We must have twin hair types.... mine is of the wild untameable Irish type!
In response to your questions, yes it is better to avoid the flat iron and hairdryer entirely. Realistically I find them impossible to survive without. My hairdresser said if I was to dry my hair with the hairdryer to hold it a bit further away from my hair so the heat doesn't damage it and also to use a ventilated metal hair brush as this dries the hair quicker (and I find if you use a big round metal brush it really helps to smooth the hair if you point the hair dryer down in the direction of the ends of your hair).
With the flat iron it's really important to ensure all of your hair is dry before starting. I use a light styling spray that protects hair and is heat activated so you lock it into your hair as you straighten it. Also, move the flat iron down your hair as fast as you are able to get it straight. The less time heat is near your hair the less time it can do damage and ultimately break away leading to thinner looking hair.
As for advice for the general frizzies (which I find create a 'beautiful' halo effect around me in shadows!) use the lightest/thinnest feeling product that works for you. In otherwards, experiment with random brands until you find the one spray or serum that weight down the little frizzy fellas without flattening all of the other healthy hair down too.
Have you ever tried a silicone product for frizzies? I used to have really frizzy hair (somehow it calmed down) and lived on frizz-ease. It helps tame your hair without weighing it down.
Nobody has mentioned diet (okay, I was slow at typing, someone just did), which can make a big difference. The only time I had real problems with thinning hair (talking tons every time I washed it) was when I was doing a combination of low cal / low fat (probably low protein as well). I wasn't tracking specifically, but I was doing low-fat vegetarian. I was also exercising a ton, which adds to body stress. At the time more than one person told me that I wasn't getting enough protein. Since this time I'm eating higher cals, higher protein, higher fat, it's hard to say which made the difference, but it really has.
I looked at your 'my journey' post and if you're eating lower fat, you might consider adding in some (say even 100 cals a day). Your range of 1400-1600 is low enough that adding that shouldn't be a big deal. It could just be that your body is having a hard time adjusting to what is an excellent rate of loss. When you deprive your body of full calories (which we all do to lose weight) it can play havoc with the rest of your systems. Think of it as running a car without gas, or too little oil, eventually it may affect the vehicle.
The good news is that if you can stop of slow the hair loss, once you reach maintenance it is likely your hair will thicken up.
Well, just to clarify, my funds are very very limited so my groceries are really cheap basics that I eat every day. I do have 1-2 tbsp country crock butter every day..is that fat or no? I just ask cause honestly I haven't a clue.
My hair was thinning a bit a while ago which made me really concerned because i do not have huge hair to start with! But then i talked to my doctor and she said that when you go through something stressful, your body holds on to the hair because it is sort of "worried" and wants to hang on, whereas usually everyone loses a little bit of hair all the time. A few months before i had moved abroad which obviously was really stressful, so once i had adjusted a bit and gotten less stressed, my scalp "relaxed" and let all the hair go at once it seemed like! But after a while it stopped falling out so much and went back to my normal (thin, limp :-) ) hair. Not sure if this is applicable but thought it was kind of interesting. Otherwise the ideas about diet sound like good ones to me... Good luck!
tuna is ok, but salmon would be better. you only need to have it 2-3 times a week to get the health benefits from it or you can buy fish oil capsules. look through sale fliers, Walgreens, Riteaid, CVS usually have buy 1 get 1 free sales on vitamins, and sometimes there are coupons in the Sunday papers so you can get a good deal.
I also second the vitamin biotin and scalp massages, if you don't mind the smell of essential oils, doing a scalp massage with them could help.. here's an article that tells which ones to use and how much to mix with jojoba oil, etc.. you would use it the nights before you shampoo. if you can't get them all, rosemary would be the best one to try.
Awww, Onderchic. It makes me feel bad to hear that you were crying about your hair. I honestly think that aging can also contribute to some hair loss. I am a bit older than you (not much) and I have noticed more of a change in texture and thickness as I age. It is depressing. But, I promise you, nobody else notices it the way you do.
