Needing encouragement from the i's and thin-haired!

[AspenSong]

While I'm not to the point where I've considered actually cutting my hair...I've been just feeling down about my hair lately.
It could be the never-ending shed it seems like I've been going through (I figure this could have to do also with some female health issues I've had and also recently losing weight)...it could be the fact before the shedding I just don't have a lot of hair! It's more apparent to me the longer my hair gets. My ponytail is under 2" around and I swear, I just look sad in a braid since my hair is so fine and thin. Not to mention when I did two braids this last week....they looked just pitiful. I just started thinking of how I'm not ever going to have luscious, thick hair. It'll just always be frog fuzz. lol
I guess I just need some encouragement or something from some "hair" people - Because I'm the only person I know with hair that's longer than shoulder length and just no one else "gets it" ya know?

[Jemoiselle]

Hey AspenSong!

We have similar hair, and before earlier this year mine was past TB length and fine as could be. My bun looked smaller than some people on here with thick shoulder length hair hehe. But, it did grow and the more length I had the more impressive my buns and styles became. We fine gals actually have an advantage when it comes to long long lengths and complicated buns in that we can get more twists in etc. I went through a blah period too about mid back to hip, trust me, it gets better. Ultimately I chopped due to the same issue with thin braids and smaller buns, but now that it's shoulder length, of course I crave that length again! We will never have "bun eats woman's head tonight at 9" hair, but what we do have, is long LIGHT flowy locks that don't hurt our necks and fool people into thinking it's shorter than it is when up! It is SOOOO fun to take down a bun of past TB length hair when someone thinks you have BSL hair, and watch the confused looks! There are the drawbacks, it doesn't look as impressive as a lion's mane of flowing hair, but it's still gorgeous, and ours <3 I had to learn to appreciate mine for everything it was, and forgive it's shortcomings. Love love love! :cheese: By the way, I have to ETA "frog fuzz" LOL! That is so cute!

[spidermom]

You can have thin long hair or thin short hair, whichever you prefer. I've seen very thin hair get very long; a woman at the grocery store had a high ponytail no bigger than an inch across, and her hair fairy-taled out somewhere around calf length; it must have been ankle length out of the ponytail. I was enormously impressed.

[Avvoltoio]

i think about 2" is not very thin, about shedding just check out our member Emichiee videos at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DieSushiBitch and at her blog the pictures
She have beautiful long hair, and yes her hair got thinned much during her shedding, but it stayed beautiful.
So i think thin and long hair can be amazing too :)

ps. I like your profile pic, and avatar :)

[Vorvolaka]

As a fellow thinny, I know how you are feeling. Some days I like my hair, usually on days that it's behaving. Other days, I think it looks so thin and straggly. I'm trying to persevere though.

My tip with braids is to flatten the sections as you braid and not to braid too tightly. My mum commented the other days on how thick my hair looked like that!

[Rebecca.1905]

Long thin hair is just as beautiful as long thick hair! It's just different!!

I've got very fine hair - 1" circumference would be generous, I would think, but I'm certainly not going to let that stop me from growing! I love the look of flowy, silky hair that only the very fine or thin seems to achieve. Especially with fairy tale ends. Certainly thick hair is gorgeous and of course I have days when I wish for that... but I know that we thin/fine haired can have stunning hair as well.

We all get hair blahs from time to time. Please don't cut while you're feeling this way about it! Wait it out and hopefully you will begin to appreciate your beautiful, soft, fine hair again!!

[AspenSong]

Thanks all. :)

I hate to be so blah - I just have been having so much hair envy lately. lol.
And I'm definitely not to a point of cutting and I doubt I'll get there! I've been growing and working too long to do that!:) I guess I just started thinking of how much "thicker" my hair SEEMED when it was shorter a couple years back.

@Avvoltoio - thank you very much. :)
And yes, Emichiee does have some very beautiful hair.

[SilvraShadows]

Part of the problem us thinnies have is that we do tend to compare ourselves with those who have thick hair. Like thick is the norm. But it isn't. Normal is the norm. Thick is clear over on the one end of the rainbow spectrum, and thin is clear over on the opposite side of the same rainbow.

All are beautiful, uniquely so.

We drool over the beautiful thick manes we see, especially here! I am always taken back at the braided styles I find, the ones with little teeny braids swooping around all over the crown of the head ...and then there's one ultra thick braid completing the style! Simply amazing to me.

My one and only braid is as thick as one of those teeny decorative braids! I can get depressed. Rather quickly.

Thin hair is far more delicate and it is far more difficult to achieve longer lengths because of it. Add a fine texture to the mix and it becomes a real labor of love to gain ultra long tresses.

Now that is beautiful!

[bumblebums]

SilvraShadows is totally right. One of the things I learned in yoga is to stop comparing my body to anyone else's. Envy is the quickest route to unhappiness and suffering. You should try to be in the best health you can be, and that extends to your hair. Thin hair has many advantages over thick hair. It is light and doesn't give you headaches or neck aches. You can do all sorts of hairdos at shorter lengths than thick-haired folk--I have seen some people complain that even at tailbone, they can barely manage a single coil of a cinnabun, and the bun breaks hairsticks to boot... Plus, on the pics, your hair looks smooth, straight and silky--something that a lot of wavy and curly women would give a right arm or boob for.

