Hair problems

Sliver

I used to have really awesome hair. It was thick, soft, really easy to manage. Looked great. I'd wake up run my fingers through it in the morning and I was done for the day. I say this because around the time I turned 19 it turned on me. It lays completely flat, coarse, and dry as straw. It seems as if half of it fell out. But it's not male pattern baldness. No bald spot or high widows peak. The distribution is still even.


So the million dollar question. What the hell happened? If this were male pattern baldness I wouldn't even be making this post. I'd have bought the Rogain and been done with it. And if I can't do anything, hairstyle suggestions to salvage whats left would be appreciated.

Triko

Get a buzz cut for the summer; low maintenance and an acceptable hair-cut for any guy.

Æthelred

The obvious question is, have you changed shampoo/conditioner recently?

Dioltas

It sounds to me like you would benefit a lot from using a good conditioner. It worked wonders for my hair, which for a long time was coarse, dry, and frizzy as all hell. Then I learned the joys of conditioner. Try it.

Also you might want to consider your diet and general levels of hydration and make sure everything is in order there.

Sliver

I've changed shampoos, conditioners, hydration, and diet dozens of times over the course of the last 3 years and some odd months. None of them have seemed to make any kind of difference.


And Triko, I'm going to need you to elaborate on what you consider a buzz cut.

ElectricTurtle

I must watch this thread too as I have the exact same problem.

zilo

Any change in climate (ie, have you moved)? Every time I go skiing in Colorado my hair becomes unmanageable, whereas at sea level (Chicago) it's just fine.

Don't use conditioners for "oily" hair, or maybe try that American Crew Revitalize line of shampoos and conditioners? I used it for awhile, worked pretty well.

Sliver

Nope.

I've been going over the bullet list and getting nothing but dead ends. I DID have surgery that year, but that doesn't explain why it hasn't grown back yet.

MotherFirefly

If you overwash your hair it takes out a lot of the essential oils that keeps it healthy.

maybe you acquired better bathing habits?

If you wash your hair every other day it's better for your hair than washing it every day and stripping it of all it's natural oils/conditioners etc. Did you try that?

ViolentChemistry

MotherFirefly wrote: »

If you wash your hair every other day it's better for your hair than washing it every day and stripping it of all it's natural oils/conditioners etc. Did you try that?

While I'm not sure this is the problem in this case, I cannot lime this enough in general.

The Cat

Any other body changes besides the hair?

Sarcastro

Did you start smoking? This can have a huge impact, same with diet.

whuppins

How come no one's brought up the fact that hair just thins out once you hit your 20s? I thought everyone knew this and accepted it. The effect is more dramatic for some people than others, but by and large, that's just one of the things that happens as you transition into adulthood. Your metabolism slows down, your sleep habits change, and your hair gets a little thinner.

I'm 27 and all through my teens I had to get the stylist to go to town on me with thinning shears each time I got a haircut, just for it to be manageable. After high school it just gradually got less necessary and today my hair's pretty much average in terms of thickness. I'm not going bald; I just don't have that bushy teenager hair anymore. I thought this was a pretty well-known phenomenon.

Philodox

Similarly, I used to need a haircut once a month or I'd start to look like a filthy hippy. Now I can get away with ~2 months between haircuts and be fine.

JPArbiter

in all honesty sometimes, the hair on your head just gives out. in times like this it is a good idea to just cut as much/all of it off and start over. besides you might look in the mirror at the new cut and decide you like it.

neville

whuppins wrote: »

How come no one's brought up the fact that hair just thins out once you hit your 20s? I thought everyone knew this and accepted it. The effect is more dramatic for some people than others, but by and large, that's just one of the things that happens as you transition into adulthood. Your metabolism slows down, your sleep habits change, and your hair gets a little thinner.

I'm 27 and all through my teens I had to get the stylist to go to town on me with thinning shears each time I got a haircut, just for it to be manageable. After high school it just gradually got less necessary and today my hair's pretty much average in terms of thickness. I'm not going bald; I just don't have that bushy teenager hair anymore. I thought this was a pretty well-known phenomenon.

Because it doesn't always?
I'm 28 and my hair is pretty damn thick.
It CAN thin out, but it doesn't always.

whuppins

neville wrote: »

Because it doesn't always?
I'm 28 and my hair is pretty damn thick.
It CAN thin out, but it doesn't always.

As I said, the degree to which it thins out varies -- so much so that you may not have even noticed it.

Anyway, maybe it really didn't happen to you -- yet. But even so, that would make you the exception, not the rule. Thinning hair (of the non-balding variety) is such a common thing that the OP doesn't have to look for some smoking gun here. It just happens -- if not to everybody, then to most people.

Sliver

Sorry for the late reply, I was real busy yesterday and couldn't get at my computer.

Cat: Aside from that slight surgical modification I mentioned earlier can't think of any other changes.

MotherFirefly: I tend to wash it every other day.

whuppins wrote: »

How come no one's brought up the fact that hair just thins out once you hit your 20s? I thought everyone knew this and accepted it. The effect is more dramatic for some people than others, but by and large, that's just one of the things that happens as you transition into adulthood. Your metabolism slows down, your sleep habits change, and your hair gets a little thinner.

I'm not talking about a "little" change. I'm talking about a night and day difference. Enough so that it really is a problem. Short haircuts look worse on me than long ones because they hair lies completely flat so that it looks like I'm almost shaved bald on what is actually a semi long front spike.

Dioltas

Hmm. I know you said you've tried a lot of conditioners, diets, etc, but have you tried a leave-in conditioner? Those tend to be a lot more hard core than the wash-out ones.

MikeRyu

I'm 22 and I have really thick hair. It gets all puffy and drives me nuts.

Medopine

Has the hair on the rest of your body changed as well?

Has your skin changed?

4M3THYST

About the buzz cut: IT'S SEXY ON ANY GUY! Epecially if they have a scar or something! *purrs*

Not all guys can get away with long hair: but ANY OF THEM can pull off a buzz! Anything from a short buzz (no guard all over) to a longer buzz (4-6 guard all over)... it all works! Plus there's an added benefit in your case: sometimes if you start from scratch the hair will grow back in much thicker than it was before the buzz. I had super thin/baby fine hair until I was 10, and I thought it was always going to be that way. But I got it cut into a really SHORT swing bob up to my ears in the 5th grade... grew back awesomely thick! After a few years it gets lame again, and I whack it all off (sportin' an aeon flux 'do now!). I find it works best on my hair to do a drastic cut like this every 5 years. *shrug* Works for some... doesn't for others. You won't know until you try....

...But I vote a hearty "YES!" to the buzz idea! :P

4M3THYST

Another thing I've found helpful: Never use a straight up shampoo. I use a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner... then still follow it up with a 100% conditioner for good measure. Or try using baby shampoo... it's very mild and can help with the coarseness.

themightypuck

Eat tons of raw meat, vegetables, and NO grains or sugars. Clear that shit right up. Also, if your hair is going to shit see a dentist stat. This may not be an isolated thing. The buzz, as stated earlier, is also effective. My hair pretty much did your hair thing in high school. So pretty I was but I had a body like Christian Bale in The Machinist and so ate every crappy thing you can imagine and my hair became HIDEOUS. Praise be to the buzz.