Hair density is one of the key factors for gorgeous and luscious hair yet it’s often misunderstood by a lot of people. Hair density is characterized by the number of individual hair strands you have per square inch on your scalp. As such, low hair density can make your hair look sparse, and your scalp – easily visible beneath it.
So, here we’ll quickly discuss how to determine and increase hair density.
How to determine hair density?
We talked about what you need to know about hair density in another article. There, we mentioned several key ways to determine whether you have low, medium, or high hair density. Still, let’s quickly go over some basic hair density tests here as well:
- Phototrichogram – this is a simple and non-invasive professional procedure that can give you your exact hair density levels together with lots of additional information.
- Various scalp “eye” tests – there are multiple ways you can gauge your hair density levels on your own as well. You can get someone to count the hairs in a small section of your scalp, you can do a ponytail test by simply judging the width of your ponytail, or you can just ascertain how see-through your hair is based on how visible your scalp is underneath it.
How to increase hair density?
If you have low-density hair or even just medium-density hair that you’d like to thicken a bit more, there are multiple things you can do. We’ll go over the best natural remedies and commercial products for hair density below.
Natural remedies
- A good diet. Not technically a “hair density remedy”, maintaining a good diet is nevertheless as crucial for your hair’s health as it is for your overall health. The foods and ingredients you focus on should be rich in antioxidants, as well as vitamins D, B3, and B6. We’d recommend fish, green pees, cod liver oil, eggs, cheese, chicken, avocados, as well as fruits and veggies such as papaya, tomatoes, watermelons, and most greens.
- Aloe Vera gels. Massages or masks with Aloe Vera are great for keeping your scalp clean and healthy, thus promoting good hair density.
- Fenugreek seeds. Massages or masks with a paste of ground-up fenugreek seeds are also great for your scalp as they are very rich in antioxidants.
- Onion and honey. As with Aloe Ver and fenugreek seeds, masks and massages with an onion and honey paste can be great for your hair texture and density.
Commercial products
- Minoxidil. Many dermatologists often opt for 2% to 5% minoxidil solutions for patients with lower hair density and it’s certainly effective.
- PRP – Platelet Rich Plasma. This method involves taking some of the patient’s blood, enriching its platelets, and re-injecting it in the patient’s scalp. It’s a somewhat controversial method but it has been shown to help promote hair growth in the scalp.