[Tabitha]

For encouragement, take a look at luxepiggy (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=30956)'s hip length i hair - it is sheer silk, just beautiful.

[Delila]

As others have said, enjoy your hair for what it is, not what you wish it might be.

I was always told that I would never be able to have long hair, 'because it's so thin and fine.' Sigh. Stylists always cut it with tons of layers right to the scalp, so whenever it gained any length, the wispiest layers at the tips of my hemline made my hair look even thinner than it might naturally, so I'd get it cut, again.

Is my hair quite fine? Yes. Because of the wave pattern, it's more like spiderwebs than silk, sorta floaty and wild. Beautiful in it's own way, and mine, all mine. :)

I'm keeping it long because at some point in my growing out process I realized that for me, it's far easier to maintain at longer lengths. Shorter hair, for me, is a huge nuisance.

The way I see it, the relatively tiny size of my updos just means that I get more use out of my hairtoys than I might if I had super thick hair.

[dawnandxavier]

I know what you mean. Any tips for thin hair? Anyone have luck with rosemary oil?

[shikara]

So many great comments here! I found that a herringbone braid produced a wider strand. Years ago, I used to put my hair in four braids - two on either side just above ears and near to the scalp, and two lower, then put a sponge roller on the bottom, and sleep on it. My hair 'exploded' the next day. Been thinking about doing that again even if I wear updos now because it will all look 'bigger'. I hope your current 'funk' leaves you soon and you fall in love with your hair all over!

[PrincessTieflin]

Hey AspenSong!

We have similar hair, and before earlier this year mine was past TB length and fine as could be. My bun looked smaller than some people on here with thick shoulder length hair hehe. But, it did grow and the more length I had the more impressive my buns and styles became. We fine gals actually have an advantage when it comes to long long lengths and complicated buns in that we can get more twists in etc. I went through a blah period too about mid back to hip, trust me, it gets better. Ultimately I chopped due to the same issue with thin braids and smaller buns, but now that it's shoulder length, of course I crave that length again! We will never have "bun eats woman's head tonight at 9" hair, but what we do have, is long LIGHT flowy locks that don't hurt our necks and fool people into thinking it's shorter than it is when up! It is SOOOO fun to take down a bun of past TB length hair when someone thinks you have BSL hair, and watch the confused looks! There are the drawbacks, it doesn't look as impressive as a lion's mane of flowing hair, but it's still gorgeous, and ours <3 I had to learn to appreciate mine for everything it was, and forgive it's shortcomings. Love love love! :cheese: By the way, I have to ETA "frog fuzz" LOL! That is so cute!

My thoughts exactly.. I love the "wow your braid/bun is so tiny " lol and then the WOW factor when it comes down!

My hair is still just past SL, but totally looking back to the wow factor. Also since I am so thin/fine I was able to get my hair up when it was just past my ears lol

I love my thin/fine curly locks :cheese:

[jesis]

I heard some people used castor oil to help thicken their mane! :) Maybe you could try that?

[midnightwolf]

Iv got the same problem. my hair just keeps falling out and is very fine. I have no medical problems to explain it, and now my carpet is always blonde! when i wash my hair lots seems to fall out. but i wouldn't cut my hair, even if it did make it thicker, i love the light floaty-ness of it :) (but could do without the blonde carpets!)

[AspenSong]

:) You guys are all great. Thank you.

I'm going to work more on just embracing what I have. I suppose I just get silly at times or self conscious (I'm constantly looking at all the shorter hairs I have around my nape and ears and feel like I must look horrible with all that wispy tendril stuff).

Thing is - I look at the ladies here with hair similar to mine and I think it's beautiful. I just have a hard time putting myself in there with that group of being someone who can have beautiful hair, ya know?

[midnightwolf]

I think everyone needs encouragement once in a while, and to know that they are not alone in that problem. Is one of the things the internet lets us do :)

[Fadedbluedreams]

I understand your hair blahs. There was a time when I was quite envious of people with thick hair. I realized that I just have to make the best out of what I do have (which I think is similar to what you have) and have found that it can be very pretty after all. :)

[Timkerbelle]

Oh I can relate so well! My hair is so very fine and thin, and has been one of my great sorrows in life. I always dreamed of having thick luscious locks, but reality was so far from that.
I have recently (mostly because of finding LHC actually) started to appreciate the beauty of fine hair. It can really look like finest silk, and be such an asset if cared for and loved.
I think for myself one of the major problems I have had is that I have resented it and been harsh to it. I have used volumizing products, skipped conditioner, had layers cut etc etc, which only resulted in choppy hair of poor quality - that was still thin.
I'm trying to appreciate my hair for what it is. I am making the best of what I have been given. And even though I have "cat hairs" and a very small circumference, my hair is shiny and so much happier now.
I personally do not strive to have very long hair - BSL is my goal and dream - but I see no reason not to grow your fine hair long if that is what you want.
A woman's (and man's!) hair is uniquely their own, and all kinds of hair is beautiful when it's loved and healthy.

