I’m constantly preaching about how much I love my hair extensions, but back in January I decided to go au naturale and let my real hair grow out for a bit. Why? Why would I ever give up long, thick hair? Well, for starters, after about eight months straight of having the best extensions ever (keratin-tip, I’m telling you), I started to get nervous about how short/damaged my real hair was underneath everything. Luckily, the keratin-tip hair extension process is pretty gentle (as long as you take care of your extensions) so I really only had about an inch of split ends once they were out…and that’s basically like just not getting a hair cut for that long- no biggie.
Over the years I’ve MASTERED the art of my fine hair and how to beat what I annoyingly ended up with but, hey, I’ve got PLENTY of other amazing qualities, thankyouverymuch. Here are a few of my trade secrets for fine hair…
Tip one: NEVER, I repeat NEVER get layers. I’ve been fooled more than once by very convincing hair stylists who tried to tell me that it will bring “body” and “fullness” to my hair. They are morons. When you have fine hair, you need to keep ALL THE HAIR THAT YOU CAN. Why would you ever cut some away in the back of your head? UGH, can you tell I’m bitter? I still have one layer growing out…never again.
Tip two: Try a blunt cut (but just for your ends). The blunt cut is all the rage right now but, regardless, I’ve found blunt ends to be the most generous, as far as volume goes. Don’t let your stylist do a “razor cut” on you (trust me on this) because that will really just make your ends look even thinner and frizzy. If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say “blunt ends,” this photo will help. You want a straight line at the ends of your hair!
Tip three: Absolutely try hair extensions and/or clip-in extensions. Like I said, I PREACH about my hair extensions but if that’s too pricey for you, or you just don’t want foreign objects glued into your hair (hey, I get it), then clip-ins are a great option. You can wear them whenever you want and then take them off before bed at night. The one thing I WILL say (cause this is Real Talk, after all) is that they can get kind of heavy on your head…I can feel mine after an hour or so and they annoy me. But hey, #thickhairdontcare.
Tip four: Eat your protein. A few years ago I was so concerned about my fine (and basically, at that point, thinning hair) that I saw a trichologist, e.g. a hair and scalp doctor. Yes, that does exist, and no, a visit is not covered by most insurance companies (assholes). The doctor did an examination of my scalp and hair and then told me to get blood work done. We essentially discovered that even though my iron level was in the normal range, it was a little on the low side as far as follicular health (e.g. hair problems) was concerned. To remedy this, my doctor told me I had to eat at least 4 oz. of protein with every meal (which I absolutely wasn’t doing), and also take a multi-vitamin that has at least 18mg of iron, which I SHOULD have been doing anyway, but clearly wasn’t. Oops. After a few moths, I saw a HUGE diference in my hair strength and thickness which just goes to show you, you gotta eat that protein, girl. I also started taking the supplement Viviscal, which everyone swears by, and I’m convinced also really works. Seriously, my stylist tells me she sees new hair growth EVERY time I get a cut.
Tip five: Use a clarifying shampoo. Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three has been a favorite for years. You wanna use a clarifying shampoo about once a week to just really clean your scalp because when hair follicles are blocked by dead skin cells, debris, product build up, etc. well…the hair can’t grow.
Tip six: Here’s my big secret…men’s Rogaine. I’m serious. The trichologist told me to try Rogaine and made a specific point to tell me to use the MEN’S version, since it has a stronger dose of Minoxidil, the main ingredient that stops hair loss. “Um…but how come it says women shouldn’t use it?” I asked. The doctor told me to use the men’s version as long as I don’t see any weird facial hair growth…and if/when I did see something weird, switch to the women’s version. I’m sure the people at Rogaine are freaking out right now, but it works for me!
Lastly, here’s an old post I did on how to do a really chic low pony tail for fine hair. Enjoy.
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Working in certain areas .out of 5 starsI seatrtd using womens rogaine in Jan. 09. I had a HUGE initial shed. It lasted for about a month, and at the end of it, there was a definite new thinness to my head. After this initial nightmare, shedding completely stopped! Woo hoo! I saw new sprouts coming up at about three months in, and things were great! This continued for two months(approx. till June), and then the shedding began again with a vengance. It continued all summer long, with handfuls coming out every day. I’ve perservered with applying the liquid, faithfully, everyday, and I’m determined to use it for the full year that is recommended. It’s now December (11 months and counting). The only improvements that I have really seen are at my temples. This area has definitely filled back in. I have not been officially diagnosed via testing .but my dermatologist pretty much thought it was hereditary. I’m of the feeling that it’s a combination of genetics/telogen effluvium. Anyway, my temples had very little hair left, in a sort of triangle shape toward the back of my head. This area is now completely filled in. However, the rest of my head ..well, the top/back is beyond thin .much worse than when I seatrtd. I’m 38 years old and getting to the point that I am now balding. I am unwilling to move up to the Mens Rogaine, as many recommend. I must mention as well that the hair on my arms has darkened a bit, and you must be super careful when applying it (if your hair is really thin, it will quickly run), or you will end up with unwanted hair on your face. I can’t say that I would definitely recommend this product. I know it works for some, but for me, the extra thinning was not worth it.
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You said it right, those who have thin, fine hair and don’t want to use chemicals must go for clip-in extensions. My hair is very thin. I have been using ZALA hair clip-ins (https://www.zalacliphairextensions.com.au/) for the last few months to add length and volume to my hair, without damaging it!