Thin hair, stringy ends

[Delilah]

It may be due to the damage and taper of the last 6-8 inches of my hair but it seems no matter how I wash it, it will clump together in little strings at the ends within an hour of being brushed.

It looks like this:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/geekgoddess777/0905031705002-1-1.jpg

I have tried clarifying, SMTs, and protein. I currently wash with shampoo bars and use a 1/2 tsp of conditioner on the ends, then use a vinegar rinse. This happens if I use regular shampoo and even looks like this immediately after a conditioning treatment. It is only on the last 6-8 inches of my hair, the rest is glossy and smooth- you can see at the top of the photo it lays more together and as a sheet.
Any suggestions?

[hennaphile]

After cassia my stringy ends fanned out. That and you might try a boar bristle brush, it's good for separating hair :)

[Delilah]

I use a BBB regularly and it does seem to smooth hair into a sheet more, but the same thing tends to happen within 1-2 hours.
I will consider getting cassia on my next herb order though... I've never tried it (yet I've used henna, indigo, catnip) and I have no idea why.

[Flynn]

How long have you been going with any given one of those? I'd usually pick a potential method, and stick with it -- and it alone -- for a couple of months for my hair to "settle in" to it. It's perfectly likely that even after "settling in" the things that haven't worked still won't, but I feel it gives them more of a chance... I'm sure you know this, anyway, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

Never had to deal with this specific problem myself (very thick hair), so I'm terribly sorry, but I don't think I can really say anything very helpful.

[Delilah]

I've been on the 'poo-bar/vinegar rinse train for about 1.5 years. I only really switch things up with the deep treatments, but I am neglectful of those and sometimes go a month between... and sometimes do one every week.

[Nini]

Most likely you'll just have to live with it. I know I do. But now I hardly ever wear it down anyways, so it doesn't really matter:D

Nini

[kdaniels8811]

My hair does the same thing. So I just either comb it more often, which annoys me so 99% of the time it is up. If you figure something out, let me know! My hair has always been like that, no matter what the length.

[pdy2kn6]

mine is exactly the same, i cant wear mine down for more than 10 minutes before it starts getting stringy, and also KNOTTY. but i am after length so i just keep it up at all times, unless drying.

[Annushka]

I have the same thin/straggliness, which I totally blame on damage. I look forward to hearing people's advice.

[jivete]

I have this problem too. Too much oil or too much vinegar in my rinse makes it worse. Which is unfortuanate because the more conditioned my ends feel, usually the stringier they are.

[rhubarbarin]

Yep, I have this too and hate it! I am just biding my time, can't wait to cut this crap off but I don't want short hair.. Only thing that helps for me is shampooing more often. Even the damaged areas of my hair are super-moisturized now, it doesn't take much for them to get stringy.

[Anje]

Mine does it too, and it seems to increase with the health and moisture levels of my ends. Dry crispy ends don't do this the way happy ends do.

I've heard it's a fine hair thing, or a hard water thing (not for me). My theory is it's a not-quite-straight hair thing. If the hair's not straight, the slight wave tends to cause clumps to form. Real wavies and curlies want this as "definition," but on mostly straight hair, it just looks like strings.

[MsBubbles]

It may be due to the damage and taper of the last 6-8 inches of my hair but it seems no matter how I wash it, it will clump together in little strings at the ends within an hour of being brushed.
I have tried clarifying, SMTs, and protein. I currently wash with shampoo bars and use a 1/2 tsp of conditioner on the ends, then use a vinegar rinse. This happens if I use regular shampoo and even looks like this immediately after a conditioning treatment. It is only on the last 6-8 inches of my hair, the rest is glossy and smooth- you can see at the top of the photo it lays more together and as a sheet.
Any suggestions?

I hate to answer a question with a question, but did your hair ever hang together like you want it to, at a different length or time? Mine has never stayed combed-looking for longer than 5 mins after combing. If yours ever did, what is different for you now - other than possible damage? More length? Different products?



I've heard it's a fine hair thing, or a hard water thing (not for me). My theory is it's a not-quite-straight hair thing. If the hair's not straight, the slight wave tends to cause clumps to form. Real wavies and curlies want this as "definition," but on mostly straight hair, it just looks like strings.

Hmm well I don't have a single natural wave, and I have this problem too, so yeah I think maybe it's a fine hair thing!

[nicolezoie]

Wavy hair does that, and your hair might be wavier than you think.

I initially typed myself 1b/c, back when I was convinced that my hair was really straight with a case of wonky ends. Then I stopped fighting my hair type; constant brushing for a smooth finish, an even hemline. I decided to just see what would happen if I didn't do ANY of that and just finger-combed and let the sectioning form. I discovered that I'm really 2a/b (even with my length), and I've stopped fighting what my hair wants to do naturally.

[Delilah]

Yep, I have this too and hate it! I am just biding my time, can't wait to cut this crap off but I don't want short hair.. Only thing that helps for me is shampooing more often. Even the damaged areas of my hair are super-moisturized now, it doesn't take much for them to get stringy.