When I met my boyfriend 5 years ago I was so hugely offended one time when he said my hair was so "pretty and thin". I thought the man was out of his mind and/or trying to make fun of me. My boyfriend has exactly the kind of hair I would want for myself - incredibly thick and so dark as to be almost black. It took me a long time to appreciate that he actually does like my hair the way it is - and that he does find it pretty. The silkiness fine hair has really is a unique type of beauty.

As a side note my hair has become a lot thicker since joining the LHC (even though it still fits in the F/i category) due to less chemicals, some good supplements and in general kinder hair care.

Let's all try to love our beautiful hair no matter what thickness, colour or texture it has <3

[DarkChocolate]

I can totally relate. I have to wear dark shirts so my transparent ends do not show. If I wear light shirts it appears that half of my hair disappears. I am easily depressed about my silky spider web hair. I have sad braids and practically nothing to my ponytail especially the bottom.

My hair also breaks easily.

I am considering trying the morrocco method shampoos and henna. I think that henna would add a nice cherry to my dark chocolate hair and I have read so many positive things about it like the conditioning and strengthening benefits it has.

[Capybara]

I'm not an i or ii, but I'd like to offer some encouragement too :flower:

I'm on the completely opposite side of the spectrum, but I'd love to have thinner hair! I think that thinner hair lays so nicely. I used to get my hair thinned at the salon to achieve this look - many people here thin their hair. What you have is what a lot of other people want :) Your hair is beautiful.

[IcarusBride]

I have really thin hair too. I trim a lot (by LHC standards at least) and am gaining length quite slowly. My hair is never going to be thick and lustrous like I see a lot of other ladies here have, but I am pretty happy with it :D

[SilvraShadows]

I know what you mean. Any tips for thin hair? Anyone have luck with rosemary oil?

I use evoo blended with one drop rosemary and one drop rose geranium essential oils. It has only helped with keeping my hair soft and supple. I never have noticed any extra growth going on, whether it was a faster growth rate or coming in thicker... I once had very thick hair. I have lost 2/3 of my thickness so I feel I am a candidate for regaining some of it back unlike someone who has always had thin hair. That person will never be able to have thicker hair no matter what concoctions are used. My point being is this... in my personal experience nothing has helped me regain my thickness back, but a few things have helped to decrease my shedding. And everything I am using helps me to have the best hair I can have.

Just as a side note, I have used in the last six years:
castor oil and castor oil blends
carrot oil and carrot oil blends
rosemary oil
blue yarrow
different hair/scalp treatments with various essential oils meant to increase hair and the growth of it
supplements... and msm (which helps!)



:) You guys are all great. Thank you.

I'm going to work more on just embracing what I have. I suppose I just get silly at times or self conscious (I'm constantly looking at all the shorter hairs I have around my nape and ears and feel like I must look horrible with all that wispy tendril stuff).

Thing is - I look at the ladies here with hair similar to mine and I think it's beautiful. I just have a hard time putting myself in there with that group of being someone who can have beautiful hair, ya know?

I do the same... I will see another lady with utltra fine hair and especially if it is ultra long, I think it is so beautiful and find encouragement in that. It is very rare indeed, so for that reason it is more beautiful to me. So I keep growing my own. I have terminal sections that keep my hair from thickening up these days... the canopy, the temples, the nape. So really, only one part is growing on! No wonder my own is so thin!

[Arielle8960]

I just wanted to chime in with my support. I, too, have experienced a seemingly never-ending shed and am pretty displeased with the result. I hate the stupid skinny braids, but I keep telling myself that my hair is in pretty good condition, it is getting longer, and I should enjoy it. When I'm really down about it I reach for the sponge rollers or go for the "braid explosion" technique already mentioned. On the plus side, I've yet to "outgrow" any of the hairtoys I've bought!

[FluffSpider]

I have ii hair, but with rather fine hairs. Used to be blonde, ashy blonde with some sun discoloration, and it looked oh-so-very-thin...especially on the front part. But now that I've dyed it a bit darker, the used-to-be transparent hairs are noticeable, and my hair looks thicker. I still have damage to cut, and my braids are rather thin too:( so don't despair, you're not alone.

[AspenSong]

It's nice to know I'm not alone in my blah feelings at times!

I am happy though that I do think my hair is healthy. I've cut off all the previously bleached blonde old hair I had and now my hair is it's natural color...I don't style it crazy, I don't touch blowdryers or curlers (never did before though either!), I'm pretty gentle with it overall - CO washes, vinegar rinses to clarify, wide tooth combing and the only time I brush I use a wood brush with thick bristles that I've oiled with Jojoba...lots of oils and conditioning. I pretty rarely find a split anymore, and if I do it's tiny and not split 1/2 an inch up my hair. I do struggle with it being so fine that just a bit of a harder pull on a strand than usual results in a break...(hence my "halo" around my sides of my face and neck)- So all things and whatnot considered, I know I'm working to take better care of it and that's what matters. :)

[Unnamed]

Not sure I can offer much encouragement...

