Thin/Fine Hair Thread

[shwankie]

I searched, but didn't find a thread like this. If there is one, can someone direct me there?

If not, I'd love to start one here. Ways to help achieve more fullness, special problems related to thin hair, good updos for thin hair, hair care for this type of hair, etc.

Anyone else interested?

[chrissy-b]

Hello! :) I'm a mostly fine thin haired peep.

I don't know if I've got much advice to give but I can say that less washing, less handling, and giving up my BBB (kind of) and opting for a horn comb has really helped my hair.

I know that there are other more experienced long, fine, thin hairs here who'll have better things to say.

[Themyst]

Mine is fine and thin. It tangles easily, too.

I wash & condition with Tresseme (cones), finger comb in the shower, frydry (with my head upside down) & brush with my BBB. Then I hairspray it lightly to keep it in place for a while.

As soon as I sit back on it in the car or handle it, the puffiness disappears and I am once again a flat head. I then stick it up in a bun.

If I was a princess and could sit composed all day I suppose I would have hair worshippers. But alas, I must do the dishes and vacuum, so my tangle-prone hair usually stays all squashed up in a bun.

I did a cassia treatment a couple of weekends ago. I saw noticeable improvement in manageability. I want more thickness than what the cassia can give me, so I ordered some henna. From what I've read, henna may help improve my texture a bit. Maybe there's hope after all!:eyebrows:

[beehives]

Yes, please!

My hair is very stringy, so I plan to ditch cones for a couple of weeks after the holidays and see how it reacts. Afterwards, I'll try cassia treatments to see if I can't add some volume.
I mainly want to get my hair to a healthy place. I haven't really mistreated it, but there were certainly a lot of things I did (constant tight ponytailing and messy buns of doom, shampooing every day, chemical dying, etc.) that might have been fine if I had thick hair, but I can really feel how much damage I did to all of my baby fine length. There has been a lot of breakage over the past few months and really now, I don't have much hair I can afford to lose!

I'm eager to see how the overall condition of my hair improves now that I've found LHC and adopted a new routine.

I wish I had some quality tips to share, but for now it looks like I'll just be watching this thread with great interest!

[Calanthe]

Count me in. Although I don't have any great tips to share. No matter what I try my hair won't get "thicker". At least, I managed to tackle the problem "fly-away" hair, that's something, I guess.

[speakyword]

I'm in too. When I was a kid I had fine, but thick jet black hair. Over time it got a lot thinner and lighter. But since I've started hendigoing my hair and washing it a lot a lot a lot less. It is way thicker, or at least appears way thicker.

Also, the other day I whipped up a batch of "nanny pauline's dry shampoo" and gave it a whirl, and after brushing through my hair with a BBB it looked really thick (in a good way)

[Shadow]

Sign me up. Any tips to make my hair appear thicker would be much appreciated! :D

Right now all I do is blow fry my hair upside down with a matrix thickenening spray, but Im trying to cut down on the heat I use on my hair.

[florenonite]

My hair's not thin, but it is very fine, and what I've found works well for fine hair is minimal handling, wearing it up, and generally treating it gently because it's so fragile. Also, fine hair seems to show greasiness more easily than coarser hair, so it tends to need washed more often, which is a pain because it becomes very fragile when wet.

[Arctic_Mama]

*ahem* I don't really belong since I have ridiculously thick hair, though it's floopy and babyfine, but ditching cones and smoothing serums and trying out lighter conditioners and shampoo bars - that would be my advice. I think you'd achieve much better volume with almost any shampoo bar, especially if you add a citric acid or vinegar rinse afterward.

Those are both well-reputed volumizers.

Good luck ladies!

[daisy]

I swear I have lost a quarter inch of thickness in my hair this year. It's a little scary, but I try to remind myself that I gained that quarter inch the year prior, so I am just going back to what I had originally.

So how did I gain that quarter inch? I wore my hair in two braids to bed. I never ponytailed, always braided. I took a hair vitamin in addition to a multivitamin. I think that is mainly what did it.

Things that might have helped but I am not sure are as follows. I was oiling off and on. At one point I was using Nature's gate Henna conditioner. I was using shampoo bars for periods of time as well. I really want to like them. I find them convenient, but I really need conditioner, because my growing out colored hair gets very dry and damaged. Vinegar rinse just isn't enough for my hair in winter.

Right now, I am afraid to take a hair supplement while pregnant. I am too lazy not to ponytail at this point. I am too lazy to braid every night, now that my hair is hip/tailbone length.

[Siava]

Hiya! My hair is fine and thin, too. The curls make it look thicker than what it is so that's a plus. Yep, I'm another one that has come to realize less handling and washing keeps away the greasy stringies. Oiling just the ends and finger combing helps, too.

I've come to terms with my hair out of sheer laziness. I don't have the motivation and already spend too much money on other stuff to have an upkeep routine in order to add some bulk. As long as it's clean and healthy, I'm happy. :) I do empathize with others that hate thin/fine hair. Sometimes it can be frustrating to deal with and other times it's downright depressing, especially if you play with someone else's much thicker hair.

[Jeni]

I have fine, rather thin hair (2.75" ish pony). I have fought with my hair for years, always wishing it was thicker or curlier. I've given up, my hair is fine and thing and flat and that's the way its going to stay BUT I cant make it the shiniest, prettiest flat/thin hair!

I have been using cassia and a mix of cassia and henna since March I cant say I have ever noticed it making my hair look or feel thicker, but maybe it will for others. It does make it feel stronger and smoother and I highly recommend it for people with fine "delicate" hair. When I was still using a blowdryer I would do the upside down blow drying thing. It did make my roots look puffier, for a few hours at least. I tried cone free for a month or 2, it did give me more body but my hair wasn't has happy.

Right now I'm just working on making my hair shiny and healthy and trying to look at the bright side of thin hair= can do up dos earlier....

Sorry I don't have any tips for increasing thickness/look of thickness except treat your hair well...

[MsBubbles]

Woo hoo! So many of my hair twins in one thread! :cheer:

In six months of trying, I have only been able to decently stretch my washes to every other day. Scalp oil drenches right through my hair immediately.

My whole life I grew my flat, fine, thin, straight hair to BSL, hated how flat it was and got a perm. Every time! Not gonna happen this time though. LHC has helped me love my straight flatness.

When I put my hair up in a (dry) bun so that it'll stay put, it shrinks away to a little bump on the back of my head. However, in the right humidity, I do get some light braid waves that help my hair appear more poofy - at least at the bottom. The hair on my head clings as tightly as ever.

To stop my ends flying away, I am tinkering with spritzing the right amount of camellia oil and water mix onto the bottom 4" of my hair. Too little and it has no effect. Too much and it looks wet until I wash it out again. However, that helps it lie all together and puts a bit of weight on it so that it feels more like normal, healthy hair.

[Siava]

MsBubbles, I can so relate to the tiny bun issue. Sock buns are great for making them appear bigger. I keep telling myself that when I hit waist I'll have a big bun without the aid of a sock.

[Laila23]

I don't know.

I'm about 2 inches from waist and my bun is still itsy bitsy :)

[shwankie]

Thanks for all the replies.

I've always had fine hair, it runs in my family. I'm also naturally platinum blond (and love my color, which rules out thickening products like henna). Apparently those two things often go together. My pony just barely hits 2" when freshly washed and dried. It grows like a weed, which is nice. Since I am "space efficient" at 5' tall, my hair is BSL at about 22", which means it's also nice that it looks longer than it is. I do things to keep my hair at the thickest & healthiest it can seemingly be, but the truth is I'll never have full locks and I've come to terms with it (albeit with years of furious resistance). My hair is beautiful, and I get lots of compliments; so, it's not too bad. I just thought that it might be nice for us to share some ideas about what we do to cope with some of the challenges (I am sure thick haired folks have hair challenges, too!).

Cones seem to make my hair much easier to deal with. I've tried non-cone products in the past, but they were always commercial products. Since I prefer natural things, I am hoping I can use the 'poo bars without cones effectively, in conjunction with a conditioner (I'm going to try the honey butter bar, but may end up with a regular conditioner). I may also see if I can use the Dairy Whip, because I spent half of last night reading that thread and drooling! Any fine/thin hairs use these things? If so, any recommendations for the rest of us?

I've been using ACV for years, and it does make a huge difference. I also oil from just below the ears down every time I wash with jojoba, which helps keep it shiny and healthy. Unf, washing less isn't an option since the medication I am on causes oiliness, so my scalp looks really greasy if I don't wash daily even if I don't oil :-( So, I just scalp wash. I'm not even sure when the last time I did a full wash was, now that I think about it! I braid my hair to go to bed, and it's up most of the time because I am active and cook for a living.

The largest challenge I have is keeping it in updo styles. A lot of the ones here are gorgeous, but just don't work in fine/thin hair too well, or at least don't work well in mine, for various reasons. Sometimes there's not enough hair to hide the fasteners (Gibson tuck is a problem for me due to this, for example), sometimes there's not enough hair to make it look nice, and sometimes the hair just slides out. Jeni, you said you can do updos more easily. It looks like your hair is a good bit thicker than mine, but could you offer some advice on what updo styles work well for you?

Any thin/fine hairs have favorite updo styles that work well for them? I spend a *lot* of time in Dutch braids or my twisty things. Occasionally I'll get motivated and due a bun, which actually takes me a while since there's a lot of pinning involved (it slides right out if I don't bobby pin it all over).

I also have a difficult time finding nice hair toys that will stay put. I have on ficcarre that I like, and would recommend those for any fine haired folks looking for a good updo toy; but, most other things slide right out: headbands, scarfs, hair sticks, claw clips, etc. I do want to try one of the keytlo combs. Any other thin/fine hairs try those? Anyone have any favorite hair toys for thin hair?

What are you biggest challenges, and have you found any solutions?

[Carina]

I want to join you too:).I have been shedding a lot this year:(.I can't stand my thin hair some days:mad:.I hope that my new growth will add some thickness:cheese:.I feel some hair envy when I see big buns on LHC.:o

[shwankie]

Ms. Bubbles and Siava, I am right there with you on the itsy-bitsy bun. Mine's so wee! I've never tried a sock, but I probably should. I need to find one that kind of matches the color of my hair, because I suspect it's going to show through a bit.

My poor Chinese buns are hard to see at all! lol I've had waist length hair, and it doesn't puff up my buns much :-( I'm hoping against reason that this time will be different :-)

[Siava]

shwankie, if you can't find a sock that matches your hair color you can cover the sock with knee high hosiery. I prefer using hosiery to cover because it's a smooth texture. I worry too much about breakage since the hair is so delicate.

[OhioLisa]

I have fine hair with a pony circumference of about 2.5". I actually enjoy my fine hair. I don't see a need for hair envy. Here are a few things I have discovered:

Cones make my hair limp and stringy... avoid at all costs
Sulfates are too drying, which makes my scalp produce even more oil
Cassia made my hair like straw
No styling products
No brushes
I only use a comb rarely. I fingercomb once right out of the shower, then leave it til dry. I fingercomb again slightly as I am putting it in my daily updo.
Fairy tale ends are your friends. They make updos hold much easier

I have tried the dairy whip. Pretty darn good stuff really. Following with a no-cone conditioner might be necessary for added slip though. Poo bars didn't work well for me. I don't want to have to rinse with vinegar and all that. I am way too lazy. I don't really have a problem with styles not staying put. My hair stays put all day. However, if you have a problem, maybe try bunning it while it is still damp (not WET, just damp). My favorite hair toys are forks. I have way too many :blushing: Sticks work better for some styles, others need a fork. Flexi-8s are pretty darn good too.

Geez, I wrote a book. Hope something there helps. :flower:

ETA: On the sock bun issue, just use kids' socks. :) That's what I did before I grew into the bigger ones. :D

[shwankie]

Siava,

Hosery is a great idea, thanks! I am going to give that a try!

Ohio Lisa, another fine hair sister! Your hair is stunning! Isn't it odd how we can all have similar hair types in many ways, but find different things work and don't work? I love hearing other people's ideas and hair care regimines (I gave up spelling that right today).

Cones have been essential for my hair up to now for detangling, but I'm going to give no cones another try this year. Seeing that so many other fine haired folks have issues with them has strengthened my resolve to see if I can find an alternative. I have to comb my hair wet, very, very gently (I use a very wide-toothed, smoother pic), or I get HUGE snarls that involve hours and lots of mayonnaise to get out. I also can't wear most kinds of hats for this reason :-( I am definitely going to try the DW now that another fine hair has recommended it (thank you for enabling, I've been drooling about this stuff since last night).

I do pretty much everything to my hair either wet or damp. My braids stay best if done right out of the shower with some oil. Same thing with buns. I can do buns damp, but they don't stay as well. Dry is a total loss unless I've got some waves from braids, etc. Braid waves fall out within an hour on their own (bunned they don't seem to as badly). Maybe using no cones, if the DW and/or 'poo bars work well, will help this.

I'd never heard the fairy tale ends and updos thing. That's really interesting, and something I may have to give some thought to. I currently have a u hemline that I'd thought to blunt eventually, but perhaps I should rethink that.

[Siava]

You're very welcome! I hope it works for you. :D

p.s. I'm going to enable you some more and also recommend the Dairy Whip. It's great stuff.

[MsBubbles]

I have fine hair with a pony circumference of about 2.5". I actually enjoy my fine hair. I don't see a need for hair envy. Here are a few things I have discovered:

Cones make my hair limp and stringy... avoid at all costs
Sulfates are too drying, which makes my scalp produce even more oil
Cassia made my hair like straw
No styling products
No brushes
I only use a comb rarely. I fingercomb once right out of the shower, then leave it til dry. I fingercomb again slightly as I am putting it in my daily updo.
Fairy tale ends are your friends. They make updos hold much easier

I have tried the dairy whip. Pretty darn good stuff really. Following with a no-cone conditioner might be necessary for added slip though. Poo bars didn't work well for me. I don't want to have to rinse with vinegar and all that. I am way too lazy. I don't really have a problem with styles not staying put. My hair stays put all day. However, if you have a problem, maybe try bunning it while it is still damp (not WET, just damp). My favorite hair toys are forks. I have way too many :blushing: Sticks work better for some styles, others need a fork. Flexi-8s are pretty darn good too.

Geez, I wrote a book. Hope something there helps. :flower:

ETA: On the sock bun issue, just use kids' socks. :) That's what I did before I grew into the bigger ones. :D

Ohiolisa: you are lucky to have wavy hair and I can see how you don't need to envy.

Some of these things that work with your fine, wavy hair make my fine, dead straight hair a complete mess. Fairy tale ends make my hair look an unkempt, moth-eaten disaster. Sulfates stop my oily scalp from breaking out in flakes and pimples, and it makes no odds as to my oil-production. Cones were fine with my hair and helped me comb out afterwards with minimal tangles and tugs.

[OhioLisa]

Siava,
Ohio Lisa, another fine hair sister! Your hair is stunning! Isn't it odd how we can all have similar hair types in many ways, but find different things work and don't work? I love hearing other people's ideas and hair care regimines (I gave up spelling that right today).

Cones have been essential for my hair up to now for detangling, but I'm going to give no cones another try this year. Seeing that so many other fine haired folks have issues with them has strengthened my resolve to see if I can find an alternative. I have to comb my hair wet, very, very gently (I use a very wide-toothed, smoother pic), or I get HUGE snarls that involve hours and lots of mayonnaise to get out. I also can't wear most kinds of hats for this reason :-( I am definitely going to try the DW now that another fine hair has recommended it (thank you for enabling, I've been drooling about this stuff since last night).

I do pretty much everything to my hair either wet or damp. My braids stay best if done right out of the shower with some oil. Same thing with buns. I can do buns damp, but they don't stay as well. Dry is a total loss unless I've got some waves from braids, etc. Braid waves fall out within an hour on their own (bunned they don't seem to as badly). Maybe using no cones, if the DW and/or 'poo bars work well, will help this.

I'd never heard the fairy tale ends and updos thing. That's really interesting, and something I may have to give some thought to. I currently have a u hemline that I'd thought to blunt eventually, but perhaps I should rethink that.

Thanks so much for the compliment. :flowers: It's good to experiment before really settling on a good routine, IMO. Just remember to try one thing at a time, so you know exactly what is and is not working. Keep us posted. :)



Ohiolisa: you are lucky to have wavy hair and I can see how you don't need to envy.

Thank you. Honestly, I don't think anyone here needs to envy. We all have hair that is beautiful in its own way. :)


Some of these things that work with your fine, wavy hair make my fine, dead straight hair a complete mess. Fairy tale ends make my hair look an unkempt, moth-eaten disaster. Sulfates stop my oily scalp from breaking out in flakes and pimples, and it makes no odds as to my oil-production. Cones were fine with my hair and helped me comb out afterwards with minimal tangles and tugs.

It is interesting how such seemingly similar hair can be so different. I suppose wave or lack thereof would definitely play into a lot of it. Just throwing some ideas out there. ;)

[missy60]

My hair is also very fine and thin. I would like more volume but what are you going to do. I have what I have so I might as well accept it. Fairy tail ends dont work for my hair either, I also get the moth eaten look. I just love the suggestion on the kids socks though for the sock bun. My bun is just so itty bitty and I dont have enough hair to cover a sock without it showing through. I cant stretch out my washings because my hair get so flat and stringy looking. I dont have an oily scalp and I could go a long time without washing if my hair was thicker.

[ssjhotau2]

My hair is also fine/thin. I generally don't have a problem with it being fine- I love how soft and shiny it is I could pet and play with it all day :p.
I just wish it wasn't so thin. It hangs in strings if I have it down for any amount of time. Plus I shed like crazy- I honestly don't know how I have any hair left on my head. It gets damaged very easily and I haven't helped it any with chemical dyes. I'm preparing to grow out my natural blond, but with purplish hair I want to dye it once more so its not such a contrast... which means I may not have hair to grow out lol. Good thing its not that long yet.

