Thinning Hair
Thinning Hair
Father Time gets most of the blame for thinning hair. The average person loses about 100 strands per day (while the average hair grows only 1/2 inch per month). So the more days you live, the more hairs you lose.
But heredity is also a factor. In some families, there's a pattern of male baldness. (To a lesser degree, women in the same family can also have thinning hair.)
While you can't stop time or heredity, you can do something about the way your hair appears, even if it's thinning. Here's how.
Alter your hair hue. "Coloring your hair makes it look thicker, because as part of the coloring process, you actually 'rough up' the hair," says John Corbett, Ph.D., vice president of technology for Clairol, based in Stamford, Connecticut. He explains that it's easier to retain the appearance of fullness "because hairs don't slide over one another and lie flat against one another."
If you have extremely thin hair, go for a lighter color. "Dark colors show more of a contrast between hair and your scalp, whereas lighter colors--particularly shades of blond--hide the scalp more easily," says Dr. Corbett.
Go for the curly look. Getting a permanent wave also makes hair appear thicker, because the surface is altered (as it is in coloring) and because the "wave" in the perm makes hair appear fuller.
Blow it dry. "Using a blow dryer can make hair look two to three times thicker than styling it with water or styling oils--and it doesn't harm the scalp, as some people believe," says Douglas D. Altchek, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "When you blow-dry your hair, you plump it up, so it looks higher." Like hair coloring, blow-drying also roughs up hair shafts, so they appear thicker and fuller.
But hold the dryer more than three inches away from your hair, so you don't cause excessive dryness to your tresses. It's also a good idea to use conditioner after your shampoo when you regularly blow-dry your hair.
Wash it daily with protein shampoo. When hair is oily, it gets stringy looking. "Washing hair every day gets the oils out of it. Daily shampooing also gives hair more body, so it looks thicker right off the bat," says Harry Roth, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. "When you wash your hair with shampoo containing hydrolyzed animal proteins--also called thickeners--it actually gives hair more diameter."
Adds Dr. Altchek: "These hydrolyzed animal proteins coat hair so that each hair shaft is two to three times as full as it usually is. They also make hair more fluffy, which makes it appear fuller."
Use a "kitchen" conditioner. One of the best conditioners for those with thin hair is white vinegar--that's right, the same kind you use in cooking. Mix one tablespoon of white kitchen vinegar in a pint of water and massage it into your hair after shampooing, says Dr. Roth. "It changes the chemical balance of your hair to be slightly more acidic; for some reason, that makes hair appear thicker and gives it more shine. The vinegar doesn't leave an odor in your hair," he adds. (But of course, be sure to rinse it out before you step from the shower.)
Be an egghead. Another kitchen item that can contribute to thicker hair is the lowly egg. Simply crack an egg over your hair before shampooing, and toss away the shell. "Massage it in for five minutes and then rinse it out," adds Dr. Roth. Since egg is basically animal protein (albeit nonhydrolyzed), it has the same effect as the specially formulated shampoos.
Go light on commercial brand conditioners. Commercial conditioners do a good job of making hair look fuller, as long as you don't overuse them. "Most people use way too much conditioner, which makes hair limp and more likely to nap together--and that makes it look even thinner," says Dr. Altchek. Don't use more than a teaspoonful each time you wash--that's just a dab in the palm of your hand. "Anything more is wasted and can actually make your hair look worse," according to Dr. Altchek.
Manage with mousse. A daily application of styling mousse is another way to make hair look fuller. "Since mousses have resins, they coat the hair and add diameter to it," says Dr. Corbett. Mousse lifts the hair off the scalp, which also adds to the appearance of fullness.