But I'd say definitely don't let the thinness affect how long you'd like your hair to be! As someone said whether long or short it'll still be thin--cutting it shorter won't really change that. Might as well have it how you'd prefer. It took me ten years of maintaining at BSL/waist trying to get blunter ends before growing longer to give up and learn to live with non-blunt ends and just let it grow. Obviously it'll never look as nice as someone with iii hair and the same length, but might as well work with what I've got.

Also, while braids look puny (for me it wasn't too bad until round #3 of losing roughly half my hair...most of my length is currently under a 1" circ)...a plain basic pony pushes the hair together just enough to hide some of the thinness without compacting it to the size of a ribbon and looking wholly pathetic. :) Half-ups also worked well, although for me they aren't working right now due to a funny regrowth layer. :oops:

[Delila]

I do think that I learned a lot during the initial growing out phase of my hair. Once I hit some point between waist and hip length, my hair became much easier to cope with, and I started enjoying it more. All the shorter stages were more awkward, for one reason or another, and so far, with the extra length, it's all good.

Another thought I've had about my own hair, is that even though I do wish I had thicker braids, I'm not going to let the relative puny-ness of mine discourage me from continuing to grow.

The longer mine gets, the more fun I have with it, so I'm keeping it. :)

Before I decided to let my hair grow longer, growing out my bangs too, my hair had never been much more than shoulder length, and was typically quite short, usually a pixie, so every bit of life with the various lengths was/is a new experience for me.

[Locksmith]

I do sympathise. I only just scrape into the ii category, and even then, I get frustrated seeing my crappy, weedy little updos in comparison to other people's. I mean I'm at TB now, how long does it have to get before I can have a braided bun that doesn't look like I'm more like BSL than hip? :( I'm hoping that the length will thicken to what it is at the nape of my neck, at least, but I suspect it isn't likely. :(

On the other hand, it isn't heavy, I can fit it under a hat, I can shock people with how long it is, it looks nice down, it is silky and soft, and I don't break hairsticks in it. :) It's mine. Gotta learn to love it (and experiment with cassia and rats ;) )

ETA: I realise that in my avatar and other pictures it doesn't look that skinny. This would be because I'm vain and generally only put up the ones where it looks like there's more than there is! My avatar pic bun is *flat* to my head! :p

[Honestwitness]

I can so relate. I can't wear half-ups, because my under layers are VERY thin! I just added some pics today to my "Hair Weaknesses" album and they show that the thinness is only getting worse as my hair gets longer. If I don't use mousse or spray gel and scrunch my hair, it looks pitiful. But, you're all giving me courage to keep growing nonetheless.

[JuneBride]

I used to have the worst shedding problem!!! My hair dresser used to say it was seasonal, then 3 months later she would say it was hormonal, then 3 months later she would say it was med's I was taking (I stopped taking the med's 3 years earlier hahaha) and so forth and so on...and this went on for YEARS.............THEN!!! I found the LHC!!! I started CO'ing and IMMEDIATLY noticed a dramatic reduction in shedding. I seriously think it was Shampoo causing the shedding!!! And now when I do rarely shampoo...it sheds a lot!!! So I think Shampoo is evil!!!!

I have relatively thin hair. I find COing volumizes it...so does Super Skinny. And no matter what, a little blow drying always makes it appear to feel better (thicker) but shhhhh don't tell anyone, I am supposed to be giving up heat! hahaha

[midnightwolf]

But doesn't your scalp get greasy? id like to try no shampoo but i have greasy hair and some dandruff.

[AspenSong]

@MidnightWolf - Just chiming in here even though you directed it to JuneBride....

I CO also and I have pretty oily hair (hair AND skin) and It doesn't end up greasy at all. All I can vouch for is what I do - And that's I use the VO5 Conditioners for my CO washing....I apply the conditioner to my hair about 20 minutes before I shower and just let it sit there - Then I get in and rinse it out with a bit of conditioner mixed with a lot of water until it's frothy and cool water. It doesn't SOUND like it would clean your hair and scalp, but it does. And I could tell a big difference in my hair once I started doing it! And just to get rid of build up, I ACV rinse. My scalp used to be fairly itchy at times....not anymore. :)

[midnightwolf]

Is that all over your hair? I havent conditioned my scalp for years (maybe thats the reason?) i shampoo my scalp and roots (not the ends) rinse, then condition the length and ends (not roots). i have been thinking i need to change my routine, iv done it for years but feels like i could do something better, just no idea what.

[JuneBride]

No grease here! I used to get super greasy the second day when I used to S&C and with CO I actually get LESS greasy on the second day. I too have oily skin tendancies... but I have to tell you, CO washing is a MIRACLE!!!!!!!!

