Are you looking for a solution to thicken your hair? I’m going to start by giving you some bad news. Unfortunately how thick our hair is, and how quickly it deteriorates and disappears. is mostly defined by the genes we inherit from our parents.[Source]
But the good news is that there is an awful lot you can do to slow this process down, and in some cases practically stop it. Once you learn how to thicken hair naturally, you will be able to stop or slow down hair loss and thicken the hair you have.
I know that sounds a big claim, but if you use the right natural ingredients and methods it is perfectly possible to add volume to your hair. It’s not tough to do, and we are going to go through all of it right now.
So Why Is My Hair So Thin?
The first thing to understand when you are considering naturally thickening your hair and worrying about why your hair seems so thin, is to make sure you have got a full dose of reality.
It’s far too easy nowadays to compare ourselves to people on the TV, or in movies. That amazing thick hair that the stars have is not even how they look in real life most of the time. So you shouldn’t compare yourself to unrealistic expectations.
Apart from that, the basic reason why your hair is so thin is down to genetic, environmental and head treatment factors. By looking at these and addressing them it’s perfectly possible to add volume and shine to your hair, leaving it looking far more healthy.
Avoid Putting Things In You That Will Weaken Your Hair
If you don’t put the right things into your body then this can also affect the outside as well.
One key thing is smoking. Everyone knows that it can affect the skin, making you look pasty and older than you are. But it can also affect the hair. People who smoke have thinner and weaker hair. It can choke off and kill their hair follicles more quickly.
The second thing to look at is your general diet. If you are not getting the right nourishment, especially the right vitamins and minerals, then your hair will not be as strong and vibrant as it could be.
So a diet of junk food will certainly not benefit your hair. You should be eating a diet that is rich in vitamins and proteins, for example foods like avocados, seeds and nuts. Oily fish rich in omega oil and wholegrains.
Relax, Sleep & Exercise For Thicker Hair
If you lay in bed at night wondering “Why is my hair so thin?” Then you have already hit on two reasons why your hair could be thin.
Stress and anxiety can affect the strength, thickness and volume of our hair. In extreme cases, stress can cause alopecia. So making sure you try and address the causes of stress and anxiety in your life will help to protect your hair.[Source]
And while you are laying awake worrying about your hair, you are not getting enough sleep. You should be looking to get the recommended number of hours of proper sleep each night, for an adult around seven hours, so that your body can regenerate, which includes nourishing your hair and strengthening your hair follicles.
Being active will also help you to strengthen your body naturally, which will also mean that you get your blood circulating and your oxygen pumping. Hair needs healthy hair follicles to grow thicker, which means you need to keep all of the skin on your body healthy and oxygenated.
Avoid Common Ways You Can Weaken Your Hair
There are lots of things that we do without thinking that can weaken the hair, making it less likely to be strong and thick.
For example, everybody likes to sunbathe. And nowadays we are religious about putting on suntan lotion to prevent sunburn and to protect against cancer. When was the last time you considered the hair on your head?
Prolonged exposure to sunlight can weaken and damage the hair. So keeping it covered in direct sunlight by wearing a hat could really help.
Excessive brushing, combing, using hair extensions or hot hair tools such as hair straighteners can also weaken and damage the hair. On top of that, these things can break the hair exposing the ends and weakening them.
If you use hair dye then you’re also risking having thin hair from using that. A permanent dye penetrates deeply into the hair, changing its structure and potentially weakening it. Bleaching the hair prior to adding a hair dye further weakens it.
So if you like to dye your hair, and you are struggling to get your hair as thick as you would like, perhaps you might switch to a lighter semi-permanent hair color to see if that helps.
Look After Your Scalp For Thicker Hair
Male pattern baldness and general balding as we age are caused by the slow rate closing up of the hair follicles, weakening the hair that grows, and eventually choking it off.
The reason the hair follicles deteriorate is that over time they get inflamed, infected and become unhealthy.
This happens quicker in some people than others, and obviously in male pattern baldness it is caused by genetic reasons as well as age and environmental reasons.
But there are easy, natural ways that you can thicken your hair by looking after the hair follicles.
The way to do this is to massage the hair and scalp with natural ingredients. Great natural ingredients that can help you thicken your hair by looking after your scalp include:
There are lots of other ingredients you can use, such as rosemary oil, but let’s concentrate on these two oils so that you can understand why they help.
Both of these contain natural fatty acids such as linoleic acid, which have natural properties for nourishing and reducing inflammation.
On top of that jojoba oil and coconut oil are naturally anti-microbial, which means that they can combat infections.
And because both are natural moisturizers and emollients, they also help to protect and moisturize the scalp.
When you add to this the fact that lots of natural oils also contain essential vitamins and minerals, then you can see why applying them to the scalp will help your hair follicles to remain in good condition, while also strengthening the hair.
Natural Recipe To Thicken Your Hair
There are lots of natural recipes out there to create what are called hair masks that you can apply to the hair and scalp, to help you strengthen your hair.
There are lots of natural hair thickeners you can use, and lots of recipes you can try. To give you an example here is a classic that contains the oils we previously discussed.
Luxurious coconut hair mask:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
- Half a tablespoon of olive oil
- A few drops of peppermint oil
- A few drops of jojoba oil
Simply place the ingredients in a bowl and warm gently in the microwave for a few seconds to create a warm and rich paste. Then apply to the hands in moderation and gently run them through your hair, working gently into the scalp as well. Put on a plastic shower hat to keep the hair and head warm and protected, and leave on for 30 minutes. Then rinse out thoroughly using a mild shampoo.
Click here to learn more about coconut oil hair masks
That’s just one example of a hair mask you can use to naturally thicken your hair and strengthen the hair follicles. If you don’t want to go to that extreme, you could always put a few drops of jojoba oil into your usual shampoo or conditioner as an easy alternative.
More Great Ways To Stop Your Hair Getting Thin
As well as extravagant hair masks, there are other quick and easy ways you can help to strengthen the hair and thicken it using natural ingredients. Here are a few examples:
- Avocado
Avocados are rich in vitamin E, as well as other nutrients and natural oils. This gives it the potential to help to nourish and thicken your hair. You can simply mash up an avocado, and mix gently with a small amount of olive oil to enable you to rub it through your hair and onto your scalp easily. Do this once per week and you will start to notice you are getting stronger hair.
- Olive oil
We have just mentioned olive oil, you can actually use it on its own. It has been used for thousands of years, especially in the Mediterranean as a skin and hair conditioner. You can apply a very small amount daily to your hair to keep it soft and supptle. A lot of people use olive oil every day to create a shine on the hair and also to strengthen the ends and prevent split ends and frizz.
- Eggs
Eggs are crammed full of protein and can really benefit the hair and strengthen it when allowed to soak in. Simply beat together a handful of eggs and apply them liberally to damp hair. Leave them for 30 minutes and then rinse out with cool water. Stay away from heat sources otherwise you will find yourself covered in scrambled egg!
So there you go, some great ways that you can use to thicken your hair naturally. It’s obviously of great concern when you start to realize your hair is thinning and often it can feel like there is no way you can stop it happening.
Of course as we age there is less you can do about it, but once you understand what causes hair to thin and how easy it is to use all natural methods to slow down this process, you can significantly reduce your stress.