Thin temple hair, breakage and dryness

[Melisande]

This has been a huge problem for me in the last few years: my temple hair. It looks as though I had cow horns growing out of my head. The hair at my temples is short, dry, grows wavy (the only part of my otherwise very smooth hair where I have a slight wave), and thus seems to grow up into the air.

The area in which this happens is quite large, the size of a ring made of my thumb and first finger. When I put my fingers to my temples, I can continue for quite some cm and still find dry, scraggly, broken hairs. As though this were the place where the horns should break through. (and YES I am a taurus!)

I combat the horn look by oiling, shea butter balsam, misting or Aloe Vera. Anything to keep them DOWN. they can't be integrated into anything. They look just horrible.

Actually, it's less the ridiculous appearance of the horns that gets to me. It's more the fact that in spite of my efforts, this hair won't grow. It won't. And won't.

What I do: since I joined TLHC, I adopted Jessie's wonderful essential oil mix. I massage some drops every night into my temple area or more than eight months. Indeed I found that my hair grows more strongly (it was very thin there before, too). But the hair that grows on my temples breaks off just like that.

I know many people have shorter wisps around the face, but my dry, scraggly looking horns are extreme. I have a round, broad face, and this problem emphasizes it.

I wonder why they don't grow. I didn't have this problem when I was younger. Is it terminal length? Is there anything I can do to encourage growth AND prevent breakage?

I sleep on a silk scarf. I use the essential oil. I massage the area. I try to minimize mechanical damage. I wash either CO or with a very very gentle diluted shampoo. I condition the lengths and rinse with strongly diluted citric acid. I mist and oil and use only hair friendly toys. I use natural dyes, a mix of henna and other herbs, a commercial formula sold in Germany which does not damage my hair at all.

(I switched to the natural dye after chemical dyes made my hair break - but I didn't use this chemical stuff for many months and my hair at the temples was never touched by it. At the moment, I try to take a break and let the natural grays take over. maybe that will help?)

So before I officially accept that my temple hair has a terminal length of 5-10 cm, I ask you wise men and women: is there anything I have overlooked, anything I could have done or should do in order to make my temple hair come back and grow longer???

[Village Mama]

I dont have any suggestions to offer , just a thought. I had this happen postpartum... awful kinky, easily breakable temple hairs that annoyed the heck out of me. Finally 5 years after my last son was born my hair is starting to grow in semi normally. I also didn't have this problem as a child or teen. Have you had kids in the past while or a stresful event of some sort... medications of some type? Sometimes it can take years for the balance to come back to the body!~

[Melisande]

My youngest daughter is nine years old.. so no, I guess I can't blame the hormones. Well - I may be sliding into menopause. That's a definite possibility... but I have no idea how it might affect my hair.

(I take no medications and no hormones. I do take daily omega 3 oil, iron and drink lots and lots of water. I eat very very healthy food because I simply like it most. And I didn't change my diet for many years.)

[frizzinator]

Scritching the scalp in this area and preening those little hairs has improved this problem for me.

[sibylla]

I had that problem before joining here. Removing all chemicals was the most important thing for its improvement. CO with aloe vera condish and occacional WO improved it even further.

I massage the temples with circular movements everyday for 15 minutes (often one hand is not moving really circular so about that). Now more hairs have grown back to that area that I could ever dream of. I hope this will happen to you too!

[Medvssa]

Do you wear glasses?

[Melisande]

No glasses but thank you for the encouragement. I'll try the scritching, too. Massages I do already, and the growth increased. But I wonder what I can do against the breakage...

[Blueneko]

Do you think it might have something to do with make-up, facial cleansers/creams or hair toys that make a lot of contact with that area?

I know it is high up, but does your telephone receiver rub there? I am trying to imagine a repetitive activity in that area.

[jojo]

me too! i get this on just my right hand side, although my hair is wavy in this section its like a frizz of course hair , the rest of my hair is fine but mine has got better as it grows but it takes longer to grow here too, but camillia oil is what i use here and it softens it too, and hey im a taurus too!!!

[freznow]

I get this too, and have no help to offer. I feel like I'm doing everything too, and it has become rather frustrating. I'm too the point where I think I'll just live with them. They add character.

[Milena]

I would think that it is hormonal, and not related to products. I have this problem, too, and it was worse during times of hormonal imbalance. In your case, it may be menopause, it may be thyroid related... I don't know. Our endocrine system is delicate, and hair and especially this area is typically affected by hormones. Maybe an endocrinologist could help, but usually these imbalances are too subtle for them to be able to do anything regarding hair. You might have to live with it. Sorry I don't have anything more encouraging to say... :flowers:

This is off topic, but may I ask: What natural dye is it that you use? I am looking into new coloring options.

[Aqualily30]

I sadly get it too. In my case I think it's a symptom of PCOS.
I have talked with other Cysters that have the same problem.
Must be hormonal then I think.

[Rebelkat]

I sadly get it too. In my case I think it's a symptom of PCOS.
I have talked with other Cysters that have the same problem.
Must be hormonal then I think.
I know what you mean Aqualily30. If I go off of my spironolactone for any length of time, I start getting breakage and serious shedding, but as long as I take it regularly, no problems. My mom and sister are the same way. Hormones do some nasty stuff to our hair.

[Melisande]

Sorry Milena, I lost track of this thread, I hope you read this: I use Sante Terra. I really like it, it's very close to the color I used to have and is much gentler than chemical dyes. However, I try to keep coloring to a minimum because I fear it might be drying.

I try to wash and minimize stress for now. I hope to see my temple hairs looking better in the future... and thank you to everybody who gave me input on this!

[julya]

I find that if I part my hair before putting it up, it hides those areas, rather than pulling straight back.

