Calling everyone who is a "i": updo advice needed

[MissAlida]

I think it's time for me to admit, that I am no longer a "ii" thickness, as I used to be.College, and stress made me shed alot these past 2 years. I can't do a decent bun, because all of my buns end up being tiny. I can't braid, because the "tail" of my braid is so thin, it's like half an inch wide, and very very flat. On wash days I get some volume, so I can leave my hair down, but on second days, tough my hair does not get dirty that quickly, it does get flattened and lifeless.
I am seriously contemplating leaving LHC and just coping with the fact, that my hair is never going to be thick and long and beautiful. I am looking at pictures of bob hairstyles or even pixies... What is the point of having long hair if it looks bad when down, and it looks even worse when up...?
So any ideas are welcome. Any advice. Also, if this helps: I have layers, wash twice a week with BS/white vinegar, do yoghurt masks and oil treatments with EVOO, braid it for sleep.

[MinderMutsig]

First of all there is nothing wrong with i hair. The thickness categories are averages, not grades. We all have variations on the i/ii/iii scale and they all have their own perks and problems. The most common problem with i hair is lack of volume but you are lucky in that department because you are a curly and that is like having a build-in wonderbra for hair!

From what I can see in your album your hair doesn't look nearly as bad as you think it does. I do think you could do with a more flattering cut because these layers don't seem to do your length any favors. Right now the bulk of your hair stops at shoulder and that makes the rest of your hair seem a bit scraggly. I really think a decent cut will make all the difference! That doesn't mean it has to be all one length or that you have to cut back to shoulder or shorter! But right now your hair looks like it was cut as if it was meant to be straight and it isn't so it's not working for you. I would recommend finding a hairdresser who knows how to cut curly hair and looking into the curly girl method.

As for updos I generally feel that curly hair doesn't do well with compressed updos. You need to let the curls do their thing! You could do a peacock twist with some awesome curls popping out or a Gibson Tuck. When doing buns, wrap the hair loosely so your curls show. Sockbuns are a good choice for the days when you want a more sleek updo.

The best advice I can give you is to work with your hair, not against it. You have a lovely hair color and your wave pattern looks great. It doesn't appear to be excessively thin at all.

[Ana Stargazer]

Hi "i" hair sistah. Up-do ideas:

Fishtail braid - it makes your braid look much wider

French twist - no one knows how thick or thin your hair is, as it is all hidden away (also this hairstyle is much easier to be done with thin hair than thick hair).

My personal fav, put your hair up anytime, anywhere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0GVhFz0GqI&feature=related

Good to know you can fake a bob:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P12ztriVN_Y&feature=relmfu

[hs_atreides]

Agree about layers, cut, and accepting hair for what it is. I think your hair looks lovely, especially considering you are growing out from a pixie.
I am also growing out a pixie, in the shorter shag stage and my pony stub is microscopic. I think layers need to be long barely there for our sort of hair.
There is a fine and/or thin hair thread that may help with your care and styling. There is always a way to make it work for you! :-)

[MsBubbles]

But don't you see? You have natural waves and body in your hair. Who cares if smooshed together it only comes to an 'i' thickness? Most people will still look at your lovely wavy hair (long or short) and think it's healthy-looking.

It's harder to do that with straight, fine hair.

[islandboo]

Your hair is lovely! I think it will be amazing when it gets longer. Your curls leave you better off than me - my hair compresses down to next to nothing, even at waist and beyond. Look in my album at the world's tiniest Celtic knot in the photo with the 2 prong purpleheart Jeterfork. But I still prefer my hair long to short, even with a i thickness. I can do so much with it long and short it just sort of hangs there.

The suggestions for peacock twist and Gibson tuck are good ones - your hair will be very pretty in those. I think your braid tail looks wan because of your layers - mine does the same thing because of taper. On the bright side, that taper ( whether due to cut or growth pattern) helps secure updos better than blunt ends do - there is an upside to pretty much every downside, it just depends what you choose to focus on. Just like that fact that thinnies can do complex updos at shorter lengths than those thick haired gals! If you truly think you will be happier with short hair, go for it, but I think your hair has the potential to be stunning when it is longer.

[embee]

I have thin fine hair and I've had it short. It was thin and fine then too, and needed constant attention or it got shaggy and shabby looking. Now my hair always looks neat and cared for. At last!

I do not care if my bun is small - well of course I *do* care - for I *love* having my hair long enough to sit upon. It's a personal goal I've had since childhood. It would be grand to have hair like UltraBella's but that's not *me*. And it sounds like it's not you, either.

I have finally learned to love what I have. It sure took long enough! ;)
I hope you can too, it's a great relief!

