Being 77 year old, my hair is thinning. I can't afford Joan Rivers Cosmetic Hair Color to fill in the thinning area so I tried using my dry powder eyebrow color on my scalp, just like she does on her TV ad. It did a pretty good job of coverage. My hair is light brown almost dark blond.
By Shirley from Mesa, AZ
This page contains the following solutions.
When one of my daughters was little, she had very wispy, very fine hair. A pharmacist recommended Biotin.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My mom's hair is really starting to fall out from chemotherapy. She doesn't want to get a wig(this climate's very hot and humid and wigs can be uncomfortable). Do those horse shampoos really make hair look thicker? They're kind of expensive and mom doesn't want to try until she knows. Or does anybody know of another solution? Any help would be appreciated.
The mane and tails shampoo does tend to make your hair thicker and softer...and smells good! :)
But losing hair is one side effect of chemo, so the shampoo wont really help.
Good luck to your mom and family. God bless
There are thickening agents - and you can also color the areas beneath the thin spots to disguise the hair loss (makeup? - colored hairspray??) Try to use hats/scarves/headbands, etc to disguise the hairloss, too - Maybe she could wear what they used to call a "Fall" attached to a headband that wouldn't be as hot as a full wig...
i have some friends that have had wigs and they were not as bad as they thought they would be. it is getting cooler now or should be maybe she could try a wig then.
My girlfriend wore an outrageous pink beehive wig when she felt like wearing a wig. The rest of the time she wore a wrap that had a fake pony tail and bangs in it, which she made herself (it was just as easy as poking hair pieces into any old scarf or hat). Every wig place will let you try one on and see how much more comfortable they are nowadays. My local feedstore once in a while has free sample size bottles of the horsey products, but less often than they used to.
Hi Joan from another Joan in the desert of southern California. I fully sympathize your mother as I'm just now getting my hair back. By Mar 15 I resembled a cue ball, fight as I would, chemo takes all your hair away. There was no eyebrows, nothing! The first month I was able to stand wigs as it was relatively cool here but by mid-May our temp was around 110 everyday and I have a terrible problem with my head perspiring. I did wear wigs to go out of the house to the Dr, radiation etc. but mostly I wore turbans. If your mom sews go to www.headhuggers.org/
I never found them to work. My son inherited his fine hair from me and has tried all his life for thicker hair. It never worked for him. So he had his daughter try it, and it did not do any better for her. Save your money.
PLEASE, don't try this! I used to use it and it made my hair fall out! My hair is past my knees and thin now thanks to Mane and Tail Conditioner. It does make your hair gorgeous and really soft, but I think it makes is so soft that it actually falls out.
I think cotton turbans look great. You can make a whole wardrobe of them in different colors and patterns, and they're lightweight and washable. Baseball caps come in lots of pretty colors too. I like the idea of attaching bangs to the front. Your mom can experiment with different looks.
I don't know about that - I tried the drugstore brand once and it left my hair like straw. But I had heard it was wonderful.
My hair started falling out because of hypothyroidism a few years back. It also became thin, sparse, frizzy - like an 80 year old woman. It was awful.
I have always been interested in herbs and read in my herb book that horsetail was good for 'growing' hair. They also mentioned other herbs, but I tried horsetail three times a day.
Really and truly, my hair actually started to grow back. Literally. My hairdresser was amazed and so was I. Another lady at my salon heard what I was talking about and she tried it and it worked for her too. However, another lady tried it and it didn't work for her.
There are herbs other than horsetail that were shown in my book also.
Good luck and God bless you.
I am a stylist and honestly the best thing for thinning hair is Nioxin. You can get it from your stylist or around here, we have stores called Trade Secret that sell it. It is expensive but it really does work! Also taking the vitamin biotin will help as well.
What the horse shampoos do is expand the cuticle of the hair, which in turn leaves the hair shaft open and doesn't reflect light, that makes the hair look dull. What I would recommend is a product called nioxin, which is a 3 part system that stimulates new cell growth to the root of the hair. It is not inexpensive. I have seen it work, in the salon on a client.
I personally have never tried it, but worked with a nurse who did use Horse Shampoo because she had thin hair and
her hair was beautiful thick and soft undeniably so.
I've used Horse Shampoo all through out high school. My hair was absolutely beautiful, soft and shiny with no frizzes. BUT it thinned out! As for the chemo...unfortunately more hair will fall out. My best friend's aunt had lost her hair from chemo. She bought a wig which did not do her justice. So she used hats and scarves to cover her head. That was over 13 yrs ago. When we talked about it recently, she said that the wigs that are sold today are 10x better (beautiful and more realistic and comfortable to wear).
Good luck! May God bless you and your family!
Two websites to look at: www.scalpmed.com and www.thymuskin.com. These products are pricey, but so worth it. Best of wishes to your mother.
