Will ANYTHING make hair THICKER?

[lockslessmonstr]

As a child I had fine but ii thick hair and as I've gotten older it's gotten so much thinner now i. I am looking for a way to stop this and possibly reverse it. I long for the thickness I used to take for granted. Is it impossible? Some of the things I've heard of are:
1. Castor Oil
2. Scalp Stimulation - Massage
3. Sulfate Free shampoo/conditioner

I've heard of ladies putting castor oil on their eyebrows and lashes to make them fill in. Some say it works for hair on your head too, but I've never tried it. Anyone here try it????

Stimulation makes blood flow to the folicles and hopefully ignite them??? Right? I've tried to massage my scalp more. In the shower and when I can remember. Do those scalp massage thingies work (i.e. shampoo brush, the "tingler")? And does brushing with a boar bristle brush count? I love scratching my scalp too - most of the time it's just plain itchy, and the rest of the time it just feels good. Is that bad?

I read on a blog (killer strands, I think) that sulfates thin hair slowly over time. Is this true??? I've stopped using sulfates and 'cones in hopes of stopping the thinning. But will this also help more hair to start growing again???

Has anyone had any success with any of the above or with something else? Thanks!!!

[SpecialKitty]

If you've thinned significantly over the last few years, you may have a deficiency of some kind. For me it was anemia and hypothyroidism.

If you have fine and fragile hair, practices such as blow drying, straightening, and coloring can damage hair to the point that it breaks, making your hair appear thinner and much less healthy.

I recommend trying to pinpoint what has caused your thinning, and addressing that. Many find that after they are on LHC for awhile and have taken better care of their hair, their overall circumference increases. For temporary "thickening" of hair strands, you can try henna or cassia treatments.

[girlcat36]

There are quite a few of us at LHC that have thin hair. I suffered with it for many years, going from iii thickness at age 23, to finally i thickness :( at age 41.

Things I have done---given up cones and sulfates, had my iron levels checked and now I take iron, tried to up my protein intake, using ACV rinses(keeps scalp fungus in check).

Not so sure about---CO washing, and scalp massage. These two things seem to make me shed my already thin hair.

Castor oil----I had been using it, but recently experienced a huge shed, and although castor oil may not be to blame, I am cautious about it. I may try it again soon, though.

I am now using Jason Thick-to Thin shampoo, and have gotten some hair compliments after using it. It does appear to make hair thicker looking and with out frizz.

There are some other threads here about hair loss and shedding that might be helpful if you search for them.

[renarok]

Do you take any vitamins for your hair? I am a fan of them. I also am a die-hard Nioxin user.

I use scalp therapy conditioner at least once a week. I try to keep it on my scalp only, massage it in and leave it for about 5 minutes.

I really recommend getting a thorough work up with your primary care doctor to make sure that ALL your hormones are at healthy levels.

I had a horrid shed from hormonal issues about 7 years ago and lost at least 50% of my thickness, it has subsequently all come back.

[hellkitty]

If you suspect it's hypothyroidism, of COURSE, go to a doctor. But in the meantime, you might want to find a multivitamin with *iodine* in it. It's perfectly safe (it's in a vitamin!) and has made a big difference for female friends of mine who suffer from low thyroid--they lost a bit of weight as well!

HK

[plainjanegirl]

If you suspect it's hypothyroidism, of COURSE, go to a doctor. But in the meantime, you might want to find a multivitamin with *iodine* in it. It's perfectly safe (it's in a vitamin!) and has made a big difference for female friends of mine who suffer from low thyroid--they lost a bit of weight as well!

HK


I will have to look for a vitamin with that and try it. My thyroid has been tested and they said it was fine, BUT I have all the low thyroid symptoms and had it when I was a teenager.

[Rapunzal2Be]

I've always had thin hair, and getting worse as I get older.

I'm a fan of Nioxin. For a while before I came to LHC I was using only their products - shampoo, therapy conditioner, and treatment, and glossing serum for finishing.

