Seriously need thicker/more hair! =(

[Xepher]

I know there have been a thread about this in the past, but I really wanted to start my own in hopes of getting some new answers since the thread I found was old. IS there any way to go against your genetics and alter your hair?

I have the misfortune of having thin hair, and it just doesn't suit me at all =( I'd love to find a way to get it from F to at LEAST F/M.

If any of you know tricks or tips that will either make more hair grow on my head, or otherwise cause what I have now to grow out thicker , please tell me! Oils, vitamins, diets, i'll try anything and everything! I'm very desperate. Being 18 years old with thin hair is such a bummer...especially since both my parents and grandparents have thinning hair and I do NOT want it to get even thinner when I get older, I want to optimize my hair now so it's prepared for that time!

I'm probably being silly but please...tell me anything you know. It's so important to me.

P.S. Thanks to any of you who posted in my thread about teeth sensitivity - the issue's been fine now and my teeth are getting whiter and whiter =D

[homeschoolmama]

I'm sorry! I have fine hair too. I think I've just learned to "deal" with it.

I have heard that oats, carrot & hibiscus are supposed to help with this. I'm afraid I don't have any firsthand experience with any of these but the carrot yet, (and it's not been nearly long enough to notice thickening) but at least theoretically those would be a good place to start.
love,
mom

[florenonite]

Just to clarify: there's a difference between fine hair and thin hair. I've got fine hair, but it's very thick. Fine/coarse refers to the diameter of a single strand; Thin/thick refers to the circumference of the entire ponytail.

[Xepher]

Just to clarify: there's a difference between fine hair and thin hair. I've got fine hair, but it's very thick. Fine/coarse refers to the diameter of a single strand; Thin/thick refers to the circumference of the entire ponytail.


I've got both then. My hair is very fine as well as thin.

[Xepher]

I'm sorry! I have fine hair too. I think I've just learned to "deal" with it.

I have heard that oats, carrot & hibiscus are supposed to help with this. I'm afraid I don't have any firsthand experience with any of these but the carrot yet, (and it's not been nearly long enough to notice thickening) but at least theoretically those would be a good place to start.
love,
mom

Oats carrots and hibiscus mashed up and put on the scalp, or eaten? xD Just wondering.

[khyricat]

yes- I have f/m now leaning towards M/C due to henna hair that is still on the thin side...

Amie

[Xepher]

yes- I have f/m now leaning towards M/C due to henna hair that is still on the thin side...

Amie

So consistent use of Henna gradually builds up thickness in the hair? I heard that henna does fill in the holes and broken parts of hair to improve the quality, but i've not heard of it's thickening effects or lack thereof yet!

[homeschoolmama]

Oats carrots and hibiscus mashed up and put on the scalp, or eaten? xD Just wondering.

Well with the carrots, you make a "tea" and let it sit on your hair for a good half-hour. You're supposed to do the same with the hibiscus. I'm afraid I have no idea with the oats... but I've seen an awful lot of conditioners with oats in them, so that would probably be how I'd try it first.
love,
mom

[Xepher]

Well with the carrots, you make a "tea" and let it sit on your hair for a good half-hour. You're supposed to do the same with the hibiscus. I'm afraid I have no idea with the oats... but I've seen an awful lot of conditioners with oats in them, so that would probably be how I'd try it first.
love,
mom

Do you know how I might make a "tea" with the carrots and hibiscus? Sorry, i'm really not sure how =( Just soak both in hot water together, or...?

[Ohio Sky]

I think there is a "maximum" thickness that you can achieve according to your genetics. Yours may be thin, and there may be nothing you can do to change that. If youre not at that maximum thickness, there are things that can help thicken it up a little.

One would be nutrition, of course. Check out the vitamin threads for info on how much and what you should be getting from your food and supplements.

Many people have experienced new growth using miconazole. Check out the Monistat thread.

Many have also experienced thickening after using henna, indigo, and cassia. There are ways to do this without altering your color. Check out Nightshades info on henna in the articles section, and the various henna articles.

I dont know what your routine is, but many find that using poo bars gives them a volume boost, or giving up silicones as well.

Being gentle with your hair can help prevent breakage and minimize shedding. Taking good care of your hair and using the right products will help with thin hair, but once again, even if you do all these things, it may take a while to see results, and you may get great results or none at all. Hair is a funny thing. :shrug:

[Xepher]

I think there is a "maximum" thickness that you can achieve according to your genetics. Yours may be thin, and there may be nothing you can do to change that. If youre not at that maximum thickness, there are things that can help thicken it up a little.

One would be nutrition, of course. Check out the vitamin threads for info on how much and what you should be getting from your food and supplements.

Many people have experienced new growth using miconazole. Check out the Monistat thread.

Many have also experienced thickening after using henna, indigo, and cassia. There are ways to do this without altering your color. Check out Nightshades info on henna in the articles section, and the various henna articles.