What I do:
My hair responds very well to cone-free products and usually doesn't tangle. I can even go a week or so of just CO before it gets oily enough to warrant shampoo. I use V05 Tea Therapy Nourishing products- with barely a drop of shampoo for my scalp and back of my head once a week.
However every so many weeks my hair starts to tangle at the ends pretty bad- for this I have Organix: silk serum which has cyclomethicone. I apply it to the ends of my dried hair before combing. Once a month I use the Tea Therapy Clarifying shampoo (if needed-sometimes I can wait longer).

I use coconut oil several times a day. I oil from my jawline down with special attention to my ends. Coconut oil has done wonders for strenthening my hair- it doesn't break nearly as easily as when I first joined- even though I've dyed my hair twice since then. I apply it to dry hair- somehow if I put products in wet hair it dries kinda crunchy. Jojoba oil was way too heavy for my hair and CO wont wash it out. I'm hoping to try shea butter in the near future.

I try not to touch my hair when its wet/damp. Hairs break far too easily when dry and this is doubly so when wet. I cringe when I think how I would comb conditioner through in the shower before joining.

When I comb I always finger comb before hand- never brush. I start at the very ends and work my way up slowly. Usually I don't have the patience for this, though, so I just tie it up in a scrunchy bun uncombed. Once again my hair desn't tangle much so this isn't an issue.

Once my hair is long enough and the ends even I'll wear it in a braid day and night. Thats the only way I've ever been able to grow it. If I leave it down the ends break off and I can't get past BSL.

[GlennaGirl]

Sign me up. Any tips to make my hair appear thicker would be much appreciated! :D

I'm a finey too and I find that bunning my hair overnight gives me very slight wave and hence, the appearance of "body".

When I don't do this, my hair literally hangs in tiny strings around my head...a la Medusa. :p

[Alethia]

Hi, my hair is not particularly fine, but it is thin. My pony tail barely measures 3", which doesn't sound too bad until you see my hair thin rapidly below that point. The reason for this is that the first 2" of hair from my front hairline doesn't grow very long. My back hair grows like a weed. My hair is now thigh length, but it looks really thin and weedy when loose because my hair is about 1-1.5" circumference from about a third of the way down, and thins more from there. It tangles easily too.

My hair looks better when it's blow dried straight or is ironed, but I rarely do anything like that. It also looks halfway decent with braid waves. I rarely wear it down though because it's impractical.

I do infinity buns (LadyGodiva style) most often as they are stable and hold well with a Ketylo or 60th street fork. Gibraltar buns are OK too. I cannot get a cinnabun to hold unless I use loads of pins as I create it from the centre (it always turns into an unstable beebutt bun if I don't). Braids and rope braids end up looking fuzzy very quickly, even with oil or Kimberlily's defrizz spray. I can't do a French roll or similar to save my life. I think it's very hard to make them look nice when you don't have a lot of scalp hair.

I use a wooden comb once a day. I fingercomb after washing my hair. I have tried loads of different cleansing methods on my hair: egg, soap, shampoo (sulphate), conditioner, cornflour, bicarbonate of soda, water only, and sebum only (only for 2 months though because it never got past the completely slick and waxy stage. It was hideous!) I have got down to washing once a week and alternate just now between CO and egg. I think I shed a little less with the egg - maybe the sulphur in the egg is helping a bit. My scalp has been less itchy with the egg washes (I blitz a whole egg with a banana and some honey in the blender), but it starts to look greasy on about day 3. I just put up with it.

I shed a lot, and always have. I'm shedding noticeably less at the moment, but I think that may be because it's winter and I cycle to and from work - this is giving my body the message that it needs to grow a thick coat, I hope!

[kwhitchurch]

Joining the club here (thanks mom and dad for the fine thin hair) anyway...I have been doing CO for about 2 or 3 months and love it. My hair gets oily pretty easily if I don't wash it but I don't need any shampoo to clean it and I never use any products like hairspray or gel. It has gotten much softer since CO, but I still have problems with it being very fragile and breaking easily. I have stopped using the flat iron and only blow dry every other day or so which has helped stop the breakage. Any other ideas or products out there recommended for fine hair to prevent breaking that wont make hair weighed down or crusty?

[rhysiana]

I've got fine hair, although the whole mass is not particularly thin right now. I've recently been attacked by a vicious case of splits, though, so I've just tried a cassia treatment for the first time. I think it had a small effect on strength, but I'll probably have to try doing it regularly to see a great improvement. I'm also intending to try catnip, as that reputedly adds strength too.

Beyond this, my regular routine is shampoo above the ears, (only occasionally on the length,) cone-free conditioner below the ears, usually 2 times a week. CWC gave me too much slip and made updos pretty much impossible, as did deep conditioning. Damp bunning/styling helps, as does the use of forks rather than sticks. I comb once my hair is mostly dry with a wide tooth wooden comb, then apply camellia oil to the ends and a little to the length and comb that through with a fine-toothed peach wood comb. My BBB is now used mostly for getting a smoother beginning for updos.

Also, as a straightie, I can't do fairy tale ends either, I've always gone with a blunt cut, because anything else leaves a ridiculously long tassel on my braids and causes ends to stick out everywhere in updos.

[Phalaenopsis]

The advantage of fine hair is that it can look like silk, the disadvantage is that it seems to break off so quickly :(
What really worked for my hair, even though it is/was thick, was Logona shampoo with the orange label.
That was some great shampoo! It was like it took care for every single fine hair on my head and suddenly the volume was fantastic.
Too bad you have to buy it in Germany :(

[LutraLutra]

Great thread - I'm in.

I have lots of super fine hair – in fact each hair is so fine and translucent I'm sure from a certain angle my hair must be invisible. Ok, maybe not but you know what I mean.

I'm experimenting with ways to keep my hair moisturised and flexible, but not weighed down. I've found that any kind of 'normal' styling product, especially ones for boosting fine hair, just make my hair feel weighed down and sticky and do the opposite of what they're supposed to do.

At the moment I CW ever other day and use shea as a leave-in which has helped tremendously with flexibility. I'm also growing out the layers and razoring (aaaaggghhh, razoring! Just about the worst thing you can do to fine hair – it looks like I chew my ends).

It seems that Santa is buying me some coconut oil, and some jojoba oil to experiment with. And I've bought some cassia (and methi for the mix) to see if that makes my hair feel any heavier, although I know I have to use it a couple of times before I can make a good assessment of whether it works for me or not.

[Xi]

The most secure updo for my fine-ish thinnish hair is a braided inside-out bun (usually pinned). Damp bunning helps other styles stay secure on wash days -- e.g., a two-braid chinese bun held with a stick (okay, pencil, since I don't own any hairsticks). Multiple braids tend to produce a larger bun for me. My hair only comes down on rare occasions; I like to damp braid it ahead of time, as the braidwaves + coney conditioner + fairytale ends = shiny princess hair (or wicked witch hair??) ;).

Interesting thread -- it is always nice to learn from fellow thin/fine-hairs! :flower:

P.S. You should join the Fine/thin hair social group (if you haven't already)! And I feel like there was a thread along these lines at some point in the last few months... can't remember exactly... but it seems this discussion is different enough to merit its own thread.

[shwankie]

There are social groups?! I clearly need to spend more time exploring here :-) How do you get into a social group?

Are there any healthy ideas for hair "fixers," things that act like a hair gel but without all the crap in them? I haven't used "product" (mouses, gels, sprays, etc.) in ages, but I do know that my hair tends to stay in updo styles far better with something like that in it. I am thinking I should maybe give Aloe a try? As much as I dislike Walmart, it sounds like the only place I can probably get the clear stuff around here.

Thoughts?

[OhioLisa]

Aloe vera gel is pretty good. I use it occasionally. Most times, though, I just let my whispies do their thing. :shrug:

ETA: HERE (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/group.php?groupid=87) is the link to the social group

[shwankie]

Thanks, OhioLisa! I'm all joined up!

Will aloe gel leave thin hair crispy or anything if it's air dried, or does it just kind of sink in?

[Themyst]

I just remembered something I haven't done in a long time - but it really works for me.

I wash my hair in the late afternoon, let it air dry but still keep it a bit damp - then I put in about seven braids - I make them fairly tight to the scalp. At least two of the braids have to be on top of your head. Then I sleep in it - and man, when I wake up and undo my braids - all I have to do is comb or (for an even more over-the-top look) use my BBB. Then I hairspray it under and on top and fluff it up.

I get so much volume from my puny hair by doing this - but it's just so much work for me, I can't do it every night. But it's a fun look. I'll have to do it again soon and post some pics.

[OhioLisa]

Thanks, OhioLisa! I'm all joined up!

Will aloe gel leave thin hair crispy or anything if it's air dried, or does it just kind of sink in?

I have personally never had AVG go crispy on me. It just smooths everything down. And when I take my hair down at night, it's all soft and happy. :)

[Auryn]

I have fine curly hair. While I have a lot of hair, it's thin and fine which drives me nuts. The hard part is getting the curl to stay for more than an hour before it falls flat.

I'm thinking that I might add some layers to give it some volume but make sure the stylist understands that I want to keep the length.

[viking_quest]

I have very fine hair but not thin. I guess I'm lucky that when I wash it and it dries I have volume. It's all gone the next day, but that's when I put it up. I hate the tangles though. I can comb it and then within the next 10 minutes it's tangled again. Braiding also makes my hair look fuller.

[rhubarbarin]

Can I join? I'm average thickness, with about 2.4". But I have an irregularly trimmed, super-damaged length so except for the first 7" or so of new growth, I'm an i.

I'm not sure whether I could call my hair strands fine, technically. But my hair is super-soft, floaty and fly-away.. like cobwebs. I don't have a problem with limpness. The opposite actually. My hair has a TON of body, to the point that I have to weigh it down with a bunch of moisturizing product (it's also very dry). However it's easy to overdo it and end up with greasy hair..

My only real complaint with my thin hair is that I don't like the way buns and braids look. So small and thin, and my taper and bleached ends are so obvious.. I really need to be wearing it up more to protect, but the only style I don't hate is a peacock twist with all my curly ends hanging down..

[Jeni]

Man, this thread is hopping!

shwankie- I'm actually crap at up dos, I cant even do a braid on the back of my head, I have to do 2 braids to sleep in! I usually stick to a simple cinnamon bun held with hair pins/sticks/fork/fakkarea. Occasionally I do a figure 8/equilibrium bun (holds better with a fork then a stick). From what I read on another thread people with thin hair can do a figure 8 before people with thick hair. I'm sure there are others but I cant think of any.

I cant do fairytale ends either. I like the look on people with waves/curls but my hair is stick straight, fairy tale ends just look like I haven't taken care of my hair (IMO).

I'm glad thee are so many people on here with thin/fine hair. People always tell me my hair is too thin to be long, its nice to see people here that prove them wrong!

[Ice~Cold~Wind]

I have really fine hair as well, and it's very prone to breakage and tangles(grrr):(. I almost always keep it up in a bun as well, Shwankie.:/

[Themyst]

I used to know a woman who had really fine/thin hair, it was between BLS and waist-length. It was really shiny and healthy and it looked nice. She wore it down all the time and had one of those habits of constantly flipping it back behind her. When she did that it would always just fall back into place as if she had just combed it.

I never understood that - if I flipped my hair back all the time I'd have one mean knot developing right at the middle of my back. When I do flip my hair behind my shoulders (and my shoulders must be narrow because my hair falls forward all the time) it sticks out here and there - it doesn't fall into place nicely. Funny how there is such a variety of hair textures.

[Mishka_84]

I have very fine, thin hair. Some days I love it, some days I hate it. And I've got just enough wave to make it look frizzy, even though it's not. I've been wearing it in a figure 8 bun lately, since it's so easy. But I can't get it to stay in a French Twist, and when I French Braid it I get alot of flyaways (hmm, sounds like the "french" do's aren't working for me :)).

Alot of days I'll let it air dry till it's just damp, and then blow dry it on low heat so it will straighten up a bit. But I haven't found any products that really work well for volumizing. I have just started trying a monistat treatment, tonight was the first one. Hopefully that will help with volume a bit. And Henna does help the texture a bit, but only if I keep it up... after a month or two I need to re-henna if I want the texture to stay the same. :o Right now it's been 4 months since my last henna treatment.

[Siava]

Themyst, my friend (whom is now merely waistlength *sniffle*) also has fine and thin hair. It's actually quite stunning. Like the woman you knew, my friend's is soft, silky, and super shiny.

Jeni, how annoying that people tell you your hair is too thin to be long! From what I can see in your signature, it's beautiful!!

[Kirin]

I've also been told my hair is too "thin" to be long. BS I say! I've had it long before when i was younger, down to the back of my knees...... nothing but compliments. What drives me nuts though, is gathering all my hair into a pony, its like non-existant.

Frankly, I rarely put my hair up unless its really hot out, or windy, or I'm working at a faire. My hair tends to break and shed more if i keep it up, go figure.

[Daoine Sidhe]

I have fine hair too. It's limp, flat, tangels easily and gets greasy fast. But the good thing about my fine hair is that it's shiny :)

This is how I handle (or do not handle) tangels:
I don't brush or even comb my hair. I'm afraid of breaking my hair if I comb it. The only time I untangle my hair is under the shower when there's conditioner on my hair, I fingercomb it. When I rinse the conditioner out, all tangles are gone :)

How do you fine-haired people wash your hair?
Sulfates are way too harsh for my fine hair, but seem to make my hair look a little less flat. CO is mild enough, but also makes my hair greasy faster and doesn't help with the flatness...
I love volume shampoo, but the ones that work best are always the ones that are way too harsh.
Sulfate-free volume shampoo is milder, but doesn't seem to give volume.

Talking about volume, this is what works for me:
- Cassia Obovata! => stronger hair, thickness and no so limp hair. I love it!
- sleeping with a ponytale on top of the haid. In the morning you have great volume at the roots :) But doesn't stay all day.
- uhm yea, that's all I have sorry :(

I don't bun my hair because all the buns I make are so very small. It looks funny.
My hair is way too slippery for updo's too...
Flexi's work best, although they also seem to slip down sometimes.

[fairydust]

I can relate whole-heartedly to your experiences, Daoine Sidhe. I have fine hair with an average thickness, ponytail circumference was about 2.5-3 inches when my hair was long. I also find that volumizing shampoos work the best. It's a thin line between what works and what doesn't: washing with a shampoo that is too cleansing makes my hair oily faster, but a gentler one does that too. Conditioners are a no-no, or at the very least to be used only on the length, because conditioners make my hair flat (and surprise surprise, oily). Now that my hair is really short, I don't use conditioner at all. I've found that shampoo bars work the best, though so far I've only tried to different kinds. One contains egg and beer, and it is volumizing. This seems to work better than the other one I've got, which contains tea tree oil. It's for oily hair, but it makes my hair oily really fast, so I rarely use it. Also, any kind of touching makes my hair appear oily faster.

Styling-wise, I preferred a braid or a sort of a knot that I fastened with a clip. Now I haven't got much choice, but once my hair is longer again I'll probably wear it in a single braid most of the time. I couldn't really wear my hair down at all when it was long, because it would tangle like crazy and form separate clumps. Oh, and I used to not comb my hair at all after washing, I just finger combed it a little when it was still damp and let air dry. The best thing about my hair is that it's shiny and soft, but yeah, sometimes the fine texture does get on my nerves. I'm still learning to accept and love it as it is...it's a long process :).

[Laila23]

It's very inspiring to see all of you 'here'. I've always been told my hair is too fine, too thin, etc. I felt very self-conscious about letting it grow long. But fine/thin hair is very pretty and always reminds me of an innocent young girl's hair. :)

[shwankie]

I don't think there is anything wrong or unattractive about thinner/fine long hair. I see many women with lovely locks that have our type of hair. I think people have been listening to hairstylists too long, and have been indoctrinated with the "fine/thin hair must be short" thing.

Maybe I'll have to jump on the cassia bandwagon in the New Year. I hear so much good about it!

[MsBubbles]

Maybe I'll have to jump on the cassia bandwagon in the New Year. I hear so much good about it!

Doesn't that change your hair color? Your natural hair color is gorgeous and rare in an adult. If you dye it I will be so upset :cry:. Not that it's up to me...:D

[girlcat36]

Another fine/thin hair here!

My hair is floaty, weightless, flyaway. Cones and sulfates appear to be the enemy of my hair. Shampoo bars are pretty good. Finding the right oils and conditioners is difficult, because of that fine line finies have between coated and limp, or not oily and flyaway. For some reason I don't get alot of splits, but my hair breaks easily.

I have given up on ever having a blunt hemline. I'm not even sure my hair will make it to BSL before the ends break off. I am trying for BSL anyway. I have been at APL for an entire year!

[Thumper]

Hello Ladies!

I would like to join this thread as well!
I've always had lots of hair, but since I was pregnant 4 years ago, that seemed to really change the thickness of my hair, now it is very very flyaway thin.

I find (for me) the best way to add volumn is that I've been using the Garnier Fructose fortifying shampoo. I then do the acv rinse. I also have a leave in hair thickener (coating) product that works well for me. I have to be careful not to use alot, just a dime size amount and focus on the mid-ends length only (no where near roots). Then blowfry with a roller brush.
I don't do this routine very often because I have a feeling it's pretty harsh on my hair to begin with. On those days when my hair turns out great I am so happy with it!
For the most part though I allow it to air dry and wear it up.
Hate the fly aways - hate them!

[Jeni]

Jeni, how annoying that people tell you your hair is too thin to be long! From what I can see in your signature, it's beautiful!!

