If your hair is thin (not thinning), healthy ends, and bun damage

[Honeyhips]

Can you make it thicker? I guess you can make it appear thicker, but I'm not going to be able to make my hair denser am I? erplexed I've been looking at old pics and recent ones and I'm the only one in my family with thin hair. I was the first grandbaby but my cousins got the height, boobs, and thick hair. I was gypped.


Ok, I got my hair straightened, I do this once in a blue moon, and I haven't oiled my ends all week. I know, I know. I guess I never really oil my ends when it is curly either. So what do you all use to moisturize those ends? I would need two different products. One that is light to use when my hair is straight. And the other has to be able to penetrate my hair while it is curly. But I usually use a leave in, so I probably won't need it then.
What do you think? Is that enough to suffice?

I also damaged part of my edges from keeping my hair in a bun. It only took a few weeks. I think I know what I did. But that means I probably can't wear sleek buns... But this never happened before. I have gone a whole summer wearng sleek ponytails and buns. OK, so I don't know what I've been doing. My hair dresser said my hair looked great. She told me to keep doing what I was doing. Before I damaged the ends with buns because I kept rewetting the ponytail and not letting it dry. My hairdresser said that caused my hair to get moldy and break off b/c it was weak. *eww* I'm thinking about surging that spot, but it just might be easier to use castor oil. What wold you use for the traction alopecia? I'm guessing that is what it is. I might also be from stress.

My mother teased me b/c the spot isn't that big and probably only noticeable to me. Especially since she is now growing her hair back from chemo. I felt silly for complaining. But still. Ladies we know how we are when it comes to hair.
I know I always say this, but I have to get my diet right (now that I'm older), and I have to take better care of my hair. I just don't know where to start anymore. When I first went natural, I had all the oils, made my own stuff, knew what products were the best and which ingredients to avoid. Now there is a whole lot more to learn. Well it seems like it. I should have kept it up. Oh well, it'll all come back.

Sorry for the rambling. I bolded all of the questions in case you didn't feel like reading it all. Oh and yes, I am also doing a search of the forum.

 

[moneychaser]

Let me first start off saying that your hair is beautiful and you are not slick trying to sneek those pics in your advatar

I don't know if you can make your hair thicker but what has helped me is regular protein conditioners, surge, and B-5 supplements.
I think how often you moisturize depends on the hair really. Cathy Howse recommends moisturizing 2x a day with a water based moisturizer followed by oil to seal in that moisture. I think that is a bit much, especially if you use a good moisturizing conditioner. If I am trying to maintain my blowout, I only use NTM Serum. I don't worry about my hair being moisturized because I make sure I bring a very intense moisturizing conditioner with my when I go to the salon. Around day 5 after my blow-out I start using a light moisturizer like Phytosphefic 25 followed by Jojoba Oil. When wearing ponytails I use s-curl because I don't want to risk breakage rubbing a creme moisturizing on my ends.

I started a post awhile ago about hair molding but it mysteriously disappeared, but I think it is very possible thats why I let my hair plait my hair and let it air dry loosely before putting in a bun.

 

[Honeyhips]

Thanks Dana. So what did the vitamins and surge do for your hair?

I wasn't trying to be slick. I just wanted to join the crowd. Seriously. I was like, hey I can post pics now.

I'm going to try that with my buns. How long does it take for the plaits to dry? do you do this the night before.

 

[Nyambura]

I agree with Dana! Pantothenic Acid! 1000 mgs per day, split up into 500mgs/morning and 500mgs/night. I saw *considerable* a difference b/t touchups (I was relaxing every 12 weeks then). I don't know anyone that Pantothenic Acid hasn't worked for. Please give it a try. I'm wishing you the same successful results the rest of us have experienced.

 

[Honeyhips]

After searching the boards last nite, I added this to my list of things to research. What does it do? Once I get my desired result, do I have to continue taking it?

 

[Nyambura]

Pantothenic Acid thickens your hair (noticeably). I went from having an anorexic, rat's tail-looking set of pigtails to fat pigtails that took up a fistfull each. My hair stopped having that thin, lifeless look immediately after touchups. Instead, it was no longer plastered to my head but thick, full and, I know it sounds weird but, heavy. I hope that makes sense. So my hair was swinging post-touchup as opposed to that kind of lifeless fluttering it did before. And it wasn't due to overprocessing b/c I kept the same stylist and relaxer throughout.

I no longer take Pantothenic Acid regularly and my hair is still thick. BUT when I wanted to thicken my hair, I took it 2x/day (500 mgs morn/500 mgs night) for months - although the results were more immediate than that. I just didn't want to let go of a good thing, you know? Since being pregnant, though, I've curtailed pretty much all supplements except the prenatal multivit.