I dont know what your routine is, but many find that using poo bars gives them a volume boost, or giving up silicones as well.

Being gentle with your hair can help prevent breakage and minimize shedding. Taking good care of your hair and using the right products will help with thin hair, but once again, even if you do all these things, it may take a while to see results, and you may get great results or none at all. Hair is a funny thing. :shrug:

Aye, a funny thing indeed.

Thank you for the tips though!

[florenonite]

I've got both then. My hair is very fine as well as thin.

Well, I don't really know if there's anything you can do with regards to the fineness, but to make it thicker you might want to look at how you're handling it, as you could be causing breakage, which will make it thinner. Some people also find that scalp massages or BBBs (Boar Bristle Brushes) help with stimulating hair growth.

[homeschoolmama]

I documented my "trial" with carrots HERE. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2424) And for the hibiscus, I was thinking of doing something very similar... boil 2 cups of water & pour that over 1/4 cup or so of dried hibiscus petals and let it sit 'til it's cool before leaving it sit on my hair.

I have dried hibiscus on order, but haven't actually tried this yet. It's supposed to redden your hair though, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you're not fond of red.
love,
mom

[lady G]

I have fine hair too and often wonder if it will look any good long but i figure i had hair to my waist when i was about 10 and it was no thicker then so why won't it look good now, should be the same as then, i haven't found anything really thickens the hair to be honest its just you have to accept what you have i think you are either blessed with thick hair or you aren't a lot of it is genetic, my mum has fine hair too i must be like her.

xx

[Xepher]

Well, I don't really know if there's anything you can do with regards to the fineness, but to make it thicker you might want to look at how you're handling it, as you could be causing breakage, which will make it thinner. Some people also find that scalp massages or BBBs (Boar Bristle Brushes) help with stimulating hair growth.

I'll be sure to use my BBB more often then, thank you!

[Hayat]

It is said that cassia will make your hair thicker. You mix cassia with water until a paste just like mashed potatoes, apply to hair (the same way as you would apply henna), leave for an hour and rinse out the same way as you would rinse out henna (I rinse out my henna with lots of conditioner).

If cassia is mixed up with water and used within an hour, it will not add any colour to your hair. What it does is making your hair more shiny, as a deep conditioner treatment - and as I mentioned, it is also said to make your hair thicker.

Also, what about Moonchaser's scalp oil? This is an oil that Moonchaser developed in order to prevent hair loss, and many members of LHC has had very good results with this oil. I want to try it myself, but I'm pregnant at the moment, so I want to wait until the baby is born. You can find more information on this oil by searching in the old archive, or if you see Moonchaser's profile, there is a link to he site where she sells the oil (It's not too expensive either).

Hope this could help a little.

[Xepher]

I documented my "trial" with carrots HERE. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2424) And for the hibiscus, I was thinking of doing something very similar... boil 2 cups of water & pour that over 1/4 cup or so of dried hibiscus petals and let it sit 'til it's cool before leaving it sit on my hair.

I have dried hibiscus on order, but haven't actually tried this yet. It's supposed to redden your hair though, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you're not fond of red.
love,
mom

Alright, i'll be sure to check it out =)

[Xepher]

It is said that cassia will make your hair thicker. You mix cassia with water until a paste just like mashed potatoes, apply to hair (the same way as you would apply henna), leave for an hour and rinse out the same way as you would rinse out henna (I rinse out my henna with lots of conditioner).

If cassia is mixed up with water and used within an hour, it will not add any colour to your hair. What it does is making your hair more shiny, as a deep conditioner treatment - and as I mentioned, it is also said to make your hair thicker.

Also, what about Moonchaser's scalp oil? This is an oil that Moonchaser developed in order to prevent hair loss, and many members of LHC has had very good results with this oil. I want to try it myself, but I'm pregnant at the moment, so I want to wait until the baby is born. You can find more information on this oil by searching in the old archive, or if you see Moonchaser's profile, there is a link to he site where she sells the oil (It's not too expensive either).

Hope this could help a little.

I've been meaning to try her scalp oil but I never know when she's got some for sale!

And where does one BUY cassia? I've been dying to get into the whole henna/cassia scene but I have absolutely noooo idea where to buy any of this stuff.

[Euphony]

Yes henna does make the hair 'thicker' to an extent. It makes individual hairs thicker.

