How to thicken hair - any natural ways?

[GiggleBirds]

I have really really thin hair and want to thicken it somehow. I'm wondering if there's any way to coat it or do something to somehow get it to grow thicker?

Also, I've never used mousse, but is that its purpose; to get hair fuller looking? Are there any natural mousses?

[Spastica]

Using baking soda with your regular shampoo helps make it look fuller - and just condition the ends of your hair. Adding oat flour or better yet, the oat flour water (it turns into, slightly slimy cloudy water) to your shampoo also helps. You can also look for thickening shampoos that contain silk protein or oat flour (ingredient list may say Avena sativa). Be careful of too much stuff though - too much 'thickening' stuff may weigh down your hair too and make it look limp.

Not weighing down your hair is key - use a lightweight or detangling conditioner instead of a super moisturizing one.

And yes, mousses and gels help thicken your hair temporarily to fill in the cracks of your hair and give it body.

I also blow dry my hair with low heat, high blast and flip my head upside down and use a vented brush to give my roots some lift.

[sedalbj]

you could try supplements, maybe biotin and epo?

[ubervegan]

Henna!

Henna, even if you apply one that will not change your hair color, will thicken, shine and give great body and bounce to your hair!
It's a little tougher then most, considering the weight time, but if you do it, you won't go back! I have naturally thick hair, and when I did my henna the first time, I was almost appalled at how thick my hair was! It coats the hair strand by strand and glosses it over, deep conditions it, and can even color it.
One misconception is that henna will make your hair red. Keep in mind that most henna will NOT turn your hair red, unless of course you wrap it with saran wrap.
Fun activity to share with your kids!

The best henna is here:
www.lush.com
I swear by all their products!

[Garden~Lover]

what is EPO?

[DanishMom]

Washing your hair with soap nuts is amazing. It gives the hair more body just as it ads volume to your laundry. And you don't need a conditioner at all. I think it is soooo much better than BS.

If you google soap nuts and hair wash you'll find out how much to use.

[thixle]

I haven't tried soapnuts, but... I thought I had fine, limp hair until I switched to no-poo with baking soda! So bouncy and shiny and full and thick and *sigh* lovely hair!

ps- i don't do a vinegar rinse or any other kind of special rinse. Just wash my hair with a TBSP of bs in a big cup of warm water and rinse it out with plain water.

[mk12]

Originally Posted by ubervegan

Henna, even if you apply one that will not change your hair color, will thicken, shine and give great body and bounce to your hair!
It's a little tougher then most, considering the weight time, but if you do it, you won't go back! I have naturally thick hair, and when I did my henna the first time, I was almost appalled at how thick my hair was! It coats the hair strand by strand and glosses it over, deep conditions it, and can even color it.
One misconception is that henna will make your hair red. Keep in mind that most henna will NOT turn your hair red, unless of course you wrap it with saran wrap.
Fun activity to share with your kids!

The best henna is here:
www.lush.com
I swear by all their products!

According to hennaforhair.com, all real henna turns hair red, although you can add things to it to change the color, like Indigo and Amla.

Neutral henna is normally Cassia Obovata (sp) and is not actually henna. It's from the senna family I think. It conditions hair without adding color, but not nearly as well as the henna that turns hair red.

Aubrey Organics has two products that contain a "Non-coloring Henna Extract" so perhaps they manage to extract the lawsone (sp) molecule from henna while keeping the conditioning properties? Although I think according to Hennaforhair, the lawsone is supposed to be responsible for both the red color and the conditioning. I meant to email AO to ask about it, but never seem to get around to it.

Red hair wouldn't work for me, so I'd love to learn more about any other real colorless henna options, Ubervegan.

Right now I usually just use Cassia Obovata & Chamomile once a month and often use the Aubrey Organics Egyptian Henna Rinse after conditioning with GPB conditioner. I LOVE that rinse - it gives my hair so much body!

