Need help with my super thin hair that has stopped growing!

[auroramichelle]

Okay, so I’ve been growing out my hair for about 2 & a half years now. It started at collarbone length & is now bra strap length. However, it is extremely thin, especially at the top. You can see my scalp, on my part down the middle & at the crown of my head in the back. When I braid my hair it literally looks like a piece of string (I will include pictures at the end of my post). Also, I’ve looked back at pictures and it seems like my hair hasn’t grown anymore in months. I’m worried that it’s reached it’s terminal length even though it’s still short. Also, I really hate how thin it is, & nothing I do seems to be working. I only shampoo one a week, but condition every day as well as deep condition, I take hair skin and nails vitamins along with a multivitamin, vitamin D & fish oil, I eat healthy, I massage my scalp, I use essential oils, I haven’t dyed my hair or used any chemicals in it in 2 & a half years, and I rarely put heat in it anymore. Basically I take very good care of my hair & body but it hasn’t seemed to have made any difference. Also, I’m only 27, & my nails and skin are both in very good condition. However, my dad is bald & my mom has somewhat thin hair (she’s been bleaching hers for about 30 years though.) I guess I’m just hoping for some advice, or to know if anyone else has a similar problem or if my hair will even look good at the waist length that I desire it to be if it ever gets there.

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[Jo Ann]

Hi, and welcome aboard, Auroramichelle!

I'm curious--why are you conditioning so often? What type(s) of shampoo do you use? When was the last time you clarified your hair? Do you use protective styles, like buns?

Your length shot looks good!

[auroramichelle]

Thank you! & I condition so often because if I go even a day without conditioning my hair it starts to feel coarse & dry & gets very frizzy. I don’t think I’ve ever clarified it, not too sure what that is. I use OGX & Burt’s Bees shampoo as well as a Moroccan oil deep conditioner & alba botanicals leave in conditioner & argan oil spray. I can’t really put my hair in a bun since it’s so thin, it just looks like a tiny knot on top of my head. I mostly wear my hair down, or in a braid. I used to wear ponytails a lot but stopped because I read that they could cause bald spots.

[Jo Ann]

I like the OGX line--my favorites are the coconut milk and the kukui oil shampoos & conditioners.

Clarifying, using a clarifying shampoo, removes the build-up of product and silicones that your hair care regimen leaves on your hair. Some here swear by the Suave Clarifying Shampoo. Basically, all you do is wash with it, leave it on for a couple of minutes, then rinse--follow up with a deep conditioning (DT) treatment to add moisture back to your hair. Especially with all that conditioning, you might have build-up on your hair and scalp, which can cause your hair to look thinner than it really is.

Leaving your hair down, even when it's thin, can cause problems for you. There's a "Puny Bun Thread" (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=125117) here for folks with thin hair. You might check that out for some ideas.

There are other ways to get moisture into your hair, if coarseness, dryness and the frizzies are a problem.

[Obsidian]

It does look like you've had some hair loss at the front. Have you went to a doctor to have your thyroid and vitamin levels checked? That would be one of the first things I recommend, make sure its nothing medical.
When you condition, do you put it on your scalp? Some people experience hair loss when co washing so if you rub the conditioner onto your scalp, stop with that.

Since you have dry hair, let me recommend herbal essence hello hydration conditioner. Its very good for dry or frizzy hair.

[auroramichelle]

I’ve had my thyroid levels, vitamin levels & hormone levels checked - all normal. I’ve also been to a dermatologist who couldn’t find anythinn wrong with my scalp. And yes I do put it on my scalp, otherwise the hair on the top of my head is dry and frizzy. I haven’t noticed any hair loss from that though, my hair has been thin like this for at least 7 years now.