Hope this helped, Honeyhips! (If that's your hair in the avatar, your hair looks great!) Happy Hair Growing and good luck!

 

[Honeyhips]

Thanks Ny! That is exactly what I want. My cousins and sisters have the prettiest thick hair. It is always bouncy. Even when it is time for a touch up, and you can't get your hand through their hair. My hair, does what yours used to do. And when I wrap it, it is over. It is just thin and sits there. But my family is always telling me that I do not want thick hair, I should be thanking God for what I have. Hopefully I won't come back and ask how to thin my hair out? LOL So how long did it take before you noticed a difference?

Yes that is my hair. Thanks for the compliment.

 

[Nyambura]

You're welcome, chica! I noticed the difference between touchups (I was doing 12 week stretches back then). I got a touchup, came to the Board and whined, lol, and Jade 21 and Tracy suggested Pantothenic Acid in the dosages I posted. I haven't stopped thanking those wonderful ladies since!

 

[Lorraine]

HoneyHips, two products that *might* work for you are Emergence and Salerm 21. I used Emergence to mend my hair when it was breaking from my daily buns. I also applied Salerm 21 to my hair following a poo and condition. It's very light and allows me to straighten without applying any greasy or messy oils. Finally, each night I apply Surge UltraMaxx or UBH hair lotion/moisturizer to my entire head. I hope that helps.

Very beautiful avatar, by the way!

 

[Honeyhips]

Thanks Lorraine. What is UBH?

 

[Lorraine]

Thanks Lorraine. What is UBH?

It's Ultra Black Hair Publications. Thanks to Dana, I discovered it. It's good stuff, though the last batch I ordered was a bit different in texture. I like it because I can apply it to dry hair without it making my roots curl up.

 

[angellazette]

I may have to pick this up!

 

[Honeyhips]

So that is Cathy's site. I'm going to check all of these out.

 

[moneychaser]

B-5 & protein conditioning has thickened my hair substancially!!! Surge made it grow faster, allowing my top layers to catch up with the bottom giving it some added thickness too
I make one big fat plait after I was my hair and let it dry like that overnight, in the am I wrap an ouchless ponytail holder around the base, take the plait out and make a bun

Thanks Dana. So what did the vitamins and surge do for your hair?

I wasn't trying to be slick. I just wanted to join the crowd. Seriously. I was like, hey I can post pics now.

I'm going to try that with my buns. How long does it take for the plaits to dry? do you do this the night before.

 

[crml_buttafly]

thanks for posting this honeyhips


i had the same questions, i have everything except the pantothenic acid , so i 'm gonna add that to my regimen

 

[miss_brown]

HH - your hair is beautiful I love your new avatar, and I can't believe you've been holding out on us this long

Anyway, re your questions, I really don't think you can make your hair denser. I used B-5 for a while, but I never noticed that my hair strands were getting thicker (but my skin was definitely glowing and so soooooft). B-5 or a B-complex may work for your though. I'd probably try some type of thickening leave-in like Nexxus Headress (this would probably work really well when you wear your curly 'do).

To keep your hair moist after straightening, you can't use anything water based or it will cause your press to revert The best thing to do is make sure your hair is VERY well conditioned, apply a good leave in (Salerm is my current fave), use a heat protectant, and your hair should be fine. Just apply some serum (Alfa Parf is the BOMB) or a very light oil to your ends as needed, and that should work fine.

 

[Isis]

I haven't tried Pantothenic Acid (B5) yet, but I believe it when Nyambura and others say it works to thicken hair.

My hair is naturally thick but seems like it's become even thickerfor me by stretching relaxers and drinking 100% carrot juice daily. The Nexxus Headress Leave-In conditioner that Miss Brown mentioned makes hair look and feel thicker.

 

[LABETT]

When I first join the board my hair was really thin I started taking B5 did not really notice a difference until I started taking Biotin,doing conditioner washes ,Surge, stretching relaxer to 2 months and using Nexxus Cystine Treatment weekly followed by a moisturizing conditioner.
My hair has made 90 degree turn around from a year ago.

 

[Honeyhips]

I'm going to try this. My mother has been trying to get me to do this for years now.

I make one big fat plait after I was my hair and let it dry like that overnight, in the am I wrap an ouchless ponytail holder around the base, take the plait out and make a bun

HH - your hair is beautiful I love your new avatar, and I can't believe you've been holding out on us this long

Thank you! I am really lazy when it comes to taking pictures of my hair.

Thanks for the responses. I'll be trying a lot of new stuff.