I must get used to my thickness) and a little more volume. I'm currently giving a try at an almond-milk-based shampoo claiming to give more boost to fine straight hair + get rid of static electricity. We will see if it works! :D

[summerjade]

I'm enjoying reading this thread on fine hair. I too have fine hair and have just today learned to do a lazy bun that I am loving!! My hair is just above BSL so it is just getting long enough to be able to do some pretty updos with. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Mrspuddinhead]

* raises hand * I too have thin straight hair and have always wished for it to be a bit thicker, especially when I plaid it. Nothing I can really do about that but anyway I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with thin straight hair. You ladies have beautiful hair and that is an inspiration.

[UP Lisa]

Fine hair is often oilier because there are more hairs on the head. Each hair has it's own oil glands, so the more hairs, the more oil glands.

[Kristamommyx3]

Fine hair is often oilier because there are more hairs on the head. Each hair has it's own oil glands, so the more hairs, the more oil glands.


:surprise: I never realized this but it makes sense!