[cathair]

It may just be the shape of your natural hairline. Mine thins in the centre spot at the front, I know some other members here do too. I tried a caffeine scalp tonic for a while. It was very soothing but I didn't really make any difference. It may just be one of those things that is what it is.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out and I think you have a lovely hemline :)

[Raevyngoddess]

:popcorn: following

[Jo Ann]

I’ve had my thyroid levels, vitamin levels & hormone levels checked - all normal. I’ve also been to a dermatologist who couldn’t find anythinn wrong with my scalp. And yes I do put it on my scalp, otherwise the hair on the top of my head is dry and frizzy. I haven’t noticed any hair loss from that though, my hair has been thin like this for at least 7 years now.
I'm currently using Shea Moisture (SM) Intense Hydration shampoo and conditioner, followed with a rinse-out oil (ROO) then Obsidian's suggestion, Hello Hydration (HH) conditioner, applying it from the ears down ONLY. I rinse between everything. I apply the SM conditioner from root-to-tip, but apply the ROO and HH from the ears down. Because the SM Intense Hydration combo is for dry hair, I've found it does a nice job of moisturizing my hair (occasionally, I have forgotten the ROO), and the HH is like icing on a cake--the combination of both conditioners makes my hair feel oh so nice!

After I do my wash routine, I LOC (leave-in conditioner, oil and [curl] cream) (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=118167) to further add moisture to my hair. I use coconut oil, but you might be able to use a lighter oil. This routine helps add moisture and brings out my curls and waves. Up until the weather here in FL started to get *ahem!* un-warmer (it never gets cold here, don't you know--it just gets less warm), I rarely had to use a light oil between shampoos (I wash once a week--and I can't use coconut oil on my dry hair, because it weighs it down too much), and I've been using this routine since August.

Some people, if they apply conditioner from roots to ends, can have excessive shedding.

[Lizabeth94]

Are you eating a lot of protein? Even if you do eat a "normal" amount (around 50g a day) adding some protein shakes or other protein supplements can help in addition to the hair/skin/nail supplements you already take. Hair is made of protein and boosting your protein intake doesn't hurt.

Also have you started any new medications within the last year or two? Hairloss can be a long term side effect of some medications, and may not happen right away. I was on a medication called Topamax for several years before it started causing hairloss, I had two bald spots and my hairline thinned.

I would talk to your doctor, esp if your hair used to be thicker and the thinning is a new thing for you.

[AZDesertRose]

You've gotten some good advice already.

I just wanted to throw in one thing that hasn't been mentioned. Around BSL, a lot of people start to notice mechanical damage, because that length is where a lot of people catch their hair between their back and the backs of seats. It could well be that your hair is growing just fine, but because it's reached the length it has, it's gotten to the point that you're seeing breakage, which will indeed make it seem like your hair isn't growing.

[lucid]

Is it your natural color?

Your length shot looks great and your braid is very cute. I love the look of braids, thin or thick, and it suites you well!

If you would like the apparence of a thicker braid sometimes, look up pancaking (I can find a YouTube vid for thinner hair that shows the technique if you want). It's especially great when making accent braids, since you can use a tiny amount of hair and make ot look twice as thick :D

[OhSuzi]

Looking at those pics your hair looks great.

Id say collar bone to bra strap is very roughly nearly 12 inches - or at least it is about that on me - so it seems the right length.
If your hair is growing at the general average of about 1/2 an inch a month, that's 6 inches a year - throw in a couple of trims and your hair has reached about the right length for 2 and a half years - also growing might slow down - or it might seem like it has as once you go past collar bone the visual markers shoulder / bra strap / waist / bum are much further apart and less obviously defined.

Also sometimes your hair is in curly ringlets - curls suck up the length into their springy spirals - when straight you can see that there is in fact more growth.

If your hair is still growing in a years time it would be very very roughly to your waist - if youve not had any trims in a year and it's still at bra strap level in a year then maybe it's slowed down considerably / reached terminal.


