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View Full Version : What can be done for thin hair?



Bloodheart
October 4th, 2009, 07:43 AM
My hair is thin, about 2 1/2 inches when in a pony tail, it feels thinner...back when using shampoo my hair would be such a ball of puffy fuzz I guess I didn't notice, but since using CO all my fuzz is gone and I'm noticing the thinness more - or maybe I'm experiencing hair loss without realising it?

What can I do about that? - Anything to improve thickness, and volume, or is this just my natural hair that I have to just tolerate? OR is it something to do with going CO?

Oh, and while here I have a newbie question; what is a protein treatment? :confused:

ambychelle
October 4th, 2009, 09:50 AM
My hair is thin, about 2 1/2 inches when in a pony tail, it feels thinner...back when using shampoo my hair would be such a ball of puffy fuzz I guess I didn't notice, but since using CO all my fuzz is gone and I'm noticing the thinness more - or maybe I'm experiencing hair loss without realising it?

What can I do about that? - Anything to improve thickness, and volume, or is this just my natural hair that I have to just tolerate? OR is it something to do with going CO?

Oh, and while here I have a newbie question; what is a protein treatment? :confused:

Wish I had answers for you. Maybe try a volumizing co after your co-wash? Is your hair feeling heavy or weighed down now or does it feel light and healthy? If it's feeling greased down and lank, it might be the kind of coditioner you are using to co.

I'm no help with the protein thing since I haven't actually tried it yet. I bought a treatment but haven't used it because some people love it and some people hate it. I do know that if you go to the products forum, there are several good threads on protein you might want to check out (sorry.. no linky.. I'm in a rush :) )

Welcome to LHC!

Fractalsofhair
October 4th, 2009, 09:52 AM
CO weighs your hair down. That's because it's more moisturizing than SLS. Shampoo bars can give you volume, but without weighing it down as much,and being more gentle than SLS. Welcome! And protein treatments are when you put an item containing protein into your hair. It's generally used to help very damaged hair, along with a moisture treatment.

WaimeaWahine
October 4th, 2009, 01:49 PM
Experiment a lot. Then if it still seems thin or even wispy, take heart. I see lots of women on the street with long wispy hair and it doesn't detract from their beauty at all. Carolyn Bessette was a good example of how thin hair can be pretty. She actually had it at waist length most of the time.

Sissy
October 4th, 2009, 02:34 PM
Carolyn Bessette - yeah, she was a beauty.

Regarding the thin hair... def. cut out shampoos with sulfates and opt for natural ones like Aubrey Organics, JASON, etc. Also, try to cut down on shampooing and do it maybe 1 time per week. For the in between washings try CO with cheapie conditioners like VO5, White Rain or Suave. You could give your hair some nice deep treatments like an SMT - being it's thin you'll want to preserve what you have in as healthy state as possible. I have also heard grapeseed oil can help with thinning hair, but I have not tried it.

Have you considered supplementation? I take a few things for my hair with could help with spit ends, growth rate, health of hair and scalp, etc.

As for protein treatments they're good so long as you don't overdo them. I wouldn't leave a protein treatment on my head all night for example. I would also limit it to once every couple of weeks... unless you're one of those people who finds that protein only helps and does not hurt your hair in anyway. Some conditioners contain protein ingredients. Some good protein treatments I know of are GVP Reconstructor or Joico reconstructor. For less expensive ones try a Henna N Placenta pack or a jar of cholesterol from Sally's. Sometimes, people just use mayonaisse or eggs, but I prefer to use a real product. I also think coconut milk can be considered a protein treatment... not sure about that though.

Hope this helps.

Sissy

Sissy
October 4th, 2009, 02:35 PM
oh and if you do a protein treatment you should follow it up with a moisture treatment (like a deep conditioner or SMT).

Bloodheart
October 4th, 2009, 08:16 PM
Thanks for the answers...

My hair isn't feeling heavy or weighed down in this slightest, it's totally wonderful using CO - feels nice, super shiny, better definition in curls, not frizzy...it's just it seems so very thin :-/

I currently I'm using Boots Essentials conditioner (cone free, I believe). I put a good squirt into an empty bottle, 2/3 fill with water, mix then squirt that mix over my hair. I've used SMT a few times...this doesn't work on my hair, makes it dull *shrugs* (I don't think my hair likes too much being put onto it).

Shampoo is TOTALLY out, my hair really was so puffy when using shampoo and looked really REALLY badly damaged even with the very smallest amount just on my scalp.

Papillonnoir
October 5th, 2009, 07:32 PM
I just wanted to note that some people experience increased shedding with some conditioner on the scalp. Don't stop CO-- it sounds like it's really working for you. It might be worth taking the time to record your shedding, and maybe play around with different conditioners, and compare wash-day sheds with non wash-day sheds. This way you can avoid any problematic conditioners.

jivete
October 5th, 2009, 08:37 PM
My hair is about the same thickness as yours. Watch over oiling because it can make the hair look thinner. And watch any potential damaging things you could be doing to preserve all the hair you have. As my damaged, broken hair moves down my back, my hair looks thicker and thicker.

There are some lovely heads of hair on here that have about the same circumference and none of them look thin at all.

Anje
October 5th, 2009, 08:55 PM
Hang in there. My hair's 2.5 inches circumference too, and there's not much indication that it's going to get thicker now. As much as I hate to say it, each person only has a fixed number of follicles, and nothing we do (short of scalp transplants) can change the maximum number of hairs you can have growing at once, and that varies considerably, genetically.

Things that can help thicken include maximizing blood flow to the scalp, which usually involves gentle massage and perhaps hanging your head upside down for a while. (The drug in Rogaine is primarily thought to function similarly -- it's a vasodialator.) Essential oil blends might also help.

The other thing that can make your hair thicker is simply not losing it to breakage. Many hard-core LHCers get a nice boost in thickness their first year or so here, simply from better care. I gained about 1/4 inch, but my hair wasn't bad before. Others have gained 1/2" or more!

Thick or thin, you can definitely learn to rock the hair you have. Enjoy it -- thinner hair can do intricate things a lot sooner than fat hair.