Apparently thick hair is supposed to be more desirable - why is that? I don't think my hair looks any better than someone else that is at i at the same length. The person with i has a lot on me though. The i person is able to have dry hair in a fraction of the time, that person is also able to do updo's that in some cases I will never be able to do no matter how long my hair is (french twist comes to mind). Thin hair can be so beautiful and elegant long while I have HAIR OMG look out for the HAIR. Thin hair can be put in updo's much shorter, my hair is at my hips, I can't do a nautulis bun, I've only been able to do a figure 8 for about 6 months and I just was able to do a Chinese bun that didn't fall down. People with i hair have so much more to chose from in hair toys, plus the hair toys generally cost a lot less. I'm seriously considering bangs because my hair is so thick even at this length it falls in my face, always in my face (I have barrette and I know how to use it, but it's unfortunate that I have to). The only thing I can think of that might be more desirable for thick hair as opposed to thin hair is braids, but I gotta say I never noticed the width of a braid until I joined LHC. A thin braid is just as beautiful as a thick braid to me.

[Xepher]

Yes henna does make the hair 'thicker' to an extent. It makes individual hairs thicker.

Apparently thick hair is supposed to be more desirable - why is that? I don't think my hair looks any better than someone else that is at i at the same length. The person with i has a lot on me though. The i person is able to have dry hair in a fraction of the time, that person is also able to do updo's that in some cases I will never be able to do no matter how long my hair is (french twist comes to mind). Thin hair can be so beautiful and elegant long while I have HAIR OMG look out for the HAIR. Thin hair can be put in updo's much shorter, my hair is at my hips, I can't do a nautulis bun, I've only been able to do a figure 8 for about 6 months and I just was able to do a Chinese bun that didn't fall down. People with i hair have so much more to chose from in hair toys, plus the hair toys generally cost a lot less. I'm seriously considering bangs because my hair is so thick even at this length it falls in my face, always in my face (I have barrette and I know how to use it, but it's unfortunate that I have to). The only thing I can think of that might be more desirable for thick hair as opposed to thin hair is braids, but I gotta say I never noticed the width of a braid until I joined LHC. A thin braid is just as beautiful as a thick braid to me.


Thick hair feels better, and would LOOK better on me as well. The thin hair makes me look and feel scraggly =[ I don't have any nice features except for my lips and eyes, so at the very least, I want beautiful hair.

I can understand super thick hair is a major pain in the behind, but I only want slightly thicker hair.

[jel]

Henna has plumped up my hair from F to M, on average. I mix it with cassia, but I understand that cassia alone has a similar effect (if you don't want the strong, extremely long lasting colour effect from henna).

[Xepher]

Henna has plumped up my hair from F to M, on average. I mix it with cassia, but I understand that cassia alone has a similar effect (if you don't want the strong, extremely long lasting colour effect from henna).

If only I could only find that stuff...

And how long had you been using it, before it plumped up your hair?

[Isilme]

go to www.hennaforhair.com and read about henna and cassia:)

[Jeni]

How thin are we talking? What is your pony circumference? I have fought with my i/ii (2.5") hair for as long as I can remember. The only things I got from my mother are her height and her thin hair, my dad's side has the thick wavy/curly hair. :(

I'm sure there are things to make hair thicker, treating it nicely, using cassia or henna, but I don't think anything is going to take you from i to iii. If there is let us know, you'll be rich.

I spent years using thickening spray, blowfrying my hair up side down to get it to have more body, and even getting a perm to make it look "bigger". Eventually I gave up, and just realized it wasn't worth it. Now I treat my hair nice (well I still dye it, but it deals well with that). It' s still thin, but its soft, shiny and has very few split ends. I did my first cassia the other day, not sure it made my hair thicker, but it's even more shiny and feels stronger.

Here is my advice, take it for what you will. Try different things, see what works, but don't expect miracles. Look for the up side in thin hair. I still get depressed when I see some people on this site with huge buns, I know unless I grow my hair down to my feet, my buns are never going to look like that. Then I realize I can do some hair styles earlier then thickies can! I can do a figure 8 now, a lot of people with thicker hair have to have much more length to do one.

There are benefits and down sides to every hair type, my suggestion is to find the benefits of your hair type and ignore or work around the down sides. All hair types are beautiful!

[Xepher]

How thin are we talking? What is your pony circumference? I have fought with my i/ii (2.5") hair for as long as I can remember. The only things I got from my mother are her height and her thin hair, my dad's side has the thick wavy/curly hair. :(

I'm sure there are things to make hair thicker, treating it nicely, using cassia or henna, but I don't think anything is going to take you from i to iii. If there is let us know, you'll be rich.

I spent years using thickening spray, blowfrying my hair up side down to get it to have more body, and even getting a perm to make it look "bigger". Eventually I gave up, and just realized it wasn't worth it. Now I treat my hair nice (well I still dye it, but it deals well with that). It' s still thin, but its soft, shiny and has very few split ends. I did my first cassia the other day, not sure it made my hair thicker, but it's even more shiny and feels stronger.

Here is my advice, take it for what you will. Try different things, see what works, but don't expect miracles. Look for the up side in thin hair. I still get depressed when I see some people on this site with huge buns, I know unless I grow my hair down to my feet, my buns are never going to look like that. Then I realize I can do some hair styles earlier then thickies can! I can do a figure 8 now, a lot of people with thicker hair have to have much more length to do one.