And You might have less hair than someone with super mega thick locks, but I'd still say it looks in the range of 'normal'. From the photos of the top / back or your head I see nothing but healthy shiny hair with a parting, there's no scalp showing through all over the place or any bald patches.
I can see your scalp a bit in the front parting of your hair but nowhere else - which again is probably true of most peoples partings, or maybe it's time to change up where you part your hair so that you don't get continual damage in the same place.

Other things that may damage your hair & cause it to break and therefore be less thick than it could be - Heat styling - so if you use hot hair dryers / curling tongs / straighteners then your hair is eventually gonna thin out a bit.
Also bleaching / dying will strip hair and make the actual strands thinner and more prone to breakage making the over all look thinner too.
And as someone above stated mechanical damage - wearing elastics / getting hair caught in clothes & doors & glasses etc. more likely to occur & be prevelant on longer hair.

[lapushka]

Welcome to the forum! :)

2,5 years from collarbone to BSL is quite normal, so you don't have to worry on that front.

Sometimes hair can have a stall. You need to examine a few things then, diet changes, lifestyle changes, things like that. But you say you eat healthy, and you even take a vitamin.

Some people have thin hair, others thicker. If that's how it's always been, there's nothing you can do, there are no miracles. I'm sorry to be the bearer of "bad" news. :flower:

Shampooing once a week is great. I would only get it wet once a week, and condition/DC once a week as well. I would not get it wet daily, as that might make mechanical wear and tear worse.

It is genetic in a lot of cases, I'm afraid. But check out the fine and thin hair thread on here, lots of people with the same hair and with lots of support to give! :flower:

I would maybe, if you're losing more hair than normal, have some bloodwork done at the doctor's office, just to be on the safe side and to see if you're not lacking essential vitamins. If you have been to the doctor for it already, what did they say?

[ravenheather]

I have been using rogaine with good effect. My hair is thicker at the roots and seems to be growing after a long stall. It's too early to see growth at the ends, but I am hopeful. Bonus: eye lashes are twice as long and eye brows are slightly thicker.

[Arctic]

I can see you have thinner hair on top, and it does look like hair loss. I'm very sorry you have to go through this. There are couple of nice support thread for those of us who struggle with this. Rogaine is quite popular, maybe look into it - but read a lot about it first!

[auroramichelle]

I don’t eat a ton of protein honestly, I’m not a huge fan of meat & when I do eat meat I only eat chicken or turkey. And nuts & cheese are too high in fat to eat in large quantities (I’m also trying to lose 25 pounds). As for medications, I used to be on something called 6MP or mercaptopurine for stomach issues, and I’ve read that it can definitely cause hair loss, but I haven’t taken it in almost 4 years now so I assume if the hairloss was from that I would’ve grown back by now. I did talk to the doctor & had many blood tests done, everything was normal & she said it’s probably just stress but I’ve also read that hairloss from stress is only temporary & my hair has been like this for years now.

I have noticed my hair getting caught on chairs, so maybe that’s part of the problem with the length..

And yes that is my natural color, it’s the only thing I like about my hair, not looking forward to losing that in the future.

I’m afraid to try rogain or minoxidil because I’ve read it can have the opposite effect & make your hair fall out more, and also that you have to keep using it forever or your hair will thin right out again.

Also, it’s not just the top of my hair that’s thin, the diameter of my ponytail is only 2 1/4 inches around, I literally feel like I have no hair. I’m in cosmetology school & literally everyone has thicker hair than me. No exaggeration. It’s seeming like there’s not much I can do that I don’t do already based on comments.

[MidnightMoon]

I don't really see any thinness either. I have very fine hair, among the finest I've seen, and I also see my scalp all the time. There's no way to part my hair without seeing scalp. I also have a sort of cowlick or "windmill" (how we call it sometimes) on the back, on the left side, and there you also can see my scalp... it's just normal for me and a lot of people.

