So going sulfate free did pay off/Thickness increase! [VERY HAPPY]

[Anya15]

The last time I measured my hair volume was roughly three years ago. My ponytail circumference measured 4 in. I used to have THICK hair growing up and went through a major shed during high school. I had basically lost all hope of regaining my thickness, though I managed to reduce shedding and maintained that 4in circumference.

I measured again today and was pleasantly surprised. 5 inches! It was probably going sulfate free that did the trick. Very happy, hoping for more thickness in the future :happydance:

[Quasiquixotic]

I suspect this may be true for me as well. I was no poo for a while before joining and my initial measure in 2014 was 3.5". I then fell off the band wagon mid to late summer 2014 and returned to normal shampoos. My pony is now 3". I'm off normal shampoos and I'm giving shampoo bars a try. So far about a month in, a little less, I like them. I noticed a dramatic reduction in my shedding almost right away. I used to make multiple hair balls in the shower, and not barely make one. Time will tell if this is the method for me. I hope to weigh again in a year with an increased pony :)

[lithostoic]

Yay! I hope the same will be true for me! I'm experimenting with WO and I have high hopes. Each individual strand seems thicker and stronger because of the sebum coverage.

[Mirabele]

This is very good news, congratulations! This sounds like a big improvement! You found a routine that works for you. It is amazing what positive effect sls free routine can do. I notice increase in my thickness too, but not entirely sure what attribute it too. I cut off sls, silicones, heat and started oilings at the same time.

[sablebraids]

That's great, anou! :D How long have you been sulfate free?

[Daydreamer.]

Wow, that's great to hear!

[henné]

Great news! The shed was probably caused by hormonal changes though, since you mention high-school. My hair got all of a sudden insanely greasy during high school, which was never a problem before. I used to wash my hair once a week as a kid all the way up to high school and then jumped to washing 2-3 times a week ...

But it's great that you regained your thickness! Going sulphate free sure didn't hurt. Sulphates are not nice, one sure as heck doesn't need them :)

I've been WO/no poo for two months now and I can already feel increase in thickness and volume. I think this is due to sebum coating each hair strand, but has nothing to do with reduction of damage - for that to happen, I'd have to be in the game for at least half a year or so. But here's to hoping! :toast:

[lapushka]

Sometimes it's just coincidence. I went sulfate-free and CO and noticed *more* shedding. So it's not true for us all.

[Arctic]

Sometimes increased thickness can be more from each strand having a coating and/or having more friction between strands, sometimes there might be re-growth due to routine better suited for the person, sometimes it might be because of hair type change (hormones). (Then there are medications, like minoxidil and such.) ETA: and like Freija below mentioned, sometimes it's health related.

Opposites are true of course too.

[Freija]

Yep, I'm with Lapushka; YMMV. I've had definite shedding from SL(e)S-free shampoos and CO routines, and a noticeable drop whenever I go back to my favourite tea tree Alberto shampoo. I've also had the worst shed of my life due to malnutrition/anaemia which absolutely nothing - no routine, shampoo or topical treatment - would touch, until my body started getting what it needed again.

[lapushka]

Yep, I'm with Lapushka; YMMV. I've had definite shedding from SL(e)S-free shampoos and CO routines, and a noticeable drop whenever I go back to my favourite tea tree Alberto shampoo. I've also had the worst shed of my life due to malnutrition/anaemia which absolutely nothing - no routine, shampoo or topical treatment - would touch, until my body started getting what it needed again.

This, very much so! ^^ You are not going to get more thickness than your follicles allow. So the title, I fear, is a little misleading to people, esp. newbies.

[Anya15]

This, very much so! ^^ You are not going to get more thickness than your follicles allow. So the title, I fear, is a little misleading to people, esp. newbies.

I should clarify- I'm not saying that sulfate free is good for everyone! Everyone's hair is different and what works for me need not necessarily work for someone else. I was just really happy and wanted to share that happiness, which was the purpose of posting.

I have had crazy thickness before, pre-shed, so I know I can have thick hair. I doubt I'll go back to that thickness, but it can definitely get thicker than 5 inches. The reason I mentioned sulfate free was because I know that's what stopped the shedding-there was nothing else that I had changed about my routine.

Sorry about being misleading-the purpose of this thread was to share my happiness and hair experiences :)

[Anya15]

That's great, anou! :D How long have you been sulfate free?

Sorry double post :(
Two years!

[lapushka]

I should clarify- I'm not saying that sulfate free is good for everyone! Everyone's hair is different and what works for me need not necessarily work for someone else. I was just really happy and wanted to share that happiness, which was the purpose of posting.

I have had crazy thickness before, pre-shed, so I know I can have thick hair. I doubt I'll go back to that thickness, but it can definitely get thicker than 5 inches. The reason I mentioned sulfate free was because I know that's what stopped the shedding-there was nothing else that I had changed about my routine.

Sorry about being misleading-the purpose of this thread was to share my happiness and hair experiences :)

Oh I get why you wanted to share. It's just that some things might need clarifying a little, esp. for newbies, so people don't come here thinking sulfate-free is going to solve all their issues. It's all YMMV on things. :)

[Anya15]

Yes, of course :) hair is so unique, it's a trial and error thing, finding a routine that works.

[meteor]

Congratulations, anou! I'm so happy your full thickness is back! :joy:

Yes, while topical stuff like shampoos won't fix any underlying health issues that can cause thinning (those need to be addressed directly with medical professionals), it can certainly play a role in maintaining a healthy scalp. :agree: If a product (or maybe some specific ingredient in it) is causing increased shedding for you, there may be a sensitivity issue, but either way, it's not ideal for your scalp - so don't settle, keep searching for something better! ;)

So happy you found the right products for you, anou! :D Great stuff! :thumbsup:

[Valorie]

I'm going back to this all over again and hope to have some similar results. Congrats to you!

I fell back into using a sort of pricey hair care routine (of course inspired by a hair stylist), but my hair feels grossly coated after half a year and I think it was a waste.

[mira-chan]

That's great!

I have issue with sulfate, I react to sulfocinates too, which are some non-sulfate detergents that are milder. I had a health related shed that also coincided with an increase in sensitivities, including sulfates. I'm now getting the thickness back further down the length. My shed was from vitamin deficiency amongst other things. Sulfate made me itch and produced bleeding holes in scalp (and mouth from toothpaste), so that didn't help any with regaining thickness. I had repeat mini-sheds from scalp irritation after washes with sulfate stuff.