Any i to ii stories?

[Rose115]

I tried to find a post like this and I couldn't. I am currently at 1.5" and I'm hoping oiling my scalp and using henna more often will eventually get me to at least 2". Have any of you lovelies managed to graduate from i before? What helped you do it?

[samanthaa]

I'm not sure if this is possible unless, at some point in your life, you were previously at 2" and had a shed that brought you down to 1.5" (so you'd be regrowing back your normal thickness). Someone correct me if they've experienced differently, but if there was some miracle treatment for hair thickness, I think everyone would already be all over it (myself included).

Cassia temporarily thickened my hair, and I really like it for that benefit (along with the shine!). If henna did, I personally didn't find that it lasted long, but others have had better experiences with henna in this regard than I have. There's a little bit of discussion about it in this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=139898). Half an inch from henna sounds like an unrealistic amount of thickening to me, but I could be wrong.

[Anje]

I did ii to more-ii. Joined here at 2.25" and by some strange sorcery I'm up to 3" now. I honestly don't even know what changed... it's been years since I went off hormonal birth control, I'm a stressed-out grad student with terrible eating habits, and my routine has gone full circle to something pretty similar to what it was when I joined. I cut bangs at one point, but I didn't have them at 2.25" and I don't have them now.

That said, it's been my observation that a LOT of people see some thickening over maybe their first year on LHC. I suspect some of it is handling, and some of it is paying close attention to what does and doesn't influence shedding, particularly as it regards your washing routine. It's quite plausible you'll gain some thickness. Learning to handle and like your own hair is good too -- it might not be your dream hair, but learning to like your hair for what it is definitely helps your outlook.

ETA: I have noticed that henna temporarily thickens up my hair, but it only lasts a week or two at most. Also, that's when it's freshly applied far enough down the length to make a measurable difference, and the color from henna does build up. I love henna (and used it before I joined LHC, so that's not it either), but I don't recommend it to people who aren't ready to commit to red hair for forever.

[Mirabele]

Not from i to ii, but from the lowest ii to a bit more ii. Like Anje said, due to good care and that bleach damage is grown out and i have no more breakage and no more thining at the ends. Thickness of the individual strands also seem to go from F to F/M whicl may not seem like a big deal but it does make difference if you at the low ii. I am not saying i got more hair i just think i now see my hair at its best.

[Cg]

I did experience a very slight increase (not .5") when I went WO and began distributing sebum down each hair shaft every day with a bbb. The measurement didn't change greatly, but the appearance and feel did, both positive.

If your hair has always been this thickness, your genes have consigned you to this thickness. Make the most of it, many situations have an up side. For us, it means we can make buns at shorter lengths than thickies, and we aren't likely ever to experience heavy hair headaches.

Please don't fall prey to hucksters hawking some miracle substance or trick to increase the number of hairs on your head. There are no hair miracles or tricks that trump genetics.

[Rose115]

I'm not sure what my hair thickness was before I recently measured it. It was the first time I had ever measured circumference. When I was taking vitamins regularly earlier this year, my boyfriend mentioned that it looked thicker. I think that was because I was shedding a lot less. I also think Autumn has really struck hard with the shedding this year. Therefore, I am hopeful that I can someday have more hair.

[lapushka]

It's the age-old "you can't grow more follicles than you have", I'm afraid.

If, due to some reason, your diet is lacking or your hair has thinned, yes *sure* you can get it thicker again, but if you're at that maximum and your circumference hasn't changed in ages or your life-span... not gonna happen. :)

[animetor7]

Doing henna glosses does thicken my individual strands a bit which makes them more manageable, but I don't know that it makes a difference to my overall thickness. I think that's mostly genetic I'm afraid. You can check out the thin/fine hair thread for some inspiring fellow thin haired peeps, and there's a picture thread as well.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17115

I can't find the link to the picture thread, but there are some very inspiring i thickness longhairs on this forum!!! :)

[Kirby-oh]

I have a ii heading for i story, but I don't think you want that :D

(It seems to have stopped dropping now tho)

[Rose115]

I'm glad to hear it's stopped, Kirby-oh. Shedding can make you feel so helpless.

[Annalouise]

When I started at LHC I had ii hair and now it is i. I read recently that 50% of people experience some hair loss with aging.:doh:

[Cg]

When I started at LHC I had ii hair and now it is i. I read recently that 50% of people experience some hair loss with aging.:doh:

My observation is that it's a lot higher than 50%, at least in my locale.

[Annalouise]

My observation is that it's a lot higher than 50%, at least in my locale.

You might be right...:bigeyes:

[Pearly~91]

The only things that I know that help with thickness are careful handling so that you aren't pulling hairs out and dealing with any health problems you may have.