Oh thank you! Your hair is gorgeous, love the curls! I actually use to think (pre LHC) I couldn't have long hair. I have seen people with thin hair that was long and it honestly did not look good so I figured I would be destined to live with short hair. Now I see that with care I can have long hair.

btw: I love your sig! It made me giggle

[shwankie]

Doesn't that change your hair color? Your natural hair color is gorgeous and rare in an adult. If you dye it I will be so upset :cry:. Not that it's up to me...:D

Hm. I thought cassia didn't change your color. :confused: If it does, no cassia for me. Can someone let me in on this? One of my favorite things about me is my hair color, so no worries I'll end up changing it, Ms. Bubbles!

[MsBubbles]

Hm. I thought cassia didn't change your color. :confused: If it does, no cassia for me. Can someone let me in on this? One of my favorite things about me is my hair color, so no worries I'll end up changing it, Ms. Bubbles!

Maybe you're right. I assumed that because all the henna folks talked about it that it was a type of henna? I'm obviously confused!! Anyway, glad to hear you won't change your amazing color. I tried reading the cassia thread, and there are people posting who have blonde hair that hasn't turned orange...:doh:

[OhioLisa]

Hm. I thought cassia didn't change your color. :confused: If it does, no cassia for me. Can someone let me in on this? One of my favorite things about me is my hair color, so no worries I'll end up changing it, Ms. Bubbles!

If you have a very light shade of blonde hair naturally, then cassia can indeed stain.

[Jeni]

Hm. I thought cassia didn't change your color. :confused: If it does, no cassia for me. Can someone let me in on this? One of my favorite things about me is my hair color, so no worries I'll end up changing it, Ms. Bubbles!

I second OhioLisa in that cassia can change your color. It added golden tones to my dyed light ash blond hair. It seems that some people noticed more color change then others and that leaving it on for less time (and not letting it sit for dye release) can lessen the color change (for some), but the risk is there. You could try a sample from H4H, see if it changes your color. There is another option http://www.mehandi.com/shop/zizyphus/ supposidly it does not add any color, even on white hair. I got 25g awhile back but haven't used it yet. H4H has samples of that too.

[Alun]

Lifelong fine/thin hair here. It tangles and it breaks. If it didn't it would be much longer by now.

I don't wear a bun, mostly because I wouldn't know what to hold it with that doesn't look feminine IMHO, but when I have tried it my hair almost vanishes! I wouldn't say that about a ponytail or a braid, but I think that is because I do have a reasonable amount of length (the centre of my 'V' will reach my waist if I pull it straight). I would be somewhat interested in knowing what type of bun minimizes the volume the least. I'd imagine a loose one would have more volume, and fall undone far too quickly as well!

I do find that henna gives me more volume. That and combing it upside down, of course, but the latter effect doesn't last very long.

[OhioLisa]

Lifelong fine/thin hair here. It tangles and it breaks. If it didn't it would be much longer by now.

I don't wear a bun, mostly because I wouldn't know what to hold it with that doesn't look feminine IMHO, but when I have tried it my hair almost vanishes! I wouldn't say that about a ponytail or a braid, but I think that is because I do have a reasonable amount of length (the centre of my 'V' will reach my waist if I pull it straight). I would be somewhat interested in knowing what type of bun minimizes the volume the least. I'd imagine a loose one would have more volume, and fall undone far too quickly as well!

I do find that henna gives me more volume. That and combing it upside down, of course, but the latter effect doesn't last very long.

I think wrapped buns look more voluminous than the ones in which your hair must be twisted. Twisting the strands together compacts them quite a bit.

You could try just using a plain wooden hairstick. Trolleypup uses one for his lazy bun. :)

[Melisande]

My fine hair gained thickness by a change in my routine. I'm still prone to flat headedness and my one hair aim is to make my hair look fuller. As a child, I had thin hair that picked up when I was a young adult, but after four pregnancies and post partum sheds, after some medical problems and medication that brought on a huge huge shed... I was stuck with thinnish, shabby looking hair some years ago. Since I found the German forum and LHC, things are looking up again.

So here are some of the things that helped and continue to help me.

No cones. Cone-less shampoos made my hair look fuller immediately. Alas, our water is too hard for hair soap but when I'm in areas with softer water, I notice that hair soap (not shampoo bars but real soap) makes my hair look more voluminous.

Air drying with lifted roots. When I have the time, I hold up my hair with claw clips while it dries.

Protein. I use keratin and wheat protein in distilled water and mist my roots with this mixture daily. It gives quite some lift.

Essential oil massages the night before washing. It did miracles for me. My scalp is healthy and strong, and it produces much stronger new hair, and more of it. I can't recommend Jessie's essential oil mixture warmly enough. I love it and will continue using it for the rest of my life. Very few drops are enough, a fingertip massage or scritching give the full benefits.

Natural dye. Since I use a mixture of henna and other plants (the stuff is called Sante Terra, the firm is German and it's great) regularly, my hair has become so much stronger and shinier. Before, I could either have fuller, puffier hair - but without shine. Or I had the shine - but on a flat head. Natural colors make my hair fuller AND shinier at the same time. I definitely recommend henna, cassia and other plants for strengthening treatments.

Vitamins and supplements. It's too early to say how this will work over time, but for now I can say that I shed much much less. I take Centrum Performance Multivitamin, MSM, Solgar Magnesium Calcium Zinc, fish oil and evening primrose oil. My skin and nails are in much better shape, and as I said, my shedding has decreased noticeably.

Horn comb. No shedding at all with my new horn comb. Great!

Updos. Less shedding, less damage, bun or braid waves all make my hair look fuller.

Also important: the no-nos that make hair look thin and shabby. No chemical dye, no heat styling, no harsh products, no harsh treatments with short time benefits.

Fine, thin hair can look gorgeous. I try to make mine look the best. My ends and lengths still show some old damage and thus look shabbier than the new LHC hair that looks so much fuller and healthier - but I'll wait until tailbone to cut it. For many people, a strong hemline adds fullness, at least it looks fuller. I don't want to cut so I live with the thin ends for now.

[Katze]

I debate all the time whether my hair is thin or not. Nape and crown measure 3", which is fully in the "ii" range - but I see other "ii" people here, so...

My biggest problem is my severe taper. My hair is 1.5" at shoulder, .5" at BSL and .1" at the ends. Any time I try to secure my hair in an updo, it either looks terrible because it is compressed and thus looks thinner, or the ends get kinked and bent (and damaged) from trying to hold them in place. Because of layers and taper, updos get fuzzy and messy really fast.

Other than that, my hair is pretty thick at the crown, but I don't know what to do with it since the ends are thin and it is frizzy and messy. Lately I have been leaving it down again so I can enjoy its length and condition without feeling dumpy and ugly by having it up.

I have always been told my hair is thin, but I really don't think it is. It is mostly fine, and gets stringy easily, but that is another story.

[MsBubbles]

Horn comb. No shedding at all with my new horn comb. Great!

Just curious about this, do you mean whenever you use the horn comb you don't get any shed hairs with it?

I wanted to buy one but haven't done so yet. I get a ton of hairs when I comb after washing, but I put that down to just normal shedding.

[Thumper]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Melisande View Post
Horn comb. No shedding at all with my new horn comb. Great!



Just curious about this, do you mean whenever you use the horn comb you don't get any shed hairs with it?

I wanted to buy one but haven't done so yet. I get a ton of hairs when I comb after washing, but I put that down to just normal shedding.

I am the same way....have just chalked it up to normality.

Where do you get a horn comb? Isn't there a thread somewhere that talks about combs/brushes?

[Neoma]

I have baby fine hair, too. I have lots of it, but less than I did when I was younger.

I used to hate my hair. Now I love it. When I look at the avatars of all of the lovely ladies (and Alun!) on this thread, I am taken by how silky and shiny it is.

Another advantage of fine hair is that I can make certain updos at a shorter length than my thicker-haired brothers and sisters.

As mentioned, shampoo bars and Dairy Whip can temporarily bulk up baby fine hair. I keep going back to them for this very reason. These products create a great texture for "bunnability."

My hair loves oil. It just drinks it up. I go through phases where I oil every night. (I shampoo every day; if I don't, my scalp shows through...badly.)

My hair also loves aloe gel. It absorbs it almost immediately. AVG leaves my hair soft and a little fluffy, rather than silky.

When my hair was shorter (shoulder length), the French Twist was my best friend. It took some practice to get it right, but it looked fabulous. It gave my crown a little poof and fullness.

When I hit BSL, twisted buns, like cinnabuns, became impossible for me. Wrapped buns became my daily option. I have several in my arsonal, and even the same bun can look radically different depending on how I secure it.

Even though my hair is pretty slippery (very slippery if I use cones), now that my hair is almost waist length, I am able to make very secure buns.

Speaking of buns...

I don't wear a bun, mostly because I wouldn't know what to hold it with that doesn't look feminine IMHO...Alun, I'd like to suggest Ron Quattro's StarLites, which are very thin, unadorned rods of aircraft aluminum with microgrooves. These things look like they would slip right out of my hair, but they hold better than my wood sticks. He doesn't have any on his eBay store right now, but here's (http://cgi.ebay.com/QUATTRO-Hair-Sticks-TITANIUM-Basics_W0QQitemZ110285925297QQihZ001QQcategoryZ452 25QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l12 62)the same design in titanium. Anyway, I think they're pretty unisex.

[Dreamernz]

Hey, one thing that really helped me with volume, was head massages and a little bit of back combing :D though with our hair, the less we handle, the better :D

[kittymomma]

Me too!! So awesome to see other finies!!! I've always struggled with fine/thin...all my stylists commented on it. My hair tends to be bunny-soft with zero volume. It's also a bit wavy and has these weird cowlicks right in the middle of my forehead.

What's currently working:


Henna! No more dye jobs.
No cones
CO the ends, use diluted shampoo on scalp, then CO the whole thing (avoiding scalp)
Clarify every couple weeks
Homemade leave-in: distilled water, tea tree oil, jojoba or grapeseed oil, aloe vera gel, and a touch of "Set Me Up" gel
No combing or brushing
Updos that don't pull on scalp (the lock'n'comb is a recent fave)
Sometimes I put the leave-in in and pile my hair in a lined shower cap that has the plastic exterior cut off...I then cut some holes in the thin liner so my hair can dry faster. This seems to enhance the curls without blowdrying.

Things I want to try:

Coconut oil - but I have to be careful because I get greasy within 12 hours of washing...typically have to wash every day
Poo bars
Dairy whip

[BetterInBlue]

I always thought I was fine-haired, but according to Fia's system, I'm a thin with normal consistency.

I know protective updos are supposed to be best, but constricting hair all the time like that... I've heard that wearing hair up all or most of the time can thin it out. Don't know if this is true, but I often get sinus headaches, and having my hair up puts noticeable pressure on my scalp, contributing to the headache. I wonder if updos pressure the scalp all the time, or if it just feels like it when I have a headache. I make an effort to wear soft scrunchies for ponytails. I've read that braiding is best, and alternating updos is best for the hair, but my hair is above my shoulders - not long enough for braids and such. I'd say I wear it in a ponytail or two claw-clipped buns at the nape of my neck most of the time. Still, I wonder if maybe wearing it down more is better for us thin/fine types? Not for the actual hair itself but for maintaining thickness? Thoughts?

I've been getting into folk medicine lately. I read that castor oil is a good dry scalp remedy, and it is recommended for those with thinning hair. It is supposed to grow hair thicker. I bought an African American product - BB Moisturizing Lotion (or something like that). No mineral oil or petrolatum - it's a lightweight lotion that contains castor oil. I was afraid to buy straight castor oil as it is very thick and heavy. I use a few drops for my scalp massages, and apply it to my ends. It has ENDED my scaly, dry scalp. I had big patches of scaly dry skin that even doctors had no clue what to do about. Applying this lotion regularly has done wonders. I swear that this in conjunction with hair vitamins is making my hair grow in thicker and stronger than ever before.

I no longer take hair vitamins because I have irregular periods, and every little thing seems to throw them off. I'm trying just a multivitamin and evening primrose oil to see if it makes any difference. Anyway, I took GNC Nourishair, and sometimes the Dollar General hair vitamins (which is basically the same thing as NH) when I ran out of NH and didn't feel like going out to the mall. The DG vitamins are like a 1/3 of the cost of NH, so if you aren't scared of generics, I recommend them. I swear there is something about biotin that affects my menstrual cycle as my periods get whacky when I take it, then even out once I go back to just a multivitamin. So I may have to give up on biotin/supplements that contain a lot of biotin. Anyway, those are just a few things that have helped me. This is an unpopular one, but highlighting my hair adds more dimension, creating an illusion of greater thickness. The process also tears up my hair like nobody's business, however, so more trimming is necessary. :(

[TaraBella]

Count me in!
I have (obviously!) had thin, fine hair my whole life, and I've gone through numerous cuts, colors, perms (gotta love growing up in the '80s) all to no avail. So, like so many wise women here have said, keep it clean, keep it healthy, and love what you've got!
My hair grows pretty fast, but it's oily, so I have to at least wash the top/scalp every day (every other day if I really stretch it), and while it's completely straight, it tangles so easily that I have to use a good 'cone conditioner so it doesn't become a big mess. I try not to blow dry, but as it's about 15 degrees F outside right now, icy head is not an option!
I have tried some long layering in back and some more around the front, which does add body. But do NOT let someone talk you into a multi-layered cut! Horrible! That's what I'm trying to grow out right now. The back is fine, but the sides of my head look horrible. Fine, straight hair looks much too stringy with lots of choppy layers. Unless you have a hairstylist on call 24 hours a day, and are willing to let them douse your head with 4 or 5 different products (honestly!) with a blow dryer, curling iron and straightening iron, avoid choppy layers.

[Nini]

Hi!

I've got fine hair too, there's alot of it, but well, you know:D

Here's a pic I posted in a thread about fairytale ends:


http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/6558/25juni08editedit6.jpg



That's my hair almost dry and uncombed.

If I got the time it's best to comb when dry. I always loose the most when I have to drag through it while wet.

I did Cassia a few times. It didn't change my color, but it was too time consuming for my taste.

I currently use Urtekram SLS-free shampoo. I've also tried shampoo bars from CV. This gives my hair some texture.

After the occational BS-wash, or a round of cone laden shampoo my hair will slide out just by thinking of it.

I keep it braided or up at all times. Otherwise I wouldn't have grown it as long as I have. I love Ficcares, preferrably the Maximas, hairsticks and curved hairforks.

Oils weigh my hair down. But I try to remember to oil the tassle of my braid when I've applied shea butter to my hands. Or whatever other oil I migth be using.

Nini

[blue_nant]

Nini, my braid tapers just like yours. And when I comb dry it lies just like yours in the sweatshirt pic, but I also never wear it loose.

I have fine hair and its thinner than it used to be, but to err on the side of optimism, I have never measured the circumference.

I just try to enjoy it the best I can. Jojoba is my friend. I think cassia would be, too, but I haven't gone there yet. Sounds like a pain in the bum.

[WaimeaWahine]

http://i41.tinypic.com/2hmpp8n.jpg

Slightly damp, uncombed, after a bit of cool hair fryer fluffing.

Everythings slides out of it or off of it and braiding
would probably damage it. I have lost a lot around
my temple area from pony tail use. Buns only make me look like a Sumo wrestler. There's not enough (even at this length) to cover a sock bun
adequately. I'm also a heavy shedder. Pictures
can be deceiving.

I only condition the ends and sometimes use hair oil on the ends. You'd have to pry the dye out of my cold dead hands as it gives my hair body.

[XeniaR]

My profile pic is a year old and my hair has been highlighted a lot since then.

It is also curled with a curling iron in the picture. That is the last time I had a curling iron in my hair too! (The salon did it.)

My pony tail circumference is 2.4 inches. My hair is straight and like so many said here... hair things just slide right out of it.

I can use barrettes on my crown to pull the front of my hair back and it will stay most of the time. If I am going to be very active however, I have to use a rubber band.

I want to try cassia. I can't afford it right now. Since coming to LHC I have been trying some different things on my hair.

I find that Jojaba oil makes my hair feel less dry on the ends. But I use just one single drop on my palm, rub my palms together and with one hand under my hair and one hand over my hair I just "bless" my hair with the oil. ;)

If I use more than that it looks greasy.

I was putting conditioner on the length and washing the crown of my hair with shampoo then rinsing everything and conditioning the bottom a second time.

The result of that method is a tangled mess. Even though I comb through my hair before getting into the shower while it is still dry, I come out with little nests of tangles.

When I have just poured extremely diluted shampoo over the crown of my hair (or baking soda) I don't get tangles, but my scalp doesn't feel like it gets clean.

People here talk about not liking protein in shampoo. Does that cause tangles?

My shampoo has a cone in it. Could that be causing the tangles? (My conditioner is cone free).

I am still trying to figure out what works for me. I can say however, that the ACV did give me good results. It was amazing. I think the LJ is good too but drying.

I want to try a sock bun. I am waiting for my dryer to eat one of my socks and one of my knee highs.

[UP Lisa]

Another baby-fine here. For me, the hardest thing is that it is SO fragile. If I comb or brush, I can hear the hairs breaking. Not a good sound. Also, my scalp is very oily, so that has always been a pain.

I have tried SO many products, but haven't really found any that I like enough to use them for life, I guess. At this point I'm trying to use up products that I bought when I was starting this hair-growing project. I use both cone and no-cone conditioners. I have found some that were good that didn't have cones. Can't decide which is better for my hair. I know moisture is good for my waves.

Mostly I just keep it up. Anything to keep it from tangling. It seems that if I get a tangle I can never get all of it out without ending up with a knot I have to cut out. I hate that!!!

[heidihug]

My shampoo has a cone in it. Could that be causing the tangles? (My conditioner is cone free).


In my experience, as long as my thinnish and fine-ish hair does not have any build-up, the more cones the better when it comes to eliminating tangles. I used diluted shampoo to wash my scalp and condition from my ears down quite heavily. XeniaR, do you flip your hair over to wash, or do you wash standing up? Flipping hair over to wash and/or flipping it over to wrap it in a towel or cloth after washing will definitely cause tangles.