Now I still use them, but I don't wash daily anymore, and I alternate the Nioxin treatment (put on at night) with cator oil and Monistat.

I take garlic, drink fenugreek tea, and use fenugreek rinses/scalp treatments.

These are all doing a pretty good job at keeping my shedding under control and I attribute my new growth to the Nioxin. (I wanted to give it up when I first joined this site because it has SLS and 'cones, but the truth is, it makes my hair look fantastic and it definitely did start some new growth).

[Natalia]

I will have to look for a vitamin with that and try it. My thyroid has been tested and they said it was fine, BUT I have all the low thyroid symptoms and had it when I was a teenager.

One thing that is generally true about doctors and blood tests is that they dont really give you the whole story. Im not saying doctors are liers or neglegent or someting but their training only tells them to look at something that is enough outside the norm to casue severe symptoms, or at least thats my experiance and unfortunatly i have quite a bit. If you get a work up done i suggest getting a copy from the receptionist. Our bodies are made up of a sensitive balance of chemicals and hormones and if your body functions best at the high end of normal you could have very troublesome symtoms as one or two points away from low. Know that i mean? I found this to be true with me i can be average to low end of normal and have alot of symptoms so keeping track of your records helps. I can see small declines in things from a few years ago that casue me symtoms but my doctors have never mentioned it to me till i brought it up. Just my 2 cents i hope you find somethign that works for you :)

[Furiana]

Exercise will also improve your circulation, thus improving your hair. :flower:

[lockslessmonstr]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good stuff to think about!!!!
I do have some medical issues:

Anemia - I take an iron supplement.
Endometriosis (IV) - my hormones are whack. And I'm on continuous BCPs.
Anxiety - take Lexapro (godsend).I do take vitamins everyday: multivitamin, Omega 3-6-9, and B complex. And I tried the Nioxin system for 8 months but didn't notice any improvement. Now I wash less and use CV 'poo bars with CWC 1x week and CO 3x week. Too soon to tell if that's working tho.

I'm going to get a multivitamin with iodine, add biotin, try castor oil and even throw in some monistat. Hopefully something will help. :magic:

[Furiana]

Good luck! :cheer:

[Honey39]

I find that kelp always grows my hair in really fast - every single time. It doesn't seem to work if you use it all the time, so I will take a kelp supplement for about three months when I've had a big shed, it really really boosts hair growth. It's very cheap as well, so worth a shot.

(I usually take a three month supply, then leave it for a year or two, then again). Iron also helps, I think, and generally eating/drinking well.

[Ursula]

There are a lot of medical conditions that might be affecting this. Even if a disease doesn't have "hair loss" as a symptom, if your body is under stress from illness (or just under stress in general) growing and supporting hair isn't something that your metabolism puts a high priority on.

Sufates aren't necessarily a culprit - there are some people here who have sensitive scalps so that sulfates trigger sheds, but there are others here who have sensitive scalps that have problems if they don't wash their hair and scalp regularly with sulfate cleaners. You just can't say one way or the other in general, it's an individual thing.

Oils, including castor oil, are a similar thing - for some people, oils and scalp massage promote hair growth, while for others, the exact same thing can trigger shedding and cause problems.

Your first thing should be to get a full physical, if possible, incuding a full blood test workup and testing for various deficiencies.

[sandigirl]

I don't know if there is anything that actually makes your hair thicker but there are several things that make it appear that way. First is blo-drying. I have an old Revlon "volumizing" dryer given to me as a gift that makes my hair huge even when only used for a few minutes. The other thing is product that coats the hair. I would not use the product. I would use a blo-dryer to get desired thickness/volume and then use electric rollers for about a minute on a few clumps of hair. I do that and the results are good.

[teela1978]

My hair thickened significantly once I stopped dying, blowdrying, and heat styling it. I don't think any of these on their own is all that bad, but stopping the triple threat gained me over an inch of circumfrence.

