Increasing the thickness of individual hairs

[samanthaj08]

Hey all. Yesterday I had to cut off about 5 inches because my ends split really badly and every 6 months I'll be left with about 4 inches of disaster that I have to remove. I don't normally as people at discount hair salons ($10 for a haircut) for advise, but he seemed pretty knowledgeable so I asked him why my hair splits so much. He said that my hair is very fine (though there is a lot of it) so there is less of a shield and the bottoms suffer a lot. He said that I shouldn't have long hair and it is too much weight which also causes my excessive hairfall (though I think that is partially because it LOOKED like more hairfall since the strands were so long).

I'm vegetarian which I recognize can pose a problem for hair thickness since I don't always have adequate protein intake, but I've been googling for other solutions. Most of these however are with hair color changing items - henna, tea, etc.

What would you do? Because I can't take this heartbreak of losing 4-5 inches every 6 months. I like my belly button hair, not boob hair.

Current Routine - Wash hair once a week (it doesn't get very greasy at all) shampoo scalp and condition from nape down with Tresemmes curly hair shampoo and conditioner. Virgin unrefined coconut oil directly after washing to tame humidity frizz in the summer or I'll leave it in the day before washing during cooler months. I wear it down 98% of the time, primary exception being a simple braid when I go for a walk.

[Carolyn]

5" every 6 months? Does your hair even grow that fast? That guys is full of crap and looking to make a buck. There might be something to his idea that fine hair damages for easily than coarser hair but that's still no reason for fine haired people to cut short and stay short. Ridiculous. You can wear your hair up to protect your ends. You can wear slippery fabrics so your hair won't tangle moving against rough material. Wool sweaters seem to grab my nape hair and yank it out. NEVER go back to that stylist again. If you do he will think you are there for a chop every time you come in. Do up your protein intake. Would you consider eating eggs, other dairy and fish? If not, concentrate on upping your protein every day in vegetarian ways. Your hair's fineness or coarseness is genetic. A good diet and treating your hair like fine old lace will let you make the most of it.

[samanthaj08]

5" every 6 months? Does your hair even grow that fast? That guys is full of crap and looking to make a buck. There might be something to his idea that fine hair damages for easily than coarser hair but that's still no reason for fine haired people to cut short and stay short. Ridiculous. You can wear your hair up to protect your ends. You can wear slippery fabrics so your hair won't tangle moving against rough material. Wool sweaters seem to grab my nape hair and yank it out. NEVER go back to that stylist again. If you do he will think you are there for a chop every time you come in. Do up your protein intake. Would you consider eating eggs, other dairy and fish? If not, concentrate on upping your protein every day in vegetarian ways. Your hair's fineness or coarseness is genetic. A good diet and treating your hair like fine old lace will let you make the most of it.

It grows about an inch a month so I usually have net gain. Waist is my favorite length and that's where I usually hover around +/- 3 inches, but he cut way way way too much this time. I've had shoulder and I've had classic, but waist has always been my ideal length. I don't eat eggs or dairy but I would do it if it meant not having my hair go to **** every few months. I was planning on using this recipe today as a start http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=131415

[Hurven]

The thickness of your strands is genetic, so there's not much you can do there. Hair dye will increase the strand thickness, but it will also damage the hair if you use chemical dyes.

What you can do to increase the strength of your hair is to increase your protein intake and also eat good fats, like eggs and salmon. Also make sure that you drink enough water. You can also start wearing your hair up, like in buns and braids, to protect it. :)

And by the way, I wouldn't worry about what the stylist said about your hair falling out. When my hair gets past my collar bones it looks like I'm shedding like crazy. And now when I'm armpit length, I lose about a handful of hair every time I wash my hair. But since my hair doesn't get thinner, I figured that I lose the same amount of hair as I did before this length, but that it looks like a lot more because the strands are longer. I'm pretty sure this is also the case for you. :)

[Katlette]

I suspect the problem is the mechanical damage from wearing it down so much. I have very fine hair, and though henna has helped thicken it somewhat, I couldn't get away with no splits if I wore it down. Whenever I am less diligent about wearing my hair up and out of the way of damage, I notice an increase in splits.

So, my advice would be to try out some protective styles and see if that helps the split situation.

[lapushka]

What would you do? Because I can't take this heartbreak of losing 4-5 inches every 6 months. I like my belly button hair, not boob hair.

First of all, I wouldn't believe that hairdresser. At all.

