My hair is pretty thin, is there anything I can do to add more volume to my hair? I don’t trust most of the claims of cosmetic products, so I really don’t know where to start to try to find something that will work. Does anyone have any ideas?
Have you tried volume enhancing shampoo?
Is it falling out or is it just fine and sparse? If falling out, you can take drugs or use topical stuff that may help. If it’s just fine and sparse, you can use spray gel (just a little) and it will give it more oomph. I have the same problem. Love my spray gel.
Brazen it out. Self-confidence does miracles folicles can only dream of.
I don’t really trust the claims of hygiene products, so I don’t know if they are actually worth it or if they do anything special. I was hoping someoen would have personal experience.
rjung - Pffft, I have self confidence. I would just prefer to not be able to see my scalp in the mirror in the process.
Kalhoun - my hair is just thin, its not falling out.
move to a very warm and High Humidity climate area – any place in Florida will do.
So, who wants fat hair?
Kudos if you are channelling Kenny Everett with that line.
When I last had my hair done, a lady in the chair next to me had very thin hair (I could see pink scalp). The stylist pulled out some little bottle with some goop in it, applied said goop to the woman’s hair, and when she left, she looked like she had a full head of hair!
So get thee to a good stylist at a mid-level to higher end salon (where they’ll have the fancier products). Ask your female friends if they have someone they like. Call around. Good luck. (If I remember, I’ll call my gal tomorrow and ask her what the goop was.)
I say shave it and go bald. You’ll love the freedom it brings you.
I started shaving my scalp at around 29 or so. Once I did it I only wished I had done it MUCH sooner.
I had the type of hair that when I woke up in the morning I HAD to shampoo and condition it if I wanted it to look halfway decent.
Now not any more. I can take my shower the night before then hop right out of bed throw some clothes on and off to work I go.
With the exception of brushing my teeth in the morning I wouldn’t even have to see myself in the mirror. (Not that I’m hard to look at or anything.)
Also, outdoor activities are no longer a worry for me either.
Come Wesley Clark Join the bald side. 
I’ve been losing my hair since I was in my early 20s, and now at 27 I have quite a thin, balding patch on the top of my head (no receding hairline or typical male pattern baldness, though). I used Rogaine for a while, but it never helped, and I refuse to try Propecia. It’s not worth it to me to spend $50 a month for the rest of my life to regrow some hair, when I might get sexual side effects, thus invalidating the main reason most guys feel like they have to grow their hair back in the first place.
Now I just buzz my hair really short, on a “3” guard setting, and it looks good. Having a shaved head or close-cropped short hair is very popular these days, and I’ve had nothing but compliments from friends and ladies.
Get yourself a close-cropped haircut and get over it.
Has your hair always been fine and thin? Or is this a recent thing? Because if its recent, then this could be due to hormones, specifically androgen (male hormone). In which case I doubt the external shampoos are going to do anything more than disguise it. But lots of guys are genetically predisposed to thinning out - that’s just the way your body reacts to the androgen. If you’re really worried, speak to your doctor.
I just keep it nice and short (a number 2 shave usually) If the hair wants to leave me then I am just going to have to admit the relationship is over. I could buy it expensive gifts to persuade it to stay, but i fear that course of action would prove futile.
come over. Everyone will think it’s natural and chicks, even the ones that pretend otherwise will really dig it and think you look hot.
Actually, I looked up tthe studies on Propecia, when it came out. The group getting the drug claimed a 2% impotency rate. The group getting the placebo claimed a 5% impotency rate.
So, either sugar pills can cause impotency, or some guys willing to be guinea pigs for hairloss are really on the edge.
FYI, Propecia is also sold as a drug to reduce prostate enlargement (goes by Finistride, IIRC). So really, its major side effect is is to possibly prevent a problem you don’t want to have.
Here you go. All hail the miracle of Ronco.