That may be a good option if conditioner weighs your hair down too much - just use the Egyptian Henna Rinse after shampooing. I put it in an empty spray bottle that I keep in the shower, spray it on, leave it on for a few minutes, then briefly rinse.

I have read that some people use a bit of silk powder on their dry hair to make it look a bit thicker. I haven't tried it though. Silk powder has a lot of nourishing amino acids and other things that should be good for your hair.


ETA: A good supplement for improving your hair is Futurebiotics "30 Day Beauty Secret". I take it instead of a daily multiple, and I really like it. I think it reduced my excessive shedding and improved the condition of my hair a lot. Futurebiotics has another very popular product called "Hair, Skin & Nails" which is supposed to be very good also. I never tried that one.

[ian'smommaya]

subbing bbl

[homemommie]

Originally Posted by mk12

According to hennaforhair.com, all real henna turns hair red, although you can add things to it to change the color, like Indigo and Amla.

Neutral henna is normally Cassia Obovata (sp) and is not actually henna. It's from the senna family I think. It conditions hair without adding color, but not nearly as well as the henna that turns hair red.

Aubrey Organics has two products that contain a "Non-coloring Henna Extract" so perhaps they manage to extract the lawsone (sp) molecule from henna while keeping the conditioning properties? Although I think according to Hennaforhair, the lawsone is supposed to be responsible for both the red color and the conditioning. I meant to email AO to ask about it, but never seem to get around to it.

Red hair wouldn't work for me, so I'd love to learn more about any other real colorless henna options, Ubervegan.

Right now I usually just use Cassia Obovata & Chamomile once a month and often use the Aubrey Organics Egyptian Henna Rinse after conditioning with GPB conditioner. I LOVE that rinse - it gives my hair so much body!

That may be a good option if conditioner weighs your hair down too much - just use the Egyptian Henna Rinse after shampooing. I put it in an empty spray bottle that I keep in the shower, spray it on, leave it on for a few minutes, then briefly rinse.

I have read that some people use a bit of silk powder on their dry hair to make it look a bit thicker. I haven't tried it though. Silk powder has a lot of nourishing amino acids and other things that should be good for your hair.


ETA: A good supplement for improving your hair is Futurebiotics "30 Day Beauty Secret". I take it instead of a daily multiple, and I really like it. I think it reduced my excessive shedding and improved the condition of my hair a lot. Futurebiotics has another very popular product called "Hair, Skin & Nails" which is supposed to be very good also. I never tried that one.

Good to know! I've been toying with using henna on my hair. I might go ahead and order some after next payday.

[Teenytoona]

Originally Posted by thixle

I haven't tried soapnuts, but... I thought I had fine, limp hair until I switched to no-poo with baking soda! So bouncy and shiny and full and thick and *sigh* lovely hair!

ps- i don't do a vinegar rinse or any other kind of special rinse. Just wash my hair with a TBSP of bs in a big cup of warm water and rinse it out with plain water.

Same here! Except I do an occasional ACV/Water rinse (about noce every 3-4 times).

[DanishMom]

Originally Posted by ubervegan

Henna, even if you apply one that will not change your hair color, will thicken, shine and give great body and bounce to your hair!
It's a little tougher then most, considering the weight time, but if you do it, you won't go back! I have naturally thick hair, and when I did my henna the first time, I was almost appalled at how thick my hair was! It coats the hair strand by strand and glosses it over, deep conditions it, and can even color it.
One misconception is that henna will make your hair red. Keep in mind that most henna will NOT turn your hair red, unless of course you wrap it with saran wrap.
Fun activity to share with your kids!

The best henna is here:
www.lush.com
I swear by all their products!

I tried colorless henna a few years ago. My hair is blond and the color did change. I have been told that's common for very light brown or blond hair

[nathansmum]

I have been shampooless for almost 2yrs and WOW my hair is way thicker than I ever imagined it could be (I use baking soda and ACV). I've got fine hair, but the BS keeps it really light and the vinegar tones down any frizzies. In fact I thought I always had annoying wavy hair that I needed to straigten, but I've discovered I actually have curly hair!

