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How I Got My Fine, Thin Hair to Grow After 50 (Perimenopause Edition)
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items I’ve always had fine, thin hair and for years I felt stuck with breakage, shedding, and zero growth. This is the exact routine that helped my hair grow healthier and longer while urning 50 and entering perimenopause. More shedding, slower growth, and...
Sections
4
Step 1: I Hit Reset for 10 Months (No Color, No Heat, No Products)
Step 2: Scalp Care + Protecting My Ends (Life After Wigs)
Styling Products I Tried (Most Didn’t Make the Cut)
What I’m Planning to Try Next (Still a Work in Progress)
Step 1: I Hit Reset for 10 Months (No Color, No Heat, No Products)
My very first step was stopping everything for almost 10 months. No hair color, no heat drying or styling, no products. I washed my hair about once a week, wore wigs most days, and focused on letting my scalp and hair rest. I was also on prescription...
This was prescribed to me and I started it during my full hair reset. I didn’t see fast results, but over time it helped slow shedding and support regrowth while my hormones were doing their thing. This isn’t a magic fix and it doesn’t suddenly give ...
Prescription Minoxidil (This Was Part of My Reset)
These were the only hair products I used during my full reset. I washed my hair about once a week, did not blow dry, and didn’t style it at all. No heat, no extras, no experimenting. The goal wasn’t volume or shine, it was minimizing breakage and giv...
Products Used During My 10-Month Hair Reset
Looking back, this is the system I would’ve used during my reset. It’s designed specifically for color-treated, progressively thinning hair and focuses on scalp health without heavy buildup. I still would’ve washed about once a week and skipped heat ...
What I Would’ve Used Instead (Knowing Now)
Wearing wigs is what made my 10-month reset possible. I didn’t spend a fortune and I definitely didn’t do it “perfectly.” I bought wigs from a few places — including Amazon and even Temu — and had a great local hairstylist trim them and make small ad...
Wigs Saved My Hair (And My Sanity)
This made wearing wigs so much easier and less stressful. It helped keep everything secure without glue or tape, which mattered since I was trying to protect my scalp and regrowth. I wore this under my wigs during my reset and it kept them from slidi...
The Wig Grip That Kept Everything in Place
If you’re going to wear wigs regularly, you do have to take care of them. This is what I used to wash and refresh mine so they stayed soft and wearable instead of frizzy or dull. I didn’t overwash, just enough to keep them clean and looking natural. ...
How I Took Care of My Wigs (No Wear)
Regular hairspray can make wigs stiff, sticky, and frizzy. Wig wax is what actually works. It gives light hold and definition without locking the hair in place or making it look fake. I used this to smooth flyaways, add a little texture, and keep sty...
Don’t Use Hairspray on Wigs — Use Wig Wax Instead
Step 2: Scalp Care + Protecting My Ends (Life After Wigs)
Once my hair started growing again, I moved into step two. I’m no longer wearing wigs and I’ve started coloring my hair again, but this time with a lot more intention. I’m still taking prescription minoxidil, and that remains part of my foundation. M...
This is what I use for scalp care right now. I put a full dropper directly on my scalp every night and massage it in before bed. It has really strong reviews, and while I’m not seeing dramatic thickness changes, I do think it’s helping overall scalp ...
My Nightly Scalp Routine (I Think This Is Helping)
After applying my scalp serum, I use a small amount of this on my ends. Just a drop or two…fine hair does not need much. This helps smooth dryness, protect the ends, and keep breakage in check now that I’m coloring my hair again. It doesn’t make my h...
What I Use on My Ends After Scalp Care
I switch things up the night before I wash my hair, which right now is about every three days. On those nights, I use this scalp serum instead of my nightly one. I can’t seem to find it available in the US, which is frustrating, because it works nice...