[Isilme]

well, if you like the idea of permanent red hair that doesn't fade and is nuclear safe there is always henna. Doesn't affect the root but makes the hair stronger and keep the scalp healthy.

[lhangel9]

I take kelp for 3 months on/3 months off, etc. and it does increase the volume and length of my hair.

Pre-natal vits have a lot of iodine in them as well as iron.

Drinking plenty of water does help me as well!

Good luck and happy growing!!

[Feye]

In addition to all of the other suggestions, if you're worried then how about Rogaine? I read somewhere that it could help against temporary hair loss too (caused by illness, pregnancy etc) and not only for hereditary loss. Perhaps it's worth a try?

[wahmof9]

Privatest...instead of guesstimating what vitamins and supplements you need you can take that test. It is a urine metabolic test. You will get an 8 page report from the lab and a formulation just for you....just a thought.

Low thyroid does not show on all test BTW. The best way to know for sure is to take you temp. on waking everyday. If you are low...you have low thyroid function.

Hope this helps!

[hennaphile]

Whoa, can endomitriosis cause hair loss?

*gulp* we have a lot of the same health issues.

I'm having good luck with Mega Tek, have you heard of Bee Mine's sulphur serums, they're supposed to be good :flower:

[DragonLady]

I might give kelp a try. I've had some good luck taking gelatin.

[MsBubbles]

I do have some medical issues:
Anemia - I take an iron supplement.
Endometriosis (IV) - my hormones are whack. And I'm on continuous BCPs.
Anxiety - take Lexapro (godsend).:magic:

I probably would have a more functional life if I took some kind of anti-anxiety meds. I have been prescribed them numerous times by various docs. I never take them because I'm so afraid that I'll be in that percentage that suffers hair loss!! I guess my vanity won out over sense. Anyway, do you think the lexapro might have something to do with your hair thinning? And I'm in no way suggesting you should do without it, since it's working for you :). I haven't researched this and there's probably already a thread about it here somewhere.

[longhairedfairy]

If you suspect it's hypothyroidism, of COURSE, go to a doctor. But in the meantime, you might want to find a multivitamin with *iodine* in it. It's perfectly safe (it's in a vitamin!) and has made a big difference for female friends of mine who suffer from low thyroid--they lost a bit of weight as well!

HK

Or you can get iodized salt.

[longhairedfairy]

How do you use castor oil for hair growth, exactly? Do you rub it into your scalp, do a pre-wash oiling, or what?

[Pegasus Marsters]

I hate to come and rain on the parade but it is possible that genes are just not on your side in this instance. But try the suggestions, especially when it comes to making sure your health is all good. :)

[pandora114]

Iodine?

EAT SUSHI!

Get your sushi guy to get you a nice nommy Natto Roll. Natto contains an insane amount of vit K and protien (it's fermented soybean) and the nori sheet contains iron and iodine and a bunch of awesome trace minerals.

In a sushi roll you can disguise the taste lol

[longhairedfairy]

Iodine?

EAT SUSHI!

Get your sushi guy to get you a nice nommy Natto Roll. Natto contains an insane amount of vit K and protien (it's fermented soybean) and the nori sheet contains iron and iodine and a bunch of awesome trace minerals.

In a sushi roll you can disguise the taste lol

Or roll a nori sheet around a spoonful of rice if you don't do sushi.

[Melisande]

What has made my hair thicker over time:
-letting the layers grow out,
-taking multivitamin, fish oil, borrage oil, biotin and MSM (it took some months until I felt a difference),
-regular scalp massages with an essential oil mixture in jojoba oil (at least twice a week, leaving the oil in overnight or even two days),
-deep treatments with coconut oil and olive oil (strengthen hair over time and make it bouncier),
-natural plant dyes (henna, cassia and other things, a commercial mix I buy ready and love, only available in Europe).