[girlcat36]

Cones do cause knots in my hair, but my hair is curly; that might maake a difference.

[shwankie]

Cones seem to really help alleviate knots and tangles in my hair, which is why I've never given them up. They also don't seem to make it heavy or stringy like they seem to do for others with fine hair (I have no idea why this is). Since I am trying very hard to go to 100% natural face and body products, though, I want to try giving them up again. We'll see how it goes.

I agree with Heidihug, I can't wash my hair upside down then flip it up. I'd have to cut the snarles out! I wash the hair with the water flowing over in the same direction. I do wrap in a towel, gently, after getting out of the shower; but, I don't flip to do it. I just kind of gather the hair in back, then lay the towel over and wrap. Kinda hard to explain. But, yes, no flipping it upside down when wet for me, either!

I also find my braids look much, much thicker if I oil with jojoba and braid them wet at night before I go to bed, then re-braid them in the morning. They look about twice as thick that way.

[shwankie]

Any one here use yogurt on your hair? Or egg? I haven't done a protein treatment in a long time, and I am not sure if I should. My hair is pretty darn happy right now. I'd like to give it some more strength, which I know protein can do; but, I also know it can cause breakage.

Thoughts on these treatments for thin/fine hairs?

[jivete]

I'm another fine/thinnie checking in. My hair's getting thicker but it's still on the low side of normal at 2.25" in circumference. I used to hate my hair, but once I discovered how to care for it properly, I'm beginning to actually like it. Basically, I can't do anything to it. No dye, no shampoo, no heat, gentle handling...

It's longer than it's ever been at not quite BSL and once the old damaged parts grow out, it may actually someday get to waist and not just break off. Right now full BSL with thick-ish ends are my goal.

My hair is wavy, so I don't have a lot of advice for volume. I do have to "wash" (with CO) every other day or it's too greasy and when it's greasy it's lank and stringy.

[shwankie]

I did a mask yesterday with egg, yogurt, and honey. I figured I would try some light protein, since I haven't tried any at all in a long time, and see how it went. Left it on for 30 minutes, then rinsed out, scalp-only washed, conditioned (with cones), and ACV (I do everything but the mask daily anyway). I finished off by adding a bit more jojoba to my wet hair than I normally would, and cool air dried it (it's cold here--air drying isn't a great option).

Success! My hair has more volume without breakage, etc. Nice shine. A bit less silky than before the treatment, but not much and I'm expecting it to come back in a day or two. I probably will do this once or twice a month from now on, and may add a bit more honey. I am considering tossing a bit of beer into the mix, too.

Also, I used some of the leftover mask on my face, and it also worked great! Tightened things, etc. I have small pores already, but I think it was refining overall. I think I'll start doing that mask once a week, possibly with some added oatmeal.

[BetterInBlue]

^^ Thanks for letting us know about the mask! I tried an egg, mayo, and olive oil mask once... Ay, never again. It took days to finally get the grease out of my hair, and for it to stop stinking like mayo. The yogurt and honey sounds like it may be better, though, esp. for someone with finer hair. Did you put a plastic cap over your head, and a towel over that? I try not to go around with a wet head as much in the winter, living in a cold climate (YES, I've even got out the blow dryer lately! Da, da, da, dum... :p).

What I've found with volumizing products, in general ~ they either dry it out, or make it puffy.

[shwankie]

BetterInBlue, I used plastic wrap, but no towel. This is kind of embarrassing, but I turned on our little space heater in the bathroom and just stayed in there and read a book until it was time to shower.

"Volumizing" products do nothing good for me, either. They usually just weigh my hair down and make it limp. I also can't use olive oil in my hair, it dries it out (weird, I know). And warm mayo just makes me ill. I know it's supposed to be good for hair, but UGH, I agree, the smell is awful.

[tiny_teesha]

Just want to say....my hair falls when it is oily. So for others out there like that, WASH OFTEN!! :) even if it is just scalp washes! :) And NOOOO conditioner on the scalp!! ;)

[dalriada-lady]

I'm also a baby fine hair lady, relatively thin and all i can say is that i do wish for more volume but have gotten used to fine, flat hair that gets greasy quickly and never behaves the way i want. i admire women like emma thompson who have such bounce and volume in their hair. but thanks to Angelina Jolie i've learned to semi-love my baby fine hair.

I use heavy cones, best slip and less tangles and damage/breakage. tried going no cones but most of the products seem to allow my hair to tangle like crazy and i've had to tear or cut the tangles out. Very bad!

I've tried it all; curlers, perms, body waves, drying hair upsidedown, braiding, coloring, nothing truly worked for me so in the last 20 years i've simply allowed my hair to do what it wants. only thing that has ever helped give some volume is Henna, but it does not last more than a couple of weeks.

So loving my hair and allowing it to be. wear alot of braids and buns and sometimes when my hair is wet at night i sleep with my hair loose, it has helped the volume a bit on those occasions. my bun is actually thicker than i expected, i used to feel that my buns were so thin and now when i bun it feels good, not heavy or thin just fine.

sorry if i was not much help.

[Katze]

Just want to say....my hair falls when it is oily. So for others out there like that, WASH OFTEN!! :) even if it is just scalp washes! :) And NOOOO conditioner on the scalp!! ;)

Great tips, Teesha! I have to strongly second this. Washing more often (and using sulfates) has helped my hair and scalp - scalp is happier, hair gets cleaner.

I only ever use conditioner from the ears down, except a very tiny bit of Goth Rosary as a leave-in very occasionally. I have to be very careful with oils, too.

[tiny_teesha]

yep oils to me too. Evil stuff, things on my scalp!

[XeniaR]

In my experience, as long as my thinnish and fine-ish hair does not have any build-up, the more cones the better when it comes to eliminating tangles. I used diluted shampoo to wash my scalp and condition from my ears down quite heavily. XeniaR, do you flip your hair over to wash, or do you wash standing up? Flipping hair over to wash and/or flipping it over to wrap it in a towel or cloth after washing will definitely cause tangles.

I used to wash my hair flipped over when it was shorter, but I don't do that anymore. It would also cause me a real mess.

I think I have figured out the problem with some of the knots and tangles. I have paid more attention to what I am doing when scrubbing my scalp. If I don't think about it, I scrub it like my hair is only 3 inches long. I have to massage my hair more carefully then I used to now that it has grown out.

Also, I had to stop using Apple Cider Vinegar because it started to change the color of my highlighted hair. But since I use white vinegar, the problem of tangles is much much less. I can actually feel the hair straighten out as the vinegar rinse goes over it.

I also think that I went too far with the no cones idea. After taking a break from cones for a bit, I went back to them and found that my hair does like some cones. But it also likes time away from cones too.

Baking Soda rinses are nice but does not clean my hair well enough so I have been using diluted shampoo plus the baking soda. As soon as I can afford it, I am going to get some shampoo bars instead.

I have also stopped combing my hair right after I get out of the shower. I let it get mostly dry (naturally) then I comb it. I don't know why but it seems to not have as many tangles when I do that.

I wash my hair at night (often in the early evening just before supper in fact) so that it will be dry by bed. I used to wash in the mornings always and I think I was more impatient to get it to dry and to get ready then. Patience seems to be very good for my hair.

[shwankie]

No conditioner or oils on the scalp for me, either, or it gets oily. That seems to be a fairly common thread with all of us, I guess!

Xenia, in what way did ACV change your hair color? Is it darker? Does white works as well?

Thanks!

[JamieLeigh]

Mine is seriously fine! This is why my hair looks better (for the length now) in a trimmed, even hemline. I'd love to do the fairytale hemline, but I am waiting for thigh-length to start this. (I'm almost there! YAY!!! :cheese:)

My ponytail is about 3 1/2", but the end of my braid is probably closer to 1" or less... :rolleyes:

[MsBubbles]

Mine is seriously fine! This is why my hair looks better (for the length now) in a trimmed, even hemline. I'd love to do the fairytale hemline, but I am waiting for thigh-length to start this. (I'm almost there! YAY!!! :cheese:)

My ponytail is about 3 1/2", but the end of my braid is probably closer to 1" or less... :rolleyes:

JamieLeigh: Didn't you post on the 'sitting on their own hair' thread? I think I was admiring your hair because I scrolled curiously down that whole thread looking for people with fine and ii classic length or longer. Seems most people who replied to that thread have hair way thicker and wavier than mine and I started wondering how many of the classic-length or longers actually had fine, thin hair. I think I might start a thread about this out of curiousity and for my own inspiration.

[heidihug]

I started wondering how many of the classic-length or longers actually had fine, thin hair
I do. When someone has only ever seen me with my hair up, and then they see me with my hair down or in a braid, they just cannot believe it. Most refuse to believe that my hair is that long, they insist I just had extensions put in. I couldn't possibly fit "all that hair" into an updo. Yeah, right.

[DarkChocolate]

Another fine/thin hair here:)

The good thing about my fine hair is that is feels like silk. However, the strands are prone to breakage.

I have found that light oil treatments are good however heavy oiling is not so good. I heart jojoba and coconut oil on my hair. I also heart Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner since I have found that sulfates dry out my hair.

Fairytale ends make my hair look unkempt and I cannot see the growth my hair has experienced.
I have seen alot of fairytale ends that are pretty.

My ponytail circumference is only 2".

[MischiefsMuse]

Fine and thinner by the minute curlie hair here :( I love my curls because they give my hair the appearance of being thicker. My braids and buns are teensy! The thinness has only really gotten bad in the last 6 months or so.

Anyway, hair loss mope aside, my routine has changed a bit since joining LHC (whose hasn't!). I now CWC every other day. Still using herbal essence as that seems to be what keeps my hair the happiest but I use the shampoo diluted half and half with water. Now I use solid coconut oil on the length while hair is damp. I use a wooden comb on wet hair. If it's just a little damp or completely dry, just hear the hair snap! Then air dry with minimal handling.

I've always tended to keep my hair in a braid or Dutch braid. Until recently I'd never found a bun that I could wear for more than half the day. I'm guessing that having minimal scalp hair means more tug from the weight of the bun. Most buns equal super painful headache. The flipped bun style doesn't seem to do that and it keeps my hair from being slicked to my head so it doesn't look quite so shrimpy. My hair is waist length with tailbone being the goal.

[MischiefsMuse]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1986&pictureid=29384http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1986&pictureid=29386
lol, I see you all 'staring' at me disbelieving because my signature pic is well before the days of hair loss :P Well for those of you out there thinking I'm whining over nothing (and to be fair, I am whining!)... Compare the signature pic fullness to the back view of the dance costume. Note that I had to use a tiny little rubber band from when I had braces to hold the end of my braid- and it still almost fell out. I will be trying a suppliment called Femenessence (apparently available online and through Whole Foods) which is supposed to encourage your body to balance its hormones. If and when I ever get medical benefits again I'll go get my thyroid checked out. My hair is healthier than ever- less splits, more hydrated so LHC has at least made sure what I've got is the best it can be!

[jivete]

Mischiefsmuse, my hair looks almost exactly like your post hair loss picture, although not as long. Unfortunately, mine is thin from genetics, so there's no getting it thicker, only healthier. I still think your hair looks beautiful and now have a visual of what mine will look like at waist.

Waves and curls are nice for body on fine/thin hair, but the separation of curls at the bottom is frustrating because mine always looks see-through. Maximum thickness at the ends (with the length of course) is always my goal.

[UP Lisa]

DarkChocolate,

Your hair is beautiful!

Lisa

[Babyfine]

I've always tended to keep my hair in a braid or Dutch braid. Until recently I'd never found a bun that I could wear for more than half the day. I'm guessing that having minimal scalp hair means more tug from the weight of the bun. Most buns equal super painful headache. The flipped bun style doesn't seem to do that and it keeps my hair from being slicked to my head so it doesn't look quite so shrimpy. My hair is waist length with tailbone being the goal.

That makes a lot of sense to me. I have always wondered why updos and even ponytails seem to feel like they are pulling on my scalp after awhile.
MY usual styles are either a half-up-half down or french twist with a claw clip or beak clip(Fakkare). I love braids and ponytails but I don't wear them in public as I don't care for the way they look on me- my braids are thin and I feel like pony's make me look like I don't have any hair. I used to like them better when I had bangs(fringe) but I've grown those out trying to gain thickness.
At least with a french twist I've figured out how to poof it up in the front. How do you do the flipped bun style? I think your hair still looks lovely!

[Nini]

That makes a lot of sense to me. I have always wondered why updos and even ponytails seem to feel like they are pulling on my scalp after awhile.


All in all it's more a matter of how sensitive your scalp is though, than how much, or how little hair you've got!

Nini

[MischiefsMuse]

How do you do the flipped bun style? I think your hair still looks lovely!
Thank you Babyfine :puppykisses: I still like my hair. I'm just worried that I'll keep losing it. I'd hate to have worked so hard to take care of it only to have it all fall out :( As for how to do the flipped bun, I did a google search and found a very helpful video here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7581080099802811376&hl=en (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7581080099802811376&hl=en)
Teazel suggested it to me in the hair game thread and I love it :) Teazel is my hero! :happydance:

[Teazel]

Teazel suggested it to me in the hair game thread and I love it :) Teazel is my hero! :happydance:

I don't belong in this thread because my hair isn't fine, but I just had to pop in to say, "Awww!" :o I'm so glad the flipped bun is being so good to you, MischiefsMuse.

By the way, who's looking at your hair in that picture of you in dance costume? You have an incredible figure, girl! Having said that, I think your hair looks pretty, even if it has thinned. I hope it fills out the way you want it to soon. :flower:

[girlcat36]

MischiefsMuse--it's official. With the posting of the belly dance picture, we ARE hair twins!
You do give me hope that I may actually be able to grow my own hair that long.

[kdaniels8811]

Hey, instead of a sock did you ever try stockings? as in pantyhose? You cut the elastic waistband off and roll them tightly, then wrap your hair around it for a french twist. The flesh colored stocking is a lot closer to our hair color than socks. I roll the stockings tightly so they are about 4" high - kind of shaped like a fat hot dog? Laughing, I am NOT explaining this well... Anyway, I brush my hair back and wrap the ends around the vertical stocking roll and roll it toward my head to make a fat french twist. If I had a video camera I could show you better... An old fashioned method is to use a "rat", keep your hair combings and roll them together and use that inside a bun to plump it up.

I also have thin hair that likes to go flat to my head, especially when I wear a helmet (bicycling, motorcycling) and I have not found anything yet that prevents "helmet hair". Any ideas? I have a silk scarf for under the helmet and have tried a variety of ways of puttiing my hair under it.

[Beloved]

What is prettier on thin hair... a blunt straight across hemline or a blunt U hemling? Mine is straight across right now but I feel like U might go better with the natural taper of my hair. What do you guys think?

[MischiefsMuse]

Aww, all the love here :) Thanks everyone!

Teazel, you're trouble ;) Of course, if your costume looks like a disco ball, folks are supposed to stare! Glad you stopped by to say hi :waving:

Yay GirlCat! I'm so glad to have a hair twin :D Maybe you should post here or send me a PM with your hair habits. If we compare notes maybe I'll be able to make a suggestion so you too can be on your way to tailbone :) (come on tailbone!)

Kdaniels your suggestion to use a nylon stocking to fatten up a bun is brilliant. You'd think I'd have made the logic leap from sock to stocking but no. Now maybe I can do some of the other twisted updos without feeling like it was a whole lot of work for one tinsy bun. Bet it would help with the Gibson tuck too if I could figure out how to add it in at the right spot... *wanders off to go play with hair*

Beloved, I think it's mostly going to be a matter of preference. I think I tend to prefer a blunt cut for APL or shorter and the U hem for anything longer. It kind of gives the impression of fairytale ends without letting it get so whispy from no trims.

[kdaniels8811]

Glad you like the "stocking to give the impression of more hair" idea. My hair looks thicker since I have completely changed my methods, based on posts on LHC. I just did a catnip tea soak this morning - after using mega tek on the roots last night which does make my hair slighly greasy - and just rinsed it all out without using any shampoo. Amazingly enough, my hair is soft and full! with no tangles at all. Catnip tea is now a must. I have thin, oily hair and by utilizing the hints on this site, I have been able to not wash my hair for a week. I would have never thought it possible in the past. I do wear my hair up all the time now, use henna glosses - which really help strenghten my fine easily broken hair. I also keep track of what I did and when and try not to do too many things close together so I know what works and what doesn't. Now if I could just figure out how to keep it from being flattened by the helmet. I am eagerly awaiting the instructions on "7 braids" at to give morning wavey hair as was posted earlier in this thread.

[kdaniels8811]

Here it is! By Themyst.

"
I just remembered something I haven't done in a long time - but it really works for me.

I wash my hair in the late afternoon, let it air dry but still keep it a bit damp - then I put in about seven braids - I make them fairly tight to the scalp. At least two of the braids have to be on top of your head. Then I sleep in it - and man, when I wake up and undo my braids - all I have to do is comb or (for an even more over-the-top look) use my BBB. Then I hairspray it under and on top and fluff it up.

I get so much volume from my puny hair by doing this - but it's just so much work for me, I can't do it every night. But it's a fun look. I'll have to do it again soon and post some pics."

Looking forward to pics so I can see how you get 7 braids - mine will be pencil size in diameter!

[Themyst]

Here it is! By Themyst.

"

Looking forward to pics so I can see how you get 7 braids - mine will be pencil size in diameter!

The key to having this turn out right is to make sure your braids are tight to your head (not to the point where it hurts, of course!) and also, the batch of hairs gathered for each braid should be taken from a nearby area (not some strands from the front along with strands from the back). Except on top of your head, I take some strands from one side of my part and combine it with some from the other side of my part. I probably make this sound much more complicated than what it is, I'm sure this has been done thousands of times by others.