There are benefits and down sides to every hair type, my suggestion is to find the benefits of your hair type and ignore or work around the down sides. All hair types are beautiful!

I'm actually not sure what my circumference is :confused: I have never bothered to measure. It won't be much, maybe like...an inch and a half around or something awful like that. I do have bangs that are growing out, and some broken and baby hairs to grow out too, but overall it will still be a very small ponytail =(

[Xepher]

I thought about making a thread about this but i'll ask here, anyone know anything about HAIR TRANSPLANTS? I've considered this, but I was wondering if they did it for people with thin hair, or if only people with actual bald patches could get this done. Also wondering how long it lasts...I know the costs and such, but with everything else i'm clueless!

[Jeni]

I thought about making a thread about this but i'll ask here, anyone know anything about HAIR TRANSPLANTS? I've considered this, but I was wondering if they did it for people with thin hair, or if only people with actual bald patches could get this done. Also wondering how long it lasts...I know the costs and such, but with everything else i'm clueless!

I really really REALLY think hair transplants are not the way to go, not even sure if they will do it on someone who just want thicker hair. How much would it suck if you did do this and it damaged the hair follicles you have? Measure your hair. An inch really isn't all that bad. There are women on this forum with i hair, hopefully they will pipe in soon, there hair is beautiful. Can you post a picture of your hair? I bet it is fine. My hair gets stringy if left down and not brushed, I either put it up or carry a brush and gently brush it, usually I keep it up.

Please do not take this wrong but, you need to deal and accept your thin/fine hair. Nothing will make your 1" hair become 4" (I don't even know if you can make your hair get to 2"), except maybe hair extensions. I'm not sure how long your hair is or how long you want to grow it, but if you don't come up with a way to except your fine/thin hair you are going to be unhappy. I'm not trying to be rude, I know how you feel. By all means try different things but at some point you will have to except your hair. I have always dreamed of having a thick rope of hair but at a certain point I had to realize it just isn't going to happen. I also had to realize I'm never going to be a runway model, be able to wear the cute heels I see in stores (I have size 10 WW feet), and nothing will make my eyes bigger and less deep set. Sometimes I get bumed, but for the most part I have excepted my "flaws". Good luck

[Xepher]

I really really REALLY think hair transplants are not the way to go, not even sure if they will do it on someone who just want thicker hair. How much would it suck if you did do this and it damaged the hair follicles you have? Measure your hair. An inch really isn't all that bad. There are women on this forum with i hair, hopefully they will pipe in soon, there hair is beautiful. Can you post a picture of your hair? I bet it is fine. My hair gets stringy if left down and not brushed, I either put it up or carry a brush and gently brush it, usually I keep it up.

Please do not take this wrong but, you need to deal and accept your thin/fine hair. Nothing will make your 1" hair become 4" (I don't even know if you can make your hair get to 2"), except maybe hair extensions. I'm not sure how long your hair is or how long you want to grow it, but if you don't come up with a way to except your fine/thin hair you are going to be unhappy. I'm not trying to be rude, I know how you feel. By all means try different things but at some point you will have to except your hair. I have always dreamed of having a thick rope of hair but at a certain point I had to realize it just isn't going to happen. I also had to realize I'm never going to be a runway model, be able to wear the cute heels I see in stores (I have size 10 WW feet), and nothing will make my eyes bigger and less deep set. Sometimes I get bumed, but for the most part I have excepted my "flaws". Good luck

*Sigh* I know, I know...I just love hair so much and dream of having thicker locks, more to work with, ye know? I do understand what you mean though and i'll try to accept what I have, but i'm definitely not giving up my search!

[Jeni]

*Sigh* I know, I know...I just love hair so much and dream of having thicker locks, more to work with, ye know? I do understand what you mean though and i'll try to accept what I have, but i'm definitely not giving up my search!

I'm glad you didnt take what I said wrong. The way I see it, if you can learn to except, maybe not love, but except that you have thin fine hair, any extra hair you get from treating it nice/henna/cassia/MN etc will be a bonus. If you don't except your hair anything you gain will not seem like much and you will still be miserable.

Post some pictures of your hair, I'm sure its lovely!

[Curlsgirl]

*Sigh* I know, I know...I just love hair so much and dream of having thicker locks, more to work with, ye know? I do understand what you mean though and i'll try to accept what I have, but i'm definitely not giving up my search!

There is probably something we would all change about our hair if we could sweetie, but it really is better if we can learn to accept it as it is, baby it and learn styles that are flattering for that hair type. I think thin hair is beautiful actually although I like my thick hair too. I can't do things that thinner hairs can do though like make cute ponytails and things. You'll also be able to do many more updos much sooner! Remember if you start using henna you will have upkeep as it grows out at the roots unless you do cassia.