My routine: I get in the shower, wet my hair really well and then ring out some of the water, I glop on the conditioner...usually V05 or Suave...and massage it in a little to get it down on my roots, then I put a shower cap on and continue on with my usually shower stuff (wash, shave, relax) then I take the shower cap off, comb the conditioner thru my hair with a wide tooth comb and rinse. Then I exit the shower and put my hair up on a towel. Every week or so I do a deeper/thicker/longer conditioning but follow about the same routine. Let me know if you have any questions. (*Remember if you have problems with grease to use a "Clarifying" conditioner!!!! (I LOVE V05 Tea Therapy Vanilla Mint Tea*)

[midnightwolf]

I love VO5 stuff, was on offer today so i bought a bottle of moisture soak and deep nourishing. but if you have any recommendations (i haven't seen the tea therapy vanilla mint tea one) i would be grateful

[JuneBride]

I love VO5 stuff, was on offer today so i bought a bottle of moisture soak and deep nourishing. but if you have any recommendations (i haven't seen the tea therapy vanilla mint tea one) i would be grateful

I suggest you read the "CO" Thread and get any runny thin conditioner...nothing to thick and gooey!

[haibane]

Not sure I can offer much encouragement...

But I'd say definitely don't let the thinness affect how long you'd like your hair to be! As someone said whether long or short it'll still be thin--cutting it shorter won't really change that. Might as well have it how you'd prefer. It took me ten years of maintaining at BSL/waist trying to get blunter ends before growing longer to give up and learn to live with non-blunt ends and just let it grow. Obviously it'll never look as nice as someone with iii hair and the same length, but might as well work with what I've got.
This is about where I'm at. I want to at least try for realllly long hair, but I'm still struggling to make peace with how much of it will likely be see-through with a seriously tapering hemline.

[SilvraShadows]

We have some beautiful thinnies here!

Just a note to those interested~ I never put a conditioner on my scalp unless it is a holistic and nourishing one and this is when I CWC, and it would be the final conditioning.

But I do CO wash with White Rain in between washes, and I use Suave on my length as the final conditioning. I have great results doing this... no greasies. For some reason the Suave doesn't work well on my scalp. I like the coconut flavors too, in both.

[JuneBride]

Here is some info (maybe a form of encouragement?!?):

http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac142/trdegray/HAIR&#37;202011/IMG_0954.jpg

[Teilani]

SilvraShadows mentions rosemary and rose geranium - those are great. I also use basil and depending on the state of my hair, lemon or honey.

At its best my ponytail has about a two inch diameter (I have bangs that I'm growing out that would help that considerably, but they're not going to catch up any time soon and I will not cut back to their length), and like others with similar hair types, breakage and split ends are significant issues for me.

My God the split ends ...!

S&D session are imperative and that thins my hemline. I am not yet reconciled to fairy tips.

Part of what drives me especially mad is that my dearest friend has that fantastically thick wavy hair, and it grows quickly. It's the kind of hair that is so thick she gets it thinned. The first time I heard that my jaw dropped. Thinning shears don't come within feet of me!

Again, like others, she gets some pretty fantastic headaches when her hair gets quite long. I've had mine within a few inches of waist length and never had that kind of headache. It's a small mercy.

Even if it takes us longer than some others, our hair looks lovely long when it's well cared for. It's just a different type.

I'm going to have to bookmark this thread and come back to it the next time I start going nuts at the breakage.

[AspenSong]

@JuneBride - Thanks for that info! :)

So far, I'm good on just about All of that stuff! I completely changed my eating back in October...more for weight and general health, than just hair. But everything on there short of a lot of peas, lol, and Flax oil, I eat quite a bit of. And I'm a water nut, so I have at LEAST 64 oz a day...usually more like 90. I don't know that I've noticed anything with my hair, but I do know I've lost 40 lbs!!

[triumphator!]

Even though I'm not technically who you were asking advice from, I wanted to say that your thickness or thinness or whatever shouldn't get you down... a lot of people wish for more manageable hair and thus have it thinned out. I bet if you continue to grow and take wonderful care of it, it'll be like finely spun silk growing out of your head-- lustruous, shiny, and delicate. Don't get yourself down!

[JuneBride]

@JuneBride - Thanks for that info! :)

So far, I'm good on just about All of that stuff! I completely changed my eating back in October...more for weight and general health, than just hair. But everything on there short of a lot of peas, lol, and Flax oil, I eat quite a bit of. And I'm a water nut, so I have at LEAST 64 oz a day...usually more like 90. I don't know that I've noticed anything with my hair, but I do know I've lost 40 lbs!!

40 lbs!!! WOW!!! Congrats!!!
I totally changed my eating habits one year ago due to the doc telling to to for health reasons. Between that, what I have learned from the LHC and just plain old time and patience, my hair has had a total turn around from the disaster bleach situation I had in 2009. I think no matter what, healthy eating is the basis for healthy anything else on or in your body...so keep it up for ANY reason and eventually you will see nothing but positive results in so many ways :) !!!

Happy New Year!

[AspenSong]

Thank you!! It's amazing what your body does when you cut out Mountain Dew, processed sugar and breads! lol. I've got aways to go though. Sadly I "ate" a lot of my sadness and depression over losing my Dad a couple of years ago.
You're right though, you need to eat good to build up anything in your body/skin/hair. I'm lucky right now in that I also live behind an organic market, so that makes it much easier to get healthier foods, etc when I've got the money.




40 lbs!!! WOW!!! Congrats!!!
I totally changed my eating habits one year ago due to the doc telling to to for health reasons. Between that, what I have learned from the LHC and just plain old time and patience, my hair has had a total turn around from the disaster bleach situation I had in 2009. I think no matter what, healthy eating is the basis for healthy anything else on or in your body...so keep it up for ANY reason and eventually you will see nothing but positive results in so many ways :) !!!