Tell your mom not to wash her hair every day. Take a spray bottle with water and let it set for a couple of days and use that on her hair and comb thru. I was taking a medicine that made my hair fall out and I do this and my hair grew back in in a year. Shampoo has chemicals in it that cause hair to dry out and can make it brittle. Washing your hair once a week is all the hair needs to be clean. If your mom lets the natural oils build up in the hair this should help stop the stress on the hair folicule. The medicine she is taking causes stress for your hair and then when you wash it with shampoo makes it worse. I wash my hair once a week and use the water in a spray bottle the rest of the weak use a brush that has wide set bristles as not to pull the hair. Also stay away from putting it in pony tail holders and a short cut will take the weight off the hair folicule and it won't be as noticeable the loss of hair. Also take a vitamin pill daily...To replenish minerals lost from being ill. Hope this helps. I will pray for your mother and hope she will get better. God bless.
Does anyone know of something that really works and is really good to plump up thinning hair in women?
By Sharon
Some time ago "Consumer Report's" magazine did research on a couple different shampoos that claimed to make thin hair thicker. They found that the only one that really did what the company claimed to do is Amplify shampoo which is a Matrix product. I use it and it does work. None of the salons here carry it so I made arrangements for a salon to get it for me from a beauty supply place. The beauty supply place would only sell directly to a licensed beautician. I paid $10 for a 13.5 oz. bottle. Since I shampoo twice, I use Amplify for my second shampoo only and it seems to last forever. "Consumer's" also tested a Redkin product but it did not perform as well as Amplify.
(We received this from Betty as well...)
Last week I answered this question with my recommendation of using Amplify shampoo which is made by Matrix. The very next day I opened my September issue of "Consumer Reports" to their article on shampoos. In it they discuss briefly the shampoos that claim to give more fullness to hair. They feel that just shampooing hair helps to plump it up some. However, they say that Pantene Pro-V Ultra V Shampoo Plus Conditioner for normal hair is "moderately effective."
Betty
I don't have a formula to plump up thinning hair, but I do know that most women need a vitamin E supplement, a B-complex vitamin, and LOTS of fresh water (8 glasses of 8 ounces each) DAILY to keep their hair and skin healthy. That might be a good place to start!
Ness
One thing you don't want to do is use lots of conditioner because this weighs the hair down. I have found that volumnizing shampoo works great and after rinsing your hair use a reconstruction spray that can be purchased from a beauty supply house, then set on rollers and dry, you should have the appearance of plumper hair! It sure helped my bad hair days. I got this tip while on a cruise ship recently when they held a "bad hair day" session.
Ms. Syd Barr - Dunkirk, MD
To increase the volume of hair, a second rinse with plain beer works well.
Karin from Holland
I use "Guts" by Redken, this is an excellent product and the amount of volume is wonderful. It is a little pricey but well worth it. You can purchase it at hair salons, if you know someone who has their beautician's license and will purchase stuff for you have them get it for you. It's quite a bit cheaper than buying it at the salon.
Myndy
I used Toppik hair building fibers by Spencer Forrest. Little fibers bond to your hair and give it body as well as cover thinning spots. I also like a wax type product like Definition which lightly touched to clean dry hair makes it stay better than hair spray. Good luck
volumax freeze spray plumps up hair. But vitamins are what your body needs for healthy hair.
I cant tell you one thing tht work for my hair is Kazam Royal Hair treatement oil , I recommended it to my friends they loved it, my hair got fluffier and shiny, one of my friends had dandruff probems and she was able to prevent it by moisturing her hair with this great ol.
The oil is made out of natural and organic ingredients, excellent herbs and great liquid butters such as shea butter , it even has vitamins.
I'm sick of chemicals and products that never work, this one is a miracle I can telly you this!
Well I know what works for me, I dont need "consumer report" to tell me.
I use Top Brass Thickening on my thin hair and it is very thick and healthy along with my hair vitamins.
Good luck
This is a subject very near & dear to my heart! My natural hair is very silky and lays flat against my head. For many years I've colored my hair just to get the volume {I used to try perms but the 'look' just isn't me}. Then somewhere along the way I discovered when I used thinning shears on the hair on top of my head it made my hair 'fluffy'. Take each strand of hair and make a snip about 2 inches from the scalp, go out about 4 inches & do it again. This probably sounds crazy to be thinning the hair when it's already too thin, but it works by fluffing up the hair near the head, making it look fuller. (Just don't get carried away & snip TOO much). It doesn't cost a thing, after the initial cost of the shears [which you can get at Wal-Mart for about $8], plus there's no chemicals involved. Also, in the Farmers Almanac, it says if you trim the ends of your hair on the day of a full-moon it will grow thicker. (this isn't hocus-pocus; the moon has 'pull' over the water on earth, the tides & such, and our bodies are like 75% water ) . Good Luck :)
I have fine, very straight hair. I would like to know which root lift products are best for giving it more lift and volume. I do use volume shampoos and they help.