What makes my hair look thicker on a given day:
-misting it (dest. water, camellia oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein, keratin, aloe vera gel) and putting it up - when I take it down, it's much more voluminous,
-going coneless (a gentle SLS- and conefree shampoo makes hair much nicer),
-catnip rinse and even better catnip soaking (gives immediate results).

My hair will never be super thick but I'm much happier with it now than I was some years ago. Sometimes a microtrimm makes your hemline look fuller and the hair falls nicer. Bun and braid waves are a lovely way of adding fullness, too.

And I learned to accept my not-so-thick hair and appreciate it for what it is. Hair acceptance is a step towards self acceptance, and I'm getting there ;-) Do your best and then, relax.

[Feye]

I thought of one more thing. I've been eating less carbs and more fat lately due to my dad being diabetic and having read up on the effects of carbs on the body. So I've also been doing some reading.

From what I've read, it appears that carbs could cause not only diabetes but also make the hormones in the body go wonky. For example increase the male hormones in the body, which could case more hairs on the body and less on the head. Or interfere with the other hormones tha affect the thyroid etc. Some people who lower their carb intake have to cut down on their medicines, I have read.

I'm still researching this and I don't feel nearly done yet, but it's just too interesting not to mention.

[Dragonfly78]

I've been reading this with great interest, as I'm currently recovering from around 5 months stuck on a liquid diet (long story) that made me so weak & unwell - it has affected nearly all aspects of my body & health, including my hair & nails. So now I'm eating more normally, the work starts on getting back some hair - I'd say I have lost at least 1/3 of my hair. Thankfully I've been back on solid food for a couple of months now and have just over an inch of new hairs growing, which is a good sign. :)

I'll be interested to see how the OP gets on with the suggestions here. :)

[hennaphile]

What makes my hair look thicker on a given day:
-misting it (dest. water, camellia oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein, keratin, aloe vera gel) and putting it up - when I take it down, it's much more voluminous,
-going coneless (a gentle SLS- and conefree shampoo makes hair much nicer),
-catnip rinse and even better catnip soaking (gives immediate results).
.

This sounds a lot like Aubrey's camellia oil leave on conditioner. Have you tried it?:cheese:

[Igor]

There are a lot of medical conditions that might be affecting this. Even if a disease doesn't have "hair loss" as a symptom, if your body is under stress from illness (or just under stress in general) growing and supporting hair isn't something that your metabolism puts a high priority on.

Sufates aren't necessarily a culprit - there are some people here who have sensitive scalps so that sulfates trigger sheds, but there are others here who have sensitive scalps that have problems if they don't wash their hair and scalp regularly with sulfate cleaners. You just can't say one way or the other in general, it's an individual thing.

Oils, including castor oil, are a similar thing - for some people, oils and scalp massage promote hair growth, while for others, the exact same thing can trigger shedding and cause problems.

Your first thing should be to get a full physical, if possible, incuding a full blood test workup and testing for various deficiencies.

Seconding Ursula :wink:

[mira-chan]

Or roll a nori sheet around a spoonful of rice if you don't do sushi.
Nori is Porphyra sp. seaweed. It is high in nutrients but it doesn't have much iodine. Kelp (Laminaria sp.) is the one that has high iodine. Be careful with it if you have thyroid problems.

[Darkhorse1]

Are you talking about wanting more hair on your head or increasing the thickness of the strand of hair?

Genetically, you are born with the amount of hair folicles. I don't think you can alter that. However, if you want to thicken the strand of hair, I've read that coloring hair can give the hair strand more thickness. I don't know if it's lasting, but I did read that coloring can give you the illusion of 'thicker' feeling hair.

[AlisaB]

I've heard that the castor oil works. But they've actually come out with a few hairlines to try and reverse the aging process. They replace the lost keratins within the hair. I think Biolage makes one of the lines, but they're not even close to natural. I would give them a try if you're desperate though.