And my circumference (not diameter, a 2 1/4 diameter would mean you have a very thick pony) is 2.75 inches, so I also have what should look like little hair. In reality, the main issue is it's so fine, so when it's loose it actually looks like a lot.
Yes, most people have coarser hair, so it looks like more even though we probably have the same amount of strands, but it doesn't mean it's less pretty. Comparing yourself to others will never be gratifying. There will always be someone better, prettier, smarter... so find something that makes you feel special, unique and be good at it. Try new styles, care more for your hair, do your makeup, I don't know... Just don't focus on something you can't really change.

[Alissalocks]

Your braid is the same size as mine, I have very thin hair also. Are you good about not putting pressure on your hair? Never lean on it, and sleep in protective styles?

(My ponytail circumference is *barely* 2" I actually have less hair than you, from reading the responses.)

Mine is past waist and nearing hip, and although it's very thin I still love it. Not sure if that helps you decide if you will like yours. On the good side, hair as thin as ours dries very fast! Lol :laugh:

[Nini]

Judging from the pic's I wouldn't have thought anything was the matter.

Comparing thinner to thicker hair is never a good idea. It is what it is and the basic chemistry of it can't really be changed.

It's normal for hair to hibernate once in a while. It's also very common to get more wear and tear as you reach your length. Braid it more, get used to the way it looks like up. It's all in the eye of the beholder ;)

It's important for the body to be in balance and if not hair is often the first to suffer as it's less important. Eating well and feeling good is important. And you don't wanna take too many supplements either. That's just a waste, as your body will only take what it needs the rest will have to go through your system only to be flushed away. Sometimes making your spleen and kidneys work harder than necessary.

I'd try clarifying though. And maybe try a leave in instead of condish. I can't really wear either without weighing my hair down. So I just shampoo and go :)

[embee]

My hair quit growing (far as I could tell) about BSL when I was in school. So sad, thinking never to have long hair.

When I got older and had a job, I put my hair up, to look a bit more grown up and professional.

My hair grew... how shocked I was to discover waist length. Now at classic, been that way for some years now. I always wear my hair up in a bun during the day. Looked to me like my problem was breakage.

I can see my scalp in my part. And I can have what we call "cleavage" if I'm not careful with my updo. I think it's more noticeable with darker hair.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Honestly from how it sounds, you just need to start wearing protective hair styles every day.

Our hair is similar. Fine hair NEEDS to be worn up. If you’re regularly wearing it down, which it sounds like you are, you need to start wearing it up. When I wear my hair down, it practically crumbles away.

[Lizabeth94]

It worries me that you say you are trying to loose 25lbs! From your pictures I would say you are already very thin, perhaps if you have been dieting these past few years, the thinning hair may be due to malnutrition, regardless of how many vitamins you take. It may simply be your body's response to dieting and food restriction. Either way, I would like to offer the suggestion of protein shakes again.... It won't hurt your diet at all, in fact they often make great meal replacements or snacks for those trying to slim down. Even if it ultimately has no effect, it won't hurt a thing to try it!

[Corvana]

Your braid doesn't look like a piece of string. It looks quite average, to be honest.

For buns, try to not do a topknot if you think it looks too tiny. Do something else like a disc bun or lazy wrap bun or nautilus or something. Have it held with a fork, the more prongs the better.

Your hair also appears to be past BSL and actually MBL, but I don't know where your bra is and I'm just guessing about where your waist is from your older picture. And waves and curls will always make your hair appear shorter than it is. Do you measure, with a tape measure from your front hairline, or just guess based on visual milestones? Sometimes it looks like nothing is happening, but you've gained a hidden inch or two.

[lapushka]

It worries me that you say you are trying to loose 25lbs! From your pictures I would say you are already very thin, perhaps if you have been dieting these past few years, the thinning hair may be due to malnutrition, regardless of how many vitamins you take. It may simply be your body's response to dieting and food restriction. Either way, I would like to offer the suggestion of protein shakes again.... It won't hurt your diet at all, in fact they often make great meal replacements or snacks for those trying to slim down. Even if it ultimately has no effect, it won't hurt a thing to try it!

