I want THICKER! Bigger strands & more hair in 2011!

[sensi sweetie]

Yesterday I went for a trim and a brow waxing and heard the words most dreaded by hair obsessed woman everywhere: "Is your hair falling out??"

It was like a knife in my heart. Now, my hair has been on what I consider then "thin side" for 2 years from previous neglect. For the last 6 mos I have been feeling great about my progress, never did I realize that someone else's words could qualify as a set back.

"Why??" I asked nervously

"I just thought your hair was thicker last time" She responded.


Hmm. I don't recall any hair loss. She does a lot of hair, perhaps she just has me confused with some other heads? Who knows?? But I am determine not to let it bring me down. If my hair had been falling out of thinning I think I would be the first to notice.

Anyways!

Always desperate to turn a negative situation into something positive, I am now on my THICKER hair journey. Forget long hair; my hair grows like a weed as is! But what is long hair if it is thin and scraggly???

Maintaining my hairs density is my problem. My individual hairs are super fine, and although I have alot of them, I wan't more to achieve the thick and lush head I so greatly desire.

Therefor, ladies in my position, this is a place to post and share tips, link to older threads, discuss supplements and methods as we all work torwards our ultimate goal of thicker hair

 

[SimplyBlessed]

Girl I'm going through the same thing...I'm focusing on protein, and henna to help with thickness...

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[JDenni81]

My hair can grow long too but it is thin. I began using Mega-Tek about a month ago. I stopped going to the Dominican salons for blow outs and instead do my own hair. I also use protein. My problem was that my hair WAS falling out. I found this out a week ago at the Dermatologist. She said I had dermatitis, so I am treating my scalp for that and she said my hair will begin to grow back. Good luck!!

 

[Tolle]

I haven't used any direct heat since 9-1-2010 and have noticed a difference. I henna'ed my hair and then put a jet black rinse over it and the difference was significant(yet temporary). Also, I have been adding castor oil to my deep conditioners. My hair was so scraggly before, I'm SO happy to finally start seeing some improvement.

 

[ladysaraii]

My hair can grow long too but it is thin. I began using Mega-Tek about a month ago. I stopped going to the Dominican salons for blow outs and instead do my own hair. I also use protein. My problem was that my hair WAS falling out. I found this out a week ago at the Dermatologist. She said I had dermatitis, so I am treating my scalp for that and she said my hair will begin to grow back. Good luck!!

Woul dyou mind sharing how you are treating your scalp for dermatitis?

Thanks

 

[JDenni81]

Woul dyou mind sharing how you are treating your scalp for dermatitis?

Thanks

I use a prescribed mousse on my scalp every night. I forget the name of it right now. It's at home. But its not greasy or anything and doesn't mess with my hair.

 

[JDenni81]

I haven't used any direct heat since 9-1-2010 and have noticed a difference. I henna'ed my hair and then put a jet black rinse over it and the difference was significant(yet temporary). Also, I have been adding castor oil to my deep conditioners. My hair was so scraggly before, I'm SO happy to finally start seeing some improvement.

Definitely want to try the castor oil.

 

[Krystle~Hime]

Oils are oils, but i've heard that castor oil is badly viscous.
do you think it can be apply as a leave-in on ends?
or it will leave hair too much tacky ??

 

[lovelexi]

I use castor oil mixed with an other less sticky oil as a pre-poo. I'm also using the shea moisture thickening shampoo. Whether it's actually thickening or not (too early to tell) I'm loving this shampoo. I plan to henna with indigo this year and I make sure to keep protein in my hair reggie. It is def helping.

 

[amwcah]

I do the following:

use castor oil on my hair and scalp
stretch my relaxers
don't relax bone straight
airdry

 

[Tif392002]

Before i went natural, i abused relxers hard... so thats where my thinning came from. but over the last year. I used castor oil, sulfur 8 and frenchees do gro grease alternatively ( i use the grese litley on my scalp), i also use aphoggee 2 mins for the protien regularly/// and i am finally seeing improvment. u have to be very consistent with the products tho and avoid heat. Now im using the Wild Growth oil and castor oil 3 times a week.

 

[Krystle~Hime]

Before i went natural, i abused relxers hard... so thats where my thinning came from. but over the last year. I used castor oil, sulfur 8 and frenchees do gro grease alternatively ( i use the grese litley on my scalp), i also use aphoggee 2 mins for the protien regularly/// and i am finally seeing improvment. u have to be very consistent with the products tho and avoid heat. Now im using the Wild Growth oil and castor oil 3 times a week.

u just apply it like sealing. or you have to rinse it out ?

 

[lilpooky]

Castor Oil. Period.

I already have thick hair, but I've been using castor oil, mixed with coconut oil (or your favorite oil) to seal my hair with after moisturizing the past couple of days, and I've noticed that my hair is a lot thicker!

What also helps...

