VERY fine hair - advice

[dontsqueezetheteabag]

I am afflicted with very fine hair. Have been all my life. This time of the year is a nightmare, static, wind, rain, tangles. It;s straight and its just below shoulder length at the moment.

I was growing it for a wedding I was at in Sep and now I dunno what to do with it.

I have had bob after bob after bob and to be honest I am bloody sick of bobs.

Help me..... pleeeease!

I need ideas for treatments, shampoo, conditioners, hairdressers ANYTHING!!!!

[CosyTeaBags]

I too have very fine, straight hair.

I've tried it long - it just looked lank and thin. I've tried it in a short bob - it's ok, but not full of volume like other people's seems to be.

I'm now sort of growing it out into a long bob. It's ok, but needs a full on blow dry to look half decent.

So I'm afraid I have the same problem as you, so don't have any great advice other than don't use any of those hair serum thingys. I have a lovely one that my hairdresser sold me, Tigi Bed head, it's gorgeous, smells of chocolate. If I put any on my hair, it looks like a greasy unwashed mess. The only way I can use it is to spray it on my hands, then lightly wipe a little over the most flyaway hairs. Any more than that, and it looks like it hasn't been washed for a week.

I've also found that shampoos that have that opaque pearly consistency tend to build up on my hair and it gets all claggy and greasy feeling. Clear shampoos are much better.

... Awaiting others who know about hair to come on with good advice....

[CherryColl1ns]

feeling the pain. I have very fine hair prone to frizzing, it's brittle and thin and it's the bane of my life. here's what helps...

sleep on a silk pillowcase. £35 john Lewis is where I get mine from. you wake up with non frizzy hair so that's a start.

stop using shampoo. I use it once a week and the rest of the time I just use conditioner. I was very skeptical about this at first - after all, how could I not wash it?! it works though

no serum. makes it worse ultimately

no silicone free stuff. makes it worse I find

mousse helps

tiny bit of liz earle hair oil helps

that's it

[TiredMule]

I have the same hair, I'm so jealous of people with lovely thick hair
I'm intrigued about the no shampoo, I'd thought that was just for curly hair, if it works for straight fine hair I might be brave and try it!

[dontsqueezetheteabag]

I am so glad I am not alone.

I use Aussie shampoo and have done for years. It does work nicely on my hair but EVERY day after a couple of hours my hair is lank and any volume I got when I blow dried it has well and truly gone!

It does dry VERY quickly which is great for getting ready quickly. The older I get the more I hate it.

My sister had a weave recently and I was tempted to get one too..... I think they can do a lot of damage though.

[CherryColl1ns]

I was desperate so tried it. Just went straight to conditioner . It makes a difference definitely

[CosyTeaBags]

Aussie was one of the ones that I got really bad build up with - my hair would feel greasy and lank within hours of washing too. Pantene has the same effect.

Try a clear shampoo and see if you can notice a difference.

Mine has gone very dry and brittle as I have to colour it monthly to hide my very grey hair. But at least it's less greasy! Oh, and my new 'white' hairs are thicker and more wiry than my old ones, so they stick straight up from my head.. nice.

On the plus side my friends with gorgeous thick hair always say they envy the fact that I can dry my hair in minutes. And, while their hair looks gorgeous when it's 'done', if it rains, it can cause havoc. I'd still kill for their hair though.

[NoGoatsToe]

So.... Do you put conditioner all over it and rub in like shampoo???? I usually have to keep conditioner well away from anywhere except my ends as my hair goes so lank and greasy if it goes near the roots?

[notapizzaeater]

Watching with interest. People always oooo over my baby soft hair, I hate it.

Was looking atone of those curly things f or Xmas but ont wantbo waste £110 if it won't hold

[rwepi]

I always had fine flyaway hair varying between bob and just longer than shoulder length.

You need to be brave, but the answer is to cut it short/really short.

[tinypolkadot]

I have this hair too, always hated it. I use the elvive shampoo and conditioner that comes in the black bottle with bright pink trim, its designed for fine hair and seems to not weigh it down too much.

Also had bobs all my life, no success with growing. I bought one of those metal barrel hairbrushes the hairdressers use when hairdrying and that has made a differnce to body and improved the look of my bob.

I also use volumiser spray at the roots, sometimes mousse.

[Pandsbear]

I have this hair. I hate it. I have no answers. I have tried the bob bob bob boring bob in many version over the years as well. I have just below shoulder length hair (through inertia and putting off finding a hairdresser) and I can't wear it down apart from the immediate 30 mins after a severe blow dry- it is too limp and thin and looks stringy at the ends.

However I wear it up and backcombed slightly/twisted round to conjure some semblance of volume. I am dithering about chopping it off again. I find dry shampoo can be helpful but irritates my scalp so I am not using that either at the moment.

