length and volume

[natorade]

As my hair slowly gets longer and I am noticing that it is looking thinner. This was kind of a problem when I had a long hair. It aways looked flat. It is not really thin but just looks flat and limpy. When it was shorter it always looked fuller. I was curious as to if you see much difference in the length of hair in my siggy pic? The 2 pics were taken 2 weeks apart.

[tinker bug]

For me at least, my hair appears thinner and less full as it becomes longer because of the weight of the hair. I used to be much more curly than I am now, and I find that the longer I get, the more weight my hair has, and the more it pulls the curls out. Do you get what I'm saying? I guess the upside to this is you know when your hair is getting longer by the less volume you have... not the most comforting thought, but you can always do styles with a little added volume without backcombing or using hairspray. There are instructions in the articles section under hair styling for a way to make your hair appear fuller especially in updos :flowers:

As to if your hair looks longer, I can definately see the growth in your bangs, and shorter layers which is usually an indication that the rest of your length is growing too. Its kind of hard to see for sure if you've gained length, because of the angling of your face and the way you hold your shoulders, so I would reccomend taking length shots from the back from now on. When I was at your length I would take my personal length shots (or just check out my hair from behind, lol) wearing my bra or a tank top so you can see where your hair falls in relation to your shoulder blades/birth marks/muscles/what-have-you.

Happy growing! :flower:

[funnyface]

I think short hair tends to take the volume better as it isn't weighed down with length- I think it looks really nice in the second pic, I know it's a bit of a old one, but a good shake with your head upside down can get it to thicken up more?

xxx

[JenniferNoel]

Just a weight thing. Could also be something with the layers or maybe even the weather like... we inhale the water here more so than drink it, and my hair seems to do that as well with extra humidity.
But that's just what happens when hair grows... :)

[yellowchariot]

I tend to agree with all of you, about the weight of longer hair. However it is still too early to tell whether or not natorade's hair will react the same way.

Natorade, IMO, and I might be wrong, but at shoulder length your hair should still maintain some of that volume. Though time will only tell. When it gets much longer, just as others have said, then that's when your hair may alternate differently. Either way I wouldn't worry about it. :thumbsup:

[tralalalara]

I think short hair tends to take the volume better as it isn't weighed down with length- I think it looks really nice in the second pic, I know it's a bit of a old one, but a good shake with your head upside down can get it to thicken up more?

xxx

I agree. When my hair was chin length I would wash it upside down, dry it upside down, and shake it around all day when it felt flat.

You can also try alternating the side that you part it on every couple days to keep the upper layers lifted.

[vindo]

On your photo it actually just looks like the difference of "freshly washed" and "second day", it does not look 'thinner' = less hair, just not as fluffy. Some hair types (often finer,dryer or wavier types) tend to be much affected by things like sebum, which can make the hair fall less volumnious.

Also there is another phenomenon when growing hair long - some people grow with little taper, but with much weight and the hair pulls down, which makes it appear flatter.
Others grow with more taper, which can lead people into thinking hair is thin since the ends are tapered/ thinned out. But often the roots are not weight down as much.

Also keep in mind that different hair types are affected differently by the weight thing. Hair with more stiffness is not weight down as easily.

To decide what is best:
That all just depends on what the wearer wants :) All attributes can be good.

[GoddesJourney]

On your photo it actually just looks like the difference of "freshly washed" and "second day", it does not look 'thinner' = less hair, just not as fluffy. Some hair types (often finer,dryer or wavier types) tend to be much affected by things like sebum, which can make the hair fall less volumnious.

Also there is another phenomenon when growing hair long - some people grow with little taper, but with much weight and the hair pulls down, which makes it appear flatter.
Others grow with more taper, which can lead people into thinking hair is thin since the ends are tapered/ thinned out. But often the roots are not weight down as much.

Also keep in mind that different hair types are affected differently by the weight thing. Hair with more stiffness is not weight down as easily.

To decide what is best:
That all just depends on what the wearer wants :) All attributes can be good.

This is more or less what I was going to say.

[jivete]

I definitely have fluffy first day hair and er, less fluffy (ie flat) 2nd day hair. A little cornstarch and some poofing can generally wake it back up.

[christine1989]

I think the weight is just pulling it down- I don't think your hair has actually gotten any thinner.

[countryhopper]

I also have fine hair that can look thin easily. Here's what I've tried that gives the illusion of having more hair than I really do:

Cornstarch. I pat my hands with it as if I were a gymnast, then run my hands through my scalp hair. I really makes my hair feel thick. And since I didn't put on too much, it doesn't look like I had an unfortunate baking accident. If you DO go overboard with the cornstarch, just run a towel through your hair to get rid of the excess. This is a great alternative to washing with shampoo everyday.

Another thing I do is to sleep in rag curls or braids at night. It gives me a lot of body and volume for the next day (I wash at night).

Hope this works for you!

[juliaxena]

I actually can't wait till my hair is weighted down a bit. I like slick shiny look. I'd like my hair on my back instead of around my face, I'm not that into big fluffy hair. Another possibility is breakage. If it is that, do some treatments. Most people don't see the difference in 2 weeks growth comparison though.

[jojo]

Yep my hair too, the longer it gets the thinner it looks. I agree with its the weight of hair which causes it and not the actual thinning of hair.

Your hair looks really bouncy though nothing for you to worry about on that score; its growing and its healthy-enjoy!

[xoxophelia]

I think if you don't want flat hair, it would be a good idea to not blow dry it or flat iron it. Looks like you have been flat ironing. Doing that takes out a lot of the body. Also, in your before pictures, it looks like you were back combing or doing something to get lift at the crown. If you get used to that look, when you stop, it can make you think you need a little lift.

If you still want to straighten your hair I would suggest only blow drying and at the end, flipping your hair over and blow drying for a little bit followed by a blast of cool air. Should give some lift at the roots :)