Can we have a thread for those cursed with thin, fine, straight hair?

[QuimReaper]

My hair is honestly the bane of my life, and I've really lost my way with it.

I thought I'd cracked it a few years ago when I discovered heated rollers which gave it volume and shape but the shine's really worn off. It was great for a while but they absolutely wrecked my hair and now even though I've massively scaled back my usage, I have little broken bits of hair about a centimetre long all over the top of my head which looks horrific. They only lie flat if I air-dry my hair, blowdrying just makes them stand up in a halo.

Velcro rollers are good too, but they have to go on soaking wet hair and stay on for hours to work, and even then a stiff breeze takes care of all their hard work, so I can only use them when I have all day to sit around in rollers and only need to get into and out of a taxi.

I can't seem to use any kind of styling or heat-protecting product without weighing down my hair so I've always just spritzed it with water to make the heated rollers hold a curl, but I think that was contributing to the heat damage; now though, with putting the rollers on dry hair and turning down the heat on the rollers, my hair just goes flat within a couple of hours.

IT IS SO FRUSTRATING!

I think I need to go back to basics. I know there are a few of you out there, has anyone cracked it? Any hints?

The first thing I want to know is, is there a dry-shampoo equivalent for clean hair to get a bit of texture and volume going on without making the hair dull and cloggy? My hair sometimes looks its best when dry shampooed the day after styling (not always though - sometimes it just looks like a strange wispy bird's nest) but I'm loath to use dry shampoo on clean hair, I've heard it's terrible for the scalp. I'm thinking about trying sea salt spray, any recommendations? I tried that powder stuff but couldn't get along with it.

Any tips gratefully received

[Veggiesupremeextracheese]

My fine thin hair is also the bane of my life! I can't do ANY styling with it, it won't hold curls etc, and extensions also don't work . I hate my hair so much!

[dancemom]

Velcro rollers in bed - take them out, back comb each hair section as you remove the roller, bit of volume powder for the crown and out the door!

[Cakescakescakes]

I have thicker hair but I frequently use dry shampoo on dry clean hair for a bit of volume as I have a drink get that sits quite flat. I use the Klorane oat one. It's a bit fewer but is miles better than Colab, Batiste etc which are all claggy and have such overpowering scents. The Klorane one has a gentle fragrance and I just spray a bit at the roots then brush out and it leaves no trace. Just fresh bouncy hair. I think it comes in a version for brunettes too? I buy it online from Look Fantastic or Feel Unique and you can get a handbag size for £4 free P&P to try. Full size is £8.

[QuimReaper]

dance I used to sleep in velcro rollers but I found that the soft ones gave me kinks and the hard ones were torture. I used to use the hard ones at the top and the soft ones at the bottom and sort of contort to lie with only the soft ones on the pillow but it drove me mad in the end. I also found it made my hair quite dull and frizzy. Perhaps I need to revisit with a silk sleep cap.

[ClarissaDarling]

Hate my hair so following!

[KatharinaRosalie]

Same problem here - I really like this product, makes a big difference for the hold. And does not weigh hair down. They do travel sizes if you want to try.
www.marksandspencer.com/full-thickening-cream-109ml/p/p22379622?prevPage=plp&pdpredirect
I use it with my Babyliss Big Hair.

[Smilelikeyoufeelit]

Another one with the same problem but no answers sorry. Hopefully someone more helpful will come along .

[Woopsiedaisy]

Totally agree that having hair like this affects how I feel each and every day !!

My approach FWIW is to wash my hair every day but only shampoo once a week. i.e I wet the hair in the shower and condition it with a conditioner made for fine hair (usually John Frieda) and then rinse it out immediately. That ensures my hair is always in good condition (even my hairdresser comments on it) and doesn't go dry and wispy.

I then blow dry quickly with a cool hairdryer and use a heated brush to impart some style.

I also have a good cut every four weeks.

It isn't as perfect as it was when I had thick, lustrous hair in my teens but is the best I can do now.

Are you sure Quim that the broken bits of hair on your scalp are not the result of new hair growth caused by variations in your Thyroid function. My hair became very fine because myThyroid was damaged during pregnancy. I get the wispy halo quite often when they change my Thyroid tablet brand, probably due to the new brand being a slightly different strength. I also get it in the Spring.

[0nline]

A very very long time ago I found the Holy Grail. Liquid Hair made by Wella maybe.

i think it was basically keratin. You sprayed it on, blow dried madly. And Normal hair with body and everything !

There is a product by the same name and the same brand on amazon.it..
but aside from the eyewatering price, it looks like they have reworked and reforumlated it for smoothness and flatness of hair, as opposed to being the "gives body to baby fine hair" miracle it was. I guess that fashion for poker straight, flat hair made the original formula a non starter marketing wise.

Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't just cut my losses and shave my head. My hair has sat there being useless and refusing to do anything other than be limp for decades. Bastard hair.

[Cherrypi]

I pixie cut mine and it's loads better.

[frenchielala]

Orbie dry texturing spray is amazing if you are looking for something to give some oomph. But really expensive in the UK- I always buy in the states where it is the $ equivalent.

[originalmavis]

Sadly mine is fine, thin and frizzy. It drives me nuts!

[QuimReaper]

Woopsie I have tried not shampooing before but it feels so heavy and greasy and lank when I do, perhaps I should try a different conditioner.

It could be new growth and I think some of it has to be. It looks awful either way. I'd never heard it could be related to thyroid function.

