I used to find myself obsessing over the thought of having thick, beautiful hair. I would even get jealous of other girls, even some guys hair. I felt that my hair would never look like that. My hair is extremely fine, as a hairdresser once told me, “My one-year old has thicker hair than you.” To make matters worse it was constantly falling out. My thinning hair has been a problem that has plagued me most my life but; after some experimenting, tons of research and talking to several hair professionals, my hair is a lot healthier and looks a lot better do to simple changes. You can see results too. Everyone’s hair is different but there are options for everyone. Today I want to talk about quick ways to make your hair look thicker and all natural ways to treat it. Next post we will discuss when professional help is needed and what one’s options are.
What causes thinning hair?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the four main causes of thinning hair are heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions and medications. Stress is another sneaky trigger that can cause temporary hair loss. So what can we do to fix it?
All Natural Remedies
Proper Diet
To grow, hair needs protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. You can achieve this with a healthy diet and supplements. Along with my daily vitamin, I take Omega 3, and a probiotic. I recently added an iron and B12 supplement. All are good for your overall health, but has made my once lackluster hair stronger and healthier looking.
Stop Stressing
Sudden and chronic stress can not only make your hair fall out but actually halt hair growth. Think this may be contributing to your hair loss, read our old post about how to stop stress. (HOW TO PREVENT STRESS)
Castor Oil Treatment.
Twice a week make a hair mask with Castor Oil. It can be purchased almost everywhere. Castor oil has many great uses, one of them is increasing hair growth. Castor oil carries ricinoleic acid and omega- 6 essential fatty acids, which accelerate blood circulation to the scalp, hence increasing hair growth. I combine it with rose oil because I love the smell but you can mix with coconut, rosemary and jojoba oils. When applying, give yourself a 5 minute scalp massage; it will help stimulate hair growth. I tuck it all under a shower cap and leave it on for at least a few hours, the longer the better.
Daily Treatment options:
Leave in Conditioner
Use a daily leave in conditioner. It will help strengthen and protect your hair from any future damage and help treat problems that are already there. My favorite is It’s a 10. They have one for all hair types. I use It’s a 10 Lite, it’s perfect for fine hair.
Thickening Shampoos and Conditioners:
I personally think they don’t work. I have tried dozens, occasionally one will give my hair a little more lift but it usually will just flatten back down quickly. I recommend just finding one you like, that cleans and conditions well. Don’t worry if it says “thickening” or not, finding one that makes your hair healthy is the most important thing because it will decrease breakage. One of my favorites is a Milk-Clenz Conditioning Shampoo by Image. It is full of protein and deeply strengthens you hair, without making it oily.
Daily regrowth serums I have tried several hair regrowth serums and sprays and haven’t found one that really helps. That’s not to say none of them work or won’t work on you but I have had no luck. At the price I was spending I think it would have been better to invest in professional treatments at that point.
Quick tips on how to make your hair look more full
Don’t go the extension route. I used to put in clip-in extensions, not for the length but to make my hair appear thicker. It might have looked nice in photos but was damaging my hair. The weight of the extensions pulled down on my roots making it appear even thinner around the scalp and caused more breakage. For the appearance of full hair and to hide bald spots my favorite find has been Toppik. It’s a product consisting of hair rebuilding fibers that instantly bond and blend with your own hair. You might have seen the infomercial, but don’t let that scare you, I have been using it for years. It is amazing. It almost looks like ground hair, it comes in a little shaker can in every natural hair color, even gray. You just tap a little out and lightly spray it with a flexible hairspray or Toppik’s setting spray, then you’re all set. (https://gettoppik.com/) I can’t stress enough how much of a life saver this stuff has been. It really boosts my hair confidence. They sell it online and at beauty stores. I recommend trying Ulta because they have a great return policy if you need to switch colors. They also have testers at the store so you can try it out and make sure you get the right shade.
Mastering the art of a round brush.
Very easy to say but hard to do. With some practice you can create the look of full hair by giving yourself an at-home blow out. It took me a lot of practice, at first it was a real struggle reaching the back of my head, however after watching my hairdresser and countless YouTube videos I found my own way. I apply a light weight mousse to my wet roots and just take the blow dryer and round brush to the crown of my head. It definitely would be easier with a third hand but we aren’t so lucky. I section off the hair on top of my head and do it piece by piece. I set the blow dryer down in between sections, making sure my hair is on the brush correctly. You can do your whole head and it will look even better, but realistically most of don’t have this time so I stick with just the roots. Still too much work, go to a salon and get a professional blow-out treatment. This is also a good way to learn how to do it on your own. They can talk to you about what products and brush work well with your hair type. The Essentials Salon offers Thickening Treatments, Keratin Express Blowout, and Professional Styling Sessions. All great ways to learn more about styling based on your specific hair. They also have a great Anti-Aging Hair Treatment to fix hair that has suffered the effects of hormonal, environmental or chemical aging all factors that can contribute to hair loss.
Summer is winding down. The nights are getting cooler and joyful back-to-school thoughts are dancing in your head. As you look down at your chipped coral painted toe nails, you think to yourself, what color is next? It is in-between summer and fall, you’re dreaming about the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte but are still going to live in flip flops for a couple more months. It’s that awkward period where you don’t want to showcase bright summer hues any more but it’s definitely too early for those heavy, warm polishes we see displayed for autumn, already. Nail color is always marketed to us seasonally, which can leave one in a tizzy. Well there’s got to be something in-between. A happy medium of beautiful colors that works great for this time of year.