Ok - this is probably just vanity but it’s something that preys on me every day (especially when I wash it)

I used to have quite thick long hair until I gave birth 15 years ago, when most of it fell out and it has never grown back properly. What I am left with is very thin, breaks easily and looks awful. It’s supposed to be shoulder length (though I would love it to be longer!) and I tie it up all the time as it can’t be worn down - it has no weight or “swish”, but just frizzes at the ends. I did have it cut short once but it was just shorter and frizzed at the ends, and made me feel even less feminine.

I have tried just about every supplement/addition to diet/kind shampoo known to man to try to make it look better - my nails are fantastic after all the sunflower/pumpkin seeds etc! - but still no joy.

I was wondering if any of you had any secrets for gorgeous, healthy tresses that you could share with me? I know it’s vain but it makes me feel sad on a daily basis.

Thanks x

Where are you based hun?

Best thing you can do is to eat well, as well as the usual suspect biotin and sulphur are helpful to prevent hair loss and also to build healthy hair, zinc is also essential but you probably know that

Massage stimulate growth by bringing blood flow to the scalp, this makes hair grow faster and also stronger.  Can be done at any time, use the finger tips, start at the hairline spreading fingers between theears and front hairline, circle the fingers slightly and push a little bit each time you circle, gradually going towards the top of the head.  Then criss cross and pull back over the top and onto crown of the head.  This is lovely at the back of the head where a lot of tension is held as well.

When you apply conditioner, I have found Aussie 3 minute miracle to be amazing if your hair feels brittle.  Put a shower cap or plastic bag on your head and wrap in a towel, leave for half an hour or so.  The heat from your body builds up in the plastic and helps the conditioner work on the hair.

Rinse really well and give it a final rinse with cold water, this closes the cuticle layer on the hair which improves the shine and the strength of the hair, on the scalp it will increase blood flow and is one of the best ways to do this.  Wrap you hair in a towel and squeeze to get water out, don’t rub it, this damages the hair.  Leave wrapped in a towel for a bit and to dry natural if you can, leave in conditioner can be used if your hair can take it, my hair is very thick and coarse so benefits from this but thin hair would be overloaded.

Also think about what you do with you hair during the day or at night, putting the hair up repeatedly will break the hair, twisting or playing with your hair lots will also damage it and make it thinner.  I can normally tell when cutting hair if someone plays with their hair because it is much thinner on one side!

Vitamins are worth taking but need to be taken long term, but that’s up to you, I think it is better coming from your food.  Add an avocado to a green smoothie in the morning, use different oils when coming, etc.

Hope that helps, heaven help you when I start talking hairdressing lol…I tend to talk alot!
sarie

Thank you so much, Sarie - some of the suggestions are certainly new to me!

I have tended to steer away from the head massages etc as I have been a). conscious of someone touching my awful hair b). been worried it would make it fall out even faster than it usually does. I will bow to your wisdom and have a go. I’ll try the cold water treatment too.

I usually supplement a smoothie in the morning with wheatgrass, spirulina, maca and turmeric (for varying reasons) and do try to eat at least one avocado a week - think I will eat more (no difficulty as I lovvve them!). I often wonder whether my gynae issues continually affect my hair - no doctor has ever seemed to take me seriously on that though…

I take it that you do hairdressing? I haven’t actually had my hair cut professionally for two years - the last time I went and mentioned my ‘issues’ I was told that I should be grateful I wasn’t going through chemo! This made me feel ashamed…

I have been cutting my own fringe and even trimmed the worst off the ends… not good I know…

I am based in Devon - where are you?

In the midlands, yes in my days pre-caring for dh and pre-children I worked in a hairdressers in Bristol and as a make up artist/hairdresser.  But still cut hair now, I love giving head massages, find it really relaxing.  But distance ones aren’t quite so beneficial Wish we were closer!

Hope some of the blatherings help, I bet your hair doesn’t look as bad as it feels, it never does!  But feeling good isn’t vain it important for emotional balance and general well being too, remember you are great and it matters to spend time on yourself

sarie

I wish you were closer as well! bet you are brilliant at making people feel happier!

I shall try out your ideas and see what happens…

Maria x

I’m taking note of some of these things you have said Sarie…you know I am a hair twizzler/scalp scratcher and its even thinner since having Roo. Time to start looking after myself a bit more me thinks x

I’ve heard kelp suppliments help?

hope you find something soon xxxx

My hair makes me sad too.

It is now pretty long now, when wet nearly down to the top of my waist.  Dry its very wavy so just past my shoulder blades.  I love my hair being long, although I had forgotten how hot my mane makes the back of my neck!  lol.  Still, my hair is no good short, the frizziness and waviness means it’s unmanageable, and I do not have the disposition to style every single day.  (My idea of hell!).

I would love to wear it down more, as the waviness and yes even ringlets, is lovely but the frizziness means I mostly wear it up.
I’ve only used the hair dryer once this year (and probably twice last year?) as I normally leave it to dry naturally.  I bought a couple of those towel turbans, which are great.  I’ve gone from washing every day to once a week, which has improved the condition no end, but it’s still very frizzy.  I did use to only wash with bicarb and vinegar, but after a while I felt my hair wasn’t getting clean properly, and the heaviness of the oils on the hair felt icky..also I felt the bicarb was drying out my hair.

I suffer from itchy scalp so I did the other day buy some head and shoulders because the itchiness was getting on my nerves.  Used it once and it’s about week since I last washed my hair and no itchiness.  I’ve tried herbal/non paraben concoctions but they don’t work for me, my head still feels itchy after washing.
I rarely use conditioners because I find they make my hair greasy.
I do not use any styling products because again, makes my hair feel greasy or just really heavy.
I’ve started doing the cold final rinse, not much noticeable difference.
My hair is very grey, quite shiny, but with the mixture of silver and brown, and frizziness it just doesn’t look good down.  I have considered dying it again, but the amount of grey, and the porous nature of my hair means I’m dying every few weeks because the colour has faded so much and grey is showing through.  Again I’m not great on keeping up the dying, so the hair ends up looking a mess anyway.

To add colour, these days I make myself head scarfs/bands and wear those, often with my hair in two plaits.
Sometimes tho, it would be nice to wear my hair down and it NOT be frizzy.

Jx

When I was in India I had a lovely head massage where they used olive oil, massaged it into the hair and scalp, let it work for about 20 minutes or so before they washed my hair with a mild shampoo. It left my hair shiny and smooth for a long time:-)
I think the shampoo you use after the oil needs to be mild enough that it doesn’t dry out the hair, but obviously strong enough to wash out the oil.

After rinsing you could use a mild vinegar / water mix as a final rinse (instead of conditioner). My mother used this on my hair when I was a child. She learnt it from a French friend whose family had been doing it ‘forever’:-)
It works really well! It makes the hair smooth and shiny and manageable. I think she used white vinegar or apple vinegar.

Worth a try:-)

Wow! Loads of wonderful ideas! 

Thanks ladies - let’s hope something works!

xxx