Happy New Year!

[madeline_]

I can relate to your problem, although I don't have that much of a problem with the thinness of my hair per sé, but mostly with the way it behaves because of it. Breakage, tangles, looking straggly and greasy even though it's not, and getting weird kinks from my sleeping buns. It actually only looks nice on washday, which would be my primary reason to cut eventually.

For me it probably won't go any further than BSL, at the moment I'm struggling to maintain at a barely healthy APL even.

[SilvraShadows]

....Even if it takes us longer than some others, our hair looks lovely long when it's well cared for. It's just a different type.

I'm going to have to bookmark this thread and come back to it the next time I start going nuts at the breakage.

I agree! Very, very true. Looking at your avatar is evidence.

Think I will bookmark this one as well!

[lynnala]

My hair is really really fine, in a braid the ends are so tiny that I have trouble coming up with a comparison for the thickness. About the thickness of a spaghetti noodle! And I've always disliked my hair loose, it just was so stringy, but I thought if I could just get it long that it would be okay. Well, now that I've gotten below waist, I actually like my hair down! This is a huge thing for me, now that my hair is longer it has some weight to it and it actually looks okay hanging loose. I can't wait to get to hip!

[Locksmith]

:thud: SilvraShadows, your hair is gorgeous! It looks like spun silk. I hope mine silvers like yours has! :D

[emsahib]

Just been looking at people's albums who posted on here and said they have thin hair and I don't see it. I think everyones hair looks thick and healthy :)

[Vorvolaka]

Just been looking at people's albums who posted on here and said they have thin hair and I don't see it. I think everyones hair looks thick and healthy :)

That's because we only post the good pictures! You don't see the ones with straggly hair and scalp cleavage galore. :D

[emsahib]

That's because we only post the good pictures! You don't see the ones with straggly hair and scalp cleavage galore. :D

Well even if thats true, then your hair looked good in the photos anyway, which means it could look good again. I'm sure every hair type has good and bad hair days

[Locksmith]

That's because we only post the good pictures! You don't see the ones with straggly hair and scalp cleavage galore. :D

It's true. There was a thread at some point for *bad* hair pictures, which was actually really fun and reassuring! It'd be nice to see it resurrected. And ugh yes, scalp cleavage - my one true foe... :mad:

[Delila]

Just thought I'd share a random thought I had last night.

I've frequently seen men with really long braided hair. Their braids taper, just like mine, and wind up wimpy at the hemline, just like mine, but for some reason I'd always admired their braids without making the comparison. Guess it's time to cut myself some slack, and just enjoy my own braid. If I don't find fault when the same size braid is on someone else's head, why criticize it on mine?

[Babyfine]

My hair is also very fine and thin,and spiderwebby. AND frog-fuzzy!
My avatar picture is my hair just out of an updo so I had some body from the bun waves.
I normally have some 2a wave-more in the summer and humidity.
right now in the winter my hair is falling SO flat and limp and I've been discouraged, too. I used to wear my hair about shoulder length and permed, to counteract the fine-ness. Of course perming is hard on hair and scalp and detrimental to growing long, for most people, so I quit 10 years ago.
My hair is several inches longer now than in my avatar pic even though I've trimmed a lot off in the last 2 years. I'm hoping that if I can make it to my goal length, waist, it will look and hang better.
Hair skin and nail vitamins have helped my hair look shinier and grow faster, along with an omega 3 blend of vitamins, but alas, not a lot thicker.
I've actually had some comments on how long my hair is recently(even though I'm just around BSL) so my hair must not look too bad.
I, too, avoid braids and ponytails because my braids look so pitiful(twin braids -forget-about-it!)But I'm going to try the flat braiding technique that someone described above.
I wear black scrunchies and wide fat barrettes when I do wear my hair pulled back, dark shirts with my hair down.
they help to make my hair look thicker.

[xladolcevitax]

My hair is really thin and fine and flyaway. The ends are fairytaleing and pretty see-through now, which you cant see from my avatar because I chose the best photo for that which doesnt show it!
Im not sure if im i or ii, but if im ii its only just.

I get annoyed with it a lot and sometimes wish for thicker hair but i really love the look of thin hair, especially with fairytale ends and a natural hemline. I think it looks really beautful and magickal.

I was always forced to cut it short as a child because "its too thin to be long".. my mum still keeps trying to get me to cut it short and tells me its too straggly to be long but i don't care what anyone else thinks. I think thin hair looks much better long than short.

Something great about thin hair (well mine anyway) is how quickly it dries! and its so easy to put up.

Its the condition of my hair that is annoying me more than the thinness now. the ends are very dry and damaged and break very easily so im wearing it up most of the time now.

[embee]

Spidermom said it: fine/thinnies can have thin LONG hair or thin SHORT hair.

There's no question in my mind which I prefer. ;) I had short hair and it did *not* work for me.

