Can hair thickness increase?

**Kimberly** · January 25th, 2009, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by ALenee

I have had 5 surgeries and never noticed a difference. I didn't know hair could fall out from surgery. Was it the anasthesia?

My doctor warned me that the surgery could make my hair fall out, just from the strain on my body. She said it wouldn't happen right away (how long until it was supposed to happen I don't recall clearly, but it was something like six months or a year). At the time she was pretty sure I was going to die soon anyway, so she didn't bother talking about it in detail. I was already deathly ill and the surgery was major. Due to it, I had instant menopause, and I was never given an adequate amount of hormones to reduce my symptoms. About two years after surgery I noticed half of my hair was gone. In retrospect, I guess it did take something like a year to start falling out, but I was in such bad shape after my surgery that I wasn't paying much attention.

I was pretty sure my hair loss was due to the menopause and I expected it would keep falling out. At its worst I had a receding hairline and some patches that were thinned bad enough I was afraid they'd be bare soon, with bald spots like my mom has. After a couple of years I stopped taking the hormones. I was afraid that not taking the pills would make more fall out, but it didn't. And now, about three and a half years out from the surgery, I have just recently noticed there are all these crazy little curls sticking out -- new hair! It took a very long time for it to start growing back, but I was so, so sick and the recovery from the surgery still isn't complete. Guess I'm finally getting healthy again. I wonder now how much of my hair will come back! Pretty darn exciting.

ALenee, maybe those five surgeries did thin your hair a little bit, but you didn't notice, and now it's just growing back in?

**BlurBerryBuzz** · January 25th, 2009, 09:36 PM

I didn't loose hair from surgery, but from having babies. Especially with #2 adn #3. My 3rd is 1 1/2 and I'm still loosing hair. I've probably lost half my hair in the last 4 years. I hope it comes back!

**plainjanegirl** · January 25th, 2009, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by ChloeDharma

Thickness can fluctuate for lots of reasons other than the obvious layers cut in or grown out.
Hair is often a reflection of general health, diet, excercise, illness, stress, scalp health, handling etc all can effect it.
Surgery can cause the body to suffer extreeme stress and often after an extreeme stress on the body a condition caused telogen effluvium can be caused. This is the body reacting to stress by making a large number of hairs prematurely exit the active anagen phase of the growth cycle. They then shed anytime up to 3 months later and can take up to a year to grow back.
Illnesses like diabetes, lupus, thyroid problems can all cause excessive shedding as well.

Given your hair has thickened dramatically it would seem something has changed. Some people find that chemicals like sulphates, or waxy/coney conditioner on the scalp increase shedding, if you have cut these things out or changed the types of chemicals used then it would indicate not that your genetic potential for thickness has increased, but that before something was preventing you from reaching your genetic potential.
I notice you use SMT's and oils, if you oil the scalp then something added to the oil, or the type of oil itself may be having a beneficial effect in reducing shedding or stimulating growth....aloe vera is also considered good for hairloss and for stimulating growth so it could even be that.
Anyway, whatever it is, congratulaions and just keep on doing what you are and enjoy the results

I didn't know that aloe vera is good for hair loss. So can you use the aloe vera gel ? If rubbed onto the scalp would it help hair loss?

**venividibxtchy** · January 26th, 2009, 03:20 AM

I don't mean to be a party-pooper, but...

My hair can go from 4.75" down to 3.25" just based on the products I use. Obviously, I stick with the ones that make it in the 4"+ range.

Once, I used a honey, beer & egg shampoo bar, and it broke 5.25", but unfortunately, it also felt coated and disgusting. Oh, well.

**tiny_teesha** · January 26th, 2009, 04:51 AM

3 months after I joined it looked MUCH thicker, now 2 years after gentle hair care you can see the thick braid bumps creeping down, but that is a HUGE increase?!??! I think mine increased by a maximum of 1cm but it did fluctuate monthly.
Are you using the same measuring tape? and oily straight, non combed hair has a thinner measurement then say, wavy combed hair (air spaces).