[Cowgirl16]

I am sorry your not happy with your hair right now, shedding can be very emotional. I don't think you need to leave LHC though, we are here to support you, however your hair is. You don't have to have super long or thick hair to be here, just look at all the great advice you've gotten already :D

[Rocket22]

Oh don't be discouraged. You, as others have said, have built in thickness with those curls. (you are lucky) I think your hair is beautiful!!!

read my siggy :) it's very true!!!

[DoubleCrowned]

My skinny hair has been much more fun long because once it is in an updo, the extra length looks as if it is thickness. With thin, fine hair, I have never experienced a sore neck from updos, plus, it is so lightweight that the updo needn't be tight. I can twist or braid simple buns an inch or so away from my head, then push it to the skull for pinning, making the rest of the hair poof to fake some body. What's more, my thin hair dries so fast that I can be ready to go anywhere in about 45 minutes, even if I have to wash my hair.

[MissAlida]

Wow, thank you all for all the lovely replies... I did not want to offend anyone by saying that I am not happy with "i" thick hair, so please, forgive me if I left that impression.:oops:I know that there are many lovely people here, who have nice long and beautiful hair... It's just that I've been fighting this shedding thing for such a long time, and it just gets worse and worse. I always had medium thickness, but now I just don't know what to do with my hair. I totally agree about the layers...I am trying to learn how to trim them myself (you know, with the "tie a ponytail on the top of your head" method) and I am waiting for all the layers to fit in my pony and be evenly cut.
Also I had a pretty tough day yesterday, I just started second year at college (medical school) and I'm stressed already.
I will look into the curly girl method and learn the updos you all posted here.
You are right...I should love my hair the way it is, and I will try to do that. Maybe when I'll learn how to manage stress, I can get my thickness back, who knows, right?
Thank you all for being here, and supporting me. This site is truly amazing, and I am ashamed that I ever tought of leaving it:o. I've learned alot since I subscribed, and had growth after 2 years without any growth.
So, sorry about me being overly dramatic...and THANK YOU.:flowers:

[NotInPortland]

Your hair looks fine to me (EDIT, by fine I mean it looks perfectly okay), I have fine and thin hair too and it's growing away no problem so there's no reason you can't have it long. The reason your braids are probably so thin towards the ends is because you said you have layers so I wouldn't worry about it. I have one layer left in my hair too so my braids taper away into practically nothing but I don't worry about it. Try growing the layers out for a thicker hemline and thicker braids.

[rbooh]

Hi MissAlida :)

Please don't cut your hair. I have very fine thin hair too. I decided not to have hair any shorter than shoulder length a long time ago after watching my SIL chop off waist length lovely hair that was just as thin as mine. It was disastrous. Her fine straight hair clung to her head like a helmet. It just looked awful.

You are so lucky to have curls/wurls. I have stick straight hair that I have learned to accept and love.

I'm a TLHC baby so I can't see albums, but I'm sure your hair is LOVELY!

Good luck :)

[MinderMutsig]

Wow, thank you all for all the lovely replies... I did not want to offend anyone by saying that I am not happy with "i" thick hair, so please, forgive me if I left that impression.:oops:I know that there are many lovely people here, who have nice long and beautiful hair... It's just that I've been fighting this shedding thing for such a long time, and it just gets worse and worse. I always had medium thickness, but now I just don't know what to do with my hair. I totally agree about the layers...I am trying to learn how to trim them myself (you know, with the "tie a ponytail on the top of your head" method) and I am waiting for all the layers to fit in my pony and be evenly cut.
Also I had a pretty tough day yesterday, I just started second year at college (medical school) and I'm stressed already.
I will look into the curly girl method and learn the updos you all posted here.
You are right...I should love my hair the way it is, and I will try to do that. Maybe when I'll learn how to manage stress, I can get my thickness back, who knows, right?
Thank you all for being here, and supporting me. This site is truly amazing, and I am ashamed that I ever tought of leaving it:o. I've learned alot since I subscribed, and had growth after 2 years without any growth.
So, sorry about me being overly dramatic...and THANK YOU.:flowers:
If I might make a suggestion about cutting your own layers... I think you'd look very good with long layers. It looks like the hair on your canopy is curlier than the under layer. Cutting short layers (which is what the ponytail on top of the head method does) would make that bottom layer seem lank(?) while the bulk would still be at chin to shoulder level giving you a mullet look.

I suggest another method where you bend at the waist, bring your hair to the front and ponytail it at chin level. Then you pull the band out along the length until you only have an inch or so left to cut. You may not be able to get all the hair in there just yet but just cut off a little bit to even things out. You can always go back and cut some more if it's needed.

I've used this method on my own hair which, apart from the thickness is very similar to yours, and on my (halfway from APL tp BSL) hair it created long layers in only the bottom 3-4 inches so the shortest layer is still well below shoulder.

[MissAlida]

If I might make a suggestion about cutting your own layers... I think you'd look very good with long layers. It looks like the hair on your canopy is curlier than the under layer. Cutting short layers (which is what the ponytail on top of the head method does) would make that bottom layer seem lank(?) while the bulk would still be at chin to shoulder level giving you a mullet look.

I suggest another method where you bend at the waist, bring your hair to the front and ponytail it at chin level. Then you pull the band out along the length until you only have an inch or so left to cut. You may not be able to get all the hair in there just yet but just cut off a little bit to even things out. You can always go back and cut some more if it's needed.

I've used this method on my own hair which, apart from the thickness is very similar to yours, and on my (halfway from APL tp BSL) hair it created long layers in only the bottom 3-4 inches so the shortest layer is still well below shoulder.

I am going to trim next week, so I might aswell try your method...Thank you for the advice, I hope that it will help, and maybe in a couple of months or half a year I'll be able to get all my layers in the ponytail. I was aiming for long layers actually, even had a thread about how to trim layers, so I guess your reply was the one I was looking for back then. Well, better late than never, right? Thanks alot.:D

[Mesmerise]

I agree with the others that your hair doesn't look that thin, which is a bonus!

I also have had hair shedding, and my hair, which was never thick is now much thinner (it seems to be regrowing, but I don't know if it will ever be normal thickness again).

One thing I won't do at the moment, is have layers. I feel that layers make my hair look soooo much thinner (it's thin enough without thinning it more with layers). So if I were you, I'd reduce your layers a bit (if you want it layered, only have a very light top layer).

As for updos, I don't wear buns or braids now because quite honestly, I'm embarrassed to do so! I will do a ponytail that's sort of looped up, because it doesn't look so thin that way. I also cut a few inches off my ends because my ends were so bad...they're still thin, but don't look AS bad (although I'm not really happy with the length, I do know it will grow).

[InTheCity]

Aww, hugs!

I know exactly what you mean and feel about scraggly, yucky ends but as everyone else said, the cut matters!

You could give up and cut your hair short... or keep it long but try different cuts to see what works.

[RedDevil]

Just keep growing. We have almost the exact same hair. We actually have the exact same cut and its just no good for our hair. I am trying to grow mine out but I refuse to cut anymore off. I am just an inch ot two longer than you are now and I find that the longer it gets the thicker it appears and the curls are better. We are different in our routines. I S&C daily and let air dry fully while down. My buns appear fuller this way.

[MissAlida]

I just tried something yesterday...I washed my hair, and didn't comb it trough. Usually I comb it wet and let it air dry, but yesterday I didn't. Turns out, I am more on the 3a side than on the 2c. My curls looked lovely, I slept with my hair down, since I didn't know what to do with the curls...I couldn't braid it, because that would have ruined my curls. But today I got tons of compliments on my hair:D It looks fuller, it has some hight from the roots. Yes it does look shorter, I guess it is because now the curls start to form closer to the roots. But I am happy with the results. And I hope in a couple of months I can achieve the long layered cut you all adviced me to get. Thank you all for your help and support.:flower:

[hs_atreides]

Has anyone had luck with protein treamtents "roughing up" the hair for better staying updo's?

I do love that my fine hair is smooth for when it's down but I thought if using too much protein can make hair feel rough then maybe it would help grip in an updo. I'm thinking of giving it a go, but my hair is still quite short.

[Babyfine]

I think your hair is very pretty-but I know how you feel.
I've cut my hair back to shoulders twice now since I've belonged to this forum out of frustration as I have thin hair, too.
I agree with the french twist, that and sock buns are how I usually wear my hair.
I would like to get enough length to do a decent braid, I can't french braid myself.
hs atreides -Protein treatments do give me some fullness temporarily.

[Cowgirl16]

I just tried something yesterday...I washed my hair, and didn't comb it trough. Usually I comb it wet and let it air dry, but yesterday I didn't. Turns out, I am more on the 3a side than on the 2c. My curls looked lovely, I slept with my hair down, since I didn't know what to do with the curls...I couldn't braid it, because that would have ruined my curls. But today I got tons of compliments on my hair:D It looks fuller, it has some hight from the roots. Yes it does look shorter, I guess it is because now the curls start to form closer to the roots. But I am happy with the results. And I hope in a couple of months I can achieve the long layered cut you all adviced me to get. Thank you all for your help and support.:flower:

YEAH! :cheer:I Sometimes less IS more:)

[bunzfan]

I have slightly thicker hair but when i had layers it made it look so thin, so don't loose heart your probably the only one that thinks your updo's and braids look thin:flower:

[invisiblebabe]

Having layers in the back doesn't help you gain more volume - it does the opposite. If you want your hair to look thicker, blunt cut in the back with possibly some face framing layers would work better.

My hair is a solid ii, but I disliked layers in the back on my own hair b/c I felt it made it thinner than I liked...