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italiancouture7
December 11th, 2015, 08:45 AM
My hair seems to be getting thinner the older I get. It used to be so thick, I had to have it thinned out every 2 months, otherwise it was completely unmanageable. That was from my teens up until I was 22. After that it had very slowly become thinner and thinner. I'm almost 29 and I just hate how thin it is. The hair strands themselves are very fine looking, especially compared to how they used to be. It's thinnest at the very ends, which i'm sure thats normal but it looks weird. I measured my ponytail circumference and it's just a tad over 2.5" .. Is that considered really thin??? Is this a normal part of getting older? Or is it something else? Is there anyway to get it back to being thick again? Or is it going to continue on this track as I get older? :(

italiancouture7
December 11th, 2015, 08:55 AM
http://tinypic.com/r/9a64c7/9

This is what it looks like straight out of the shower and air dried. It doesn't "look" terribly thin but it is. It's not as bad in this "natural state" but when I curl it, you can see how thin it is because its more defined.

italiancouture7
December 11th, 2015, 08:56 AM
http://i65.tinypic.com/9a64c7.jpg

I can't get this picture to go up lol

lapushka
December 11th, 2015, 09:42 AM
My hair seems to be getting thinner the older I get. It used to be so thick, I had to have it thinned out every 2 months, otherwise it was completely unmanageable. That was from my teens up until I was 22. After that it had very slowly become thinner and thinner. I'm almost 29 and I just hate how thin it is. The hair strands themselves are very fine looking, especially compared to how they used to be. It's thinnest at the very ends, which i'm sure thats normal but it looks weird. I measured my ponytail circumference and it's just a tad over 2.5" .. Is that considered really thin??? Is this a normal part of getting older? Or is it something else? Is there anyway to get it back to being thick again? Or is it going to continue on this track as I get older? :(


There's 3 categories: i, ii, and iii. When you're between 2 - 4 inches, you're a ii, so firmly in the middle; average. So no reason to panic. Maybe the thinned out bits still need to catch up? When did you have it last thinned out?

meteor
December 11th, 2015, 09:56 AM
Your hair looks absolutely beautiful and thick in the picture! :D
But if you feel there has been a change for the worse and it worries you, you can definitely raise this issue with your doctor and get a full blood panel done. Sometimes issues like thyroid function or depleted iron stores (just to give a couple really common examples, but of course there are lots and lots of others) can lead to this... lots of health issues and also some types of medication could potentially lead to excessive shedding, unfortunately.

Another thing to consider is: has your hair been chemically treated? or heat styled a lot? or accumulated mechanical or UV damage? I'm just throwing it out there because accumulated damage can sometimes result in excessive breakage, which could lead to feeling like the hair is thinning overall. I'd recommend reducing any practices that could lead to chemical/thermal/mechanical damage, if that's an issue.

italiancouture7
December 11th, 2015, 11:12 AM
There's 3 categories: i, ii, and iii. When you're between 2 - 4 inches, you're a ii, so firmly in the middle; average. So no reason to panic. Maybe the thinned out bits still need to catch up? When did you have it last thinned out?

I haven't had it thinned out since I was 18. So over 10 years now.

italiancouture7
December 11th, 2015, 11:20 AM
Your hair looks absolutely beautiful and thick in the picture! :D
But if you feel there has been a change for the worse and it worries you, you can definitely raise this issue with your doctor and get a full blood panel done. Sometimes issues like thyroid function or depleted iron stores (just to give a couple really common examples, but of course there are lots and lots of others) can lead to this... lots of health issues and also some types of medication could potentially lead to excessive shedding, unfortunately.

Another thing to consider is: has your hair been chemically treated? or heat styled a lot? or accumulated mechanical or UV damage? I'm just throwing it out there because accumulated damage can sometimes result in excessive breakage, which could lead to feeling like the hair is thinning overall. I'd recommend reducing any practices that could lead to chemical/thermal/mechanical damage, if that's an issue.

I've brought it up to my doctor but he is never concerned lol. He said it happens after having kids, that hormonal changes can change the texture of your hair. I guess it could be that??
Yeah, it' definitely been chemically treated lol. I stopped straightening it a couple of years ago, but I use a ceramic styling wand now to curl my hair. So no breakage, but I know it isn't exactly good for my hair. I don't curl it everyday though, most of the time I just pop it back into a side braid.

meteor
December 11th, 2015, 11:39 AM
^ Oh, you can help your hair quite a bit if you go for heat-free hair styling. :) Since you like curling hair, check out Loepsie's sock curls and beautyklove's heat-free styling channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLarqoD-aO1WzdZuLyiwSexYBZytHqfGfa
Some styles that can really help ditch the curling wand are rag curls, braid-outs, mini-buns, roller-sets with foam rollers, flexi rods, magazine curls, etc etc...

Chemically treated, porous hair tends to do well with some oils and hydrolyzed proteins. :) I'd try pre-poo oiling or oil rinses or adding oil to conditioner or sealing moisture with oil from time to time, it can protect the ends quite a bit.