[salamander]

Some people put castor oil on thin eyebrows to get them to grow in thicker, I think. I assume it would also work on scalp hair. It's pretty sticky, though, so you might have trouble putting it on.

[Xepher]

Some people put castor oil on thin eyebrows to get them to grow in thicker, I think. I assume it would also work on scalp hair. It's pretty sticky, though, so you might have trouble putting it on.

I have this African Gold product that's got Castor oil in it as well as some other oils...maybe that's why it took me about 20 washes to get it all out of my hair LOL! So sticky it refused to come out of my hair. I do want to try pure Castor oil though, what kind of store would sell it? I've never seen it before.

[Xepher]

I'm glad you didnt take what I said wrong. The way I see it, if you can learn to except, maybe not love, but except that you have thin fine hair, any extra hair you get from treating it nice/henna/cassia/MN etc will be a bonus. If you don't except your hair anything you gain will not seem like much and you will still be miserable.

Post some pictures of your hair, I'm sure its lovely!

I'll get around to doing that soon; I want to have before and after pictures. My hair when I first got here and in let's say 5 months or so, post a pic of the results.

It's definitely not lovely though xD It's a real mess, I really put it through the mill. But it's slowly been improving since I almost never straighten or blowdry it now!

By the way, do we still have hair journals, or is it blogs now? I wanna post about my experiments and such.

[Xepher]

There is probably something we would all change about our hair if we could sweetie, but it really is better if we can learn to accept it as it is, baby it and learn styles that are flattering for that hair type. I think thin hair is beautiful actually although I like my thick hair too. I can't do things that thinner hairs can do though like make cute ponytails and things. You'll also be able to do many more updos much sooner! Remember if you start using henna you will have upkeep as it grows out at the roots unless you do cassia.

I'd love to try Henna...I always loved myself with a really dark rich brown. Plus my roots are dirty blonde so they barely show when I color my hair!

[Hayat]

I've been meaning to try her scalp oil but I never know when she's got some for sale!

And where does one BUY cassia? I've been dying to get into the whole henna/cassia scene but I have absolutely noooo idea where to buy any of this stuff.

You find the link to where she sells the oil here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=3345

And here is where you get the good cassia from: http://www.hennaforhair.com/

On the last site you can download a free pdf file on how to use henna, cassia etc. for hair. It's a really good paper with easy to understand information.

[Rosepatrice]

Another baby fine, thin haired person here.

I have found plopping and braiding then bunning and letting it dry gives my hair more volume.

Biotin is good for hair, and so is MSM.

[missy60]

Im not a henna expert but I think with henna you get red. You would have to add other ingredients to get a brown color, and henna is permanent so you would want to research it alot before making a decision. With cassia I think it doesnt change your hair color much. Check out the henna thread though and get their advice before you decide. Thickening up the hair shaft really isnt going to make as great an impact on your over all thickness as you seem to be hoping for.

I would like to have way more hair then what I have, but if its genetic I think you probally have all your going to have no matter what oils or product you use. There are things you can do to give the appearance of having fuller hair check around the board there are all kinds of ideas.

[Melisande]

My hair is still on the fine, thinnish side but it has become stronger and looks fuller since I
stopped using cones
began to use cassia
conditioned only my ends
put on dabur vatika oil
massage every other night with an essential oil mix I found here
do tiny trims every couple of months to keep the hemline tidy
clip hair up in little buns to dry (root lift)
threw away my brush and replaced it with a comb I use max. twice a day
treat my hair like old lace
keep it in an updo most of the time
sleep on a silk scarf to prevent breakage.

All these things were easy to implement and they have really helped. I will never have an awe inspiring braid but my hair is much more lively and that makes it look fuller.

[zift]

I want to second or third or fourth or...that henna does give thickness to the strands. I've done henndigo and it made my M/C strands solid C,however it doesn't effect the ponytail circumference.
About the thinness ,I don't think anyone can go over their genetic limits. Maybe hair implantation or extentions will be used but with natural ways I don't know.
I'm sorry you feel so bad about your hair at a young age. I honestly believe fine and thin hair will look beautiful when long too. I've seen in real life a lady with calf lengthed hair with your type and it was amazing! I'd most certainly suggest to love your own features like the movement you have and being able to do lots of buns and updos without weight problems. I certainly think you're young and will embrace your natural beauty as you grow older. :flowers:

[Xepher]

Another baby fine, thin haired person here.

I have found plopping and braiding then bunning and letting it dry gives my hair more volume.

Biotin is good for hair, and so is MSM.

What's plopping?

I've taken Biotin before, but I don't know what MSM is xD I have heard it's good for hair though.

