Has anyone seriously thickened their hair?

[Carobchip108]

I am curious if anyone trying to grow their hair thicker has gotten any serious results. If so please share pics and/or what you did! :o I am looking for any kind of inspo I can get! :D

[holothuroidea]

No. Nope. Not at all.

What I have learned, though, is to appreciate my hair for what it is.

Also hair growth is kind of strange to watch. Ends keep getting thinner and thinner, which is discouraging, but as it grows at the same lengths it was thin it becomes thicker than the thickest parts were before it grew. That probably makes no sense, maybe someone else can explain it better lol.

[lapushka]

I am curious if anyone trying to grow their hair thicker has gotten any serious results. If so please share pics and/or what you did! :o I am looking for any kind of inspo I can get! :D

Nobody can "thicken" their hair. You are born with a number of set follicles and that's the way it is for the rest of your life. Yes, a child's hair (baby/toddler) is always thinner, but then it thickens out to the real potential. That only happens once in your life, though.

If you are malnourished or don't have a healthy diet and you then start to take care of yourself, then you might notice a difference.

But otherwise, if you're healthy, your hair will not be able to "thicken".

No products can help with that either.

Only henna may slightly thicken individual strands of hair, making F hair more N for instance, therefore increasing a tad bit of the circumference, but that's it.

[meteor]

While you can't increase the number of hair follicles, you can help prevent hair from breaking (avoiding all damage or growing out old damage, for example), which can result in thicker circumference (fewer broken strands) and you can also stimulate healthy hair growth (e.g. via anti-fungals for scalps with some fungal imbalances or via DHT-blockers for male and female pattern baldness). If you assume that your hair is not growing to your thickness potential, for example due to scalp issues or diet or overall health, etc - you can help that along, but you can't grow beyond your genetic potential, IMHO.

Some people report increased thickness when regularly applying anti-fungals to scalp (e.g. in SD cases), for example, or when introducing healthy habits (better diets, lifestyle, exercise...), or when recovering from a disease, or when using minoxidil / finasteride (in MPB cases)...

And thickening individual strands is possible by coating them, e.g. henna, cassia, hydrolyzed proteins, etc...

[Anje]

Well, mine's gotten a little thicker over the years of hanging out here. It seems like I've seen that a lot.

The "why" of that fact probably mostly has to do with alterations in how people are handling their hair, what treatments they're putting in it, perhaps improved health, stuff like that. Finding the best washing method and schedule for yourself probably makes a big difference. But I can say that I've gradually seen my thickness go from 2.5 inches circumference to 3.0 inches. That's not a jaw-dropping amount, but I can tell that my braids are a little fatter. I can also tell that my hair doesn't taper as fast as it used to, and a lot of that comes from improved handling of the hair that I have. (Everyone has some taper, because the hairs don't grow in a synchronized effort. If there's new stuff growing in, then it logically doesn't go to the ends. Therefore taper. Also, how much a person has is also going to be determined a lot by their own genetics and physiology. But if you're not breaking hairs off as much, you'll end up with less taper.)

[Carobchip108]

This makes a lot of sense. I have recently been getting into a hair care routine and I've been oiling my scalp with different ayurvedic oils like amla and bhringraj oil as well as coconut and castor and every time I do it I have noticed significant reduction in the amount of hair that falls out. I was doing it consistently for a month every three days and I stopped for about 2 weeks and in that time I noticed the fall out to be much more again.

So I am thinking that if there's less overall fall out that over an extended period there should be more fullness in one's hair since less hairs are falling out a day. If that makes sense lol. I went from no hair care routine to consistently doing this as well as eating a healthier diet and exercising. So I am hoping in the long run if I keep at it, my hair will become thicker, as well as longer. I am starting to microtrim once or every two months. So I am excited to see the results in a year. I have also henna'd once and I think I will be adding this once a month as well.

What are hydrolyzed proteins? And do you recommend any supplement? I am vegetarian so anything you know that doesn't have any fish or anything like that. :D

[Carobchip108]

That response ^ was for @meteor

[Carobchip108]

Well, mine's gotten a little thicker over the years of hanging out here. It seems like I've seen that a lot.

The "why" of that fact probably mostly has to do with alterations in how people are handling their hair, what treatments they're putting in it, perhaps improved health, stuff like that. Finding the best washing method and schedule for yourself probably makes a big difference. But I can say that I've gradually seen my thickness go from 2.5 inches circumference to 3.0 inches. That's not a jaw-dropping amount, but I can tell that my braids are a little fatter. I can also tell that my hair doesn't taper as fast as it used to, and a lot of that comes from improved handling of the hair that I have. (Everyone has some taper, because the hairs don't grow in a synchronized effort. If there's new stuff growing in, then it logically doesn't go to the ends. Therefore taper. Also, how much a person has is also going to be determined a lot by their own genetics and physiology. But if you're not breaking hairs off as much, you'll end up with less taper.)