Shampoo - have tried all sorts (waaah the expense). I can't really recommend any of them as a definite answer. They seem to work for a while and then they dry my hair out/make my head itch! At the moment I have Living Proof, some stinky pink Tigi stuff that I really don't recommend and SAMY Fat Hair (found it in Superdrug).

I wish I had lovely swishy thick hair.

[Chottie]

I have this hair too and I hate it too. I still can't deal with my hair even through I am over 50 I have tried all sorts of treatments and shampoos. I have had a zillion and one variations of the bob. I would love to have swishy, thick hair. Swishy hair looks young and healthy, my hair needs really, really tender care or else it looks like unravelled rope.

[carlywurly]

Ooh this is interesting. I've just started using Aussie at dps and thought today that my hair is lank, itchy and feels awful. I've always gone for clear shampoos before - aveda is lovely and even herbal essences works a treat. Think I'm going to have to abandon the Aussie.

Moroccan oil spray while wet and deep conditioner makes it incredibly soft, thick feeling and glossy on the other hand. Can't wait to wash it in that tomorrow

[biryani]

Very fine hair here too. I won't even contemplate a bob. What works for me is short, with choppy layers, and bleached highlights. Add gunk and it's just about ok.

[Eminybob]

I am another sufferer. Have had bobs for years but grew it out for a wedding. A couple of weeks ago I tried the mumsnet haircut and I have to say it has really given my hair volume!
Product wise I have tried absolutely every single fine hair variation available and I keep going back to John Frieda thickening lotion. Not perfect but better than most.

[fosterwallace]

It's just rubbish really isn't it? I have to have a bob, severely graduated at the back -looks great from the back but weather (any weather) makes the front look rubbish (or maybe it's my face that's the problem? ). Philip Kingsley yellow container shampoo does help though. And a hot air styler.

[ColouringInQueen]

Another vote for choppy layers, and highlights as the colour adds bulk to the hair itself.

I used Charles Worthington shampoo and conditioner moisture release I think its called which has been the best of many I've tried (Aussie stuff and many others build up to leave lank locks).

Also John Frieda thickening lotion, a tiny bit of texturizing gunk on the ends of layers and some rock solid hairspray if I'm going out!

Not perfect, but better....

It is not fun though is it!

[Roussette]

Definitely have your hair cut... I try hard to grow my hair too but it's FAR too fine to work longer. I use lots of products and gunk... this is VERY good www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003M0WB0M/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
but you shouldn't use it every day. Do youtube it and see how to use it... it works for me, especially in damp weather. The bottle is tiny but you only need to use the tiniest bit...

[DramaAlpaca]

Same here. I've always hated my hair. The only answer I've found, as others have said, is to go short. I've had pixie crops and bobs, but now it's somewhere between the two, a sort of long pixie. I also have highlights to give it a bit of texture. I've managed to find a great hairdresser with fine hair herself who really gets what it's like & knows how to make the best of it.

I don't like using any sort of treatment or gunk as it makes my hair feel greasy & I'm useless at blow drying. It needs washing every day, but at least it's quick & easy to dry.

The one thing I like about my hair is that it is really soft & silky, and I have no grey even though I'm approaching 50 (thank you mum & nan for that particular genetic blessing) .

[furryfriends57]

Fellow sufferer here its the bane of my life. I've spent an absolute fortune on every lotion and potion known to man but its still a drab mess. My only saving grace is it has a wave and I'm now trying to find a haircut that uses the wave to give it volume as have spent years cutting it out.
Aminybob I'm intrigued to hear about the MN haircut who knows it might just be the answer to all our prayers.

[Chottie]

Please, please share the MN haircut :)

[Eminybob]

The mn haircut is a revelation furry. You gather all your hair into a pony tail at the front of your head at your parting and lop it off. Google it there are you tube vids
It has given me nice choppy layers at the front which have made it lighter and bouncier. I am very impressed I have to say. Although I had to have a bit of Dutch courage before I attempted it!
Never going to the hairdressers again!

[pixiegumboot]

nioxin. get it. it works. and sali Hughes in the guardian recommended a couple of things this week.

[cerealqueen]

Dry shampoo is good inbetween washes. What about a root perm, would that help have toyed with the idea myself, just to get some lift at the roots.
I backcomb underneath layers sometimes.
I like John Frieda thickening spray when blow drying (upside down) and it does give me thicker hair.
Agree that layers / highlights help with giving texture.

[dontsqueezetheteabag]

Well, thanks ladies.

A root perm - may be worth a shot

Some highlights - might try that too

Dry Shampoo - my hair is lank again in 5 mins

Back combing - scary biscuits!!!

Alternative clear shampoos - I will try this

A bob - still trying to avoid!

MN haircut - oft!! Trying to avoid that also!

Well, us orphan haired ladies will just need to continue to strive for better, thicker hair.

Thank you for making me feel that I am not alone!