[Katze]

I have this too, and they come and go depending on...I don't know. It definitely gives the look of a receding hairline.

Shedding hasn't really stopped though it slowed down from this winter. I have an appointment on Thursday to start talking about thyroid problems, because my waking temp (I'm starting FAM) is unnaturally low, my cycle is very long (39 days) and I can't seem to lose weight despite eating well and regular exercise.

Last time I suspected my thyroid, doctor's tests revealed nothing but my acupuncturist, a former hypothyroid sufferer, treated me as if I did have low thyroid, put me on a no wheat-no dairy-no sugar diet for two months and Chinese herbs, and my temple hairs started growing back. This was about 4 years ago now; I need to get back on the bandwagon. Luckily, my doctor is an alternative kind of guy, respectful and LISTENS, so hopefully the evidence of temperature, hair loss, etc. is enough to get him to pay attention.

Not saying that this is your problem, but apparently a LOT of women suffer from borderline low thyroid that is not diagnosed...

[rhubarbarin]

This is just how my hair grows. I have lots of hairs with a short terminal length around my hairline. It's not from breakage.

[Gulbahar]

This is just how my hair grows. I have lots of hairs with a short terminal length around my hairline. It's not from breakage.
Same here. I always had these short hairs around the hairline. During the last years with almost exclusively natural haircare they seem to get longer though. But it takes ages.

[Milena]

Sorry Milena, I lost track of this thread, I hope you read this: I use Sante Terra. I really like it, it's very close to the color I used to have and is much gentler than chemical dyes. However, I try to keep coloring to a minimum because I fear it might be drying.

I try to wash and minimize stress for now. I hope to see my temple hairs looking better in the future... and thank you to everybody who gave me input on this!

Thanks, Melisande. I had actually gone out last weekend and bought the Santé color. You inspired me before you even told me what it was! And it was a great success. I bought Nussbraun and Flammenrot and mixed them 50/50, and got a nice, not too strong red over my natuarlly dark blonde hair. It also covers gray pretty well, and makes the hair feel super healthy, even still after several washes. Great stuff. Not drying at all on me. And it does seem to have only pure botanical ingredients.

[jahof45]

I have this too. I can't remember if I've had it for long but I've noticed the short temple hair for at least the last 6+ years.

I have hypo-thyroidism, since 1996.
I went through menopause after a total hysterectomy, 1997.

My eyebrows don't grow in on the outside end of each brow either, which has been connected to thyroid problems.

Maybe it is hormonally related but I do toss & turn at night also.

[Rapunzal2Be]

Sorry Milena, I lost track of this thread, I hope you read this: I use Sante Terra. I really like it, it's very close to the color I used to have and is much gentler than chemical dyes. However, I try to keep coloring to a minimum because I fear it might be drying.

I try to wash and minimize stress for now. I hope to see my temple hairs looking better in the future... and thank you to everybody who gave me input on this!

Question - does the Sante Terra lighten hair as well, or does it just deposit darker color? (I'm living in Germany right now, on a military post, and want to know if I should go looking on the economy for Sante Terra before I resort to lightening my hair with a chemical color... THANKS! :)

[Flynn]

I had shorter hair that stuck straight out at my temples.

Then I stopped wearing my hair up, and started wearing it in a braid at the nape of my neck.

Now I don't.

[Treecrown]

LHC is the best! I was really wondering about my "owl ears" as I like to call them :-)

[Melisande]

Question - does the Sante Terra lighten hair as well, or does it just deposit darker color? (I'm living in Germany right now, on a military post, and want to know if I should go looking on the economy for Sante Terra before I resort to lightening my hair with a chemical color... THANKS! :)

As you can read on the box and see here (http://www.aim-naturprodukte.com/naturprodukte/sante-pflanzen-haarfarben.html), Sante colors do not lighten the hair and are not chemical dyes but pure plant dyes. Sante has a palette of colors and I tried only the Terra because it's closest to my natural color, but depending on your natural hair color and the result you wish to achieve, you might need another color.

BTW - all the TLC in the world has NOT made my horns look better. they are still the sore spot in my otherwise wonderful hair world... and it disturbs me still. Why can't I stop thinking about them??? :confused:

[mamaherrera]

I, too, have this problem, not breakage, they just don't grow. I've had hormonal imbalances, and thyroid issues so all of that could come into play but none of my doctors recognize or fix the problem, because if I have these issues, they're borderline. I was on spironolactone and that didn't help. so annoying when I see them shed, but I would like to get them longer and pliable, they seem to just be stuck/plastered to my head and don't offer much coverage, especially if I pull hair back because they're just there. I was diagnosed with PCOS, as well, don't know if that's it. But I guess if that's the only area I have problems with I should be happy. But I've been recently trying massaging castor oil there. Mine have always been like that since I was in my teens, I could always see in my pictures those wavy hairs flying around, but I never lifted up my upper layers to see these shorter ones right at my temples, so I don't know if it's always been like that. But mine grow from 2 inches to 5 inches, from my temple (which starts a little back to begin with) to where my ear sticks up the farthest

[Gurlytomboy]

I have a problem with temple hair frizz too... For some reason not only does it grow short, but it is also grows all crinkly and frizzy! If anyone has a TLC option that I can do to reduce this problem would be totally grateful!!

[lapushka]

I have a problem with temple hair frizz too... For some reason not only does it grow short, but it is also grows all crinkly and frizzy! If anyone has a TLC option that I can do to reduce this problem would be totally grateful!!

Do you have a picture of the issue? It's quite normal for temple hair to be thin, brittler, shorter. It's why we have a halo of frizzies at that area often when we do buns (I do, at least). I just either slick it back with some gel, or leave it be.