Yes you look *very* skinny judging by your upper body and face (very lean chin). 25 pounds is a lot. Lizabeth might have hit the nail on the head here. Calorie restriction is a bad bad idea if you want your hair to thrive, and if you already have been working towards losing weight, it might be just that. I once ate very badly for about 6 months and lost about a quarter of my hair thickness, and my hair stopped growing.

[auroramichelle]

I can try wearing my hair up more often, I just usually don’t because I don’t like how my face looks when my hair is pulled back but I guess it’s worth a try.

As for those who said I’m skinny already, thank you I appreciate it! However, my BMI is actually slightly in the overweight range. I have been dieting for about 2 years, but my hair has been thinning for at least 6-7 years now, so I don’t really think that’s the cause. I will try incorporating more proteins though.

And no, I haven’t measured with a tape measure, although maybe I’ll try that. I usually just judge based on pictures. It may well be mid-back length, to be honest I’m very short with long legs so my torso isn’t that long, my bra strap is only slightly higher than the middle of my back.

[akurah]

I can try wearing my hair up more often, I just usually don’t because I don’t like how my face looks when my hair is pulled back but I guess it’s worth a try.

As for those who said I’m skinny already, thank you I appreciate it! However, my BMI is actually slightly in the overweight range. I have been dieting for about 2 years, but my hair has been thinning for at least 6-7 years now, so I don’t really think that’s the cause. I will try incorporating more proteins though.

And no, I haven’t measured with a tape measure, although maybe I’ll try that. I usually just judge based on pictures. It may well be mid-back length, to be honest I’m very short with long legs so my torso isn’t that long, my bra strap is only slightly higher than the middle of my back.

Even if you ARE overweight, when you drastically cut your caloric intake your body reprioritizes. Your hair and nails get jack in the way of nutrients in favor of more vital organs. So dieting, even when dieting in a healthy manner, is often not great for hair. If you're being pragmatic and healthy about it, you're probably fine, and it's probably doing nothing bad to your hair--but that doesn't guarantee it isn't causing at least minor changes even if it's not causing damage.

(I say this as someone who's lost about 100 lbs)

[Jo Ann]

I can try wearing my hair up more often, I just usually don’t because I don’t like how my face looks when my hair is pulled back but I guess it’s worth a try.

As for those who said I’m skinny already, thank you I appreciate it! However, my BMI is actually slightly in the overweight range. I have been dieting for about 2 years, but my hair has been thinning for at least 6-7 years now, so I don’t really think that’s the cause. I will try incorporating more proteins though.

And no, I haven’t measured with a tape measure, although maybe I’ll try that. I usually just judge based on pictures. It may well be mid-back length, to be honest I’m very short with long legs so my torso isn’t that long, my bra strap is only slightly higher than the middle of my back.
To be quite honest, BMI ain't all that--it's how you feel about yourself! You look perfectly fine--and considerably thinner than you did in your "Before" picture :flower:

[Corvana]

Definitely whip out that tape measure, then! I measure once every 4 weeks, and seeing just that tiny bit of progress really helps when I can't see it in the mirror!

[Ezusthold]

I don’t eat a ton of protein honestly, I’m not a huge fan of meat & when I do eat meat I only eat chicken or turkey. And nuts & cheese are too high in fat to eat in large quantities (I’m also trying to lose 25 pounds).
...
Also, it’s not just the top of my hair that’s thin, the diameter of my ponytail is only 2 1/4 inches around, I literally feel like I have no hair. I’m in cosmetology school & literally everyone has thicker hair than me. No exaggeration. It’s seeming like there’s not much I can do that I don’t do already based on comments.