I hope for my braid to be fatter too! Thats a pretty good amount to me

[Carobchip108]

Nobody can "thicken" their hair. You are born with a number of set follicles and that's the way it is for the rest of your life. Yes, a child's hair (baby/toddler) is always thinner, but then it thickens out to the real potential. That only happens once in your life, though.

If you are malnourished or don't have a healthy diet and you then start to take care of yourself, then you might notice a difference.

But otherwise, if you're healthy, your hair will not be able to "thicken".

No products can help with that either.

Only henna may slightly thicken individual strands of hair, making F hair more N for instance, therefore increasing a tad bit of the circumference, but that's it.

My Hair used to be so much thicker in middle school and high school, and now (I am 25) I feel its a lot thinner. But I have never really done anything to care for it. So for the past two months I have been oiling and eating more protein and good fats/oils and I am notice a lot less fall out when I brush my hair, like seriously so much less. I was shocked how oiling my scalp could help. What do you think, If I had a lot of hair follicles in highschool but due to stress/poor diet I started shedding more, do you think if the shedding coupled with a healthy lifestyle could reverse the effect, not fully but at least a good amount? I am pretty new to this whole thing but for some reason I have gotten a desire to grow my hair out as long and thick as I can haha

[Belle Paix]

My hair is still pretty thick, but I swear it was thicker before I had the kidlets. Now I try to make sure I eat plenty of protein, and I do take Viviscal, which I think really helps. But I do believe that there's no magic bullet to making it thicker. Rather, the best solution is to find the hair care routine that works for you to optimize your results.

[meteor]

This makes a lot of sense. I have recently been getting into a hair care routine and I've been oiling my scalp with different ayurvedic oils like amla and bhringraj oil as well as coconut and castor and every time I do it I have noticed significant reduction in the amount of hair that falls out. I was doing it consistently for a month every three days and I stopped for about 2 weeks and in that time I noticed the fall out to be much more again.

So I am thinking that if there's less overall fall out that over an extended period there should be more fullness in one's hair since less hairs are falling out a day. If that makes sense lol. I went from no hair care routine to consistently doing this as well as eating a healthier diet and exercising. So I am hoping in the long run if I keep at it, my hair will become thicker, as well as longer. I am starting to microtrim once or every two months. So I am excited to see the results in a year. I have also henna'd once and I think I will be adding this once a month as well.

What are hydrolyzed proteins? And do you recommend any supplement? I am vegetarian so anything you know that doesn't have any fish or anything like that. :D

Hydrolyzed proteins are just deposited on hair to temporarily patch-repair and thicken the strands a bit - you could try a DIY gelatin treatment (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html) or a protein pack and see if it makes a difference. It's only "visual" difference and it's temporary, it can also feel drying, so I'd recommend following up with a moisturizing treatment. Cassia might provide more long-term thickening results, and results from henna are supposed to be permanent (but so is the color, too!)

I really like your plan: the better the hair care and the overall health, the bigger the chance to reach the healthiest hair growing to its full potential.
I think many people notice less breakage and less taper over time with better hair care. The more abusive one was to hair before (chemical, heat, mechanical damage), the more potential thickness one can probably gain by dropping those practices. For example, check out this thread:
What Dye & Heat Really Do!: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=118382

I have bangs! How in the world did I get BANGS?!
I quit dye & daily heat styling exactly one year ago on January 1st. I didn't have bangs when I quit, and I didn't have them done. From the 7 straight years of dye & heat abuse, I actually lost hairline. Now that I'm not burning off new growth on a daily basis, my hairline is returning. I didn't even know that my hairline was receding until it started growing back. This new growth is bang length now. Has this happened to anyone else after stopping dye & heat styling?

[lapushka]

My Hair used to be so much thicker in middle school and high school, and now (I am 25) I feel its a lot thinner. But I have never really done anything to care for it. So for the past two months I have been oiling and eating more protein and good fats/oils and I am notice a lot less fall out when I brush my hair, like seriously so much less. I was shocked how oiling my scalp could help. What do you think, If I had a lot of hair follicles in highschool but due to stress/poor diet I started shedding more, do you think if the shedding coupled with a healthy lifestyle could reverse the effect, not fully but at least a good amount? I am pretty new to this whole thing but for some reason I have gotten a desire to grow my hair out as long and thick as I can haha

You don't lose your hair follicles by increased shedding, if that's what you mean. That is totally reversible if you start eating well again, taking care of yourself inside and out. Better haircare sure can help with shedding, keeping it at a minimum. Mechanical damage is very real.