I agree witht the other ladies when they said:

1. Stretching relaxers
2. Cutting down on flat iron
3. No brushing or combing (unless detangling with conditioner)
4. Low manipulations styles.
5. Protein diet
6. Biotin (lots of women use biotin for thickness)

That's about it.

 

[andromeda]

Here's a multi-pronged approach

diet: ensure that you have healthy diet, full of protein, water, water-rich veggies and other foods that are rich in the nutrients needed for hair. Also ensure your system is clean so these nutrients aren't wasted. I've read anecdotes on this forum of people noticing that their new growth was thicker and shinier after upping their protein and water intake and cutting back on carbs and processed foods.

follicle/scalp stimulation: Wake up your follicles and invigorate them. stimulate your scalp manually with massages and increase circulation through exercise.

scalp care: make sure you have good "soil" for your hair to grow in. healthy, clean scalp = healthy hair (I think most ladies on lhcf already have this on lock)

apply castor oil to the scalp and strands: it has a thickening effect on strands as they're growing in

henna: to give the appearance of thickening the strands that are already on your head - henna/lawsome deposits itself on the strands. I think cassia has the same effect, without the color.

moisture/protein balance and sealing

steaming: infusing the hair with water will help with moisture and can "plump" the strands. I think westndnbeauty reported that her hair felt thicker after doing a steam treatment.

gentle handling: keep the strands on your head by treating your hair like fine silk

protect the length of your hair, esp the ends: even if you manage to increase how thick your strands grow in, it's a constant battle to keep those cuticle layers preserved. If you take a single strand of hair from a lot of people, you'll observe that it thins out as you move away from the follicle towards the ends, the oldest part. This is also what can give people the appearance of thinning ends even if they don't have visibly split ends.

Here are some helpful threads:
Low Density Support Threads

Where have you seen improvements

Who has went from Fine to Thick hair..... I think there might a more recent thread with a similar topic, I'll try to find it

If you search keywords "thickened" "thickened strands", etc. maybe more threads will come up

 

[freecurl]

Yes, this has been my quest since like forever. I believe the castor oil may be helping somewhat, but its hard to tell. I will be lurking to see what else you all have come up with.

 

[*C00KIE*]

Products: ayurveda, cassia and (haitian) castor oil
Supplements: NAC, B5 (biotin and b-complex), and vitamin c for aborption.

 

[Tif392002]

u just apply it like sealing. or you have to rinse it out ?

I apply along the length like im sealing if its damp... (very lightly) but i put it on my scalp and ends any other time. u just need a little tho since it very thick.

 

[destine2grow]

I also want thicker hair. I apply castor oil 2 my scalp 3x a week and i also prepoo with castor oil. I plan to start adding it 2 my conditioners. I am also talking biotin!

 

[virtuenow]

Im going through the same thing. Someone told me my hair looked thinner than it did last year (my avatar pic)...And here I thought I was progressing. I examined and found the crown breakage, etc. So, yes, i am on a hair thickening/grow challenge. I will be using aloe vera juice/coconut oil pre-poos, and castor oil rinses.

 

[sensi sweetie]

Just got home and am thrilled to see all these replies!!

It is always good to know you are not alone, and stay positive ladies, there is a solution and we will find it!!

I will post my findings as I begin my research (right now!)

I am mainly focused on internal soulutions as opposed to topical.

I believe thinning hair may be stress/hormone/toxin related, which no amount of oiling or Dcing can resolve (at least in my case... But I will keep DCing etc as usual) I do not relax my hair or use heat often and take great care of my hair, therefor believe it may be an internal issue.

I started taking maca which will hopefully deter any hormonal hair loss. I am also purging myself of negativity starting today. I don't think we realize how much negative people/thoughts/situations effect our whole bodies.

 

[swgpec]

I have a similar issue however I am sure some of my thinning has to do with age (next year I will celebrate my 50th birthday). Doing a search for some products this past Aug. led me back to this board--so started reading and decided to try the following for my fine but dense strands.

Conditioner washes every two to three days
Megatek (which really helps with thickness)
Biotin

I am still trying to figure out how to attach pics--once I do I will show you Aug and Jan results. If you decide to go the megatek route please ensure that you are watching your protein moisture balance. HTH

 

[sensi sweetie]

Could someone tell me more about Megatek? It is for horses, correct? Is it a supplement?? I find it very intimidating for some reason.

 

[sensi sweetie]

I use a prescribed mousse on my scalp every night. I forget the name of it right now. It's at home. But its not greasy or anything and doesn't mess with my hair.

What are some symptoms for dermatitis besides hair loss?

 

[SunySydeofLyfe]

Me!! I really want thicker hair...subscribing....

 

[andromeda]

Just got home and am thrilled to see all these replies!!

It is always good to know you are not alone, and stay positive ladies, there is a solution and we will find it!!

I will post my findings as I begin my research (right now!)

I am mainly focused on internal soulutions as opposed to topical.