By jch
I have thin, lifeless, hair with no body. I wear it short. Does anybody have any suggestions to give body to my hair?
Thqnks,
Judy Fom Texas
Try putting gel in your hair while it's still wet, then blow it dry on low heat and use a pick to lift it up while drying it. When it's almost dry, flip your head over and blow it dry still picking it with the pick. Then try spraying it with some light-weight hair spray. Good luck! I hope this works!
Also, try wearing your hair in layers. Have your stylist cut your layers with the razor.
BrookesMommy's advice was good. Also, don't use shampoo for dry hair, or mositurizers. They soften hair.
You're not going to belive this but it works. Mix a packet of birth control pills into a bottle of shampoo. Use the shampoo like you normaly do. Before the bottle is finished, you will see new, fuller hair starting to grow. I learn this from a nurse who worked in the geriactric dept.
You might try adding a tablespoon of baking soda to water in a small spray bottle. Spray on slightly damp hair and aim for the roots. It gives you great "beach hair" that is full of texture.
You might want to try a hot oil treatment with some Monoi Oil as well. Its great for cleaning your scalp as well as giving over stressed or thin hair life.
Hey my name is summer. I am a model so my modeling agency makes sure i take good care of my hair. I used to have short lifeless hair just like you. It wasnt super short but it was ... medium short. What they told me to do was wash it with maximum strength shampoo and conditioner every other day. I used dove. It worked really good. Then after every shower i would blowdry my hair then spray on leave in conditioner and thickening spray. It left my hair looking shiny, soft, and full of life. So thats an idea for you. Thanks for listening. If you wanna ask me any questions you can email me at model_hottie2468 @ yahoo.com (remove spaces)
Pour a small amount (however strong you can stand)of apple cider vinegar into a small jar (any leftover face cream jar will do) of water and keep in bathroom. After showering use qtip, dip frequently and massage your whole scalp with this mixture. Use continuously after every shower. Also helps with dandruff problem. The smell is quite strong so dilute solution until it' weaker or try putting it half hour or hour earlier and then wash it out. It just doesn't give you volume; it increases thickness of hair. My sister who's had thin hair her whole life started this 2 years ago. She first noticed that it gave her more volume but now 2 years later, when she wears her hair in a ponytail the thickness is the same as mine. Quite dramatic.
bottle of IPA 70% rub with cotton balls and then apply sulfur 8 medicated on scalp. IPA does the cleaning and opens the fol
What can I use for my hair to make it thicker. I have tried everything I see that's a hair thickening product, but no results. I'm feeling so hopeless when it comes to my hair. Everything I try seems to me that I'm only wasting my money on hopeless capsules and treatments. Please help. My hair is so thin that you can even see my scalp. It's very embarrassing for me to go out when I'm looking like this. It breaks my heart. Please tell me what to mix or anything. Please, I'm very desperate. I have straight hair, but it's too thin.
By Casline from South Africa
My daughter is 8 years old and she has very fine, thin hair. It grows slowly and breaks, it does not grow long. Please give me advice. I sometimes think maybe it might be the shampoo that's too strong for her.
By Milla
Does the use of horse shampoo such as Equiline cause greying of hair when used on humans? If it does what causes it? Is there a specific way to use horse shampoos for the treatment of thin and falling hair as when I used it it made my hair very hard?
By Z.E from Johannesburg, SA
I once had thick shoulder length hair, but I have lost most of my hair and its thickness due to hair extension glue. I have been trying to grow it back, but no results. Please help.
By Thawer
I think I need a perm as my hair is very thin and fine. However is perming hair bad for falling hair? Will perming hair cause further loss? I need volume at the top to conceal my scalp. Wearing a wig is uncomfortable for hot weather conditions and it looks unreal.
By Tan BH
My hair is too fine and thin. What can I do to make it thicker and strong?
By Siphosethu
My question is to the person who mentioned that eating walnuts helps your hair, do you mean fresh, or packaged walnuts, does it make any difference? Thanks.
By Anne
This is a page about thinning hair after hysterectomy. Hormonal changes after a hysterectomy can cause numerous side effects. One of those side effects can be hair thinning.
This is a page about adding volume to thin or fine hair. When hair is fine or thin you may find ways to style it or some hair products to make it look fuller.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I find that when I apply strong black coffee to the area, my scalp is tinted a light brown, which blends in with my hair and disguises the thin section!
I am a middle-aged woman. Does anyone have tricks to camophlage thinning hair on the top (crown) and front hairline?