I'd love to cut it all off but the problem is mostly in the front of my hair- the parts that grow above the ears and forward. Since Im going for a blunt hemline, when I sweep my hair back to trim these areas don't get cut. I would need to cut a lot off to get them.


Wavy hair does that, and your hair might be wavier than you think.

I initially typed myself 1b/c, back when I was convinced that my hair was really straight with a case of wonky ends. Then I stopped fighting my hair type; constant brushing for a smooth finish, an even hemline. I decided to just see what would happen if I didn't do ANY of that and just finger-combed and let the sectioning form. I discovered that I'm really 2a/b (even with my length), and I've stopped fighting what my hair wants to do naturally.

My hair is a bit wavier than I thought when I joined 3 years ago... but 3 years ago it was too short to really tell :D


I hate to answer a question with a question, but did your hair ever hang together like you want it to, at a different length or time? Mine has never stayed combed-looking for longer than 5 mins after combing. If yours ever did, what is different for you now - other than possible damage? More length? Different products?

Hmm well I don't have a single natural wave, and I have this problem too, so yeah I think maybe it's a fine hair thing!

Yep, when I cut my hair regularly and had a bob it hung quite nice and even at the ends without stringing out. Back then I even frequently dyed and bleached it and blow dried it twice a day...

[Delilah]

Mine does it too, and it seems to increase with the health and moisture levels of my ends. Dry crispy ends don't do this the way happy ends do.

I've heard it's a fine hair thing, or a hard water thing (not for me). My theory is it's a not-quite-straight hair thing. If the hair's not straight, the slight wave tends to cause clumps to form. Real wavies and curlies want this as "definition," but on mostly straight hair, it just looks like strings.

Yep, mine will do it more and worse the better moisturized and conditioned it is.
When it feels brittle and straw-like it actually looks better.

[Katrina]

I see that we have pretty much the same hairtype. I have this problem too. Cassia, henndigo and washing with Indian herbs help me for a while (for a week or so). Unfortunately they seem to be drying too, if used all the time.

Coney products make the stringiness worse. If my conditioner contains any cones, my hair will look both dry, greasy and very stringy at the same time. So no cones...

Updos always mask the problem, but it would be nice to be able to wear hair down more.

[MsBubbles]

Yep, when I cut my hair regularly and had a bob it hung quite nice and even at the ends without stringing out. Back then I even frequently dyed and bleached it and blow dried it twice a day...

Hmm, yeah. I agree with that. When I had highlights and did the daily blowfrying in an attempt to get more body/bounce, mine hung nicely too! But this was at shoulder-length and washing every single day. Are your ends now what were once the blow-dried bob? Mine are. I wonder if it gets better as those grow out?

I would say wait it out and baby your hair, put it up if you want, until those other layers/strands grow down and you can cut more of the damage off the ends, gradually.

[vampodrama]

this is so my hair all the time. Nothing helps. Cassia was bad for my hair (extreme dryness) and conditioning makes it worse. I think it's just a fine hair thing, and I also have a bit of wave, so I'll just have to live with it.

[Delilah]

Hmm, yeah. I agree with that. When I had highlights and did the daily blowfrying in an attempt to get more body/bounce, mine hung nicely too! But this was at shoulder-length and washing every single day. Are your ends now what were once the blow-dried bob? Mine are. I wonder if it gets better as those grow out?

I would say wait it out and baby your hair, put it up if you want, until those other layers/strands grow down and you can cut more of the damage off the ends, gradually.

Yep, my ends are the remmnants of a pixie cut which grew into a bob and onwards. I've only done trims since the chop to avoid the overgrown pixiemullet look. Also that hair had been bleached and dyed. I know that it is the damage making them look like that but I am not prepared to part with 6-8 inches of hair if there is a way to mask it.
I know in the long run to have my hair look good all the time it will be a wait and trim situation. I guess I hoped that babying with moisture protein and oils could repair some damage... but it seems those tips are just broken.

[Delilah]

I see that we have pretty much the same hairtype. I have this problem too. Cassia, henndigo and washing with Indian herbs help me for a while (for a week or so). Unfortunately they seem to be drying too, if used all the time.

Coney products make the stringiness worse. If my conditioner contains any cones, my hair will look both dry, greasy and very stringy at the same time. So no cones...

Updos always mask the problem, but it would be nice to be able to wear hair down more.


this is so my hair all the time. Nothing helps. Cassia was bad for my hair (extreme dryness) and conditioning makes it worse. I think it's just a fine hair thing, and I also have a bit of wave, so I'll just have to live with it.

Yes, cones make it worse... but also with dry and damaged ends it is so hard to detangle without them. It's a vicious cycle and I have not found any good cone replacement that allows detangling and does not weigh down or dry out my hair.
Herbs- specifically henna- help. I should give cassia a shot and re-try catnip. Often herbs cause serious dryness that makes oils necessary and since my hair is fine and black and my scalp is white as snow the oily-hair seperating at the root is very obvious. I only oil the ends, but as other fineheads know, the oil just creeps up there.