What I Use on My Scalp the Night Before Hair Wash Day
On nights before washing, I wanted something heavy on my ends — not light, not silicone-slippery, but real oil that would soak in while I slept. This did exactly that. I used it to fully coat my ends and let everything absorb overnight. It’s very aff...
What I Used on My Ends Before Wash Days
This is the oil I use now on the nights before I wash my hair, which is about every three days. I still want something that feels substantial and nourishing. I apply it mainly to my ends and let it sit overnight so everything has time to soak in. I’m...
The Oil I’m Using Now on My Ends
Every night I put my hair into a loose braid at the nape of my neck, secure it with a silk hair tie, and sleep in a silk bonnet. This has helped reduce tangles, friction, and breakage more than any product ever did. I wear the bonnet backwards — bow ...
My Nightly Sleep Setup (Yes, I Wear It Backwards)
This is the first wash in my double-shampoo routine. I shampoo twice, and this is what I use for the initial cleanse to really focus on my scalp. I like the scalp leave-in treatment from this system, it feels helpful, but I’ll be honest, the smell is...
Wash System #1: What I Use for My First Shampoo
This is what I use for the second shampoo in my wash system #1. Red hair fades fast — no way around it — so this helps keep the color brighter longer and lets me stretch the time between coloring appointments. I use it after my first scalp-focused sh...
Wash System #1: My Second Shampoo (Red Hair)
Wash system #2 always starts with this shampoo because we have hard water, and it absolutely affects my hair. Buildup makes fine hair feel dull, dry, and more fragile, especially when it’s colored. I use this as my first cleanse to remove mineral bui...
Wash System #2: My Hard Water Reset Shampoo
This is the second shampoo in wash system #2, and it has to be the version in the pink bottle. I haven’t been able to find this exact one in the US, which is frustrating. It is drying, so I use it sparingly. I let it sit on my scalp for a few minutes...
Wash System #2: My Second Shampoo (Use Sparingly)
After the more drying shampoos in wash system #2, I always follow with a deep conditioning mask. I’ve tried quite a few over time and honestly can’t say I have a single favorite. This is the one I’m using right now. I focus it on my mid-lengths to en...
Wash System #2: Deep Conditioning Mask
This is another deep conditioning mask I’ve used in wash system #2. Like the others, I apply it only from my mid-lengths to ends and let it sit for a few minutes after more drying shampoos. I don’t think this one is dramatically better than other mas...
Budget-Friendly Deep Conditioning Mask
I’ve also tried this repair mask while rotating through deep conditioners in wash system #2. I used it on my mid-lengths to ends after more drying shampoos and followed the directions carefully. For me, it wasn’t dramatically better than other masks ...
Another Mask I Tried (Not Better, Just Different)
This is likely the next mask I’ll try. K18 gets a lot of strong reviews, especially for chemically treated and fragile hair, but it’s definitely on the pricey side, which is why I haven’t jumped in yet. I’m cautiously optimistic, but realistic. If I ...
What I’m Considering Trying Next (High Reviews)
On non-wash days, this is the dry shampoo I reach for. It works really well for fine hair and doesn’t leave that heavy, gritty buildup that so many dry shampoos do. I can use a small amount and still get lift and freshness without my scalp feeling co...
My Go-To Dry Shampoo on Non-Wash Days
I stopped using regular bath towels on my hair and switched to a microfiber hair towel instead. After washing, I gently wrap my hair up and let it absorb the water without rubbing or twisting. It reduces friction, helps prevent breakage, and makes my...
One Small Change That Helped With Breakage
I use this nightly for about 3–5 minutes as part of my scalp routine. I use it gently, not aggressively, to massage my scalp and help distribute whatever scalp product I’m using that night. It’s simple, low effort, and something I’ve been very consis...
The Scalp Tool I Use Every Night (3–5 Minutes)
Styling Products I Tried (Most Didn’t Make the Cut)
I’ve tried a lot of styling products over the years — mousses, creams, sprays, serums — especially while trying to make thin hair look fuller. Most of them didn’t help and some actually made things worse by adding buildup or weighing my hair down. Th...