If you'd like to add more protein into your diet (it also helps weight loss) then you can choose from several tasty protein shake. I would pick a micellar casein powder (google it), that is ideal to drink at the evenings, and this type of protein absorbs slowly, providing you proteins during the night, and helps avoid feeling hungry too. My favourites are the chocolate and cookie flavors :) I mix them with water for the minimal calory and sugar content. (Btw, on your current pictures the weight loss already visible, congratulations!:)

As of your pony circumference: some of us are on the thinner side, and your 2.25 inch hair is not amongst the thinnest (actually under 2 is the "official" limit here for thin hair). My pony circ is 6 cm which is 2.3 in inches, practically the same as yours. For us it's normal to show some scalp at partings, but I can't see specific signs of hair loss (any lights coming from the upper-front never our friend though). I would play with the parting if I were you.
Don't worry about your dad being bald, it's a different mechanism for man, and not inherited from father to daughter. What can be inherited is the female baldness, from female relatives, but it not seems to be your case at all.

So as a sum up: don't drive yourself crazy by measuring your pony against others, I gave it up intentionally after 1 year of suffering, instead of it check out the thin hair threads here, will find lots of encouriging thoughts there. You have nice and healthy hair on the thinner side of the normal variations, but still normal and should not be source of any concerns. Embrace it! :)

And here is my favourite video on this topic :)

https://youtu.be/4ZR1VFNHSyw

Have a nice day! :)

[Jo Ann]

Auroramichelle, you have a very cute face!

For what it's worth, I was always self-conscious of my Dumbo ears--let's just say I'll never have to worry about having a hat block my eyes and leave it at that, shall we? :shudder: I wear my hair in a bun (and the occasional ponytail) all the time, and not once has anyone commented to me about "Fly away!" or how much they stick out! Most, if not all, people don't see our "imperfections" as magnified as we, ourselves, do!

[Kitt3n]

You should look into peppermint oil. I always recommend it but it's my favorite for a reason, plus it smells amazing. Here is a study on it for hair growth. I hope it's okay to post links.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4289931/

[alisa01]

http://gshort.click/isna/4/o.pnginteresting thread, I too was having the same problem

[Jo Ann]

Hi and welcome aboard, Alisa01!

[lapushka]

I can try wearing my hair up more often, I just usually don’t because I don’t like how my face looks when my hair is pulled back but I guess it’s worth a try.

As for those who said I’m skinny already, thank you I appreciate it! However, my BMI is actually slightly in the overweight range. I have been dieting for about 2 years, but my hair has been thinning for at least 6-7 years now, so I don’t really think that’s the cause. I will try incorporating more proteins though.

And no, I haven’t measured with a tape measure, although maybe I’ll try that. I usually just judge based on pictures. It may well be mid-back length, to be honest I’m very short with long legs so my torso isn’t that long, my bra strap is only slightly higher than the middle of my back.

Constant dieting won't help things, though, that's the thing. And BMI only says so much. How tall are you and how much do you weigh? That makes a difference too; some "builds" get into an "overweight" BMI range, but that doesn't mean a thing.

[Ezusthold]

Yes you look *very* skinny judging by your upper body and face (very lean chin). 25 pounds is a lot. Lizabeth might have hit the nail on the head here.

Girls, sorry to interrupt here, but the first 2 pictures are from Snapchat which contains a nice feature, scanning your face and adds funny filters to it. Some of them (like the one we watching) gives you huge eyes, prominent cheeks and small pointy chin :) I love to use them, still my face but not my face at the same time.

She described several times that there is no change in hair hair density in the past 6-7 years and based on what told about her mother's density, her current hair state (which is absolutely normal!) seems to be genetically determined.
Sorry to say, but insisting repeatedly to change her diet and telling that she should not loose weight based on snapchat pictures is a bit invasive for me.
And yes, BMI can be misleading, but mainly just for really muscular people, because it not takes into consideration whether the excess weight is from fat or from pure muscles.
I got that you're worrying but she did not wrote that starving herself and if she says her BMI is over normal range then she might know it better.