At least, not losing thickness to breakage is something that's controllable, so I'd highly recommend things like low-manipulation updos, sleeping on silk/satin, containing hair, protecting it with hats from sun/wind... Health conditions are harder to control, and I'd just work closely with your doctor there.

Also, we have a wonderful on-going shedding support thread here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=134545&page=50

Best of luck! :D I really hope your full thickness will return soon! :cheer:

Arctic
December 11th, 2015, 11:54 AM
Change of strand thickness can definitely affect the change of overall thickness. My hair type changed the opposite way to yours - from fine to more coarse and from straight to more wavy - and it appears much more thick now.

Pregnancy and other hormonal shifts can be the point where person's hair type changes, it seems to be quite common.

While 2,5 inches of ponytail circ isn't very thin at all (we use the Fia's hair typing system here and you fall into the ii, that is medium, category). If the hair type change itself isn't the main culprit, then something might be up, like others have already pointed. Hair is often the first area where our bodies send us messages that something isn't quite right.

Oh, and curling wands, if it's similar to what I have, get very very hot, comparable to straightening irons if I have understood correctly, so that can damage your hair for sure.

lapushka
December 11th, 2015, 12:39 PM
I haven't had it thinned out since I was 18. So over 10 years now.

Then it has long all grown back... ii is a pretty decent number and a good average. So it's not "thin". My mom is in the i, *maybe* i/ii range and that is "thin" for you.

Still a good option might be to have a doctor check you and have some bloodtesting done. Iron shortage is a major thing in women, often, not saying that you have an iron shortage, but that is often a common cause for thinning. If it's not more serious than that. Only a doctor can find out for you. I reckon it will put your mind at ease, since you feel you have lost a lot of thickness.

italiancouture7
December 13th, 2015, 03:21 PM
^ Oh, you can help your hair quite a bit if you go for heat-free hair styling. :) Since you like curling hair, check out Loepsie's sock curls and beautyklove's heat-free styling channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLarqoD-aO1WzdZuLyiwSexYBZytHqfGfa
Some styles that can really help ditch the curling wand are rag curls, braid-outs, mini-buns, roller-sets with foam rollers, flexi rods, magazine curls, etc etc...

Chemically treated, porous hair tends to do well with some oils and hydrolyzed proteins. :) I'd try pre-poo oiling or oil rinses or adding oil to conditioner or sealing moisture with oil from time to time, it can protect the ends quite a bit.

At least, not losing thickness to breakage is something that's controllable, so I'd highly recommend things like low-manipulation updos, sleeping on silk/satin, containing hair, protecting it with hats from sun/wind... Health conditions are harder to control, and I'd just work closely with your doctor there.

Also, we have a wonderful on-going shedding support thread here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=134545&page=50

Best of luck! :D I really hope your full thickness will return soon! :cheer:

Thank you so much for the wonderful tips!!! Fingers crossed I can get it back! lol

italiancouture7
December 13th, 2015, 03:23 PM
Change of strand thickness can definitely affect the change of overall thickness. My hair type changed the opposite way to yours - from fine to more coarse and from straight to more wavy - and it appears much more thick now.

Pregnancy and other hormonal shifts can be the point where person's hair type changes, it seems to be quite common.

While 2,5 inches of ponytail circ isn't very thin at all (we use the Fia's hair typing system here and you fall into the ii, that is medium, category). If the hair type change itself isn't the main culprit, then something might be up, like others have already pointed. Hair is often the first area where our bodies send us messages that something isn't quite right.

Oh, and curling wands, if it's similar to what I have, get very very hot, comparable to straightening irons if I have understood correctly, so that can damage your hair for sure.

Yes, the texture and thickness totally changed. I used to have super thick and very curly hair. As you can see from the photo, the curl is basically gone. It just has a slight wave now and it's still frizzy lol.

I'm not sure what else it could be health wise. I don't think it's health related and neither did my doctor, but who knows?

italiancouture7
December 13th, 2015, 03:24 PM
Then it has long all grown back... ii is a pretty decent number and a good average. So it's not "thin". My mom is in the i, *maybe* i/ii range and that is "thin" for you.

Still a good option might be to have a doctor check you and have some bloodtesting done. Iron shortage is a major thing in women, often, not saying that you have an iron shortage, but that is often a common cause for thinning. If it's not more serious than that. Only a doctor can find out for you. I reckon it will put your mind at ease, since you feel you have lost a lot of thickness.

More serious than that?? Like what??? :(

Sarahlabyrinth
December 13th, 2015, 04:04 PM
More serious than that?? Like what??? :(

I think thyroid problems can cause hair loss, so you could get your doctor to check that for you. Others know more about this than me though, hopefully they will chime in here.

meteor
December 13th, 2015, 04:06 PM
Yes, the texture and thickness totally changed. I used to have super thick and very curly hair. As you can see from the photo, the curl is basically gone. It just has a slight wave now and it's still frizzy lol.

I'm not sure what else it could be health wise. I don't think it's health related and neither did my doctor, but who knows?

About the texture thing, I totally agree with Arctic about hormonal changes with time, etc, but I just wanted to add that curl pattern can be easily lost/damaged on compromised hair. And since your hair has been chemically treated and then heat-treated a lot, I suspect it could have something to do with the loss of curl definition and the frizz concern.
If that's the case, all you have to do is grow out your hair without significant damage, and your natural curl pattern will be back. :cheer:
In the meantime, I'd recommend the Curly Girl routine, LOC, pre-poo oiling and some hydrolyzed protein treatments. If your curls aren't holding on their own yet, wet-setting (with foam rollers, rag-curls, etc) can be of help.

Also, we just had a member post a link to her YT channel a couple days ago, and she actually went through something similar: recovered her gorgeous curl pattern by recovering/growing out past damage. I think it's a great and inspiring example of how texture behaves when hair condition recovers.
Here it is, in case you want to check it out ;) :

Hello all, last month I started a curly hair youtube channel featuring hair styles and overall hair information :) my newest video is about my Curly Hair Journey and I would love for you guys to check it out and let me know what you think! Thanks so much.


Link to channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHiXJCX-0XVEr3DY9x4zO3Q


Link to newest video:https://youtu.be/4Hd-JHpBuRo

lapushka
December 14th, 2015, 04:40 AM
More serious than that?? Like what??? :(

Yes, like Sarahlabyrinth mentioned, thyroid issues, but it doesn't have to be that... so don't panic just yet!

Isilme
December 14th, 2015, 04:51 AM
I'm sure you would gain back some thickness if you stopped using heated styling tools and either stopped dyeing your hair or changed to something hair friendly like henna for example :) (please read up very well on henna here at the sub-forum for henna before you do anything as henna is superduperpermanent) Maybe using a multivitamin could also help, I know it can be difficult to always eat as one should, but that's up to you of course. Heat tools are bad news for hair, ceramic or not.
ETA. I'd also recommend this article if you haven't read it already, the advise is good but number 5 is problematic since henna only comes in red but can be tweaked with the addition of other herbs.
http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm

italiancouture7
December 14th, 2015, 08:54 AM
Yes, like Sarahlabyrinth mentioned, thyroid issues, but it doesn't have to be that... so don't panic just yet!

Oh no it's definitely not that. My doctor and I discussed Hyperthyroidism because of my low weight (but i've always been this thin). I had blood panels done and everything was normal. But I am chronically anemic, for some reason it seems to be genetic, most of the women in my family have issues with it. I really need to get back into the habit of taking iron, but I will be good about it for a couple of weeks and then start forgetting :(

chen bao jun
December 14th, 2015, 01:16 PM
You should go to the dr to get checked definitely, and get that off the table but it sounds like heat damage to me. If you use a curling iron every day, that can happen. If the hair is straighter, it always seems thinner and if its straighter and won't get get curly again AND permanently frizzy those are the classic signs you heat damaged it.
Which is completely reversible. that is, its not reversible but if you stop it, the new hair grows in the same texture as it was before the damage. the problem is, people don't like to stop it because the compromised hair looks terrible when no heat is used on it and all the damage shows.
There is an article in the articles section by Nightshade on bringing damaged hair back that is very good. she also sells some good products that help with that, although you can also look on the recipes thread and make your own.
The pouf that comes with curliness adds a ton of volume, though some of our curlies really do have thick hair. Yours also may have been thicker because rough treatment has taken some out. I was shocked when I first started to use LHC methods for gentle hair washing in low temperature water, not rubbing on the top of my head and conditioning well, how much my thickness increased. I'm well over fifty, if that encourages you.
And its true that you're well within normal range (not that that's so useful to hear, if you know you're less than you WERE)

lapushka
December 14th, 2015, 01:34 PM
Oh no it's definitely not that. My doctor and I discussed Hyperthyroidism because of my low weight (but i've always been this thin). I had blood panels done and everything was normal. But I am chronically anemic, for some reason it seems to be genetic, most of the women in my family have issues with it. I really need to get back into the habit of taking iron, but I will be good about it for a couple of weeks and then start forgetting :(

Anemia is a big cause of hair loss. I noticed you started a "stress" thread, but stress is nothing when you're anemic. That is *enough* reason right there for hair loss!!! Big time!!!

meteor
December 14th, 2015, 06:15 PM
I had blood panels done and everything was normal. But I am chronically anemic, for some reason it seems to be genetic, most of the women in my family have issues with it. I really need to get back into the habit of taking iron, but I will be good about it for a couple of weeks and then start forgetting :(

Your doctor probably already told you this, but I wanted to underline that it can take a very long time of daily, consistent supplementation to get ferritin levels up to normal range. It can take months and even years, unfortunately, so setting up a schedule/reminders on when to take iron during the day might be worth it. :flower:
Personally, every time I stopped taking iron, my efforts came to naught very quickly - it really needs to be taken consistently for long-term results.

italiancouture7
December 18th, 2015, 11:01 AM
Your doctor probably already told you this, but I wanted to underline that it can take a very long time of daily, consistent supplementation to get ferritin levels up to normal range. It can take months and even years, unfortunately, so setting up a schedule/reminders on when to take iron during the day might be worth it. :flower:
Personally, every time I stopped taking iron, my efforts came to naught very quickly - it really needs to be taken consistently for long-term results.

That's a really good point, i'm going to start setting an alarm. I really need to get this fixed.