After shampooing, this is what I use on my ends while my hair is still damp. This helps smooth the ends, reduce frizz, and keep breakage under control without making my hair greasy or flat. I don’t use it anywhere near my scalp, just mid-lengths to e...
What I Put on My Ends After Shampoo
Before I dry my hair, this is what I use. It works as both a heat protectant and a detangler, which keeps my routine simple and prevents overloading my hair with too many products. I spray it lightly through my hair and gently comb through before dry...
My Heat Protectant + Detangler Before Drying
I’ve tried a lot of mousses over the years, and honestly, I don’t care for any of them — this one included. No matter the brand, they all seem to leave my fine hair feeling gritty, heavy, or coated instead of fuller. I wanted volume and light hold, b...
Why I’ve Given Up on Mousse (This One Included)
I tried this one hoping it would be different, but it landed in the same category for me as every other mousse I’ve used. It promised volume and fullness, but on my fine, thinning hair it still felt heavy and left that gritty, coated feeling I really...
Another Mousse I Tried (Same Result)
This isn’t a mousse, and that alone put it ahead for me. I found this one to be decent for adding a little strength and polish without the gritty, heavy feeling I get from most volumizing products. It didn’t blow me away or suddenly make my hair look...
Not a Mousse — This One Was Actually Okay
This is the root product I reach for most often because I can spray it exactly where I need it while I’m drying or styling. That alone makes a big difference with fine hair. It gives some lift at the roots without coating everything or making my hair...
The Root Lift I Use the Most (Targeted, Not Heavy)
I don’t use hairspray all over my hair, but I absolutely use it for my bangs. I have a higher forehead and I like having bangs, but they love to lay wonky and separate unless I use something with real hold. This one is strong enough to keep them in p...
The Hairspray I Use for My Bangs (Strong)
I really wanted this one to work because it gets a lot of hype, but it just didn’t wow me. On my fine, thinning hair, I didn’t see enough benefit to justify keeping it in my routine. It wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t noticeably better than simpl...
Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds with Charging Case
This is one I use pretty regularly when I want a little texture and grip without going full hairspray. It helps give my hair some movement and light hold so it doesn’t fall completely flat, but it also doesn’t leave my hair feeling crunchy or coated....
A Texture Spray I Actually Use Regularly
I tried a volumizing powder even though the reviews clearly mentioned the gritty texture. I figured maybe I’d be the exception. I wasn’t. On my fine hair, it felt exactly how everyone said it would — gritty, dry, and not something I wanted to touch o...
I Even Tried a Powder (Still Not for Me)
This one surprised me. I really like it for my bangs and for targeted root lift when I need extra control. It gives good lift right where I apply it and helps keep bangs from separating or falling weird. That said, it definitely adds texture — a lot ...
Interesting One — Great for Bangs & Root Lift (Use Occasionally)
What I’m Planning to Try Next (Still a Work in Progress)
I’m not finished and I don’t think hair care at this stage of life ever really is. My hair is growing again, but it’s still thin, still hormonal, and still needs intention. This next phase is about being curious without going overboard. I’m planning ...
I’m still researching this. It’s definitely not cheap, but it’s one of the few tools that might support regrowth long-term.
Red Light Therapy for Hair Growth System
This is a tool I’m planning to add to my routine to make scalp care easier and more consistent. I already massage my scalp regularly, but this would help me do it without overthinking it. I’d use it gently, mainly to help distribute scalp products an...
The Tool I’m Planning to Add for Scalp Care
At this stage, I’ve decided to go back to hair extensions — not to fix my hair, but to add thickness and volume that my natural hair just doesn’t have. My hair is growing again, but it’s still fine and thin, and I’m okay admitting that. Extensions le...
Adding Hair Extensions Again (For Thickness, Not Growth)