**ChloeDharma** · January 26th, 2009, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by plainjanegirl

I didn't know that aloe vera is good for hair loss. So can you use the aloe vera gel ? If rubbed onto the scalp would it help hair loss?

Yup you could just massage some into the scalp at night then wash in the morning. There is also a hair wash recipe that consists of aloe gel, coconut milk and a little wheatgerm oil but i've not seen any proportions given for it....but it's said to be good for helping with hairloss.
Really i think any recipe that gets aloe to the scalp is good, i was thinking mixed with an oil like coconut, castor, emu, jojoba etc might be a good mix, or added to pastes of herbs like methi, bhringraj, amla.

**sandigirl** · January 26th, 2009, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by Kimberly

My doctor warned me that the surgery could make my hair fall out, just from the strain on my body. She said it wouldn't happen right away (how long until it was supposed to happen I don't recall clearly, but it was something like six months or a year). At the time she was pretty sure I was going to die soon anyway, so she didn't bother talking about it in detail. I was already deathly ill and the surgery was major. Due to it, I had instant menopause, and I was never given an adequate amount of hormones to reduce my symptoms. About two years after surgery I noticed half of my hair was gone. In retrospect, I guess it did take something like a year to start falling out, but I was in such bad shape after my surgery that I wasn't paying much attention.

I was pretty sure my hair loss was due to the menopause and I expected it would keep falling out. At its worst I had a receding hairline and some patches that were thinned bad enough I was afraid they'd be bare soon, with bald spots like my mom has. After a couple of years I stopped taking the hormones. I was afraid that not taking the pills would make more fall out, but it didn't. And now, about three and a half years out from the surgery, I have just recently noticed there are all these crazy little curls sticking out -- new hair! It took a very long time for it to start growing back, but I was so, so sick and the recovery from the surgery still isn't complete. Guess I'm finally getting healthy again. I wonder now how much of my hair will come back! Pretty darn exciting.

ALenee, maybe those five surgeries did thin your hair a little bit, but you didn't notice, and now it's just growing back in?

OMG. I'm so glad you're still here! What an ordeal!
...
I think thickness does depend on a lot of things including product, brushing and if you blowdried. I'm excited for the peeps who got more thickness no matter what the cause.

**plainjanegirl** · January 26th, 2009, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by ChloeDharma

Yup you could just massage some into the scalp at night then wash in the morning. There is also a hair wash recipe that consists of aloe gel, coconut milk and a little wheatgerm oil but i've not seen any proportions given for it....but it's said to be good for helping with hairloss.
Really i think any recipe that gets aloe to the scalp is good, i was thinking mixed with an oil like coconut, castor, emu, jojoba etc might be a good mix, or added to pastes of herbs like methi, bhringraj, amla.

I have some of the green aloe vera gel (from walmart) that you use on sunburns. Maybe I will try it on my scalp. Oils on my scalp are not a good thing cause they make my hair greasy. I have a bare spot that is at the nape of my neck and so I just put the oil or monistat or whatever there. So far nothing is helping.

**Loviatar** · January 26th, 2009, 07:48 AM

Congratulations on your increased thickness.

I had a decrease from 4" to my current 2.5" after cutting bangs plus a lot of bleach and heat damage. I am trying to get back to 4" blunt cut. It can be done, as when I started I was at just under 3" and through using henna, CO washing (no cones - cones flatten my hair tremendously making it seem thinner) and supplements I got to 4".

**Kirin** · January 26th, 2009, 07:59 AM

The increase may not be due to "more hair". There's likely no way you could grow that much hair, that long, that quick to make up for the difference.

From my experience, on my fine hair, using shampoo bars made an instant difference in circumference, by an entire inch. I suspect that soap bars swell the cuticle, its not new miracle hair growth. Henna also thickens the hair shaft, as does cassia I think.. I also suspect some oils do the same.