The honeymoon is over for Kim Kardashian, who just returned from Europe after a whirlwind couple of weeks. I have hair envy -- Kim has gorgeous, thick hair and even her simple pony tail looks sleek and full.

 

I am not so lucky.

 

I have really thin hair that's gotten even thinner over the past couple of years due to the hormonal changes that pregnancy brings. Sigh. But there is hope for people like me with fine, thin hair, thanks to these tips and tricks from "Fine Hair Specialist" Lucinda Ellery, the founder of Lucinda Ellery Consultancy in Beverly Hills, which specializes in hair restoration.

 

Brush your hair well as it stimulates the oxygen and helps hair keep its body. Too many of us brush our hair less and less the finer it gets, and that's the worst thing you could do. The same goes for washing. Wash regularly according to when your hair feels dirty, as letting it get too grimey will lead to build-up that could hinder growth.

 

To hide tell-tale thinning areas where hair is fine, try hair makeup. There are a range of colors to suite most shades of hair. For example, nanogen fibers can be sprinkled amongst hair, particularly in crown to add volume and density. If you have naturally oily hair you may find that the fibers don't work for you due to clumping, and if that's the case there's a wonderful spray that is called Fullmore. This product can be lightly sprayed on your scalp, avoiding hair beyond the root, and will completely disguise thinning hair where density in the crown is an issue. This is especially suitable for female pattern hair loss. Ultimately it is a question of trial and error and finding the right product for your hair and skin type, practicing and learning to apply it with care.

 

When your hair is fine and delicate, backcombing is a surefire way of spreading it around and making it look voluminous. Avoid combs as they intensify the hair at the root but make the ends look wispy and feather-like. Use a good bristle brush and begin at the tip brushing down toward the root. This spreads out the hair without clumping it at the roots and can double the appearance of your hair. What's especially great about this method is it's easy to brush out without breaking and damaging your hair at the end of the day. Give it a light hair spray afterward, which will keep it in place and stop it from flying away so it doesn't look wispy.

 

Taking your newly backcombed hair, turn your head upside-down and apply hair spray in and around your hair. Use your fingers, not a brush, to put it back into position. If your hair will hold shape easily, use your fingers to scrunch the ends for a wavy, beachy look, as any sort of texture will add the illusion of added volume.

 

Putting your hair up can disguise that it's fine, as long as you don't pull it tight against your scalp. If you have medium-length hair and you've followed the above tips, put your hair in a loose pony tail and push it toward your scalp using a clamp clip to keep it in place. The trick is to use a lightweight clamp because heavier clamps will drag your hair down and defeat the purpose. This creates the illusion of having a headful of hair you can barely hold up with one clip.

 

Most importantly, above all keep a good mental attitude. If you dwell on your fine hair you may as well kiss the rest of it goodbye! What you think about you bring into your life, so instead of thinking "my hair's terrible," think "I'm so lucky I've got this hair." Worry stress and anxiety only make it worse.

 

-- Ryan Patterson

 

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