I've had some health problems and serious vitamin deficiencies, and as I became more healthy and treated the deficiencies I gradually gained some thickness. I'm pretty sure that my hair used to be thicker and I've just been regaining it. I've gone from about 3.25 to 4 inches and it's still slowly thickening.

[Rose115]

Update: I had someone else measure my hair and got a solid 2.0"! I don't know if my fingers fumbled the first time or what happened, but I'm going to tell myself that I am a solid ii. :disco:

[Seratopia]

I used to oil my scalp and length with coconut oil weekly.. But I noticed a lot of shedding in the shower after I massaged my scalp. I quit oiling my scalp (that's what your natural sebum is for) and only oiled below my ears. I have a lot less shedding now obviously, and I've read here on the forums that if you shed a lot after the oiling, then your scalp doesn't like your oil and you might want to do what I did (oil only below ears) or find a new oil. Pay attention to this when you do your scalp oiling..

Correct me if I'm wrong more experienced members!

I had friends and my SO tell me my hair has thickened.. Is it because of LHC? Definitely. Vitamins (hair, skin, and nails)? Them too!

[Apolli]

I used to oil my scalp and length with coconut oil weekly.. But I noticed a lot of shedding in the shower after I massaged my scalp. I quit oiling my scalp (that's what your natural sebum is for) and only oiled below my ears. I have a lot less shedding now obviously, and I've read here on the forums that if you shed a lot after the oiling, then your scalp doesn't like your oil and you might want to do what I did (oil only below ears) or find a new oil. Pay attention to this when you do your scalp oiling..

Correct me if I'm wrong more experienced members!

I had friends and my SO tell me my hair has thickened.. Is it because of LHC? Definitely. Vitamins (hair, skin, and nails)? Them too!

That is very much true- I had increased shedding with scalp oiling and CO washing as well :) some scalps just don't like it.

[Annalouise]

I used to oil my scalp and length with coconut oil weekly.. But I noticed a lot of shedding in the shower after I massaged my scalp. I quit oiling my scalp (that's what your natural sebum is for) and only oiled below my ears. I have a lot less shedding now obviously, and I've read here on the forums that if you shed a lot after the oiling, then your scalp doesn't like your oil and you might want to do what I did (oil only below ears) or find a new oil. Pay attention to this when you do your scalp oiling..

Correct me if I'm wrong more experienced members!

I had friends and my SO tell me my hair has thickened.. Is it because of LHC? Definitely. Vitamins (hair, skin, and nails)? Them too!

There are different opinions on this. Some say that when you oil your scalp it helps the hairs that were ready to come out to come out. Every hair has a lifespan before it falls off of the head. I say this because I'm not sure its scientifically possible for a scalp oiling to cause hair loss. Most hair loss is genetic or fungal or health related as in vitamin deficiencies. Hair and scalp oiling is a long standing tradition in many countries where long hair growth is common.:)

[calmyogi]

There are different opinions on this. Some say that when you oil your scalp it helps the hairs that were ready to come out to come out. Every hair has a lifespan before it falls off of the head. I say this because I'm not sure its scientifically possible for a scalp oiling to cause hair loss. Most hair loss is genetic or fungal or health related as in vitamin deficiencies. Hair and scalp oiling is a long standing tradition in many countries where long hair growth is common.:)

I second this. When I have oiled my scalp, or CO washed I do get quite a bit of fall while in the shower, but between washes I would have less hair fall.

[Annalouise]

There is an association between people with a fungal overgrowth and oils on the skin in that the fungus may feed off the oils put on the skin.
While I still don't believe this will make the hair fall out, it could make some people feel that oil on their scalp is not helping them if they have a fungal imbalance on their skin. Still though, if one is using an anti-bacterial oil like virgin coconut I would still think that it would have an overall positive effect.
I would suggest that if one wanted to try scalp oiling and one was worried about increased shedding, then my suggestion would be to oil one's scalp about 10 min prior to shampooing to loosen the dirt and oils and aid in circulation of the scalp, followed by a shampoo to remove the oil.
Or, one could add an essential oil to the oil that has anti-bacterial properties to it.

Keep in mind that fungal issues are usually systemic and anything topical will not address the root cause of a fungal overgrowth. This would have to be treated through diet. People who have fungal skin issues are usually advised to wash their hair daily. So putting oil on the scalp and leaving it there for a week would not be smart if you have a fungal issue (dandruff, dermatitis..etc).

If your hair is thinning and you don't know why it is falling out, then it would probably not be advisable to stop washing your hair and putting oils on your scalp as this wouldn't really make sense anyways. But keeping the scalp clean and using oils for a scalp massage is probably beneficial. (do not use rancid oil on your skin).:flower: