Hair Straighteners = Thin hair?

Buttonmoons

I've been using straighteners for about 5 years, when I first started using them my hair was very thick, I had to go to the hairdressers to have it thinned out.

Messed around with my hair alot with different hairdyes, always a mess.

Then I got pregnant and my hair got thin.

Been straightening throughout, and I never use a protective spray and normally always do wet to dry.

I'm getting worried as someone pointed out they could see my scalp and I'm now super paranoid, I know my hair had thinned alot anyways, not baldy bits or anything, but I have to blast it with hairspray before I go out otherwise it's just FLAT.

I have very long hair, which I LOVE having and really don't want to get it cut into a bob.

I'm not after medical advice btw, I'm just wondering if anyone knows of health supplements that can help hair growth, and how I can keep my hair in tip top shape, I really need to go and get my hair trimmed by a hairdresser as I've been doing it myself the past 4years, so probably loads of scraggy bits.

It dosen't look too bad thickness wise, when It's not been straightened, but once I have, it looks a lot finer IYKWIM? But then I don't really like my hair Un-straightened as it just dosen't do what I want.

Any suggestions?

mazza111

Can't suggest anything but I don't think it was just the straightening that done that to your hair. Perhaps a combination of hair dye, pregnancy hormones and straightening. Have you had your baby yet? Maybe it will thicken up again when the little one comes along.

Buttonmoons

Yes, I had her almost 3years ago!!! So I would think those hormones have came and went.

xxvickixx

Buttonmoons, I could have written this post. Everything you said applies to me except the wet to dry, I never do that. My son is 14 months and my hair just looks flat all the time. I cut mine myself so could do with a proper trim round the bottom but I don't think that will do much. Recently I cut some quite short top layers in which I fluff up and backcomb a bit if I want a bit of glamour lol! I have heard that kelp tablets can help hair growth but not sure if it would do anything for thickness. It might be an idea to stop with the wet to dry as it can damage your hair, also I think that might make it look thinner. I find that if I do a good blowdry job with a round brush and then try to use the straighteners as little as possible it has more body.

suki1964

Have to say Ive noticed my hair becoming "sparse" since Ive used straighteners. And theres a lot of hair in my brush and plug hole

Im easing off the straighteners. saving that for high days and holidays. Blowdrying is also kept to the minumum now.

I do think there is a connection. I always had loads of hair, hairdressers always commented on how much I had. But I always used to keep it very short and never used straighteners or the hairdryer. Just the last two years since I went shoulder length

melancholly

my hairdresser told me to reduce how much i use my straighteners because it makes the ends all thin.............

PinkGrapefruit_2

I dont think the straighteners make you hair fall out at the root which seems to be what you are describing. Mine have done a fair bit of damage but with my hair it just kind of breaks off. Maybe try giving you hair soft curls (using the straighteners) rather than making it properly straight, thast will give the hair a fuller look.

Buttonmoons

Well, I'm not sure if they fall out at the root, but it has a general aura of fine/thinness now. I have tried curling my hair with my straighteners, I have 2 pairs, a thick pair which are useless and a Remmington pair you can turn the heat up/down, but all they do is make my hair smell burnt and my attempts at curling are lacking!

I honestly do think the straighteners have damaged my hair, I DO notice it more near the bottom but as my hair is so long that could be because that's scraggy hair from pregnancy.

I may try holland & barrett for some kelp tablets, and I am seriously going to lay off the hair straightening.

OH came in today and said - Your hair looks nice and thick today, reminds me of Kate from Lost. I think that's probably wishful thinking, and he knew I had been hinting at extensions - That's probably his way of saying - Wow your hair is so thick, extensions would look silly......and save himself money. Hehe.

border_collie

Extensions make you lose even more hair.

Do you have it tied up in any tight styles?

annie2005

Buttonmoons wrote: »

I'm not after medical advice btw, I'm just wondering if anyone knows of health supplements that can help hair growth, and how I can keep my hair in tip top shape?

Vitamins only work if you've got an actual deficiency other wise they are a total waste of money. Some of them are even harmful if you are doubling up from other sources. You could safely try one standard dose multivitamin with iron a day and see how you felt generally. It would only work though if you actually were lacking in something. Just taking more won't help. My hair got thinner because of anemia and I was warned about not over doing the iron tablets once the tests showed that blood levels had returned to normal.

What does work for some people but costs a bomb are the new baldness treatments. The ones which came from the drug which is a medical treatment but thickens hair as a side effect. My ex was told about them when he went to his doc. Unfortunately he was also told that as his father, grandfather and uncles had all gone bald at an early age he'd follow suit. There's apparently a gene for some male baldness and he wasn't at all happy at the time.

:beer: Though later on that year for comic relief he shaved his head as a way to get a sneak preview of what was to come and discovered that the Kojak look really looked hot on him. So happy ending for him.

annie2005

Looked it up and the name of the drug is minoxidil but it's sold under differing brand names.