Second of all, your routine seems fine. Maybe add a little more moisture (deep conditioner, leave-in, serum). Fix your diet, though, it is *important* for hair growth more than anything. You could S&D your hair to cut off individual splits.

4/5 inches every 6 months? Pretty soon you'll have a pixie. You can't let any hairdresser cut off that much. S&D for the win. And try and wear it up a little more. Maybe not all the time, but I'd try and find updos you can do.

Also, look into Feye's self-trimming method, so you won't be dependent on any hairdresser from now on!

[restless]

A lot of people seem to be stuck at BSL due to the hair being rubbed against the back of chairs, which causes damage and thin ends. Could that possibly be the culprit here?

[janeytilllie]

First of all, I wouldn't believe that hairdresser. At all.

Also, look into Feye's self-trimming method, so you won't be dependent on any hairdresser from now on!

This ^ 100000000%

I recommend so much Feye's self trimming method. My hair grows fast and is thick having my own control.

There is many videos on YT and instructions here on LHC how to do it.
Another tip to help, practice on cheap wigs or dolls hair. It really helped me learn lol.

[MoonMaiden]

I would think that you could start doing your own S&D every few weeks instead of having a stranger do it :/ because ive found that not all the very ends in my own hair are split, So instead of always just chopping off a large piece,, You can look for only the splits and maintain all the hair that is not. They even have videos on youtube on how to cut your own splits without losing much length if any length at all. You run your hair through your fingers a certain way and the ones that stick out and are visibly split you just cut off. Also wearing your hair down always would cause you to get more splits, wind and swaying back and forth as you walk. Maybe try to have your hair up a little more often. One other thing is maybe you could try using a few drops, and honestly only a few small drops of oil on those last few inches everynightbefore bed, and work it through with a wooden comb. I have been doing that for the past few months and have seen great success doing that. Wish you lots of luck and dont listen to anyone who says you cannot have long hair because of the texture or anything else, you can and should keep it however makes you happy :)

[samanthaj08]

Luckily my hair grows pretty fast so I shouldn't go as short as a pixie. I'll definitely have to look into S&D and protective styles. Thank you so much for your help everyone :)

[lapushka]

Also I have F hair just like you, and almost the same thickness, and if I can get to almost classic, you can too. I haven't had splits in forever, and neither do I have white dots. I do moisturize well, really really well, and I think it helps hugely.

If all else fails you might want to look into henna (it's a red dye, so if you don't want red hair, skip it), but it can make individual hairs thicker. It doesn't mean you won't have splits any longer - that's just nonsense. Even thicker hair (M or C) has splits.

[Panth]

Ditch the stylist.

1) There's no reason to cut 4-5" every 6 months unless you are trying to maintain a style. Average hairgrowth is 0.5" per month. If the average person cut 5" every 6 months, they'd lose all of their growth from those months (3") plus another 2". Do that for a few years and you'll end up with short hair (but oh, no, it won't be the stylist's fault, no - it'll be because your hair just can't cope with being long and oh, it's sad, but it was meant to be... it's just genetics. *sigh*).

2) Anyone who says that a certain hairtype "shouldn't" have long hair is talking crap. Ignore him. Fine hair most definitely can grown long - I'm a 1b/F/i/ii and currently at calf length. He is not knowledgeable. He is talking crap. What he should have said is "some hairtypes are more delicate and so harder to grow long ... let's chat about getting the best routine for you so that you can retain healthy, pretty length". Of course, he wouldn't say that because most of those techniques wouldn't need his intervention whereas convincing you that your hair is only capable of being short ... means he gets paid to keep it short for you!