[~Mom2thhts~]

Originally Posted by nathansmum

I have been shampooless for almost 2yrs and WOW my hair is way thicker than I ever imagined it could be (I use baking soda and ACV). I've got fine hair, but the BS keeps it really light and the vinegar tones down any frizzies. In fact I thought I always had annoying wavy hair that I needed to straigten, but I've discovered I actually have curly hair!

What is ACV? Can anybody tell how they use stuff like baking soda? Do you leave it dry or do you make it in a paste? What do you use for conditioner?

Sorry if these are really dumb questions. Im just trying to figure out how this works in the shower!! I would love to try this, but dont want to make a huge mess in the shower. And I would want to make it simple for my dh and dc!!

[thixle]

What is ACV? Can anybody tell how they use stuff like baking soda? Do you leave it dry or do you make it in a paste? What do you use for conditioner?

I have a plastic " keg party" cup in the shower. I put 1 TBSP baking soda in the cup, then fill it with warm water in the shower. I pour it on my hair, massage/scrub just like it is shampoo, then rinse, just like shampoo.
Don't use it dry or as a paste (by almost all accounts) because it will break your hair off. It is a mild abrasive, until it dissolves in water... But, some people DO use it dry. I just wouldn't even try....

ACV= apple cider vinegar-- it is the "conditioner" (aka conditioning rinse) a lot of people use after washing with BS... Usually a TBSP or 2 to a cup of warm water. I personally don't use it, because it makes my hair seem greasy- reacts with my water or something. But, it's great for a detangler and to tame fly away hair.

There is a HUGE thread somewhere around here...

[lightheart]

Get pregnant!!!! .... but then it comes out in clumps after baby is born

[marimara]

Originally Posted by lightheart

Get pregnant!!!! .... but then it comes out in clumps after baby is born

I was totally gonna say that too!

[onlyAngil]

Originally Posted by lightheart

Get pregnant!!!! .... but then it comes out in clumps after baby is born

Originally Posted by tumblingstar

I was totally gonna say that too!

me 3!

[Sweetiemommy]

Just wanted to say that even though I have been using dark chestnut brown henna to color my hair for over a year, it has not really made it thicker or fuller. Maybe it seemed that way in the beginning, but it is pretty much the same as it ever was. And by the way, the henna does not turn my hair red at all, it makes my 40% gray hair look lovely, like it has light brown highlights. I am really really happy with it.

[Smokering]

This has been said before, but as a redhead-by-henna--HENNA WILL COLOUR YOUR HAIR! Do NOT use it unless you want red hair. Really. The stuff is pretty nigh impossible to get rid of or dye over--it is permanent. Really permanent.

Real henna will dye your hair, and always produces a reddish-orange dye. Depending on your natural hair colour, the effect might range from bright neon orange (if you're a platinum blonde) to subtle maroon highlights (if you're a dark brunette). But any henna that claims to have an intrinsically different colour--like 'Auburn' or 'Chestnut' or 'Copper' options--is not pure henna, but a mixture of henna and other herbs (nd sometimes non-natural additives). I've used compound henna before, and in my experience the stuff is rubbish. The auburn, chestmut, golden brown and copper mixes all made exactly the same colour on my hair--a colour, curiously enough, like henna only somewhat muddied and less vivid. I've since experimented with real henna 'recipes' and additives, and believe that the only thing the additives in most compound henna do is water down the henna. Furthermore, compound hennas never made my hair feel thicker.

Then I discovered body art quality henna, which looked SO much better and did actually thicken my hair. And no, it doesn't require Saran wrap to work (although a plastic bag on the head does help with drips).

*steps off soapbox*

DH found his hair thickened up noticeably when he stopped using shampoo and conditioner. I *think* mine has too, although being hip-length, it takes longer for the effect to become visible! But I'm doing the glamorous post-partum shed right now, so... hmmph.