Crappy thin, fine hair. What products do you use?

[Sl1nkyMalinki]

That's it in the title really.

My children have ruined my hair, it's fine, falling out and thinning rapidly. There is new hair growth around my hairline so maybe there's some hope!

I'm hopeless at styling my hair and I need help please.

Is it worth buying the fabled Babyliss big hair?

What products do you use to boof things up a bit?

Thank you, style gurus :)

I understand your pain- thin virtually non stylable hair here too!

Get yourself a good shampoo- I know they are expensive but very concentrated so last for ages. I use Kerastase They do a conditioner and lovely hair mask too.

Look around for the best deal (I often get mine from Look Fantasatic They recently had a three for two offer)

Something to try is the way you dry your hair. I have v v v fine hair, unless it's styled it looks like Professor Snape's (but blond).

I blast it with the hairdryer while my head's upside down until it's about 70% dry. Then I separate it with clips and use a medium sized barrel brush to style it, with the nozzle on the hairdryer.

I have the hand-eye coordination of a mole, so please don't think this is beyond you!

I have very fine hair and use Aussie volume shampoo, mousse and hairspray and yes, the babyliss big hair is a life saver. I blow dry it nearly dry first and then finish with the BBH. My hair definitely looks thicker/more of it and I wouldn't go back to just a hair dryer now.

Brigit, thank you. I've heard kerastase is good, I'll look into that :)

Oo Craic that sounds hard! I need to get some clips and things and actually invest some time in my hair I think! (Had to google the prof. and had a little giggle, yep my hair is like that too!)

Dotty I'm coming round to the idea of spending more time on myself. Did it take long to get the technique?

Volumising powder. It feels like shit quite sticky when you run your fingers through you're hair, but it's invisible and a tiny sprinkling on the roots adds plenty of volume. And if it does start to go flat throughout the day, massaging the roots brings it back to life again. It's the only thing I've ever found that gives lasting root lift to my almost waist length, won't hold so much as a wave, impossible to style hair.

Oo oo this sounds good for me! Any particular brand?

I've been getting good results with Got2B Powderful. There are more expensive versions out there, I don't know if they perform any better (or feel nicer) but the cheap and cheerful Got2B version seems to do the job for me.

this stuff does work. Even ex h agrees

They have slightly changed packaging and saw some in tk maxx recently might work

Otherwise coloured dry hair shampoo is the bizzo

Also I have it on v good advice that electric heated ceramic rollers are they way to volume
But have not tried for fear

I have thin fine straight hair. It used to be ok, but after every birth (I have 3 DCs) there seems to be less of it. I used to have it in a jaw length bob, (sometimes a bit longer) but it was just lacking in volume and I hated it, so I recently got it chopped off and it looks a lot better.

My hairdresser used some L'Oreal Play Ball hair styling gum (the orange one) when he'd finished styling it, so I bought some of that and use it everyday. It looks a lot better short and I've had no end of compliments on it.

sl1nky I think the BBH takes less time to be honest. I blow dry in a 'messy' way - no styling - and then the BBH is really easy to use 'cos it does it all for you. Hard to explain but only takes me about 6 mins in total to do my hair which is a kind of bob with a fringe. I allow myself a whole 10 mins each morning for hair and make up!

Philip Kingsley products are very good too. There is a lot of info on his website about eating healthily to improve your hair quality and quantity.

I have to echo the idea of getting it cut off. Mine looks significantly better since I decide to stop trying to have long hair. Currently a sort of Meg Ryan choppy cut, very easy, bit of product and it looks much better

I use the Got2be stuff as well. It's a volume mousse. I put more in than a hairdresser would use to give it "oomph". I have dead straight, fine hair but there's bloody loads of it and have to have it thinned regularly, or I'd look like I was wearing a hat.

Got2be is cheap at the Savers - and as good as the Redken mouse I was a fan of.

You need volumising powder - works a treat acceding to friends and not expensive - you can get it in Boots.

Redken MOUSSE. Although, Marie Antoinette was said to have mice nesting in her powdered wig!!

Coconut oil - massage a decent amount of it for 10 full mins into your scalp once a week, wrap hair in towel and soak in a bath with some and wash out. Magic stuff, makes hair seem thicker and in better condition, and the massage bit stimulates hair growth.

my mum uses philip kingsley stuff. buys the big buggers and decants. she had a scapl prob for yrs and considerable hair loss. This stuff has been amazing. Her hair is fine and short, and grey but it gives her shiny not heavy hair.

getting my hair coloured at the hairdressers - highlights & lowlights.

Yay to Philip Kingsley products. Shampoo,conditioner,and maximiser are brill. Also use the majic dust thingy as well. I use vo5 it's good.

Wella shampoos in red packaging are cheap and the best for fine hair. They have won many awards.
Many conditioners are too heavy/ oily - try going without.
Yy to drying upside down and then styling.

BBH is nice for styling but doesn't add a huge amount of volume in my experience. Heated rollers are the best - and don't have to be hugely time consuming. Simply bung them in for 10 mins while you have breakfast / do your makeup. Sali Hughes has some great advice on how to use:

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/12/beauty-gadgets-sali-hughes

Wouldn't be without the BBH for smoothing and introducing volume, although sometimes it takes ages to remove from accidental volume from unwanted bits!

Lee Stafford's I Hate my Hair the Day it's washed gives you a finish which is stylable but not sticky. You either love it or hate it, I think. My hair stays where I want it but not in a crunchy way.
Anything other than Sebastian light conditioner leaves my hair weighed down and lank. I can really tell the difference when I have used things like Aussie conditioner....I only use the Aussie shampoo.

Also a big Yes to highlights, they have had more effect than anything that I have ever actually put on top of my hair.