3) Hairfall is not ever caused by the weight of long hair. That is another myth/lie peddled by people who are either ignorant or who want you to cut. Possible real causes include: scalp conditions (e.g. psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, etc.), stress (mental or physical, including a calorie-restrictive diet, surgery, acute or chronic illness, anxiety/depression, etc.), macronutrient deficiencies (particularly protein), micronutrient deficiencies (particularly iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D), hormone imbalances (particularly sex hormones and thyroid hormones). The vast majority of those are best treated by seeing your GP/family doctor, not an ignorant bargain-basement stylist.

~~~

Your routine sounds pretty good, though you need to be careful with coconut oil as it's easy to overdo that. Definitely get your diet sorted - hair is the "canary in the mine" and if your diet is affecting your hair then long-term it's also going to affect your health. Not worth the risk - do some proper research (not from faddy nutritionists or celebrity writers/bloggers) and perhaps go to your GP to have your vitamin, mineral and hormone levels checked if you're concerned about shedding.

The other major problem I see is wearing the hair loose most of the time. That definitely can affect hair, particularly fine hair and particularly at certain lengths. Shoulder length (rubbing on collars), bra-strap length (rubbing on chair backs) and nearly-classic (rubbing on chair seats) are common lengths that sudden damage and/or growth stalling occur at. You don't say how long your hair is currently, but this could be an issue for you. Personally, my hair won't grow much past TBL (and gets nasty, nasty ends then) unless I wear daily protective updos. You may want to experiment with protective updos (a braid isn't really protective, especially for fine hair - the tassel is free to get abraded, as are all the little fluffy hairs that work free during the day).

Last thought: you don't mention if your hair is/was dyed/bleached/permed/keratin-straightened/etc. or if you do/used to/don't use heat tools. You also don't mention what you use to detangle and style your hair. Those are all potential points of damage, especially for fine hair.

As for increasing the thickness of individual hairs, it's impossible except by using coating sorts of dye (e.g. henna). However, even relatively simple improvements in routine can reduced breakage/wear on your hair, thus increasing your ponytail thickness. This is especially true of easily-damaged hair (e.g. fine hair).

[Silverbrumby]

Do you colour your hair? Use elastics or heat?

[Larki]

I wish this was possible. I hate how ridiculously fine and fragile my hair is.

[Isilme]

There is probably nothing wrong with your diet, most people get more than enough protein anyway. Consider eating more legumes if you're worried, no reason to eat animals again when beans are full of protein. Take care of yourself and your hair and it should be fine. Be gentle with your hair.

[samanthaj08]

Ditch the stylist.

1) There's no reason to cut 4-5" every 6 months unless you are trying to maintain a style. Average hairgrowth is 0.5" per month. If the average person cut 5" every 6 months, they'd lose all of their growth from those months (3") plus another 2". Do that for a few years and you'll end up with short hair (but oh, no, it won't be the stylist's fault, no - it'll be because your hair just can't cope with being long and oh, it's sad, but it was meant to be... it's just genetics. *sigh*).

2) Anyone who says that a certain hairtype "shouldn't" have long hair is talking crap. Ignore him. Fine hair most definitely can grown long - I'm a 1b/F/i/ii and currently at calf length. He is not knowledgeable. He is talking crap. What he should have said is "some hairtypes are more delicate and so harder to grow long ... let's chat about getting the best routine for you so that you can retain healthy, pretty length". Of course, he wouldn't say that because most of those techniques wouldn't need his intervention whereas convincing you that your hair is only capable of being short ... means he gets paid to keep it short for you!

3) Hairfall is not ever caused by the weight of long hair. That is another myth/lie peddled by people who are either ignorant or who want you to cut. Possible real causes include: scalp conditions (e.g. psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, etc.), stress (mental or physical, including a calorie-restrictive diet, surgery, acute or chronic illness, anxiety/depression, etc.), macronutrient deficiencies (particularly protein), micronutrient deficiencies (particularly iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D), hormone imbalances (particularly sex hormones and thyroid hormones). The vast majority of those are best treated by seeing your GP/family doctor, not an ignorant bargain-basement stylist.

~~~

Your routine sounds pretty good, though you need to be careful with coconut oil as it's easy to overdo that. Definitely get your diet sorted - hair is the "canary in the mine" and if your diet is affecting your hair then long-term it's also going to affect your health. Not worth the risk - do some proper research (not from faddy nutritionists or celebrity writers/bloggers) and perhaps go to your GP to have your vitamin, mineral and hormone levels checked if you're concerned about shedding.

The other major problem I see is wearing the hair loose most of the time. That definitely can affect hair, particularly fine hair and particularly at certain lengths. Shoulder length (rubbing on collars), bra-strap length (rubbing on chair backs) and nearly-classic (rubbing on chair seats) are common lengths that sudden damage and/or growth stalling occur at. You don't say how long your hair is currently, but this could be an issue for you. Personally, my hair won't grow much past TBL (and gets nasty, nasty ends then) unless I wear daily protective updos. You may want to experiment with protective updos (a braid isn't really protective, especially for fine hair - the tassel is free to get abraded, as are all the little fluffy hairs that work free during the day).