But, my hair is thin and that is why this method takes so long. Each braid is very small, but LONG. It takes me a very long time to do it.

I've been wanting to do this again, but I get such a huge head of hair when I do. It's just not practical to have it like that around the house while I'm engaged with my mundane housewifey duties.

I just did a henna treatment tonight. Maybe after my hair settles down in a few days I'll try the braid thing. I'll take pictures, too.:)

[DragonLady]

I just remembered something I haven't done in a long time - but it really works for me.

I wash my hair in the late afternoon, let it air dry but still keep it a bit damp - then I put in about seven braids - I make them fairly tight to the scalp. At least two of the braids have to be on top of your head. Then I sleep in it - and man, when I wake up and undo my braids - all I have to do is comb or (for an even more over-the-top look) use my BBB. Then I hairspray it under and on top and fluff it up.

I get so much volume from my puny hair by doing this - but it's just so much work for me, I can't do it every night. But it's a fun look. I'll have to do it again soon and post some pics."


Oooh.... My hair is damp right now. I'm going to give this a try. :)

[Themyst]

Well, I just couldn't stand it and decided to do it tonight since my hair was still damp from rinsing the henna. Here's a pic of my seven braids, however, I couldn't get the entire length on. Also, I don't know what happened, but I just recounted my braids and there's only six. :rolleyes: Oh, well.

I've always gotten magnificent results, except for the last time I did it. I think since I've been putting so much conditioning stuff in my hair it doesn't hold a braid as well anymore. We'll see how this turns out in the morning. If it fluffs well, I'll take a pic.

DragonLady, if it doesn't turn out the way you wish the first time, just adjust your braids the next time as needed. If you put a lot more braids in, your hair will get much fluffier. You really must make sure the braids stay tight against your scalp, though, because that is what makes it springy near the scalp when you take it out. Otherwise, you'll just get a flat helmet head with fluffy side hair and look like a bush!

I hope someone finds this idea to their liking!:)



http://themysteriouslady.com/sevenbraids.jpg

[DragonLady]

DragonLady, if it doesn't turn out the way you wish the first time, just adjust your braids the next time as needed. If you put a lot more braids in, your hair will get much fluffier. You really must make sure the braids stay tight against your scalp, though, because that is what makes it springy near the scalp when you take it out. Otherwise, you'll just get a flat helmet head with fluffy side hair and look like a bush!

Well, I gave it a shot. My hair was damp when I started, so the first few braids were really tight. But as it dried while I was doing the back, they weren't so much, and were coming loose. I didn't have any way to rewet them without soaking my whole head again, so I wrapped them up around my finger against my scalp and put clips on them.

I couldn't sleep that way, so I left them to dry 'till about 10:30, then took them out. The first ones were still damp, but the back dried completely.

Wow. That's all I can really say. It looked terrific. It reminded me of the big hair I had in high school (although I had layers then, and used a ton of products and heat and backcombing and other tortures). It didn't last long, because of still being damp, and I was getting ready for bed. But I love the look, and I *will* be doing that again soon.

DH picked me up a spay/mister bottle last night so I can keep my hair damp to try it again.

Thanks for the awesome tip. :)

[Beakywitch]

Hello my hair is very fine and has been extremely thin in recent years. I now think this was due to some medication I was on which I stopped about 3 months ago. At present I am watching the growth of some baby hairs in the areas which were most badly affected (around my hair line at the front) and as far as I can see they are definitely coming through.

Even at the best of times though, my hair is quite soft, bone straight and not that much of it and it gets greasy quickly, within one to two days after washing.

I'm learning to make friends with my hair though as I think we all have our problems no matter what our hair type and thin, fine hair looks like angel hair when long.

Beaky

[Themyst]

Well, I gave it a shot. My hair was damp when I started, so the first few braids were really tight. But as it dried while I was doing the back, they weren't so much, and were coming loose. I didn't have any way to rewet them without soaking my whole head again, so I wrapped them up around my finger against my scalp and put clips on them.

I couldn't sleep that way, so I left them to dry 'till about 10:30, then took them out. The first ones were still damp, but the back dried completely.

Wow. That's all I can really say. It looked terrific. It reminded me of the big hair I had in high school (although I had layers then, and used a ton of products and heat and backcombing and other tortures). It didn't last long, because of still being damp, and I was getting ready for bed. But I love the look, and I *will* be doing that again soon.

DH picked me up a spay/mister bottle last night so I can keep my hair damp to try it again.

Thanks for the awesome tip. :)

I have the hair drying problem when I do it too. Last night when I braided, I kept spraying my Aussie Hair Insurance on the dry spots but that may be a mistake since it is a conditioner leave-in. So, my braids might turn out very limp. On the other hand, if I braid when my hair is too wet, it takes way too long for them to dry.

I'll be taking these out soon.

[Themyst]

I took the braids out and combed my hair. Unfortunately, I found out I was terribly low on hairspray so I couldn't fluff it up to its greatest potential.

http://www.themysteriouslady.com/fluffyhair.jpg

It was much fluffier but not as much as usual since I've been putting so much conditioning stuff in it (cassia, henna, leave-in conditioner). So the braids didn't hold as well as I would have liked. Anyway, it did fluff up nicely and would have made a decent example for you. So, I tried to take a pic myself but did a bad job of it - I was going to wait for someone to help me but in the meantime, I went outside and got snowed on, so now I wouldn't even be able to show you the full effect.

But, this is one of the first pics I took (it's one side of my hair). Clearly, you can see that my very straight hair got some bounce and body to it. I wear my hair like this when I go camping, so it retains a bit of fluff to it the next day and doesn't go flat and straight against my head as usual.

The next time I do this, I will make sure I do it right and have hairspray/camera helper ready so I can post a good example from the top of my head.

[DragonLady]

Clearly, you can see that my very straight hair got some bounce and body to it.

Yes; mine did too. And it still has a tiny bit today, though not much more than usual.

I will do this again in a few days, and keep the whole thing damp while I work. I'll start earlier, too, so it will be dry before I have to take it down for bed (if I have to use the clamps, as I don't mind sleeping in damp braids).

I don't usually use hair spray at all, but may use a tiny bit if I do this again -just a light spritz upside down before I head out for the day. :)

[leksa]

Hi, I'm new here on this forum. And I have thin hair, only 2.1" ponytail. And actually that is after the hair loss treatment I had. It was worse before.
I moved to a desert area and my hair got really dry and bristle. So I came here to get some advices how to combat that new problem. Now I just need to test those out. :rolleyes:
I just wish to express my thanks for all the tips and advices I found here. :)

[DragonLady]

Welcome, Leksa!

I'm in the desert, too. I know what you mean about dry and brittle. The SMT treatments have helped me with that more than anything else.

[Rapunzal2Be]

Hi Ladies - I have baby fine hair, and not much of it. (Just under 2.5 inches for my pony.)

Honestly, I am not looking for volume - I think baby fine hair, when soft and shiny, is very attractive. But I'm looking for added strength. I just have to keep each and every hair I have healthy and intact.

I'm considering trying Cassia. I hope it will give me great results.

When I was a child I had very long hair, but in adulthood I've never had it longer than BSL before either getting frustrated with it or more often being told by a hairdresser that it was too fine to be long and it needed to be chopped off.

This time, I'm determined. Gave up heat styling for the most part, using Nioxin to counteract really bad shedding, and using CWC (washing only twice per week) and I think I'll start with Monistat for growth as well. I take a multi, folic acid and biotin. I'm trying to wear it up as much as possible, as well.

But I do have a question, since I am new to the board - it seems like almost everyone talks about how important it is to wear your hair up all of the time to get it to grow long. But if our goal is to have long hair, don't we want to wear it down to show it off??? I'm a little lost on that one...

[chrissy-b]

Honestly, I am not looking for volume - I think baby fine hair, when soft and shiny, is very attractive. But I'm looking for added strength. I just have to keep each and every hair I have healthy and intact.

I'm considering trying Cassia. I hope it will give me great results.

I've been using cassia for over a year now and my fine hair is much stronger than it ever has been. I do use henna every once in a while for a bit of color and body, but cassia definitely helps if you don't want the color change.


But I do have a question, since I am new to the board - it seems like almost everyone talks about how important it is to wear your hair up all of the time to get it to grow long. But if our goal is to have long hair, don't we want to wear it down to show it off??? I'm a little lost on that one...

It's important to protect the ends and save your hair from damage which is why a lot of people here wear their hair up most of the time, but of course you can wear it down to show it off!!

Welcome to LHC! :)

[dukkelisa]

I am finding that I am the opposite of wanting to show off. I am a secret long hair. lol. I wear my hair up to protect it, but also because I really enjoy knowing how long it is and no one else does, except my husband. When I take down my hair, it is a ritual for me to enjoy.

I just noticed in the mirror last week, I made hip length! Wow.

[plainjanegirl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0NMLSUICp4

Is this similar to what you all are doing?

[Unnamed]

I've not posted to this thread, apparently :oops: , so thought I should as I think I'm one of the longer thin and fine ones.

Super fine, and presently about 2" (maybe an itty bit more) at the nape*, and over half my length is under 1" circ.

Not sure what else to say that would be interesting! Open to suggestions on what to say. I have a tendency to write too much.


*As a note I still have i listed as thickness instead of i/ii due to a recently large shed that took me solidly under 2" at the nape. I may have another medium to large shed in the near future (when I stop increasing thyroid meds, especially if it's not right the first try!), and I don't want to change it now and have to change it back soon after. :oops:

[earthdancer]

I just tried a shampoo bar by soapsrus on Etsy (patchouli scented). I like it so much I ordered 3 more today in different scents.

The formula has lots of natural oils, and I thought it would make my hair look oily, so I sudsed up twice and my hair looked clean and fluffy when it dried, and even the day after (a minor miracle).

Their formula has beeswax in it, which some people don't like, but it seems to be really good for my ends and makes my hair feel like it has more substance.

I used a light drugstore conditioner afterwards, and that is all.

This is my first foray into the realm of non-commercial shampoos! I love the idea of using natural soap instead of detergent on my hair.

[Jeni]

Hi Ladies - I have baby fine hair, and not much of it. (Just under 2.5 inches for my pony.)

Honestly, I am not looking for volume - I think baby fine hair, when soft and shiny, is very attractive. But I'm looking for added strength. I just have to keep each and every hair I have healthy and intact.

I'm considering trying Cassia. I hope it will give me great results.

When I was a child I had very long hair, but in adulthood I've never had it longer than BSL before either getting frustrated with it or more often being told by a hairdresser that it was too fine to be long and it needed to be chopped off.

This time, I'm determined. Gave up heat styling for the most part, using Nioxin to counteract really bad shedding, and using CWC (washing only twice per week) and I think I'll start with Monistat for growth as well. I take a multi, folic acid and biotin. I'm trying to wear it up as much as possible, as well.

But I do have a question, since I am new to the board - it seems like almost everyone talks about how important it is to wear your hair up all of the time to get it to grow long. But if our goal is to have long hair, don't we want to wear it down to show it off??? I'm a little lost on that one...

If you are just under 2.5 then you are an ii (or at least an i/ii) not an i, just wanted to let you know.

I have been using cassia for year and I love it. I do think it has made my hair stronger, at least the tangles seem to be better.

I mostly wear my hair up because my ends are damaged from years of hair dye. Wearing it help reduce tangles and breakage for me. I will sometimes wear it down for special occasions (it isn't really all that long yet) but wearing it down all the time is annoying. I also want long hair because I love the idea of being able to have a big bun... A giant bun eating the back of your head can be just as impressive as long hair that is down, IMO.

Welcome to LHC btw.

[Rapunzal2Be]

Thanks everyone for the welcomes and answers!! I'm learning a lot, but honestly pretty overwhelmed.

How do I go about trying to find someone else with my same hair type, to see what their care plan is? Just look through threads like this or is there another way?

[earthdancer]

But I do have a question, since I am new to the board - it seems like almost everyone talks about how important it is to wear your hair up all of the time to get it to grow long. But if our goal is to have long hair, don't we want to wear it down to show it off??? I'm a little lost on that one...I wear my hair up most of the time, but I wear it down at least once a week to "show off".:D I also wear ponytails a lot.

Wearing your hair up not only protects it from damage, but also keeps it from falling into the pans while you're cooking or into the tub while you're cleaning it, and other similar situations. My hair is long enough that these are real problems! Also, it is often quite windy outside here, and my hair blows all over if it's loose and creates a hazard for my eyesight as well as my lipgloss!

[Babyfine]

I always keep my hair up in windy weather- maybe it's just my imagination but my ultra fine hair seems to blow around worse than other's hair.

[Rapunzal2Be]

I wear my hair up most of the time, but I wear it down at least once a week to "show off".:D I also wear ponytails a lot.

Wearing your hair up not only protects it from damage, but also keeps it from falling into the pans while you're cooking or into the tub while you're cleaning it, and other similar situations. My hair is long enough that these are real problems! Also, it is often quite windy outside here, and my hair blows all over if it's loose and creates a hazard for my eyesight as well as my lipgloss!


I always keep my hair up in windy weather- maybe it's just my imagination but my ultra fine hair seems to blow around worse than other's hair.

Very good points! Obviously at my stage of the game, none of that is a worry. I'm very excited some day to be at that point though!!

[earthdancer]

I always keep my hair up in windy weather- maybe it's just my imagination but my ultra fine hair seems to blow around worse than other's hair.

I don't think it's your imagination; I'm sure it's true! I used to think it was women using a lot of hairspray that kept their hair from blowing around as much, but after awhile I noticed the same thing on long-haired men.

[UP Lisa]

I'm with you, Babyfine. My hair blows around more than anyone's I know. I really never wear it down outside.

[heidihug]

My hair is floaty. It wafts around of its own accord. Unless it is slightly damp, or dirty. Then it looks piece-y. In my estimation, my hair is not all that pretty down. Plus, the tangles when left down for more than a bit - oy!

I don't have long hair because I want to wear it down and show it's length off to other people. At one time in the past that may have been a motivating factor for me, but not really any longer. I only wear it down outside of home once or twice a year.

I have long hair because I really like doing updos and braids. (Braids left unpinned really do show off my length well, if that's what I feel like doing, anyway.) And, wearing it down at home, I sometimes feel...well, not like a princess, per se, as I think of princesses as younger and unmarried. But, I do feel like a queen. And my DH really likes it. But that's for my occasional in-home enjoyment only.

[Tichad3]

May I join you here? I have very thin and fine hair. Since I have been using Henna it seems thicker but not enough for me.

I'm having a hard time doing anything with my BSL hair because it looks silly when I try to do an updo.

[Rosepatrice]

Hi everyone!

Thank you for this fun thread. I'm enjoying reading other posts from fine thin haired peoples!

I am here to let you know that I, too, have very fine, thin wavy hair, but not sure which typing to label it under.

Just checking in, tee hee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Babyfine]

I'm with you, Babyfine. My hair blows around more than anyone's I know. I really never wear it down outside.

I like to wear my hair down sometimes but I can't do it when it's windy-plus I have these shorter wispies in the front that blow around and look terrible.

[Rosepatrice]

My hair is floaty. It wafts around of its own accord. Unless it is slightly damp, or dirty. Then it looks piece-y. In my estimation, my hair is not all that pretty down. Plus, the tangles when left down for more than a bit - oy!

I don't have long hair because I want to wear it down and show it's length off to other people. At one time in the past that may have been a motivating factor for me, but not really any longer. I only wear it down outside of home once or twice a year.

I have long hair because I really like doing updos and braids. (Braids left unpinned really do show off my length well, if that's what I feel like doing, anyway.) And, wearing it down at home, I sometimes feel...well, not like a princess, per se, as I think of princesses as younger and unmarried. But, I do feel like a queen. And my DH really likes it. But that's for my occasional in-home enjoyment only.

Heidi if you are an ii, I am bald!!

[heidihug]

Heidi if you are an ii, I am bald!!

Hee, Rosepatrice, and thanks! My ponytail circumference is just barely at 2.25". When my hair is wet, it's one long, skinny rat tail down my back.

After many years of practice, I have mastered the look of thick hair without actually having thick hair! When my hair is dry, I "floof" it before I braid or make a bun. It's floaty, anyway, as I said, so it isn't hard to do. I always tell people that my updo's are mostly air. And, I take all of my hair pics with my camera phone, and it's really fish-eyed, so my hair looks much bigger than it actually is in person.

I is tricky, I is.

[Babyfine]

Rosepatrice my hair looks much thicker on camera than it is in person, too.

Here are some styles I love but DON"T wear in public b/c they emphasize my hair's fine/thin-ness:

single braid ( I do wear braids to bed)
dutch braid
pigtails(love 'em on others but look too "rat-tailish" on me.
completely down(unless it's been heat styled- which I don't do)
slicked back bun.
ponytails.

Here are styles I DO wear out a lot:

French Twist
Sock bun
Half -ups
Tails up or messy "peacock" (getting harder to do now that my hair is longer)
loose french braid-( but I can't do it myself.)
Trying to master a chinese bun

[Rosepatrice]

Rosepatrice my hair looks much thicker on camera than it is in person, too.

Here are some styles I love but DON"T wear in public b/c they emphasize my hair's fine/thin-ness:

single braid ( I do wear braids to bed)
dutch braid
pigtails(love 'em on others but look too "rat-tailish" on me.
completely down(unless it's been heat styled- which I don't do)
slicked back bun.
ponytails.

Here are styles I DO wear out a lot:

French Twist
Sock bun
Half -ups
Tails up or messy "peacock" (getting harder to do now that my hair is longer)
loose french braid-( but I can't do it myself.)
Trying to master a chinese bun

What is a "Peacock", please? Sounds pretty,though.
Also a half-up?
Pics, please?
Thank you!

I agree that my hair looks thicker in the pics, too. Mine measures about 3" right now, maybe a little more or less depending on several factors.

