Hair treatment, Hair growth, Hair products, hair trends Growing healthy and thick hair, Image:Instagram/@Gayle Patrick
One of the most-searched questions when it comes to maintaining strands is “how to get thicker hair”. Whatever we've got, it seems like we want more of it, so we're willing to trawl the internet for tips and products that can max out our volume and density.
Before you waste your time and money on broken promises and disappointing gimmicks though, we went straight to the top trichologists, who specialise in treating scalps and hair, to ask what actually works and where to focus our energy. They explained why our hair may be thinner than we'd like in the first place and how to boost thickness so you can actually see and feel a difference…
Meet the experts:
Eleanore Richardson MIT, trichologist at Fulham Scalp & Hair Clinic
Teresa Richardson MIT, trichologist at Fulham Scalp & Hair Clinic
Anabel Kingsley, Consultant Trichologist and Brand President at Philip Kingsley
Before we get onto how to make hair thicker, it's a good idea to understand why your hair is the way it is in the first place. “It's important to remember that our maximum hair thickness is fundamentally dictated by our genetics," explains Eleanore Richardson MIT, trichologist at Fulham Scalp & Hair Clinic. “So, if you have always had thick hair, it's probably not a miracle hair product that is responsible. Equally, if your whole family has thinner or finer hair, expecting dense hair is unrealistic for the parameters your body can work with,” she says, “but you can improve your chances of enjoying the maximum thickness you are naturally capable of,” she adds.
Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley, agrees. “Hair texture is pre-determined by our genetics, and therefore being born with fine hair does mean your hair will generally be like this throughout your life," she says. “Fine hair refers to a specific hair texture characterised by the diameter of individual hair strands. It often has a small diameter, which means the individual strands are thinner and more delicate compared to other hair types. Fine hair often lacks volume and can appear limp and flat, especially when it grows long,” explains Anabel. "However, we can use a variety of factors to reach your individual optimal hair thickness,” she says.
Alongside your hair's natural thickness, thin hair can be caused by environmental reasons, such as over-styling and excessive traction, it can be down to your diet and it can be due to medical reasons.
Once you've identified why your hair isn't as thick as you'd like, you can take steps to tackle it. There are a number of ways to do this.
Density
First, look at density – for instance you may have thick strands, but just not many of them. You can improve density by “taking care of the scalp (cleansing frequently), making sure to eat well (three balanced meals a day, including proteins and carbohydrates), as well as using targeting products and supplements such as biotin, vitamin b12, vitamin d, zinc and iron,” says Anabel.
Volume
Second, you can look at volume. If you're pre-determined to have finer strands, there are ways of inflating and boosting them to encourage the appearance of thickness, which is where styling and cuts come in.
Think of food as hair fuel
Good hair starts with good health, so think of food as hair fuel. “Always start with what you are putting in your body as your quality of nutrition will dictate the quality and quantity of raw materials your body has to work with to make new tissue (like hair)," says Eleanore. "Excessive hair shedding is very commonly down to deficiency within the body, therefore making sure you are consuming a diet rich in protein, omega 3 and 6, vitamin D and Bs is essential. Remember your hair is just one long strand of dead protein, but your whole body also relies on access to protein to repair and make new cells. Your body's cells will take priority over your hair if protein becomes a limited resource,” she insists.
“Eating a healthy, balanced, and varied diet is key,” concurs Anabel. “The impact that nutrition has on hair growth should not be underestimated. As hair is non-essential tissue, and hair cells are the second fastest growing cells your body makes, its nutritional requirements are very high,” she says.
It can be tempting to hit Holland & Barrett as soon as your hair isn't playing ball, but it shouldn't be your first port of call (see above: start with your diet). "Whilst supplements can be helpful, they are there to supplement. If your levels are already good, chances are that supplement isn't adding further value to your body and will likely be excreted out or may even cause complications if levels build up too high. Remember, an excellent diet should always come first," says Eleanore.
That said, “it can be quite hard to give your hair what it needs through diet alone,” admits Anabel. So, if you're eating balanced meals and you're still not seeing results, “I often recommend supplementing a healthy diet with nutritional supplements, like our Density Amino Acid supplement, as hardly anyone eats enough protein – at least from a hair growth standpoint – alongside our Density Healthy Hair Complex which contains all the essentially micro-nutrients to support hair growth," Anabel says.
We've all heard of traction alopecia and product build-up impeding healthy hair growth, so it's important to style mindfully. “From a styling perspective we can avoid techniques that can put strain and injury on our follicles to avoid the possibility of thinning or even scarring on the scalp surface," says Teresa Richardson MIT, trichologist at Fulham Scalp & Hair Clinic. "Avoid extensions, tight braiding, weaves or wigs if you really want to reduce tension and avoid the thinning and breakage which, if left untreated, can lead to traction alopecia,” she says.
Likewise, brush gently. “Brushes with long, flexible plastic prongs are best. Boar bristle brushes can scratch both the hair and scalp and cause substantial accumulative damage,” notes Anabel.
And ensure, if you're using heavy styling sprays and products that you deep-clean regularly, which brings us onto our next point…
“Keeping your scalp comfortable and clean is so important as this creates a healthy scalp environment, allowing your hair follicles to produce and grow healthy hair at an optimum rate,” says Teresa. “We would recommend washing your hair at least once a week and more frequently if your hair gets greasy or itchy quicker,” she adds.
“Scalp health has a profound influence on hair growth – after all, one supports the growth of the other,” agrees Anabel who recommends targeted scalp masks and toners. Basically, treat the skin on your head with the same care as you would the skin on your face.
There's no such thing as miracle ingredients, but there are ingredients that have been proven and backed by science to help stimulate hair growth. “If you have female or male pattern hair loss, topical scalp drops containing minoxidil are very effective,” says Anabel. The most powerful are on prescription, so it may be worth booking in with a trichologist for some advice and a prescription, but there are some gentler over-the-counter formulas.
If your issue is fine hair that lacks oomph, you need a routine that encourages volume. “Choose products which are lightweight and contain plumping ingredients to give volume and the appearance of fuller, thicker hair,” says Anabel. And look for volumisers that can lift the roots and help to inflate the appearance of strands like the Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer.
Lastly, be kind to yourself and what nature gave you. “It's really important to recognise that not everyone will have very thick hair and that is OK, it doesn't necessarily mean a deficiency or problem at all,” notes Teresa. “We have an image presented to us from social media and celebrities that everyone successful is blessed with super thick hair, when very frequently, extensions, wigs or other interventions have been added to create a look. We can't naturally compete, but we also shouldn't think of ourselves as incomplete as a result, it is so important to get comfortable with what ‘healthy me’ looks like,” she insists.
Original article appeared on GLAMOUR UK
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