Rapunzel I am not. At the age of 3, my tactic for long locks was to wear a towel on my head and let it flow behind me saying ‘make your hair longer’. Sadly, this isn’t a look I can get away with in my mid-30s but the point is, my hair is not my favourite feature.
From teenager to early twenties I had a pretty good head of hair and then slowly over the next ten years I gradually lost my fullness to have the head of fine hair I have today. Or as my husband refers to me as ‘betty spaghetti‘.
Why did this happen? I think genetics have everything to do with the skin and hair cards you’re dealt with. I am my father’s daughter and although he has a good head of hair, it’s very fine. Combine this with hormonal fluctuations that women have to deal with and managing it with contraception (in my case), your body goes through a lot.
Despite my investments in skincare treatments and products, I funnily enough don’t do the same with my mane. I just don’t see the point, isn’t hair dead? (checks Wikipedia…)
The only “living” portion of the hair is found in the follicle. The hair that is visible is the hair shaft, which exhibits no biochemical activity and is considered “dead”. The base of a hair’s root (the “bulb”) contains the cells that produce the hair shaft. – Wikipedia
I’m not saying Wikipedia is always factual but this supports my theory.
So I’m basic with my hair. For shampoo, I look for organic formulas or a product without parabens, colourants, silicone or sulphates because it’s probably for the best:
- OGX Weightless Hydration with coconut water
- L’Oreal Botanicals Coriander Strength Cure
- Pantene Micellar Cleanse & Nourish
I rarely use conditioner and if I do it’s just on the mid-lengths to ends because it weighs my hair down.
After this most people would move into ‘styling mode’. Styling for me means tipping my head upside down and blasting it with a hairdryer (and no Dyson one at that- I think it’s a large Boots travel dryer). My tools consist of a Tangle Teezer and some bobby pins.
I don’t own a pair of straighteners (fine hair=bone straight hair) and so the only prep I am currently using is:
- Garnier Ultimate Blends Heat Protection Milk
- Aveda Texturising Tonic
This is all finished off with a bit of classic L’Oreal Elnett hairspray for a bit of movement. That’s it.
Supplements? Admittedly, I’ve never done a course of supplements and I think you probably need to do them for a good 6 months before you see any kind of results.
My only recent purchase related to hair-care is The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density. This product has previously sold out on Cult Beauty and at £15.80 for 60ml it’s not as pricey as other cult brands that have emerged recently (Ouai, Gisou, Coco & Eve) so I don’t mind giving it a go. I rub a few drops through my scalp every night and I have to say- I have noticed less shedding. This might go along with the Wikipedia theory that better scalp=better locks.
Final thing which I found has made a massive difference to my hair:
Almost 3 years ago I stopped highlighting and let my dark brown grow through. Combined with a good cut every now and then, I’ve definitely noticed an overall improvement in quality (as well as saving 3 hours of my life every 8 weeks). Sure, I definitely have more greys than I used to but I don’t care enough to cover them.
So my fine-haired friends, if you’re using something which is a game changer (or Jen Atkin if you want to test drive the Ouai thin supplements or upgrade to a Dyson- I’m your girl) let me know.
Skin Shelfie 
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