[LaurelSpring]

Plump it up!! That helps me. Do whatever you can to get some volume going. For me this means definately no cones ( my hair seemed to double and get some wave when I gave up cones) and no oil ( I do "butter" just the ends with cocoa and shea butter). CO and oil = limp city for me! Cassia and henna plump it up a great deal. I sleep with it on top of my head in a braid that I braid from the crown so I have lots of volume and waves in the morning. Using the Indian herbs for washing now has also plumped me up a great deal. If your updos feel less than plump enough add some hair! I have a fake hair scrunchie and a fake hair pony. I tie the pony in with my pony and get some head eating buns going on. I can also get some really big and crazy messy updos with the fake hair scrunchie. It takes a little more effort but then you can have it both ways. You can be straight and sleek when you want and curly when you want. So think of it as having the best of both worlds.

[ddiana1979]

Thin hair can look absolutely gorgeous, as some of the above posters have shown.

That said, if you want to make it look thicker, you could try cassia, henna, or henndigo (this will also give your hair some strength and shine). You could try to plump it up a bit at the roots with aloe or an appropriate styling product. Also, there's absolutely no shame in extensions, at least in my opinion. I'd probably use them myself if I didn't have a hair color that is next to impossible to match. You don't have to use them for length. . . you can just add a few pieces to make your hair appear thicker. You can also use hair rats or donuts to make updos look thicker. Sock buns are great for people with thin hair, because it makes your bun look so much bigger.

[skyblue]

Oh I need to read this whole thread slowly, my hair is really thin to and I actually thought about cutting it all of, just don't do it! And thanks I don't feel so alone and sad about my pitiful braid

[girlcat36]

I'm here to commiserate too!
I've been very frustrated with my baby-fine, thin hair lately. I cut 2" off to try and thicken up the hemline and it didn't do a darn thing! I wish I had those two inches back.

I have discovered that certain shampoos make me shed more. I thought I was doing good by using only organic shampoos, but when I made a switch to a very plain baby shampoo, I had hardly any shedding. Clearly I am allergic to some botanical ingredients, and I should have realized this long ago since I am allergic to the entire world.

[midnightwolf]

i may try that, i shed a lot. how long did it take to slow shedding? iv just changed to a shampoo bar from lush, im hoping that may work.

[Locksmith]

Lush shampoo bars all have SLS in them, I believe, so if you're after avoiding SLS you may want to try something else. It's kind of hard to find shampoo bars in the UK though. I've got on well with Oakwood Aromatics though who are UK-based, FWIW. :)

ETA: I also found that I shed an awful lot less after going SLS-free.

[midnightwolf]

ok.... noob question... SLS??

[Locksmith]

ok.... noob question... SLS??

Ahhhh, sorry! My bad. SLS is the detergent in conventional shampoo. Many people find it's harsh on their hair, myself included - loads of lather, but it gives me the itchies and flakes. AFAICT, most people who try out conditioner-only or shampoo bars are avoiding the SLS in conventional shampoo. One thing SLS does do that shampoo bars don't is get rid of silicone buildup, so if you're going SLS free it's a good idea to try out a cone-free conditioner, or else use SLS now and again to remove any buildup. :) I'm sure there are articles on this from far better-informed people than me though!

[midnightwolf]

Thank you, thats all i needed. Im using a conditioner with cones, so i think il need the SLS. My hair really doesnt like cone free conditioners.

[Locksmith]

Rightio. :) Buildup does seem to vary hugely between people, incidentally - some get crunchy hair very fast with silicones but no SLS, whereas others seem to be able to go for ages an ages before they need to clarify with it. So wanting the cones doesn't necessarily mean it's not worth trying. Of course it doesn't work for everyone. If only something did... :p

[girlcat36]

i may try that, i shed a lot. how long did it take to slow shedding? iv just changed to a shampoo bar from lush, im hoping that may work.

It was immediate. I tried Johnson's Baby and Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. Both caused very minimal shedding, which for me is 25 hairs or less.
Typical shower shed tends to be around 65 hairs on a good day.
When going through a shed induced by medical problems, I would easily lose 150-300 hairs during wash. YIKES!

[midnightwolf]

wow, i counted for the first time this morning and got to 58. That was the first time with the lush shampoo rather than head and shoulders.

[Locksmith]

Mmm, I used to lose around 30 or 40 hairs on wash days, much more in winter. Since giving up SLS my winter shed was only about 20 hairs or so including combing after washing. Now I seem to be over the shed, and it's back down to losing maybe 10 or 15 in wash and post-wash wet comb. I can dig that! :p

[SilvraShadows]

:thud: SilvraShadows, your hair is gorgeous! It looks like spun silk. I hope mine silvers like yours has! :D

Thank you! It was a very rare moment so my daughter took a pic for me and insisted on me posting it. I told her it's not an honest representation of my hair... just one shiny moment. :o

Which leads me to emsahib's comment...


Just been looking at people's albums who posted on here and said they have thin hair and I don't see it. I think everyones hair looks thick and healthy :)

Yes, I think most of us here will only post the best photos we can muster up... in my photo album I do have a couple of photos that show my thin ends but most are the creme of the crop! I am too embarrassed to post my day to day wear when I see so many beautiful heads of hair here. I have to work at strategically placing each strand over my scalp so it won't show through!

