Girl with Very Thin Hair

Little girl with thin hair — Photo: Jeka/Shutterstock

Q: My 7-year-old daughter has very thin hair, especially on the top of her head. Her aunt also has this issue. Her hair is so thin that you can see her scalp. It is fairly long, past her shoulder blades.

Is there anything I can do to help her hair thicken up or fill in more? Her sisters both have full heads of very fine hair, but tons of it.

I don’t want her to go in to her teen age years hating her appearance as so many girls that age do. She eats a well-balanced diet, but I have not included any multi-vitamins, and my hairdresser suggested that this may help. What are your thoughts?

Is there anything that can be done? Is there a style that may help her hair appear thicker as she gets older and becomes self-conscience of this?

A: Given that there is an aunt with the same issue, the odds are this is simply a matter of the roll of the genetic dice. It isn’t fair, but it’s what it is.

In cases where the nutrition is questionable, or illness is prevalent, there could be issues that are workable, and multi-vitamins aren’t going to hurt her, but don’t expect them to be the miracle cure. Think of them as “making sure she’s getting all her nutrition” rather than a means to thicken her hair.

And she is 7; which means she’s got a whole influx of hormonal changes coming her way in a handful of years. These changes could bring with them a shift in texture and density of the hair. I can’t possibly offer any realistic estimation or prognosis on that, but it will be a factor.

Also, at 7, she may be a little young for some services that can help camouflage the sparseness of the hair. However, styles that are curly can be great ways to “bulk up” thin hair.

Once she’s a little older, you can look at perms and such to offer longer-lasting benefits. Even large-curl styles with lift at the scalp can help hide the scalp and make the hair look thicker. Until perms become an option, consider getting some soft sponge-rollers and use them at least in the top of the head to make the hair fuller. Fabric covered sponge rollers, can be put into the hair, and then slept in and allowed to dry overnight. Giving you a little ease in your routine by being flexible.

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See also:

Roller styling techniques

Kids hair and hairstyles