[Xepher]

My hair is still on the fine, thinnish side but it has become stronger and looks fuller since I
stopped using cones
began to use cassia
conditioned only my ends
put on dabur vatika oil
massage every other night with an essential oil mix I found here
do tiny trims every couple of months to keep the hemline tidy
clip hair up in little buns to dry (root lift)
threw away my brush and replaced it with a comb I use max. twice a day
treat my hair like old lace
keep it in an updo most of the time
sleep on a silk scarf to prevent breakage.

All these things were easy to implement and they have really helped. I will never have an awe inspiring braid but my hair is much more lively and that makes it look fuller.


I'll definitely try all those! Been wanting to get a silk scarf for a while, I have heard it helps to prevent breakage and I really need that :p

[Xepher]

You find the link to where she sells the oil here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=3345

And here is where you get the good cassia from: http://www.hennaforhair.com/

On the last site you can download a free pdf file on how to use henna, cassia etc. for hair. It's a really good paper with easy to understand information.

Thank you very much ^_^

[Xepher]

I want to second or third or fourth or...that henna does give thickness to the strands. I've done henndigo and it made my M/C strands solid C,however it doesn't effect the ponytail circumference.
About the thinness ,I don't think anyone can go over their genetic limits. Maybe hair implantation or extentions will be used but with natural ways I don't know.
I'm sorry you feel so bad about your hair at a young age. I honestly believe fine and thin hair will look beautiful when long too. I've seen in real life a lady with calf lengthed hair with your type and it was amazing! I'd most certainly suggest to love your own features like the movement you have and being able to do lots of buns and updos without weight problems. I certainly think you're young and will embrace your natural beauty as you grow older. :flowers:


I'll try ;-;

[homeschoolmama]

You know I did think of one other thing... are you SURE your hair is as thin as you think? I was positive that my braid was on the thin side, because every time I see someone with a braid around here they're Middle-Eastern or Hispanic and have those gorgeous super-fat braids. But when I actually measured the circumference of my own braid it turned out that my own hair is MUCH thicker than I'd have ever guessed! I thought for sure there was no way I had more than 2"... and I've got 3.5"!!!

If you've never neasured your own hair, you might want to give it a try - you might be pleasantly surprised!
love,
mom

[Xepher]

You know I did think of one other thing... are you SURE your hair is as thin as you think? I was positive that my braid was on the thin side, because every time I see someone with a braid around here they're Middle-Eastern or Hispanic and have those gorgeous super-fat braids. But when I actually measured the circumference of my own braid it turned out that my own hair is MUCH thicker than I'd have ever guessed! I thought for sure there was no way I had more than 2"... and I've got 3.5"!!!

If you've never neasured your own hair, you might want to give it a try - you might be pleasantly surprised!
love,
mom

Maybe! How do I measure? Tie my hair into a low ponytail and just wrap a measuring tape around it?

[sipnsun]

I hate to tell you this but I also have thin, fine hair and have found nothing to alter genetics. I've tried everything, but it doesn't hurt to take vitamins and live a healthy lifestyle anyway!

[Babyfine]

I have fine, thin hair, too.(2.5 pony circumference)
I used to perm and then highlight to get thicker strands but it resulted in lots of damage and breakage for me down the road.
I've gotten a lot more thickness from gentle care, treating my hair like fine lace,using products with B-5(Aubrey Organics B-5 design gel)
and using Nioxin shampoos and conditioner.
The Nioxin shampoo does have sulfates but it's a very gentle one.(TEA Lauryl)
I rotate using the Nioxin now with a organic shampoo(non-sulfate) every other time.
Nioxin is a great product- it's the only sulfate based shampoo that doesn't dry out my hair and strip the color., the scalp therapy is very de-tangling.
I'm seriously thinking about using cassia- but haven't tried that yet.
I WOULDN"T go the route of transplants- I've heard those are bad and can scar the scalp.

[jojo]

My hair has got thicker since I stopped using heat, used sulfate/cone free products and oils.

I have just started using cassia (look on ebay under neutral henna) and herbal rinses; catnip, burdock, horsetail- I have a load of different ones and I alternate their use. I do a cassia treatment once a week and a herbal rinse roughly 3 times a week, I am noticing a huge difference to the thickness of my hair.

This was my hair last November http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/joanna_eglin/CIMG0003-2.jpg

and my present hair is in my signiture

[havana86]

Removing dairy products from your diet, and replacing it with fresh fruit and nuts is what I've heard is good. Will try that my self, as I am a 1F myself. Also be gentle when brushing, preferably only finger comb.

[lora410]

Nioxin will thicken it up. I took the supplements and I seriously though I was growing curly hair thats how thick it was. I don't know about the shampoo or condish, but the tablets definitely worked for me.

[sibylla]

JoJo What an incredible progress!!!

Xepher My tip is to buy a good BBB (boar bristle brush). The 100 strokes a day will improve the thickness of your hair. Massage your scalp for at least 10min everyday with round motions with your fingertips (I do it while I watch TV-it´s sooo relaxing). Skip schampoo and only use conditioner-look for one without chemicals. Fine hair around the face look thicker if you brush them with a toothbrush or a babybrush.