[chen bao jun]

You don't lose your hair follicles by increased shedding, if that's what you mean. That is totally reversible if you start eating well again, taking care of yourself inside and out. Better haircare sure can help with shedding, keeping it at a minimum. Mechanical damage is very real.

What Lapushka said.

Your hair can't get thicker, but it may be thicker than you think, because mechanical damage may be thinning it out.

After being on LHC for a year, my hair definitely was thicker than it had been. Fortunately for me (since my hair is already thick), it was in so much better condition that it was still easier to handle than it had been--I had always thought thickness made it hard to handle, but actually poor condition was in large part the culprit.

[lillielil]

Short of actually growing more hair, is there anything that will make it look thicker? I'm not even worried about the diameter of my ponytail - I just don't want to have so much scalp showing when I bun it :(

[meteor]

Short of actually growing more hair, is there anything that will make it look thicker? I'm not even worried about the diameter of my ponytail - I just don't want to have so much scalp showing when I bun it :(

- hair powders and dry shampoos;
- brushing hair upside down;
- drying hair upside down;
- if you use a blow-dryer: pointing the nozzle upwards, "against the grain" of the cuticle;
- a bit of mousse, gel, hair-spray or other styling product - applied *very* lightly - check YouTube on how exactly to do this best for bigger volume (they work by creating friction and interlocking hair fibers, creating a more voluminous look - http://thebeautybrains.com/2014/10/how-do-volumizing-hair-care-products-work/);
- "volumizing" or "thickening" shampoos and conditioners: check for ingredients like cassia, hydrolyzed proteins, salts, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), and film-forming humectants (e.g. flaxseed, aloe, marshmallow root, etc - http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/07/film-forming-humectants-what-they-are.html);
- clarifying shampoos and avoiding weighing down hair in any way (going lighter on oils and silicones).

[meteor]

I forgot to add: lillielil, if you curl your hair close to scalp overnight or even just change your parts, it gives some volume boost at the roots, as well. :)
And you can always invest in things like bumpits or use "hair rats" or section your updos to give hair more volume at the crown. :)

[lillielil]

Thanks meteor. I do have rats for buns and rolls. They're awesome. I just recently tried to take pictures of a bun and was horrified by how much my white-pink scalp shows through my dark hair. I ended up spending a lot of time trying to hide it, which just made my roots greasy and stringy.

I use dry shampoo just about every other day. Will try drying upside down. I currently dry by wrapping it in a turbie twist put on upside down, but I will try to start doing it right side up and see if that helps any.

[meteor]

^ Thank you! :) I'd also try drying hair with small-ish claw-clips at the roots ("root-clipping"), if drying it upside down is hard. There are a few root-clipping techniques for volume, and this video shows some of them well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFLCD12RKbw

I'm pretty sure that we notice our own thin areas, scalp cleavages, lack of volume, greasy roots, etc way more than other people do, so I would try not to stress about it too much. :flower:

But if it's a recent problem or the circumference has actually been going down, I'd definitely see a doctor for a complete checkup.Just to rule out any issues with diet, medication, stress... overall health. :flower:

[AutobotsAttack]

I think you can only thicken your hair visually. By like deep conditions, sealing with oils,etc.. But to actually physically thicken your hair permanently, I don't think that's possible. But if you can keep up temporarily thickening your hair I'm sure your ends will definitely benefit from that .

[yahirwaO.o]

- hair powders and dry shampoos;
- brushing hair upside down;
- drying hair upside down;
- if you use a blow-dryer: pointing the nozzle upwards, "against the grain" of the cuticle;
- a bit of mousse, gel, hair-spray or other styling product - applied *very* lightly - check YouTube on how exactly to do this best for bigger volume (they work by creating friction and interlocking hair fibers, creating a more voluminous look - http://thebeautybrains.com/2014/10/how-do-volumizing-hair-care-products-work/);
- "volumizing" or "thickening" shampoos and conditioners: check for ingredients like cassia, hydrolyzed proteins, salts, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), and film-forming humectants (e.g. flaxseed, aloe, marshmallow root, etc - http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/07/film-forming-humectants-what-they-are.html);
- clarifying shampoos and avoiding weighing down hair in any way (going lighter on oils and silicones).

Thanks meteor. You have summed up all to a certain extent what I do to my hair to make it look nice, (I dont like playing that much with products). My add advice would be to keep micro trimming those thin ends that give the illusion of fuller thicker hair! :cool: