Severe Braid Thinning

[Peggy E.]

My hair is pretty long - I can sit on it, but I no longer measure it, not seeing the point. It has settled into true fairy tale ends, which actually looks pretty nice, but I never wear it down as I'm in the hospital bed most of the day and need to protect it.

Anyway, I see all these fantastic braids, and braids into buns (thinking about the Cameo Braid featured this month on the Challenge), but mine are pathetic!

They start out great - maybe four inches of thick, strong braid any soul would be proud to call their own. Then, splat, a tiny-thin going on forever plait - not really, more like small edging you might find on neckline or cuff.

No matter how long it gets, the thinness always starts at the same place, just goes on longer! I know when I do that Cameo Bun that the outside wrap braid won't be visible, just too thin. (

Anyone else have hair like this and, if so, have you been able to do anything about it, making that skinny long-long end any thicker?

[spidermom]

All I know to do is trim so that slower-growing hairs have a chance to catch up to faster growing hairs. This won't help if you don't have a very large percentage of long-growing hairs, though. Most terminal-length hair that I've seen has a very thin longest layer.

[Fairlight63]

I have the same problem with my braid thinning out as it gets longer (my hair is at 36") it looks pathetic! I usually wear it up because it is so thin.
I have been trimming my hair monthly just the very tips off, hoping to thicken it up some, it seems to be helping some what.

Sorry, I can't be of much more help, but just letting you know that I am in the same boat & will be watching this thread for any hints.

[heidi w.]

It's normal for hair to thin as it gets longer. Not ALL the volume is going to grow the full length. That's just the way it is.

Everyone has taper. The few that don't, they just got lucky. But when they get older, the taper will show more.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

The OP says she's in a hospital bed most days, so it implies she's on some drugs of some sort, and this could also be affecting the point at which the taper tapers...and how much volume she has.

Being sick and medicines can indeed affect hair.

Just do your best and be happy that you got long hair. There are lots of people who actually cannot grow overly long hair much as they may like to or try to.

In fact, in my 50s, and I'm 51, my hair is thinning a bit more it seems to me, but I still have pretty good volume and pretty hair otherwise. It's just part of the deal that as we get older, volume wanes. It's just part of the deal.

heidi w.

[Nini]

I've got fairytale ends, and my braid tapers quite a bit. Not so much that I worry about it or anything. It is the way it is

[Paranda Belle]

My hair thins out alot at the ends too. On the plus side, it makes tucking when doing buns alot easier!

If it bothers you, you could always briad in some false hair to make it look thicker at the ends.

[Madora]

Oh, yes, hair growth does wane as we age..at least on some people, myself included! However, since there's nothing I can do about it, I've just decided to worry about something else and let my hair do its own thing.