Learn here how to do oil treatments. Your hair and scalp will love that!

If you just stick around here and learn about dos and don´ts your hair will improve a lot.:cheese:

Hope this helps

[bettertress]

As a fine, thin hair person who struggled with damaged, shedding hair, and recently had one of my daughter's friends say "your hair has gotten so thick", I'd like to let you know what I did. It took a while (this is no overnight fix) but it has been so worth it.

I stopped using sulfate shampoos. My stylist was the one who recommended this because several of his clients had stopped and immediately noticed less hair to clean out of the shower drain.

Fine hair often needs protein to keep from breaking- I started using GPB from Aubrey Organics. Love this stuff. I was doing overnight treatments with it. I also use avocado and coconut oil overnight sometimes.

I completely stopped brushing. I think fine hair can't always handle brushes- I only comb, gently. Everytime I let my hairdresser do "just a quick blow dry" that involves a brush, I regret it. The next day I always have a halo of little broken hairs. which reminds me-

I don't blow dry. I know when you have fine hair, you feel like you ablsolutely have to blow dry to get more thickness, but if you can just tough it out for a while, you'll see that your hair will be healthier, which will make it stronger, less prone to break, which will make it thicker. For fullness, I put in some plastic rollers while I finish getting dressed, having breakfast.

Henna also helped- but I'll never do it again because the red was disastrous. Looks awful with my skin tone, so I'm trying cassia next time. I stopped using box dyes- they are awful for fine hair and scalp, and I stopped going to my salon for color. That one move alone probably did more to give me thicker hair than anything.

I take EFA's, MSM and a hair vitamin.

I now go around touching my hair, just for fun, because I can't believe how wonderful it feels. And I started with horribly thin, damaged hair!

good luck to you.
nette

[Katze]

Having been told for DECADES that my hair would never grow long: 'it's too thin' , I was ecstatic to come to this site and see FINE haired people with lovely long locks...some of them also 'thin.'

Society tells us hair has to be huge, ideally bigger than a woman's head. With my huge melon head, this isn't going to happen, but:

1) no brushing
2) washes that include shampoo
3) encouraging my natural wave instead of fighting it
4) gentler care overall
5) more moisture, mostly in the form of oiling and misting

has made my circumference go from 1.5 to 2.5-3 inches in the 2 or so years I've been here. No salon ever told me this; my mom didn't even know this

The best thing is that I've found out my hair isn't really thin, just fine, but at the crown I have a LOT of it. This week it's felt so thick and huge (I prefer wearing it down, as it looks fuller) with lovely spiral curls.

When I read your posts I feel like your self image is not the strongest. Why can't you, and your hair, be beautiful the way you are? Healthy, happy people ARE beautiful, and healthy long hair is lovely. From 1a to 4c, from F to C, all hair types can be beautiful and long if taken good care of.

On my way to work a couple of hours ago I was riding behind a woman with a naturally light blonde, waist-length braid. She did have some taper, and her hair was clearly baby fine, but it looked so beautiful...so timeless, natural, healthy, and clean somehow. Now, my hair will never be that color naturally, but her type is similar (wavy, fine) so mine *could* look like that when it's that long, if I get rid of layers. I ended up riding behind her longer, even though I was faster, just to check out her hair!

The longer you spend here at LHC the more your perception of hair will - hopefully - change. For me, that's led to a more confident feeling about my own looks, too. I can feel that my body and hair are strong and healthy, and that makes me happy.

end rant. ;)

Katze

[morgwn]

It's been encouraging for me to read others' posts on here, too! :)

As a few words from another fine-haired person, I've found taking a skin, hair and nails vitamin has strengthened my hair to keep it from breaking as much and help me retain the hairs that I do have. Then I also treat my hair like old lace, as was stated before, and I've found that keeping my hair up every day has helped my hair to lengthen and thicken up. The thin parts have grown down further and the hair which has grown more recently is much thicker-looking, even though my hair is definitely still fine. Also, I use cassia once a month and I've found that does thicken and strengthen. Also, I only use cone-frees and do CO about twice a week and I lose less hairs now each week than I used to.

It is possible to have fine hair and still have an absolutely gorgeous head of long hair. I think those of us with fine hair just have to really baby our hair and scalps and then we'll get back a lovely long length of hair. :)

[Laululintu]

Just to clarify: there's a difference between fine hair and thin hair. I've got fine hair, but it's very thick. Fine/coarse refers to the diameter of a single strand; Thin/thick refers to the circumference of the entire ponytail.

I was just about to say the same thing. I have fine hair (individual strands are thin), but I have enough strands to make up a fairly thick ponytail :) I haven't heard of many things that will make individual strands thicker (expect maybe henna or cassia), but you could try to make your hair thicker overall by encouraging as many strands to grow as long as possible (by generally babying your hair etc.).