[Superfine]

I'm in too. My latest discovery for holding my fine hair in a banana clip (a Conair with concave interior & wide teeth on bottom) was to fill the deep interior of the clip with vinyl door weatherstripping. Quarter inch & non-damaging. I was getting what I think was cut hairs from using even the softest scunci. Now I'm seeing no damage & the clips hold well without slipping since my hair is so "slippy".

[ccaswick]

I'm going to try better more gentle handling and slower combing after the shower. I can already tell I should have been oiling all my life, it does make a visible difference -- healthier, not necessarily thicker at this point. Also washing 2x a week instead of 3x -- so far I don't look too greasy, so that's good. I will continue to look for shampoo bars as well -- although I do buy in bulk, so TONS of bottles of shampoo and conditioner in my linen closet. Right now using Kirkland (Costco) shampoo, it has wheatgerm and no cones I can find in the ingredient list. Also been leaving Infusium 23 in my hair (just a little) and coconut oil the night before my shampoos.

[heidihug]

ccaswick, I used Infusium 23 once a week on wet hair after washing. I think it helps with shine and deters the floatiness a little bit, and doesn't seem to cause any problems with coating my hair. I can use coconut oil before I wash, but not after. If I use it an a leave-in, it gets clump, and staticky (!) not matter how much or little I use.

[Babyfine]

What is a "Peacock", please? Sounds pretty,though.
Also a half-up?
Pics, please?
Thank you!

I agree that my hair looks thicker in the pics, too. Mine measures about 3" right now, maybe a little more or less depending on several factors.

Hi Rosepatrice- I wish I had pics of my hair in those styles- I've been meaning to get them taken and post them.
A half up is when you take the front section of hair parting around the ears- and leaving the back section long and pin it up with a barrette or clip.
In my case- I take two sections from the sides and pull them back and poof the front so it looks like more volume. It makes my hair look like I've got so much more in front, than I do.
A peacock twist is when you take your hair and twist it like you are going to do a french twist- but leave the ends dangling down. It was easier for me to do with shoulder length hair- my hair is BSL now. and b/c it's thin I have to do a lot of twisting so it's hard to do and make it look good. I'll try and find some pics-

[Babyfine]

Here's sort of an idea of what they are:
www.ficcare.com/videos.aspx

I don't have a Ficcare (wish I did) but the partial upsweep and the peacock are the two I'm talking about(plus my hair isn't as thick as the models, either!)

[girlcat36]

Just got my SMALL sized Ficcare!! :cheese: :cheese: :cheese:

I love it, it's perfect! My hair is up in a peacock twist thing with the ends kind of tucked back into the Ficcare. So easy!
Even with my thin hair, it is holding securely.

[Rosepatrice]

Here's sort of an idea of what they are:
www.ficcare.com/videos.aspx

I don't have a Ficcare (wish I did) but the partial upsweep and the peacock are the two I'm talking about(plus my hair isn't as thick as the models, either!)

I need to get a Ficcare, too. What size is best for fine, thin hair? They have so many sizes. Thanks for the photo/Ficcare link! In that pic, she has much thicker hair then I so I wonder what it would look like on fine hair in a Peacock style?

[girlcat36]

I need to get a Ficcare, too. What size is best for fine, thin hair? They have so many sizes. Thanks for the photo/Ficcare link! In that pic, she has much thicker hair then I so I wonder what it would look like on fine hair in a Peacock style?\

See my post above yours. :)

[OhioLisa]

I need to get a Ficcare, too. What size is best for fine, thin hair? They have so many sizes. Thanks for the photo/Ficcare link! In that pic, she has much thicker hair then I so I wonder what it would look like on fine hair in a Peacock style?

Depends on exactly how thin or fine, plus your length. :shrug:

[girlcat36]

My ponytail is 3", and my hair quickly tapers down to i thickness after shoulder length. My hair is at BSL right now.
I bought a medium Ficcare and it was way too big, the small size seems perfect for holding a twist or bun, haven't tried it with just a ponytail yet.

[MsBubbles]

Just got my SMALL sized Ficcare!!

Congratulations!

The small (maximas) is plenty big enough for my hair too. I actually asked the Nordstrom sales attendant if I could try it in my hair to make sure it would stay, before buying it.

[OhioLisa]

My pony is 2.5" and I need a large. :confused: I had a small forever ago and couldn't do a thing with it.

[Rosepatrice]

Thank you for the info. My pony is less then 2.5 inches. i wonder which one would fit. My hair is waist lenght and a pic is coming sometime I hope.

I like this thread!:cheese:

[milemma]

I have lots of fine hair, so I assume that's the right thread for me ! looking forward to share !
the problem about fine hair, is that they are often oily too, don't you think ? I have both problems.

[girlcat36]

My pony is 2.5" and I need a large. :confused: I had a small forever ago and couldn't do a thing with it.

You have so much more length than me, so this kind of makes sense. Although my pony is 3", after shoulder length it thins out severely, so most of my hair is i thickness, and it is barely BSL.

[UP Lisa]

Yes, I think fine and oily often go together because there are oil glands for each hair. More hairs equal more oil glands.

I need a large Ficcare for my hair, also.

[tina1025]

Mine is very fine, thin and very oily....I have to wash them everyday....ehhh

This is a great article.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Hair-Growth-Advice---Increase-Consumption-of-Fruits-and-Vegetables&id=1478898

I am planning on going on a fruit diet for a month. I do eat lots of fruits in summer.
Heres what i am planning on eating.

Breakfast

Milk and cereal
yogurt
banana

Lunch/snacks
watermelon
grapes
Another fruit

Some dried fruits

Dinner
Indian wheat bread
Vegetables
Rice/beans
mango

[curls2grow]

I know part of my thinning hair is due to aging, and possibly medications that I'm on (for thyroid, cholesterol, etc.) Sometimes my hair gets me depressed because I am doing whatever I can to keep it healthy and protected and then it still looks so thin to me. I am going to hang around here for inspiration.

[lockslessmonstr]

I'm a fine/thin hair too!!!! Thank god I found this thread - I was beginning to think I was all alone. Most all my friends have enviable THICK hair - so much so, their hairdressers complain about how long it takes to give them a hair cut. Can you imagine! When I was getting regular trims it took ten minutes max.

I'm convinced that there is a way to get thicker hair. There must be. Things I am trying:
- PROTIEN (Redken CAT) really helps strengthen hair so it won't break and it makes it "feel" thicker. If my fragile fine hair wouldn't break off all the time maybe it wouldn't be so thin! I have had the MOST successes with this by FAR. I can't recommend it enough for fine hair gals. Just don't use it too often and make sure to condition afterwards.
- wash less w/shampoo bars (no sulfates) 2-3x week.
- CO (cone free) 2-3x a week.
- Coconut Oil.
- no heat, no styling products ever.
- scalp massage
- iron supplement, biotin, muilti-vit, fish oil
- organic diet high in protein, low dairy, lots of veggies & water.

Things I am going to try:
- Water softner - soft water is WAY better for skin and hair.
- castor oil/monistat on scalp only (it's worth a shot)
- henna or cassia
- Shea Butter

I think I have scalp issues - super oily, itchy, and lots of quick build up. I think if I can get a healthy scalp maybe I can ignite some folicles.:horse:

That's all I got!

[girlcat36]

I know part of my thinning hair is due to aging, and possibly medications that I'm on (for thyroid, cholesterol, etc.) Sometimes my hair gets me depressed because I am doing whatever I can to keep it healthy and protected and then it still looks so thin to me. I am going to hang around here for inspiration.

We'll stick together! :D

[tiny_teesha]

now that i chopped off most of the over hennad ends i can see a lot mroe fine hair. I am not liking hte fine hair. It truely is full of splits and thinner and taking over the bulk of my hair, which in turn makes my hair thinner. It is messy and strange to me. My hair was never this fine before. I don't like it. I'm greatful i do have a coarse canopy to hide and keep the finer underlayer in place i guess.
I can't believe how much thinner it makes my hair look!

[curls2grow]

We'll stick together! :D
Sounds like a dang good plan to me! :cheer:

[Rain76]

I am wondering if anyone here can recommend a good cone-free & protein free (preferrably natural) rinse out conditioner for fine/thin hair. (NOT oil, though)-Thanks!

[Unnamed]

Not completely protein free apparently...I thought it was...but my protein hating hair loves it (it's hair protein, not a wheat/silk/milk/etc. protein that is in a lot of things...my hair doesn't even much like coconut oil, and that just helps hair retain protein/doesn't have any protein in it), so I wouldn't knock it out: Biolage Conditioning Balm. It is cone free. The generic (at Sally's) is also great (and cheaper), and it's also a bit thinner/lighter than the original. I've not had issues with rinsing out the original, though, and no protein symptoms like I get with every other regular use conditioner I've ever used that has protein in it. I've used both as a rinse out (during wash) and a leave-in conditioner.

I also rather liked Burt's Bees grapefruit conditioner--if I remember right it is both cone and protein free. Not my absolute favorite, but it's one of the few no-cone conditioners I've bought more than once.

Just in general I found that VO5 was mostly too heavy or...something, and most of Suave's either have cones or the wheat/milk/etc. proteins in them. I liked Suave Aloe Vera, but it does contain dimethicone.

Oh, wait, a really like VO5 one (very light, very slick, not very conditioning, can use it on scalp hair if I want/rinses out very well, and I use/used as a substitute for a citric acid rinse (to combat our really hard water)) is the VO5 Vitaburst Grapefruit. I'd bet this one would also make a good CO condish maybe even, although I've not tried it. It is no-cone and no-protein.


One I've not tried but I believe is no-cone and no-protein is Cure Care at Sally's.

[Rain76]

Thank you, Unnamed!

[lockslessmonstr]

so after reading all the comments I ran out and bought some Henna, Caca Noir from Lush. After a lot of effort and HUGE mess I am sitting here with a plastic bag on my head and stinking. My cat is not liking the smell either. I really did not want to cover my head with a cap, but this stuff is so messy, it's dropping flakes and chunks everywhere. I wanted to let it oxidize for a more blue undertone rather than red,but oh well. Next time I'm doing this outside and will spend the whole day in the backyard so I'm free to run around and not worry about the Henna droppings. Also I think I got too excited and didn't plan very well - I can only leave this on for 2 hours instead of the 6+. I thought I would just sleep in it but that is out of the question now - catostrophic mess!!!!!

Anyway, the point of all this is to get that thicker feeling effect, not necessarily change color. I hope 2 hours is long enough for that. :confused:

[lockslessmonstr]

bumping up

[NotOfThisWorld]

My hair is very fine, and yes it tangles so easily - it's so frustrating. I hate wind the most - and ponytails - that make it swish and tangle.

[MuzicalH3rb]

I have very fine/thin hair and I am learning to love it. The healthier it gets and the more my virgin hair grows in, the happier I am.

[Melisande]

So how did it go, Locklessmonstr? My own fine to medium hair has greatly benefitted from henna. It has become much stronger and has healthy shine. It will never be thick but it doesn't have to.

[NamedForTheMoon]

I'm bumping this up for the rest of us thin haired people out there.

[MomoKoNoHanna]

I'll join the thread :) I have fine hair (it runs in the family). My hair at the moment is thin because I cut it back to pixie last August its growing and as it grows it thins out then at about shoulder length it will get thicker a little. My hair has always been very fine though. I have recently gone cone and sulfate free, I find that helps with the thickness a little. I tried going back to sulfate to see if it would help but it made my scalp dry and itchy so I stop using it again. My hair loves coconut oil but I only use it as a pre-conditiner because it is to heavy to leave on. I also found that egg pre-conditioning and egg washes help alot. I recemmend a egg wash once a week and you can put the egg on top of the coconut oil and do it at the sametime for the pre-conditioning I find that works wonders too.

The giovanni protein treatment also works but you must wash your hair prior to using it then condition afterwards ( i find that it works best doing it this way). At the moment I am experimenting with shampoos currently I am junggling between differen giavanni shampoos, sukin and organix's. I find that if my hair appears to be douler than usual I'll use a clarifying moisturizing shampoo from Givanni (usually about once a month) then afterwards I will use a light conditioner. I also battle with frizz and breakage due to over abusing my hair (I am currnetly growing out colour) so finding a shampoo and conditioner that naturaly hides the damage is very hard.

Soon I am going to try Camellia seed oil as a leave in to help the frizz.

Oh I also use Jojoba oil on my scalp as a massage oil and I am currently experimenting with a bristle boar brush to help spread my oils to my length to help with the dryness at the ends.

For the breakage I also sleep on a satin pillow case which I find also helps with the frizz and poofness ^_^

tehehe that turned out longer than expected!!! :o

[MomoKoNoHanna]

Forgot to say that the egg and protein treatment from giavanni works for adding thickness :)

[maaria]

I have thin hair too so I´ll join the club. I dont have much tips for making hair thicker but once I used cassia and my hair felt stronger and thicker after that treatment. Only wash your hair if you must, after wash only finger comb and let it air dry.

[Aunteater]

I belong to this thread: thin, fine hair, 2.75" pony circumference, and it all breaks off way too easily!

I've gotten down to washing twice a week-- three times for special occasions. This seems to help with the breakage issue. It took a long time to get to that point, and I looked like a total greaseball for a while. You guys know how that goes already: thin, fine hair looks greasier faster. I used to look greasy in the evening, when I'd washed my hair in the morning. But it really does seem to be true that the less you wash out the oil, the less oil your scalp feels obliged to manufacture. I tried the conditioner-only thing for a while, but that only made my hair look MORE greasy. Eventually, what worked was to wash my hair, let it air-dry, and wear it down that day. The next day it would look kind of questionable, so I'd wear it up. Day 3 looked decidedly greasy, so I'd put it up in 2 pigtails and wear a bandanna over it. Day 4 I do the same thing, except sometimes I'd cheat a little:

To cheat: pull your hair back in a bun. lean over the kitchen sink and wet just the top of your hair and down the hairline to your ears. Put a tiny bit of shampoo on your fingers, and with the tips of your fingers gently shampoo just around your hairline, and a couple of inches back from your hairline at the top. Rinse.

Then I'd wear it in pigtails, with a bandanna, again.

Day 5: wash properly.

I did this for months, and eventually, I've gotten to where even on day 3 after a wash, my hair only looks slightly greasy, so I just wear it up, but for the first 2 days it looks fine, and I only wear the bandanna on day 4 now. I'm not even sure I need the bandanna on day 4, but I usually take advantage of it to use coconut oil from the ears down, which works well with pigtails. I'm hoping for further improvement, as I get less trigger-happy with the shampoo.

[LisaJaney]

I think that CO washing makes my fine, thin hair look fuller than shampoo-conditioning. Day one and two are the fullest; days three and four are getting limp and thinner-looking. But since days 3&4 are generally "high ponytail" days, it doesn't matter a whole lot. ;)

[curls2grow]

I've been taking a spirulina supplement for a while and I added horsetail (silica) capsules last week. I'm hoping it will help my hair, whether that's improved growth, improved thickness, "healthier looking"... I don't know. I have noticed I'm shedding less, so I like that!

[lockslessmonstr]

My first henna attempt didn't go so well: messy and not very good results. I only left it in for 2hrs tho. So after researching and getting some good advice/tips here, I'm trying again today. Wish me luck!

Also I've been using poo bars and only conditioning from ears down everyday and my hair has been so much fuller and thicker feeling. :DThe downside tho is my hair is really dull, tangles easily, and feels kinda dry. :( I wish there was a happy medium. Maybe the Henna will help.

[OhioLisa]

Also I've been using poo bars and only conditioning from ears down everyday and my hair has been so much fuller and thicker feeling. :DThe downside tho is my hair is really dull, tangles easily, and feels kinda dry. :( I wish there was a happy medium. Maybe the Henna will help.

Have you been using a vinegar rinse with your poo bars? My hair felt nasty when I tried no vinegar and conditioner. I don't use any condish with poo bars. :shudder:

[Fiferstone]

I've got fine hair as well, there's lots of it, but it's always been fine and I agree that it shows oil more readily than coarser textured hair. I am stretching out the washings (used to wash every other day, now it's every 3 days) and doing CWC and coconut oil the night before a wash. Went 'cone free (from Pantene) in 2007 and it definitely took 2 straw-like weeks for my hair to adapt. CWC and coconut oil seem to be working so far, might try ACV rinses as well. I've also had issues with length being dry/ends getting split even though I don't blowfry, but since using the coconut oil and starting with CWC, I've noticed less breakage. Also trying to be better about wearing more updos rather than the default ponytail.

[Ashley]

I'm definitely a fine haired too, at least, I guess... I am not sure whether it is fine or thin. I have lots of hair - based on the fact that when I part my hair, there's only a very thin part to be seen because the hairs are grown really close to each other. Yet my hair is stringy and not voluminous at all. Am I correct when I say it's fine or is it thin anyway?

I can't really wear my hair down - the length gets tangly so fast and within minutes it forms "clumps" of hair so the results is not a lovely full mane, but a tangly, clumpy mess. The thinness shows extra because of this... and I really envy people who have a lovely looking mane when worn down. :(
Updo-wise, I mostly wear buns and braids, but both of them are rather thin anyway and as I see it, not even comparable to those impressive big buns and thick braids. :(

I shampoo my hair and do pre-oilings (with Dr. Hauschka Neem Oil), or leave a few drops of oil in my hair when it's still damp. What I should absolutely avoid is damp bunning - the hairs right under the buns seem to stay damp for hours after the rest has dried - and it feels kind of greasy in the end. Also, whenever I take a bun down that has been drying, my hair is so messy and fluffly, it looks really bad. Usually I get very thin ends too. My hair does look best when I let it airdy whilst being down, and just comb it straight.

Can anyone relate? :D

[UP Lisa]

Sounds like your hair is fine and thick. Mine is fine and medium thickness.