Good grief, SMT! You need to read more technical journals, instead of enjoying life. Check out this post of mine, from another thread:
While finasteride and minoxidil do indeed yield clinically significant results in large trials for the treatment of MPB, the more operative question is whether combination therapy yields cosmetically acceptable results and whether said results justify the possible, albeit still unknown, risks of longterm use.
Clinical trials are just beginning to explore this frontier and the full picture may not be known for 10-15 years. Left untold–and currently medically unknown–are the possible longterm consequences associated with oral finasteride’s effect of “stopping [male pattern baldness] dead, case closed, end of discussion,” as you put it.
For now, consider these very preliminary findings, all layperson accessible and none conclusive:
“While finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) decreases serum DHT, it also is thought to increase estrogen which suggests that men over 35 may want to consider using it in conjunction with a systemic aromatase inhibitor such as Chrysin/Piperine (Super Miraforte), Arimidex, or stinging nettle extract, to maximize its hair growth effects and minimize potential side effects (that are listed in the PDR) such as Gynocaemastia (breast enlargement in males), sexual side effects, and an increase in fat deposition. These compounds have been reliably shown to increase testosterone and reduce excess estrogen, resulting in a youthful hormone profile that optimizes immune function and to some degree, body composition”
Proscar for Prostate Cancer Prevention: Q&A - WebMD, 6/24/03 - “a drug called Proscar can also prevent or delay prostate cancer. It also shows that the drug may increase the risk of aggressive, high-grade prostate tumors. And while men taking Proscar have fewer urinary problems, they also have more sexual problems”
Analysis Shows Drug Could Save Lives From Prostate Cancer - Science Daily, 3/16/05 - “the commonly used drug finasteride reduced the incidence of prostate cancer by 24.8 percent compared to a placebo. However, a possible increase in the number of high-grade tumors in the trial prompted many to question whether any benefits of the drug would be offset by an increase in mortality related to the higher-grade tumors. No difference in mortality was seen during the 7 years of PCPT”
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cach...cia+risks&hl=en
Bottom Line: Combination therapy with finasteride and doxazosin for at least four years reduces the risk of clinical progression of BPH. However, long-term use of finasteride also is associated with an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer (Thompson IM, et al. The influence of finasteride on the development of prostate cancer. N Engl J Med July 17, 2003;349:215-24). Until this risk is better elucidated, combination therapy should be limited to patients who have a prostate volume greater than 40 mL, a PSA level greater than 4 ng per mL, and a clear understanding of the risks and benefits of therapy. (Common POEM) (Level of Evidence: 1b)
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040501/tips/2.html
The second study analyzed data from the landmark Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, involving more than 18,000 healthy men. Some received finasteride, while others got a placebo. The trial, scheduled to last seven years, was cut short early because researchers found a nearly 25 percent reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer in the men taking finasteride.
However, that good news was tempered by the fact that the overall incidence of aggressive cancers was doubled in the men who took finasteride compared to those did not. So while most participants benefited from the drug, a minority may actually have fared worse.
Because of that paradox, “there was controversy about whether or not it was worth giving finasteride to the general population,” said Joseph M. Unger, the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial statistician who performed the new analysis.
http://64.233.161.104/search?
q=cache:YskjVZjosT4J:health.yahoo.com/news/58984+finasteride+risks&hl=en
As for oral minoxidil, the form prescribed for high blood pressure, patients should use minoxidil only under medical supervision to ensure that excessive amounts of the drug are not absorbed into their bodies. Large amounts of minoxidil may increase the severity of the symptoms and side effects of hypertension.
Wow Carnac. Well thanks for putting the fun back in my life! Here I’d been happily ignoring medical journals for the last few years.
For some anecdotal evidence: white male, 44, I’ve used Propecia for maybe 6 years. Hairloss stopped, minor recovery mostly helps with sun protection when skiing. No man boobs. Body fat as measured by my scale typically 10% or less. No cancer of any form anywhere in the extended family. (so it must be very protective!)