What do with my very fine, rather thin hair?

[duchesse]

I seem to have lost a fair bit of hair recently. Unlike my lucky children, who have gorgeous thick hair all 4 of em, I ended up with a straight fine flyaway covering. It's about down to the top of my shoulder blades and although there is no grey yet I'm in serious danger of being one of those scary old ladies with a single teeny tiny plait down their backs. (do they still exist, or only in my imagination?).

Just how appropriate is long thin fine hair on a 45 year old anyway? It never holds any kind of shape- I had it shortish at one point and it just lies as flat as flat can be regardless of how little length and weight is on it. I've just kept it long for as long as I've had a choice in not having stupid 1970s boys' haircuts (thank you mother!).

It's a total pain! I kind of hate it except that it's the only hair I've ever had so I have to do the best I can with it.

Any advice gratefully received regarding suitable styles for maximising what there is!

I have cobweb fine hair, and it's always been a pain.

Since my teenage years, I've never had it longer than a bob, and most of the time I've had a crop of some sort.

For me it's the best style. The lack of length means it's not weighted down so much. I have to blow dry it every day though, to puff it up again.

Highlights/lowlights give an illusion of depth and texture too.

It would be nice to have something that didn't cost so much to maintain, and I could just get out of bed with a toss of my head and go, but it's not going to happen in this lifetime.

Almost everyone seems to hate their hair anyway.

Mine is quite fine and very soft. I have a shortish cut which has to be redone every 6 weeks to keep the sharpness to it. Also have a few judiciously placed streaks to make it look a bit thicker

Dust it owder by shwarzkopf is great for adding fullness to short fine hair.

Sorry - powder.

My hair is fine and incredibly straight and I've had it in a pixie for the last 18 months or so. It was long before that, but it never had any volume or body or anything - it was just straight and flat. When it's short you can always get some kind of body and style into it with the right product - I use the powder recommended and then a wax or something. It's all about the product though - if I don't have any stuff on it then it's just really flat etc, so maybe that's where you went wrong before.

Thank you everyone! I'm not sure I want to spend loads of time on hair care, just want it to look a little less manky and flat. I always dry it upside down which helps put a little bit of lift into it. Luckily it's so fine it's also flyaway so not always completely pancake like. I think I'm going to go to the hairdresser next week. Have psyched myself up now.

Forgot to say I always wear glasses, so short-sighted I never taken them off except when I'm asleep. So not all cuts are suitable.

Volumising shampoo and mousse and/or root-lift spray make a noticeable difference.

Samy fat hair products are really amazing for adding "real "thickness and volume. Worth trying.

I'm the same. The volume Bastise dry shampoo gives plenty of oomph. Head upside down, spray a bit in, ruffle it up, et voila! Looks better but feels horrid. Same as with the other powder mentioned up thread. Washes out easily enough though.

YY Charliefox - Batiste/Tresemme Instant Refresh have made a world of difference to my hair since I discovered them this year.

I also have fine hair.

I have tried short cuts, medium cuts, long cuts, and every product on the market and it still looks shit. I am currently growing it again after having it cut short again because at least long hair can be tied back, short hair needs styling and it only lasts for half an hour max. I'm really regretting yet again cutting it. I'm never cutting it short again said that last time

Has anyone else tried Samy Fat Hair???? It has wheat starch in it to thicken and volumize hair but you have to be careful as too much gives it too much volume and thickness. You get it in Superdrug.

My hairdresser warned me against using dry shampoo regularly as it is apparently bad for the scalp, clogs the pores, she said occasional use is fine though.

Whoknows That kind of ties in with the marketing information that came with the Aveda shampoo a lot of us tested recently. That said that the hair grows through a pore and if the pore gets clogged and so gets narrower then the hair gets finer IYSWIM. The aim of the Aveda Invati system was to exfoliate the scalp and so thicken the hair I think.

That's interesting Timid - she is an Aveda stockist. We were talking about using it for greasy hair rather than for volumising, for greasiness you really need to get it into the roots, whereas for volumising you could squirt it more into the bulk of the hair with your head upside down so it wouldn't be so bad I guess.

awsangel - too much volume and thickness is not something that could ever happen with my hair!
Lee Stafford - I hate my hair the day it's washed is the only thing that I have ever bought repeatedly for volumising. It's also good at getting rid of the fly-aways.