[lockslessmonstr]

So I did henna last weekend and I failed again. This time I think I made it way too thin (last time was way to thick). This time I did much better at controlling the mess tho. Applied outside, put on a cap, left it on for 4 hours (as long as I could stand) rinsed outside and then shampooed.

Not much of a color change (I can barely tell and no one else has noticed) so I'm mad that I wasted 4hours for nothing. Hair doesn't look or feel thicker either. sigh.

So next time... maybe a month from now... I will work on getting the perfect consistency and try to leave on for at least 6 hours. If that doesn't work then, :brickwall I give up.

[lambhair]

*waves*
Jumping in here as another thin/fine hair!
The only way I can get any volume to my hair at all is to braid it (in at least 4 braids, as close to my scalp as I can manage) and leave it that way, preferably overnight..then I get nice waves that help make bunning and other braid styles easier to do.
If I just take the braids out and let my hair down, all the waves disappear in an hour or so...
but I love the way fine hair can look so silky!

[UP Lisa]

Are you braiding when the hair is wet? My hair is baby-fine, but braid waves stay in it till I wash them out.

[Eireann]

My hair is wavy, so I don't have a big problem with volume. My biggest complaint is that is is so fragile and whispy. I use chemical color, and I'm afraid that makes it worse, but I'm not ready to go grey yet (and I don't want to use henna on top of chemical color so that's not an option.) I usually color my hair myself, but thought I would go to a salon a couple months ago thinking it would be better for my hair. NOT!! Not only did they rip through my wet hair with a paddle brush, but also they COMPLETELY messed up the color so it had to be stripped and redyed again (and once again assaulted with the aforementioned paddle brush). So, I've gone back to the box, and I'm trying to just color the roots, but inevitably it gets on the length as well. I don't want to chop my hair, but I also don't want it to look like a scraggly rat tail. I'm thinking maybe protein will help? Any thoughts?

[MsBubbles]

The only way I can get any volume to my hair at all is to braid it (in at least 4 braids, as close to my scalp as I can manage) and leave it that way, preferably overnight..then I get nice waves that help make bunning and other braid styles easier to do.
If I just take the braids out and let my hair down, all the waves disappear in an hour or so...
but I love the way fine hair can look so silky!

I bet your hair looks stunning with those waves. I'm with you on the 'disappear in an hour or so' thing, though. Biggest problem I have is that if I braid it damp, it's still damp when I take it out, even a day later. And if I braid it dry, the waves look threadbare and fall out after 30 mins, depending on the humidity. If I wait longer for it to dry, my scalp would be so greasy I couldn't wear it down to show off the braid waves!:doh:

Not to sound like I'm complaining about my own hair or anything, though. I just mostly wear it straight since that's what it will always go back to!

[Elly]

also a fine hair here. ^^

I've been wondering about something: Do you fine hairs prefer cones or no cones? I've been going cone free for a while now but i can't really tell if it makes my hair feel better or not.

What kind of experiences did you make?

[UP Lisa]

I have never really been able to decide about the cones. They are good for removing tangles, which I REALLY need, but so are some of the non-cone conditioners.

[MsBubbles]

Right now my pendulum is swinging back towards the cones. I have not yet found a great cone-free conditioner with 'slip' enough to compare with the coney ones. With no cones I end up with a matted mess to comb through after washing. Every once in a while I give the cones a rest maybe on a weekend if my ends are looking too dry. But that's enough to get it all back to normal-textured hair.

[Aries_jb]

I'm surprised I never posted in this thread before. My strands are not fine, but hair is thin. I have a circumference of 2.5, which I guess is average, but the last 5 inches of my hair taper down to nothing. My hair doesn't really split or break much, but I do shed alot. I just went through a big shed and I have all these short pieces of hair growing out. Right now my plan is to wear it up and leave the remaining ends until the end of the year. By that time hopefully I'll be BSL and then I'll maintain until my hair thickens up, if it ever does.

I haven't used cones on a regular basis in years. I never really noticed a difference in the way my hair looks, but my hair feels much better without cones. Cones make my hair feel like plastic and I hate that Barbie hair feeling. Right now I'm experimenting with Aubrey shampoos and conditioners. I think after I finish up the shampoos I'll go back to my CV shampoo bars, as I think they were more nourishing and user-friendly.

[UP Lisa]

For me, Biolage Conditioning Balm has probably been the best no-cone conditioner for slip.

[tiny_teesha]

I agree with Up lisa, but biolage conditioning balm hydrotherapie is my facourite! (which is the same one yeah?)
THE best for making hair soft and smooth without cones. It's truely a MIRACLE! (my hair is NEVER soft!) It's pricey so to make it last, shampoo, and then squeeze hair out and add the tiniest dulop as a leave in and spread through instead of coating hair and leaving it in and rinsing it out. :)

[rags]

A third for Biolage conditioning balm. It is the ONLY non-cone I have found which actually works for my hair (well, and that I'm not allergic to! :rolleyes:). It gives great slip!

[GlassEyes]

I'm not sure if I belong in this thread, because although I do have fine hair (I think), it's heavily layered, and that might make it look thinner than it actually is. I have pieces of my bangs that start about halfway back on my head. :rolleyes:

But I'll fourth the recommendation for the balm. It's awesome. I like that and Aubrey Organics the best for my hair. :D

[smilinjenn71]

:waving: Hi everybody, I'm new to this thread!

I have fine textured hair but a lot of it. (pony tail is between 3 1/2-4" and it's still too short to get it all in there)

The reason I am posting is because DH and I have been seriously exercising over the past 5 weeks. So for 6 days out of the week I have been using elastics to put my hair up in 2-3 ponytails to get my hair out of the way. Plus I might pass out from the heat if I don't get it off my neck.:p Well, this past week I have noticed A LOT of breakage.:wail: The elastics I use are supposed to be protective to the hair and have no metal. But I'm quite sure they are the culprit.

Any suggestions of something else I can use/try? Keep in mind that I have a lot of hair to manage...it just happens to be fragile.:rolleyes:

***getting ready to read through the thread now***

[Proginoskes]

Another very fine-textured wavy here, though not thin.

I've found staying away from most polyquaterniums and the most strongly cationic conditioning ingredients helps a lot in not making my hair too limp. It just can't handle the weight of them bonding to it, it seems. For example, I know a lot of people really like BTMS as an ingredient for conditioning, but it pulls the wave out of my hair almost instantly and I lose so much volume whenever I use a conditioner with that in it. I think right now it might be my most avoided ingredient, even more so than any cone.

I have a love-hate relationship with silicones. They help my hair look great for the first few days that I use them, and then my face breaks out and my hair deflates and I have to stop using them and clarify. *sigh* At this point for me they're mostly for special occasions.

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

I love biolage too!

[GlassEyes]

Another very fine-textured wavy here, though not thin.

I've found staying away from most polyquaterniums and the most strongly cationic conditioning ingredients helps a lot in not making my hair too limp. It just can't handle the weight of them bonding to it, it seems. For example, I know a lot of people really like BTMS as an ingredient for conditioning, but it pulls the wave out of my hair almost instantly and I lose so much volume whenever I use a conditioner with that in it. I think right now it might be my most avoided ingredient, even more so than any cone.

I have a love-hate relationship with silicones. They help my hair look great for the first few days that I use them, and then my face breaks out and my hair deflates and I have to stop using them and clarify. *sigh* At this point for me they're mostly for special occasions.

...you're totally an NC hair-geek, aren't you? XDDDD; I barely know what polyquats are, even.

[Proginoskes]

...you're totally an NC hair-geek, aren't you? XDDDD; I barely know what polyquats are, even.

LOL! Oh yeah, I'm definitely an NC hair ingredients geek. I actually find it fun. :D :p

[GlassEyes]

LOL! Oh yeah, I'm definitely an NC hair ingredients geek. I actually find it fun. :D :p
I like it too...to a point. xD; After a while, my mind starts to swim. :p

[Proginoskes]

I like it too...to a point. xD; After a while, my mind starts to swim. :p

Haha, yeah, there definitely comes a time when I have to just walk away for a while.

[zombi]

I need help with my wave pattern.

I can't figure out how to let it dry and not end up frizzed looking? Sort of... very fuzzy head. I don't know if this is due to new growth or what, but what can I use that won't weigh fine/thin hair down? I'm scared of gel and all that because it makes my hair so flat. But it seems like my waves need... something?

[UP Lisa]

I'm always amazed at all the wavies who say their hair is frizzy. Mine has never been frizzy in my life. I would think it would get that way since it is so fine, but it doesn't. So I guess I can't help you.

[rhubarbarin]

I have frizz a lot. My hair isn't fine overall, but it does get weighed down and stringy easily. For me at least, it's my canopy and the top of my head where the problem is worst, so I have learned to apply product to tame the frizzies very sparingly and only on those areas. I would encourage you to try some sort of gel - just a teeny bit, with fingertips, and only on the problem areas. Sqeezing gel through all my hair, or even worse, combing it in, makes my hair look thinner and flatter..

[hippie girl]

Well, this past week I have noticed A LOT of breakage. The elastics I use are supposed to be protective to the hair and have no metal. But I'm quite sure they are the culprit.

Any suggestions of something else I can use/try? Keep in mind that I have a lot of hair to manage...it just happens to be fragile.



I gave up all elastics a long time ago, and almost never wear a ponytail. Mostly because my fine straight hair would slip out of any holder yet still tangle at my nape as quickly as possible.
It was a pain in the butt to untangle and pretty much just broke off instead. Didn't matter what type of holder I used, as even a tight elastic would quickly slip out anyway. I keep some scrunchies for the rare occasion I may need to pop my hair in a ponytail around the house for a brief moment. Other than that, no elastics, period.


I don't think there is any type of band (or barrette for that matter) that is really that hair friendly that it won't cause breakage or some type of traction damage. The only type of band that I think is somewhat (though not completely) safe would be a fabric covered one, like a scrunchie. If you are doing two or three ponytails, I'm not sure if scrunchies would work. They tend to be wider and if they were really small the fabric may not be able to double up to hold the ponytails tight enough.

I've seen hair elastics in the drugstore that look like small knit circles about 1/2 or so in thickness. They are like little knit tubes with no metal. They almost have a terry cloth look to them, I think. They don't really look elastic but more pliable, basically like a knit tube. They are usually fairly small, like maybe an 1+ across or so. I have never used them as I almost never wear a ponytail, but maybe they would be worth a try. I'm not sure if they have elastic running thru them or if the stretch is just created by the knit itself, but they may be worth a look.

[free_hug]

Dears, help.

I have it fine, thin, and light brown. (No idea about circumference bc it's short, but it would hardly be more than an inch.) All should be fine and well, because the waves :heartbeat sort of balance the look, and it looks normal, even pretty to some, and i do get some wave compliments.

Only thing is, i am now trying to leave pixieland, and get into the realm of Bob. Now, the length right now is enough to pull it down just a bit, and my scalp peeks out :-( at part as well as cowlick. I know it's partly because of the light color (i had it dyed/colored darker years ago, and it looked a lot better)

This is not nice. No. This is frustrating.

I remember the last time i had shoulder length hair, a couple of people just had to mention how i lost a lot of it and my scalp is visible. It would be more than great to be able to sort of avoid this :-( anyone else with the same problem? And any suggestions?

[FullMoonTrim]

I searched, but didn't find a thread like this. If there is one, can someone direct me there?

If not, I'd love to start one here. Ways to help achieve more fullness, special problems related to thin hair, good updos for thin hair, hair care for this type of hair, etc.

Anyone else interested?
Hi! I have fine hair too!!! I recently talked with a woman who does the trainings for Neocell. This company sells collagen type supplements to take internally for joints, skin and hair. What she told me is that if you take the collagen and compare your hair before and after a month or so your strands will actually be thicker!!
IF it's true, it is an amazing thing for those of us with really fine hair!!!
I'm taking the collagen now so I'm going to be on the lookout for this beneficial effect!

[smilinjenn71]

I gave up all elastics a long time ago, and almost never wear a ponytail. Mostly because my fine straight hair would slip out of any holder yet still tangle at my nape as quickly as possible.
It was a pain in the butt to untangle and pretty much just broke off instead. Didn't matter what type of holder I used, as even a tight elastic would quickly slip out anyway. I keep some scrunchies for the rare occasion I may need to pop my hair in a ponytail around the house for a brief moment. Other than that, no elastics, period.


I don't think there is any type of band (or barrette for that matter) that is really that hair friendly that it won't cause breakage or some type of traction damage. The only type of band that I think is somewhat (though not completely) safe would be a fabric covered one, like a scrunchie. If you are doing two or three ponytails, I'm not sure if scrunchies would work. They tend to be wider and if they were really small the fabric may not be able to double up to hold the ponytails tight enough.

I've seen hair elastics in the drugstore that look like small knit circles about 1/2 or so in thickness. They are like little knit tubes with no metal. They almost have a terry cloth look to them, I think. They don't really look elastic but more pliable, basically like a knit tube. They are usually fairly small, like maybe an 1+ across or so. I have never used them as I almost never wear a ponytail, but maybe they would be worth a try. I'm not sure if they have elastic running thru them or if the stretch is just created by the knit itself, but they may be worth a look.
Thanks for the tips!!! If I'm not mistaken, I have some of those knit elastics....but my hair seems to be too heavy for them. I'm going to try again though b/c I don't like all this breakage! I didn't even think about scrunchies, so thank you for that suggestion! Going to Wally-World (Wal-Mart) today, so I'll pick a couple up!

[MsBubbles]

So for 6 days out of the week I have been using elastics to put my hair up in 2-3 ponytails to get my hair out of the way. Plus I might pass out from the heat if I don't get it off my neck.:p Well, this past week I have noticed A LOT of breakage.:wail: The elastics I use are supposed to be protective to the hair and have no metal. But I'm quite sure they are the culprit.
Any suggestions of something else I can use/try?


Jenn, I use these on the ends of my braids. They're really soft yet don't slip out. I never wear ponytails though because of the pulling on my scalp from the ponytail. I think I posted this pic on a similar fine hair thread but can't remember. I hope it wasn't this one?! :p I can't wear those tight, thin ones, even with no metal. They destroy my hair.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3733374442_b3ee024c2b.jpg?v=0

[jivete]

I was able to get rid of my frizzies by avoiding a couple of things. First I turned down the temperature of the water when I get my hair wet. That helped immensely, but if I use full strength shampoo, they'll come back. Before, even when I CO'd, I'd get frizzies. Basically, any time my hair was wet (Except when I was WO). But washing in tepid water makes a huge difference.

Of course, I'll find out for sure if it works all the time this winter.

[Kirin]

I need help with my wave pattern.

I can't figure out how to let it dry and not end up frizzed looking? Sort of... very fuzzy head. I don't know if this is due to new growth or what, but what can I use that won't weigh fine/thin hair down? I'm scared of gel and all that because it makes my hair so flat. But it seems like my waves need... something?

Here is what I do to get wave, and not fluff. On damp hair after a shower I use one drop of oil (I use Africa's best Herbal oil), just ONE drop, and a half teaspoon aloe vera gel. I put these both in my hand, rub them together and scrunch my hair. That's it. It works really well as long as I do not brush my hair and just let it air dry.

[hippie girl]

Jenn, I use these on the ends of my braids. They're really soft yet don't slip out. I never wear ponytails though because of the pulling on my scalp from the ponytail. I think I posted this pic on a similar fine hair thread but can't remember. I hope it wasn't this one?! :p I can't wear those tight, thin ones, even with no metal. They destroy my hair.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3733374442_b3ee024c2b.jpg?v=0

Yes, MsBubbles, these are much like what I remember seeing in the drugstore. They are fabric, right?
Msbubbles, we talked about how our hair is similar before. Would this band fit a whole ponytail for you, you think? Maybe I should keep some on hand.

[smilinjenn71]

:cheese:Tooo funny! I just picked these up at Wally-world today! Thanks everybody.
Jenn, I use these on the ends of my braids. They're really soft yet don't slip out. I never wear ponytails though because of the pulling on my scalp from the ponytail. I think I posted this pic on a similar fine hair thread but can't remember. I hope it wasn't this one?! :p I can't wear those tight, thin ones, even with no metal. They destroy my hair.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3733374442_b3ee024c2b.jpg?v=0

[hippie girl]

See that? Smart minds think alike.....!

Guess I should pick some up next!

[Charentais]

I've enjoyed reading this thread very much, thank you!

-Newbiewhogotsickofherfriedlookin'hairandthrewawayt heshampooandhairdryer.

[zombi]

I'm trying (on recommendation from a friend? eesh) TIGI's "Foxy Curls" spray; gels are from previous experience too heavy even in small amounts for my hair, so I'm trying to stay away from them.

I'll let you guys know how this stuff works.

[rags]

Dears, help.

I have it fine, thin, and light brown. (No idea about circumference bc it's short, but it would hardly be more than an inch.) All should be fine and well, because the waves :heartbeat sort of balance the look, and it looks normal, even pretty to some, and i do get some wave compliments.

Only thing is, i am now trying to leave pixieland, and get into the realm of Bob. Now, the length right now is enough to pull it down just a bit, and my scalp peeks out :-( at part as well as cowlick. I know it's partly because of the light color (i had it dyed/colored darker years ago, and it looked a lot better)

This is not nice. No. This is frustrating.

I remember the last time i had shoulder length hair, a couple of people just had to mention how i lost a lot of it and my scalp is visible. It would be more than great to be able to sort of avoid this :-( anyone else with the same problem? And any suggestions?

Well, I have an 1.5" pony and a cowlick. I hear ya on the scalp showing through thing. I'm about fifty percent grey/silver, so it really does show more.

The only thing I can recomend is that I absolutely can NOT stretch washes like other people can. I have to was it every other day (though a lot of time I can do a CO) or it will simply be awful, full of scalp cleavage everywhere. I usually tend to put mine up a lot and usually once I arrange it up, it will stay in place. Good luck!