Last thought: you don't mention if your hair is/was dyed/bleached/permed/keratin-straightened/etc. or if you do/used to/don't use heat tools. You also don't mention what you use to detangle and style your hair. Those are all potential points of damage, especially for fine hair.

As for increasing the thickness of individual hairs, it's impossible except by using coating sorts of dye (e.g. henna). However, even relatively simple improvements in routine can reduced breakage/wear on your hair, thus increasing your ponytail thickness. This is especially true of easily-damaged hair (e.g. fine hair).

Thanks so so so much! Would you consider a bun to be protective? Is there a way to not look like a librarian? Before cutting, my hair was at waist which is where it usually is when I cut it. He cut it to bsl which really sucks but the ends were really really horrible. My hair is virgin and I don't use any heat. I use a simple wide tooth comb only when my hair is wet because since I have curly hair it looks a hot mess if I go through it dry. Thank you so much again for your amazing response.

[endlessly]

First, the thickness of individual strands is determined by genetics, so it really isn't something you can control too much. That being said, hair can weaken over time due to vitamin deficiencies, prescriptions, environment, and so on which make it appear thinner. Now for a strange question, is the strand of hair thin from the root all the way to the ends or does it only appear thinner on the ends? If it's thin throughout, then it's just your natural thickness, but if it does taper drastically, then it could be a result of one of the above factors.

Henna coats the hair, giving it a full, thick, and lush appearance, but that's really the only product I know out there that would do so naturally.

Being a vegetarian can cause health issues if you aren't getting the vitamins and nutrients you need. I've been a vegetarian for 10 years and while I do eat limited amounts of eggs and dairy, most of my protein comes from other sources and I've never noticed an issue with my hair - if anything, my hair has improved dramatically since I became a vegetarian. If you're truly very concerned, I'd suggest even going in to see your doctor and having your levels checked because that, too, could be a cause for thinning.

I know some have commented saying your stylist didn't know what he was talking about and while I agree that 99% of the time stylists don't and they honestly are only out to make an extra buck, remember that you don't have to take all of his "advice" to heart. I agree that yes, there are some out there that shouldn't have long hair because their hair might be too thin to support the weight and they do become more prone to breakage and unfortunately, that's just how it is. I've been told on several occasions back when I trusted stylists near my hair that my hair was "too thin, too fine" and "couldn't grow any longer than my shoulders" because it would look absolutely terrible and severely damaged - well, it was all ********. My hair isn't thin and it definitely isn't fine, my strands are medium thickness and mostly coarse, plus I haven't had it too my shoulders in over 15 years. So see, sometimes, they're just after more money and they want you to feel like you have to come in frequently in order for your hair to grow.

[Alex Lou]

Your diet is probably fine. If you want to include more protein or fat, there are plenty of ways to do that and stick with your vegan diet. You've already grown a full head of hair to waist at rapid speed, so I would guess you don't have any deficiencies.

[AngelaE8654]

There is probably nothing wrong with your diet, most people get more than enough protein anyway. Consider eating more legumes if you're worried, no reason to eat animals again when beans are full of protein. Take care of yourself and your hair and it should be fine. Be gentle with your hair.

Beans and rice create a complete protein. And are vegan.

[Alex Lou]

Beans and rice create a complete protein. And are vegan.

I <3 quinoa. I'm not even vegetarian, I just like it.

[Panth]

Thanks so so so much! Would you consider a bun to be protective? Is there a way to not look like a librarian? Before cutting, my hair was at waist which is where it usually is when I cut it. He cut it to bsl which really sucks but the ends were really really horrible. My hair is virgin and I don't use any heat. I use a simple wide tooth comb only when my hair is wet because since I have curly hair it looks a hot mess if I go through it dry. Thank you so much again for your amazing response.

Buns are protective, but only if they're made in a way that won't cause tangles and are held up with accessories that won't cause tangles or rip or pull out the hair. So, LHC sort of buns (cinnabuns, lazy wrap buns, orchid buns, helix buns, etc., etc., etc. - there's loads and loads of ones!) held with spinpins, hairsticks, forks, ficcares, etc. are good. Other updos can also be protective, e.g. maiden braids, Freda Kahlo braids, crown braids, coronet braids, milkmaid braids, hair taping, etc.

I'm afraid I'm not that knowledgeable about curly hair. However, you should try to work with your hairtype as much as possible. I know there are some curly-specific threads here where you could ask for tips (use Google to search by adding site:longhaircommunity.com into the search to only search within LHC).