And like I said... my current siggie pic was taken on a very rare moment, one that will never ever happen again. Here is a photo, well... I will post two! I am hoping I can use them as a future comparison picture... if and when my ends fill in. This is what my hair can and does look like most of the time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/SilvraShadows/bramblesjun10thinningat27inches.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/SilvraShadows/22bramblesdec10.jpg

June and December of 2010.

I am hoping the thickness (which falls about 22ish inches) will move down as it grows... but the sections that have been terminal seem to be stuck at that length. I keep hoping... I will always hope!

[Honestwitness]

Silvrashadows is right. We only post our best pics. But to follow your lead, Silvrashadows, here's a pic of my pitiful excuse for a half up.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3851&pictureid=92003

[SilvraShadows]

Okay HonestWitness... your half up looks like my full down :p... but this is why I wear mine up (all of it) all of the time. Maybe when it gets longer I will wear it down more because in my view, no matter how thin one's tresses are if they are uber long then they are beautiful.

Anyone else want to post their next to best.... or be really brave and post their worse ?

[Locksmith]

I would, but the camera on here is so rubbish you wouldn't really get the effect :( There are a couple of entertaining Out Of Hair Error updo fails in my album though. :p

[girlcat36]

I have deleted most of my very bad photos, but this is one from last September. It's about as good as it gets:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/girlcat36/LHC%20pictures/033.jpg

I lost so much hair due to my thyroid meds being off, and my doctor's very slow response. I was losing about 150-200 hairs a day last winter. It was so completely preventable, and it makes me want to cry thinking about it.
I guess I wouldn't mind it so much if I had straight hair that I could comb out; curls need to clump to look good, so I get little stringy clumps. Oh well.

[Toothe]

girlcat, that picture is absolutely beautiful!

I'm sure it's difficult if you're used to having more hair in the past, but the way it is now is lovely in its own right.

[rena]

Um, if I may...What exactly is frog fuzz?

[girlcat36]

girlcat, that picture is absolutely beautiful!

I'm sure it's difficult if you're used to having more hair in the past, but the way it is now is lovely in its own right.


Thank you, Toothe! :)

My hair was by no means thick before all the hairloss; I have been struggling with hairloss for about 20 years. But this most recent loss has got me down.
There's just something about curly hair that makes me think is should be masses of ringlets. I think most curlies seem to have LOTS of hair. I think my hair looks like baby hair.
I'm starting to have some regrowth, and I'm trying to restrain myself from cutting back to APL where I am starting to see more thickness.

[NouvelleNymphe2]

Part of the problem us thinnies have is that we do tend to compare ourselves with those who have thick hair. Like thick is the norm. But it isn't. Normal is the norm. Thick is clear over on the one end of the rainbow spectrum, and thin is clear over on the opposite side of the same rainbow.

All are beautiful, uniquely so.

We drool over the beautiful thick manes we see, especially here! I am always taken back at the braided styles I find, the ones with little teeny braids swooping around all over the crown of the head ...and then there's one ultra thick braid completing the style! Simply amazing to me.

My one and only braid is as thick as one of those teeny decorative braids! I can get depressed. Rather quickly.

Thin hair is far more delicate and it is far more difficult to achieve longer lengths because of it. Add a fine texture to the mix and it becomes a real labor of love to gain ultra long tresses.

Now that is beautiful!

I think Silvra explains our baby fine hairs well! I too have extremely fine hair, and can get hair envy from time to time. But enjoy the softness, lightness, and almost infant-like fragility of your beautiful tresses. Also, be proactive! Cassia treatments, Aloe Vera Gel (organic of course), organic shampoos, Tea Tree (EO), Vinegar rinses, EVOO conditioning, and sleeping with them nicely pinned up at night really help drab hair bounce back! And stress and health problems do cause my fine hairs to fall out, but it only takes some tender loving hair care, healthy eating, vitamines (B and Biotin) to stop all that shedding within weeks. So please cherish the fine baby hairs that you have had since birth that never left you, and be proactive in your "labor of love." :p

[Quahatundightu]

As a child people told me I would never be able to grow my hair long, as it is both thin and fine. (hahaha I love the "frog fuzz" name)
Anyway I am now on a mission to see just how long it can get. I'd like my hair to be TB.. the question will be how thin it might be. Right now the acceptable thickness (for me) of my hair finishes at waist or above - and then my thin ends until hip. However with small dustings since October I am finding some improvement. I think the only way you can figure out what you like is to let your hair grow! :) Maybe one day I will stop trying to grow and cut back to hip or even waist, but for now I want TB!!

October vs December 2010
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2713&pictureid=93222

[Angelica]

I've had this hair type all my life, I have never noticed the shedding rate. I don't think I shed a lot anyway, and I can't use women problems or whatever as an excuse. I do believe it is genetic though - at least in my family.

Yes it is a problem when hair like mine gets long, it does look pathetic in hanging braids or ponytails, the thickness just isn't there and it lacks all body being poker straight as well.

But I pefer long hair. I wear mine in a pleat mostly or a French braid. Those are the styles that for me are very quick to do and makes my hair look its best.