[zombi]

Well, I have an 1.5" pony and a cowlick. I hear ya on the scalp showing through thing. I'm about fifty percent grey/silver, so it really does show more.

The only thing I can recomend is that I absolutely can NOT stretch washes like other people can. I have to was it every other day (though a lot of time I can do a CO) or it will simply be awful, full of scalp cleavage everywhere. I usually tend to put mine up a lot and usually once I arrange it up, it will stay in place. Good luck!
ahahaha "scalp cleavage"!!!!

I have this problem too, ladies. I also wash every other day. I tried out stretching my washes, but it seems I really can't do it less than every other day.

[embee]

Well, I have an 1.5" pony and a cowlick. I hear ya on the scalp showing through thing. I'm about fifty percent grey/silver, so it really does show more.

The only thing I can recomend is that I absolutely can NOT stretch washes like other people can. I have to was it every other day (though a lot of time I can do a CO) or it will simply be awful, full of scalp cleavage everywhere. I usually tend to put mine up a lot and usually once I arrange it up, it will stay in place. Good luck!

Rags, I've seen your hair in person and it's pretty - it looks *so* soft and silky! I was plenty envious!

I understand about that scalp-showing thing, my mother had it and I've been down that road a bit myself but like you, once hair's in an updo it's usually ok for the day - even if it's not freshly washed.

[curls2grow]

I'm currently using Terax Crema weekly in the shower as a DT. I love how quick, yet effective it is (which is why I can stick to using it).

Is anyone loving any other cone-free pre-packaged (no DIY for me when I'm in a rush) DT products that work for thin/fine hair?

[blondekate]

Jenn, I use these on the ends of my braids. They're really soft yet don't slip out. I never wear ponytails though because of the pulling on my scalp from the ponytail. I think I posted this pic on a similar fine hair thread but can't remember. I hope it wasn't this one?! :p I can't wear those tight, thin ones, even with no metal. They destroy my hair.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3733374442_b3ee024c2b.jpg?v=0

Thanks for posting these--I am going to see if I can find them in my area! :)

[smilinjenn71]

I'm curious if anyone here uses protein treatments on their hair to strengthen?

If so, will you post what you use?
Thanks!:flower:

[smilinjenn71]

*bump*

Any help for the above question???

[Rentlle]

I haven't an answer, but am following this thread too :)
Somebody tried castor oil for thickening hair?

[Charentais]

I'm curious if anyone here uses protein treatments on their hair to strengthen?

If so, will you post what you use?
Thanks!:flower:


I use Ion Reconstructor Treatment, from Sally Beauty Supply.

It's fine (no pun intended!) But I'd have to use other protein treatments in order to compare them all, so I cannot yet say the Ion is ideal.

It uses Keratin and panthenol. Sadly it contains Polyquat 10, which some folks might not like.

Anyway, it works fine for me, about every two weeks!

[tiny_teesha]

Rentlle- I've been applying it to my eyelashes to see any difference. It's week 3. Can't say i see a definate difference yet...

[smilinjenn71]

I use Ion Reconstructor Treatment, from Sally Beauty Supply.

It's fine (no pun intended!) But I'd have to use other protein treatments in order to compare them all, so I cannot yet say the Ion is ideal.

It uses Keratin and panthenol. Sadly it contains Polyquat 10, which some folks might not like.

Anyway, it works fine for me, about every two weeks!

Thanks for the feedback! At least this will give me a starting place.:flower:

[Phoenix81377]

I used Komaza Care protein strengthener last night for the first time. So far it seems to have really helped. I will update after I have used a few more times (this will take a while as they recommend only using once every 2-4 weeks. I am thinking of alternating it every two weeks with my Henna applications. So every two weeks doing henna or protein which puts each treatment at once every month. I may stretch it a bit longer though as I watch what it does to my hair. More to come! It has a soy quat though truthfully I have no idea what that means????

[Babyfine]

I use Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Hair mask and Aubrey's GPB conditioner which are both great protein treatments. My hair is fine and I color, so I need the help. I alternate with moisturing conditioners like Aubrey' s Honeysuckle rose(this I use from the ears down only, as it's heavy for fine hair)

[sorraia]

I am currently trying to apply onion juice to my thinner spots 3 x week.
Aisha mentioned this as an Ayurvedic treatment for thinning hair on another thread and I researched it and found many people
have had luck using this treatment. My boyfriend had heard the same thing.
I am also using some PEO blends on the off days.

For those who may be interested here is my story:

It seems I have been dealing with thinning hair for the past 4 years.
It has been a very slow relentless process that sneaks up on you.
Mine started when my hair dresser noticed some broken off hairs at the back
of my neck. I blamed it on wearing my chain necklace to bed and shrugged it off. Well it didn't stop there. It got worse, especially when I went through some very stressful times. My shower drain and bed sheets really began to show just how much hair I was loosing.
I did end up going to my Chiropractor and through a biofeedback machine and muscle testing I learned I had an under active thyroid.
I took some vitamins( Standard Process) and ate foods to support my thyroid and eliminated the stress and my hair stopped falling out.
Today my hair is not shedding anymore than normal but I noticed when I was combing my wet bangs the other day there appeared to be gaps.

I am 46 years old and I have half the hair I use to have and I am about 12% gray
Is it genetics, and just part of the aging process?? Either way I plan to slow it down.
I eat very healthy foods, I don't drink, I don't do any drugs
what so ever, avoid chemicals as much as possible, I get plenty of sleep, I use mostly organic hair care ( until recently decided to try Suave conditioner), I don't chemically color and haven't in many years, and occasionally I do use the blow dryer & curling iron.
Oh yea I did use henna 4 years ago which does coat the hair giving the illusion you
have more hair than you do. However I found it to be a bit drying, and it toned down my natural curl quite a bit. If I go back to it I would try the gloss route first because of this.
Getting back to trying to do what is right for optimal healthy hair.

I have decided to make it a point to get my luscious locks back.
I have a whole arsenal of things in store.
Healthier eating plan, tea blends, PEO blends & massage, Ayurvedic herbs, ACV drink and rinse, vitamins, exercise program etc.....
Oh yea how could I forget ....I plan to do the dreaded onion application.
Anyone here interested in taking on the challenge?
If so what is your plan to get your Luscious Locks back?

[UP Lisa]

Well, I've heard of using garlic. But not onion. Hope it works for you.

[FullMoonTrim]

I am currently trying to apply onion juice to my thinner spots 3 x week.
Aisha mentioned this as an Ayurvedic treatment for thinning hair on another thread and I researched it and found many people
have had luck using this treatment. My boyfriend had heard the same thing.
I am also using some PEO blends on the off days.

For those who may be interested here is my story:

It seems I have been dealing with thinning hair for the past 4 years.
It has been a very slow relentless process that sneaks up on you.
Mine started when my hair dresser noticed some broken off hairs at the back
of my neck. I blamed it on wearing my chain necklace to bed and shrugged it off. Well it didn't stop there. It got worse, especially when I went through some very stressful times. My shower drain and bed sheets really began to show just how much hair I was loosing.
I did end up going to my Chiropractor and through a biofeedback machine and muscle testing I learned I had an under active thyroid.
I took some vitamins( Standard Process) and ate foods to support my thyroid and eliminated the stress and my hair stopped falling out.
Today my hair is not shedding anymore than normal but I noticed when I was combing my wet bangs the other day there appeared to be gaps.

I am 46 years old and I have half the hair I use to have and I am about 12% gray
Is it genetics, and just part of the aging process?? Either way I plan to slow it down.
I eat very healthy foods, I don't drink, I don't do any drugs
what so ever, avoid chemicals as much as possible, I get plenty of sleep, I use mostly organic hair care ( until recently decided to try Suave conditioner), I don't chemically color and haven't in many years, and occasionally I do use the blow dryer & curling iron.
Oh yea I did use henna 4 years ago which does coat the hair giving the illusion you
have more hair than you do. However I found it to be a bit drying, and it toned down my natural curl quite a bit. If I go back to it I would try the gloss route first because of this.
Getting back to trying to do what is right for optimal healthy hair.

I have decided to make it a point to get my luscious locks back.
I have a whole arsenal of things in store.
Healthier eating plan, tea blends, PEO blends & massage, Ayurvedic herbs, ACV drink and rinse, vitamins, exercise program etc.....
Oh yea how could I forget ....I plan to do the dreaded onion application.
Anyone here interested in taking on the challenge?
If so what is your plan to get your Luscious Locks back?
Hello Sorraia!
Sounds like you are doing everything right. I really hope the onion juice works for you. I am in California, there is an amazing ayurvedic Doctor here that you could call. He also does Q & A for a yoga magazine if you want to find out more about the onion treatment. Here is the link http://layogamagazine.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=34.
I would love to know more about this..I think my boyfriend is having an issue with thinning hair.
I look forward to seeing your progress:) I also do my best to eat well and do many of the things you mentioned in your note.
Best of luck to you!!

[EtherealOde]

I'm curious if anyone here uses protein treatments on their hair to strengthen?

If so, will you post what you use?
Thanks!:flower:


I use Ion reconstructor treatment, and I henna as well. Generally I use the Ion maybe once every 3-4 weeks depending on how my hair feels. I also use coconut oil to help keep the protein loss down, so maybe that's why I don't have to use the Ion so often.

[OhioLisa]

My hair hates protein, so I tend to avoid extra treatments like the plague. I can't even use shampoos with protein for too long without my hair rebelling.

[Aries_jb]

My hair hates protein, so I tend to avoid extra treatments like the plague. I can't even use shampoos with protein for too long without my hair rebelling.

Same here, though protein in small doses is fine. However, shampoo with protein + conditioner with protein = crow's nest, much less a protein-loaded treatment.

[tangocurl]

Hi there, another fine-haired folk checking in. I have to say that avoiding having any layers cut into my hair and just doing trims of an inch or less (since finding LHC) has thickened up my hair, well, because all my hair is there and not whittled down by layering. Being a fine-haired curly presents its own challenges....but I can also achieve certain buns and twists at a shorter length than most, so I guess there are pros and cons to everything. I like to tell myself that once my hair is down to my hips it won't be as heavy as those with thicker hair at that length. I'm also hoping that castor oil will help build lasting thickness as both a scalp and length/ends treatment....:)

[sorraia]

Hey Full Moon-
Thank you for sending the wonderful link. I wish Dr. Parla Jayagopal lived near
me. I would definitely like to hear his recommendation.
Funny you should send this info for I have been thinking about trying to find a good Ayurvedic doctor in my area.
I did write to Dr Parla at LA Yoga about the onion juice for thinning hair so we shall wait and
see. I will keep you informed. Thanks Again.

[smilinjenn71]

Have any of you used Mane & Tail Condish?

Yes, it has proteins. I've read the above comments, for some protein is good, for others bad! I wonder how long it will take for me to find out if it's a good or bad thing for my hair?!?!?!

[OhioLisa]

Have any of you used Mane & Tail Condish?

Yes, it has proteins. I've read the above comments, for some protein is good, for others bad! I wonder how long it will take for me to find out if it's a good or bad thing for my hair?!?!?!


With Mane n Tail, I knew right away. My hair was AWFUL. It felt waxy and disgusting. It took many washes to get it feeling normal again. :shudder:

[smilinjenn71]

With Mane n Tail, I knew right away. My hair was AWFUL. It felt waxy and disgusting. It took many washes to get it feeling normal again. :shudder:

Hmm, I've used it twice and that hasn't been my experience.

It's sooooo weird how everyone's hair is different!!!!

[yellowchariot]

hey mind if I join up as well? I've got fine/ to somewhat lightly medium texture hair. I'm not "thinning" (or at least that's what my hairstylist said, and I believe her b/c she's hot lol nah j/k! :D:o) Though, my scalp does show through at times. I guess that's because of the weight of my hair and the way it parted in the middle :confused: . . . I dunno!

So do most of you here, blow-dry your hair upside down, and add some type of a mousse or gel? I've got some Aussie strong hold mousse, that I've hardly used back when I got my hair feathered and layered. However, I never really took time to learn how to style it!

[rags]

hey mind if I join up as well? I've got fine/ to somewhat lightly medium texture hair. I'm not "thinning" (or at least that's what my hairstylist said, and I believe her b/c she's hot lol nah j/k! :D:o) Though, my scalp does show through at times. I guess that's because of the weight of my hair and the way it parted in the middle :confused: . . . I dunno!

So do most of you here, blow-dry your hair upside down, and add some type of a mousse or gel? I've got some Aussie strong hold mousse, that I've hardly used back when I got my hair feathered and layered. However, I never really took time to learn how to style it!

Scalp showing is very common with fine hair - don't worry!

I don't think most of us blow-fry at all; it's pretty damaging on fine hair if you want to get very long. I know I can't do it very much (maybe once every couple of months at most?) or my hair will show the damage.

I have however, been known to use alcohol-free mousse!:D

[yellowchariot]

Scalp showing is very common with fine hair - don't worry!

I don't think most of us blow-fry at all; it's pretty damaging on fine hair if you want to get very long. I know I can't do it very much (maybe once every couple of months at most?) or my hair will show the damage.

I have however, been known to use alcohol-free mousse!:D

Ah I see! thanks for the tip! :)

[tangocurl]

Sometimes I get "gaps" of scalp in my updos. I have a very fine wooden comb to smooth them out. HTH :)

[elaineflowers]

I have terribly thin, fine hair... sometimes I could swear my children had more hair when they were born!!!! But anyway, I will be checking in here to read the advice.
At present, all I can contribute is to treat our type of hair as if it is fragile lace.
xxxxxxx

[StellaReade]

I also have very fine hair. I've been looking at the posts, and the Henna sounds interesting, but will it only give you a red color?

I'm only just starting to grow mine, it's about 15" long now (not quite shoulder length). You know, that awkward in between stage. I can't **quite** put it up, so I do still blow dry it a few times a week. It looks absolutely HORRIBLE if I just let it air dry. I hope to stop blowdrying it when it's long enough to where I can always wear it up. I also want to start CO washing it this week. I really like this website, I've been lurking for a week or two. I guess one of the big questions I have is...I read where it is good to brush your hair with a BBB every day to spread the natural oils around and to stimulate the scalp to grow hair faster. But from what I've been reading here, it looks like no one does that here. Should I stop doing that?

From way back when in the early 90's, I have only been washing my hair every 3-4 days, so my scalp does not get oily at all. Also, I don't have any trouble with tangles. I'm using cone filled stuff now, when I'm done with the bottle I have, I think I will try to switch to cone free. I've also got an SLS free shampoo, but I'm not sure if I like it a whole lot. It makes my hair dry.

I also do a heavy oiling the night before I wash, can I do that before I wash with conditioner only? When I try to oil it in between when it's dry, it gets really greasy, but right now I'm using an Herbal Hair Oil, and it may be too heavy, not sure. I want to try coconut/jojoba oil soon and see if there is any difference.

[tangocurl]

I also have very fine hair. I've been looking at the posts, and the Henna sounds interesting, but will it only give you a red color?

I'm only just starting to grow mine, it's about 15" long now (not quite shoulder length). You know, that awkward in between stage. I can't **quite** put it up, so I do still blow dry it a few times a week. It looks absolutely HORRIBLE if I just let it air dry. I hope to stop blowdrying it when it's long enough to where I can always wear it up. I also want to start CO washing it this week. I really like this website, I've been lurking for a week or two. I guess one of the big questions I have is...I read where it is good to brush your hair with a BBB every day to spread the natural oils around and to stimulate the scalp to grow hair faster. But from what I've been reading here, it looks like no one does that here. Should I stop doing that?

From way back when in the early 90's, I have only been washing my hair every 3-4 days, so my scalp does not get oily at all. Also, I don't have any trouble with tangles. I'm using cone filled stuff now, when I'm done with the bottle I have, I think I will try to switch to cone free. I've also got an SLS free shampoo, but I'm not sure if I like it a whole lot. It makes my hair dry.

I also do a heavy oiling the night before I wash, can I do that before I wash with conditioner only? When I try to oil it in between when it's dry, it gets really greasy, but right now I'm using an Herbal Hair Oil, and it may be too heavy, not sure. I want to try coconut/jojoba oil soon and see if there is any difference.

Dropping cones and SLS were two of the first things I did, and a couple of the most important, even when I continued to cheat and use heat styling tools now and then. Henna is a big commitment--check out the henna threads in the Henna & Herbal forum :) but many love the thickening benefits. Cassia may give you a thickening effect without red color deposit; also in the herbal forum.

I have curly hair, so I don't own a brush. I use a wooden comb to stimulate the scalp. Brushers can help me out here--but I think the point of a boar bristle brush is to distribute sebum and other oils, if used, throughout the length of the hair where they can protect the hair shaft from damage. I think I'm getting a similar effect by using a wooden comb.

In the articles section, there is a helpful article by Nightshade on hair damage; there's another one on basic care, etc. Please let me know if you have any trouble finding them and I'll just post the direct link (don't want to lose my post and in a bit of a hurry--sorry.)

I personally love the thickening effect of castor oil. Some people use it on their scalps--eh, that wasn't so great for me--but I love it on the length and ends. You might want to check out the "I'm addicted to castor oil" thread in the off-topic forum. :D

[StellaReade]

Thanks so much! Yes, I did see the addicted to castor oil thread, and was really interested in that, but thought that would also be too heavy for my fine hair, but now I think I may try that. Thanks!

[11eleven]

I wish I had thick luscious locks *sigh*

[Danamarie]

Scalp showing is very common with fine hair - don't worry!

I don't think most of us blow-fry at all; it's pretty damaging on fine hair if you want to get very long. I know I can't do it very much (maybe once every couple of months at most?) or my hair will show the damage.

I have however, been known to use alcohol-free mousse!:D

What type of alcohol free mousse do you use? I've been trying to find one.

[morningstar]

I am working on trimming my ends to get a thicker hemline. My hair is very fine and straight as a poker. I hope to make to waist in Jan. 2010.