[SugarMiceInTheRain]

I have a similar problem and hate it. I am seriously contemplating a pixie cut. The only thing stopping me is that my DH (who doesn't mind what I do with my hair/ clothes etc) saw a picture of me with really short hair a few years ago and said 'please don't have your hair like that again!' And I had fairly short, pink hair when we started going out, so he clearly isn't fussy!

I think I read that doing your conditioner first, then shampoo can give it more volume, but obviously your hair doesn't feel as soft, but the conditioner doesn't weigh it down either.

[QuimReaper]

I would look beyond horrendous with short hair!

[glorious]

Another vote for pixie cut here. It's almost maintenance free as well!

[Woopsiedaisy]

For some reason the no shampoo / conditioner treatment adds body to mine and it never looks greasy / lank.

I litterally only put it on and then wash it straight off. I don't leave it on at all.

I started doing it after my hairdresser told me that shampooing opens up the cuticles on the hair to strip out the grease and then conditioner recloses the cuticle and provides a small degree of protection against the heat of the hairdryer etc. She said that opening the cuticle on normal hair was exactly what was needed to keep it clean but that actually it was too aggresive to do that every day on fine, often brittle & weak hair.

It works for me, so I would definitely give it a go. The John Frieda conditioner is the one in the turquoise tube.

Have just done my hair and it is shiny and feels very soft.

[LoisWilkersonsLastNerve]

I have my hair long but with lots of layers cut in and I only use conditioner every second wash, I have yet to find a way to keep curls in

[Woopsiedaisy]

Oh and the cut is important too.

Mine would look dreadful if it was longer. I have a sharp cut bob which finishes above my shoulder. If it was longer it would break up on my shoulder and just highlight how thin it is.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

Another pixie cut here. I absolutely loathe my hair, always have. It really used to drag me down. I've never felt really feminine because of it.

Nowadays it's in layers about 3" allover, with highlights for body and sometimes hair powder which gives it added oomph.

Any chance of a pic,op?

[VeryPunny]

My hair is super fine, thin and very difficult to hold a style. The best thing for it is to have it coloured - that really thickens it up. I use a small amount of miracle oil on it and it gets washed every day.

Use tiny amounts of shampoo/conditioner - I use a blob about the size of a 5 or 10p piece for shoulder length hair. My hairdresser always reccommends against short crops for fine hair and I think she's right - I think pixie/choppy cuts work better with thick hair that can hold a style. I know that if my hair were cut short it would just stick to my scalp - there'd be no texture or shape to it.

For serious body, lots of backcombing and hairspray, then rollers. I don't particularly like velcro rollers as I always feel that they are tearing my hair when they come out. If you use a pair of GHD's carefully at the roots you can create volume by holding them on the roots of the hair at 90degrees to your scalp IYSWIM.

[CigarsofthePharoahs]

I have fine hair that suffers terribly with static. In my younger days I'd blow dry it and then spend the day looking like I was permanently attached to a Van de Graph generator.
I'd also look terrible with short hair. I am jealous of the people with lovely short hair. I have tried it bobbed, it was too light and just went messy. I have had it shorter, it just looked bad.
I have it quite long now. I try not to wash it too much as that seems to make it worse and give me a lot more broken short hairs. I use a very gentle shampoo and then slather with conditioner which I leave on for as long as possible. I am also very liberal with the heat protecting products, I have a gell and a spray I use which do make a big difference.
I blow dry and use straighteners to stop the static.
If I can't be arsed with all that, the massive advantage of long hair is I can put it up in a long plait and twiddle it into a rather nice bun.

I was once forced to have it done in long curls with a curling iron as I was a bridesmaid. It had half fallen out after a few hours and was just a matted mess after that. "Though a hedge backwards" would be a good description. Took me several attempts to wash out the industrial strength hairspray too.

[lovelycats]

Yes! God yes! I totally understand OP. I first realised I had rubbish hair when I was in my teens. Thin quantity and very fine hairs, its almost 'fluffy' like baby hair. I have been through every conceivable reason. Blood tests to check for deficiencies, thyroid problems or hormonal issues. Nothing wrong with me. I've also realised its genetic, my mum and sisters are the same.

I've used hair extensions, nicely cut and styled by hairdresser. I felt like a goddess. But I knew it would eventually ruin what I had.

I keep it mid-length to short. I use mousse to give me something to work with, then Osis silicone powder. Could not live without it. Makes it malleable and gives it substance. Sprays do not work for me, and any style I try with heat just falls out after half an hour. Styling powder all the way!

[P1nkP0ppy]

Me too!
I had short hair for years but got fed up with washing/blow drying every day. It's now growing into a one length bob and for the first time ever I have a fantastic hairdresser who has somehow miraculously given me a cut that stays in shape for 3-4 days without needing attention! I'm just so thrilled 😀
I never use conditioner, use Trèsemme cleansing shampoo alternately with A Touch of Silver shampoo and Fat hair mousse to blow dry, finishing off with my hot airbrush. A swoosh of hairspray and that's it.
I think years of my hair being cut into layers made it look even thinner than it was; certainly now my hair's definitely thicker and looks really good even if I say so myself.
Incidentally I am silver haired and despite being told grey hair is coarser, mine isn't!

[KatharinaRosalie]

I can't do short hair. I have big ears and my features are nowhere near delicate and elfine, to pull off the Twiggy look. I'd look more like Bob the Builder.