I believe thinning hair may be stress/hormone/toxin related, which no amount of oiling or Dcing can resolve (at least in my case... But I will keep DCing etc as usual) I do not relax my hair or use heat often and take great care of my hair, therefor believe it may be an internal issue.

I started taking maca which will hopefully deter any hormonal hair loss. I am also purging myself of negativity starting today. I don't think we realize how much negative people/thoughts/situations effect our whole bodies.

That's great that you're focusing on the internal side of it and taking a more holistic approach.

Here are some suggestions

- do a cleanse (doesn't have to be master cleanse, it can be fruits and veggies or even a liver detox using lemons)
- as stated before, ensure your diet is conducive to hair growth
- exercise
- meditate
- create a vision board - maybe with a pic of your own hair at its thickest and with other people's density progress and inspiration pics
- go to the doctor since you suspect it's an internal issue. I know that stress literally inflames the tissues of your body, triggers certain chemicals and can cause your hair to go into an abnormal resting phase. Of course you're already on the right track with doing your own research - it's always great to go into an appointment prepared with background info and an accounting of the symptoms that you're experiencing.



I'm pretty sure my hair has thinned out around my edges but I've not been willing to put in the work to reverse it. I've just been so hair lazy for the past few months. And since it's the winter, I'm less vigilant with water intake and exercise. On the upside, I've been manipulating my hair much less. I think I'll start doing my temple massages again, along with trying to get through my jug of water everyday.

 

[sensi sweetie]

That's great that you're focusing on the internal side of it and taking a more holistic approach.

Here are some suggestions

- do a cleanse (doesn't have to be master cleanse, it can be fruits and veggies or even a liver detox using lemons)
- as stated before, ensure your diet is conducive to hair growth
- exercise
- meditate
- create a vision board - maybe with a pic of your own hair at its thickest and with other people's density progress and inspiration pics
- go to the doctor since you suspect it's an internal issue. I know that stress literally inflames the tissues of your body, triggers certain chemicals and can cause your hair to go into an abnormal resting phase. Of course you're already on the right track with doing your own research - it's always great to go into an appointment prepared with background info and an accounting of the symptoms that you're experiencing.



I'm pretty sure my hair has thinned out around my edges but I've not been willing to put in the work to reverse it. I've just been so hair lazy for the past few months. And since it's the winter, I'm less vigilant with water intake and exercise. On the upside, I've been manipulating my hair much less. I think I'll start doing my temple massages again, along with trying to get through my jug of water everyday.

Thank you for the response! I will deff see a GP in the near future if I notice unusual hair loss, but honestly, my hair has been thin for a while... I just don't think my stylist noticed it before. Most of my hair loss was about a year ago which I am still recovering from.

See, after having wisdom teeth surgery in July of 09 along with bad hair habits, I lost alot of hair. Breakage AND from the root. It was quite traumatic, and my crown area became very thin (from always having it in a damn ponytail!) I was in shambles and my self conscious was a wreck.

Since then I have been extremely hair conscious and the health of my hair has improved ALOT! My crown has filled in nicely and continues to improve and I have learned how to retain healthy, shiny growth.... Thank you for mentioning the vision board and stuff btw I was just telling my dad and SO that I need to get back to my positive manifesting ways because I have let negativity infiltrate my life lately.. The vision board is a great idea. I planned on making one but never thought to include a head of hair on there I like the idea though. LOL

I am considering trying megatek as well as giving biotin another go. I also started drinking ALOT of green tea and detox tea (yogi brand) and believe that if I work on improving the health of my own body my hair will follow. That goes for everyone

 

[Loverain]

As many women have already posted castor oil is the cure. This stuff is amazing I am in the bunning challenge so I am able to apply alot of castor to my hair. I can see a major difference in my individual strands. I think thicker strands are stronger strands and healthier.

 

[swgpec]

Sweet yes Megatek is marketed for horses however after reading numerous post and talking to the lady at the equestrian store where I purchased my megatek I decided to go with the Megatek. OCT (same ingredients as megatek) is another growth aid that some of the members use however it is much more expensive and reports of increased growth as opposed to thickness. I am concerned about growth but when I started this HHJ in Aug of 10 healthy hair was my primary concern. The pic on the left is from Aug 2010 and the right pic is from last week after airdrying.

 

[swgpec]

Not very good at this posting stuff but I'm getting the hang of it... hope I am not becoming annoying. I forgot to mention the main product that I think has really helped the overall health and thickness of my hair is henna. I was looking for an alternative to color rinses and started experimenting with henna after reading about the rave reviews. I contacted Henna Sooq (a member on this board) and she answered my questions so I started using Jamila henna. From one washing I noticed the heaviness and just how dramatically different (good) my hair felt. Initially I ordered Henna and Katam for brown tones, but recently I ordered the indigo and Amla powder.

 

[kiesha8185]

I know a lot of women find success with biotin and drinking carrot juice. They say it increases the actual thickness of the hair strand, which gives hair more thickness.