Tell me how to make fine, limp hair have body, please!

[penona]

Am writing on behalf of MIL who has very fine, straight hair. She has always had perms, but recently developed an allergy to the perming lotion, which a variety of hairdressers have been unable to solve. She also suffers from Parkinsons' disease, so is unable to set/curl her own hair as she used to.

She is totally fed up with her flat, lifeless hair, and I don't live close enough to regularly set it for her. Am looking for any tips about something the equivalent of the brazilian blow-dry, but for making straight hair have body! Or some kind of easy-maintenance style that she can manage with just a little product.

She is happy to travel to London (I can take her) and spend some money. Her 'crap' hair is really getting her down. Daily, she can physically manage to get a brush through it, maybe a little bit of product, but not much more.

Any help or advice on products, styles etc much appreciated. I have the opposite problem with my own hair!

There are thickening lotions available that you put into wet hair before it is blown dry. But, not sure that would be a solution given your MIL's physical limitations. Also, the difference it makes is not nearly the same as a perm would give.

Would she consider a wig? My Mum wore one when she had cancer, and then kept wearing it due to thin/fine/limp hair. She eventually became very comfortable with hers - after resisting initially. You can get very good/realistic ones these days.

I have lost a lot of weight recently intentionally but it seems to have taken its toll on my hair.When i went to the hairdresser on Friday she had to cut a chunk of my long hair off as she said it was so fine .It has been coming out on my brush a lot .I went to the Healthfood store and they recommended Sea Kelp capsules which i am now taking.Assistant said this was the main ingrediant in the really expensive products.These were half price at £1.99. Hope this helps

If I could find what you're looking for I'd do it too!

I have such fine hair that I bought some regaine (minoxidil for the scalp to increase hair growth - in some people).
After a week of using it I decided to keep my appt at the hairdressers for highlights and a cut and blow.

My hairdresser persuaded me to go shorter too and my previously fine hair (ok still fine) has never looked so thick.

I gave up on the regaine and stick to this style now using a volumising spray to blow dry (Charles Worthington).

So, in essence - highlights to thicken the hair shaft, a good cut and some volumising spray. Think it'd do?

this sprayed in when wet, prior to drying - hairdresser used it on my fine, short-ish hair this week and the body was amazing. Then I have this which I use inbetween washes to buff it up - it really works but with this one you do feel like there's a product in your hair; it doesn't feel stiff but when you touch it you can feel it's a rougher texture

Thanks for your tips everyone. Am wondering if she just needs a really good hair cut that she can style with some of these sprays without blowdrying it. Just not sure a short, sharp crop is what a 60+ yr old wants! Maybe I should have posted haircut questions?

This mousse is fab - you can get it in boots

www.boots.com/en/Mark-Hill-Style-Secret-Va-Va-Voom-Mousse_951933/

Pixie cut. Then put some wax in it and mess it up or comb it to one side in a very severe fashion. Is really the only way with unruly straight hair. I have come to the conclusion that unless I want to faff around with dryer & straighteners for 30 mins each morning the pixie cut is the only way to go.

Pixie cut is a hard look to pull off though unles you have urchin features

*s

Is she able to put pressure on her scalp? 'cos there's a good acupressure exercise to strengthen the scalp and minimise hair loss. You place yr fingertips either side of yr mid parting and massage, also at the back.

It really works. You keep the fingertips in one place on the scalp and move it around. Twice a day or more of course.