[faeriedust]

Hi I have fine and thin hair too. I always feel embarassed when going to the hair salon because the hairdresser will always comment on how little my hair is.
I know this isnt good. But I find that my hair is thicker when its drier/more damaged. When I use oils or just make it more moisturised, it looks thinner, lesser and flatter. So I dont know what to do. Do anyone of you realise that?
I really want to shave my head to make my hair grow thicker or possibly go for hair trasplant in the future.
For thos of you with thin hair, do you find that when you tie yuor hair up, you can see the scalp at the side of your head? I dont know how to style my hair such that my scalp cannot be seen

[bettertress]

faeriedust,

This is the viscious cycle you can get into with fine hair- you keep it dry/damaged to look thicker, but the damage breaks, thins the hair shaft so hair is thinner, so you damage it more (with heat or color) and on and on. I know, I did it too. At some point you have to just stop, and accept that for a short time, while your hair gets healthy, that it is in a transition phase and may not look its best. Reading through this forum a little everyday kept me encouraged, and the only way you'll make it to better, thicker, healthier hair is to stay encouraged. It also helped when I realized I needed to view my hair as a treasure, not a problem. Just a mind shift. You might not need to oil it right now- maybe sleep in a deep condish like GPB or SMT, try gentle non-sulfate shampoos.... all the advice here, and you will see a difference. What is your routine right now?

[podo]

I have extremely fine and thin hair, and I agree with most of the posters here - there's no way to really alter genetics. Some of these methods will help by reducing the amount of breakage and shed, and that's probably where you're losing your thickness. I stopped Shampooing and BOOM! My hair started behaving better, and is obviously healthier. I'd recommend Biolage Conditioning Balm for fine/thin hair as a CO. It really, really helps my hair. I also quit using a brush, because that would tear my hair. I have a bone come that I use now and I also oil lightly (ears down) every day before I put my hair up using a light oil blend. I think my volume has definitely increased.

Most commercial methods of adding volume will only mess up your hair. They work by plumping the hair shaft and making it stand out (like teasing or backcombing) but that causes tangles which cause breakage.

Measure your ponytail - you may be surprised at what you find. What seems like 1" could turn out to be more like 3". Put your hair in a low ponytail (or wherever you'll get most of your hair into it) and run a measuring tape around the hair, just after the ponytail holder. You may need someone to help unless you're familiar with taking measurements. You can also run a (non-stretchy!) string around the hair and measure that. Just make sure your hair is sleek and tangle-free before you do this or you'll skew your numbers.

I agree totally with Euphony - you need to learn to love what you have instead of wishing to be on the other side of the fence (where the grass is always greener and hair is longer/shorter/darker/lighter/finer/thicker/whatever!). Until you love what you have you'll never learn to properly appreciate and take care of it, and then it won't look as good as it could. Many of the people with the most beautiful hair on these forums have fine or thin hair, but they accept this fact and learn to use it to their advantage. You need to do the same. There are plenty of bonuses to this, trust me!!

[Xepher]

WOW, I never expected this topic to pick up again, but lo and behold, it has!

Though I can't respond to all of you individually, know that I red every single post in here and will take everyone's advice. Thanks to you all ^^

[Kirin]

I started with my hair pretty thin, and even with all my good treatment?

It still is.

Yes i can see scalp through my hair if i put it up in a high ponytail, and advice to protect it is, well frankly a joke for those of us with this kind of hair. I can wind an outchless elastic about 9 times on itself and its still loose. Things slide right out of it with no grip, and putting it up or back actually because its SO thin makes me look bald.

I started henna about a year ago, and this helps somewhat. I dont think it makes my hair any thicker, however the darker color (other than gray or the blonde i was coloring) makes it seem like there's more. Oiling and moisture flatten it worse, making it look stringy and unkempt to, its been a complete challenge to treat it well while still falling in love with my hair.

It isn't easy.

[julya]

I went through a major shed recently, and I have found that my scalp will show through when I put my hair up sometimes. What I do to hide it is to part my hair before putting it up, or just smooth the hair into place after I make a bun to cover my scalp.

[busnutmedic]

Yup, I'm afraid I'm just going to have to live with what I have. Suit me or not, I'm going to find some way to be happy despite not having what would be my ideal head of hair ;)

Bonnie

[Indigo Girl]

Another uber-fine hair checking in.

Since joining LHC, I have managed to "plump" up my hair from an i to an ii. Cassia has been a huge help. I also do many of the suggestions you have already received: wearing up, protecting, etc. My suggestion is not to try too much at once; take your time and see what works for you. :)

It took me a while to learn to accept my hair, and that action alone has made a world of difference.

I agree with previous comments: self-acceptance will be your greatest ally moving forward. ;)