Losing hair as you get older is never an easy experience. It can end up bruising your self-confidence when you don’t know how to style or wear your hair when you need to go out. It also makes you look a lot older than you actually are.
Thankfully, there’s a little something called hair fibers. These handy, powder-like fibers have been slowly rising in popularity to help address hair loss and thinning, and have been getting quite the attention because of viral online videos.
It’s a quick, hassle-free, simple way to camouflage hair loss.
Although it’s super easy to use hair fibers, many people still don’t know what they’re for or how to use them.
But it’s a shame if you’re looking for a way to make your hair look thicker and overlook the power of hair-building fibers.
So today, we’ll be talking about their benefits and side effects, as well as how to make hair fibers stick.
Table of Contents
What Are Hair-Building Fibers?
Hair fibers are powders made of keratin (the same proteins hair is made of) or a similar material.
This powder is then sprinkled or sprayed into the hair so that the fibers stick to your strands with the help of static electricity, binding with the hair and making it appear thicker.
See, whether they’re made of proteins, wool, or rayon, these fibers are positively charged.
Meanwhile, human hair is negatively charged.
Because they have opposite charges, the fibers are easily attracted to the hair on your head and bind with them when they’re in close proximity.
Because hair fibers rely on static to stick to your hair, you don’t have to use glue or any sticky pomade or gel to use the fibers.
All you have to do is apply it to your roots and watch your strands look and feel lusher and fuller.
Just make sure the fibers are of high quality so that the texture isn’t too rough.
Conceal Hair Loss
The main point of using hair fibers is to conceal areas of hair loss.
But while hair fibers were designed specifically to help people overcome the embarrassment of having to go out with thinning or balding hair, many people with fine, low-density hair also use it to darken their locks and make them look fuller.
But what you have to remember is that hair fibers aren’t made to grow your hair back.
Its sole purpose is to temporarily cover up your hair thinning, and also block some visibility of your scalp.
It’s a disguise, not a cure to whatever is causing your balding or hair loss.
Who Should Use Hair Fibers?
Hair fibers come in powder or spray formats and are designed for both men and women.
However, it’s more effective and easier to use on shorter hair, so it’s men who will likely benefit from it the most.
It also comes in plenty of shades, so you just have to select the color closest to the rest of your hair.
Anyone can use hair fibers if they have mild thinning, limp, or gray hair.
You’ll also find it helpful if you want to cover up the demarcation line between gray roots and dyed hair.
If your head is bald, hair fibers won’t work for you because the tiny fibers need at least some strands to latch onto.
Do Hair Fibers Look Natural?
Hair fibers usually look very natural from a distance.
But up close, it might be obvious that there’s powder on top of your hair, similar to other types of hair concealers.
If you want your hair fiber application to look natural, concentrate the product distribution to the center of your head.
When you use fibers on the fringes and edges of your hairline, it might look more superficial and overly, unnaturally smooth.
Another way to make sure your hair looks natural is by picking out the right color for your hair fibers.
If the shade is too light, it might have no effect – just more product build-up in your strands.
If it’s too dark, it can make your hairline look feathery and unkempt with an obvious discoloration, like a stain.
Pick a color that is almost an exact match with your current shade for seamless blending and a natural finish.
Side Effects Of Using Hair-Building Fibers
If the hair fibers you buy contain ingredients you’re potentially allergic to, you might notice some itchiness and irritation.
These may include dyes and artificial chemicals, so double-check the ingredient list before you make your purchase.
If you notice rashes by your hairline or a painful sensation on your scalp, discontinue use immediately.
Go instead for hair fibers formulated for those with sensitive skin.
Other less, dangerous side effects of using hair fibers include making a mess out of your clothes, hats, and sheets if you shake out your hair and the fibers fall on those fabrics.
Make sure you don’t rest your head on white walls or light-colored towels and couches either so the fibers don’t stain anything.
How To Apply Hair Fibers
One of the best things about hair fibers is that they’re extremely easy to use.
As long as you know how to distribute the product well and how to prep your hair before styling with the fibers, you’ll be good to go.
To make it even easier for you, we’ve put together this step-by-step how-to:
Pick out your hair fiber
You must choose one that is as close as possible to the color of your hair now.
This will give you a more realistic-looking finish.
If you want to make it look even more natural, you can work with two different shades – a lighter color for the base and hairline, and a darker shade for the crown and top of your head.
Recommended Product: Toppik Hair Building Fibers
Wash your hair, wait until it’s completely dry, and style as usual
Make sure you don’t apply any water-based styling creams and gels to your hair, as this will disturb the static and friction that helps the fibers bind into your strands.
Plus, when your hair is damp, it will end up creating fibrous clumps in your hair after application.
To ensure the fibers adhere to your locks properly, don’t use any water-based product at all – not even a leave-in conditioner.
If you really need to use product while styling your hair, use only a little bit of volumizing powder.
Adding in the hair fibers after styling your hair is important because if you do it the other way around, the hair fibers might fall out or get brushed away as you style your locks.
Spray or sprinkle your hair fibers into the hair loss area
You can also try out the jab-and-pull method, which involves pressing or stamping the tub of hair fibers into your head and pulling a bit to help the fibers adhere to your strands.
When applying the hair fibers to your hairline, start a few millimeters away from the edges of your hair and just move the fibers upward with a soft brush.
That way, you won’t create a harsh, dark line by your hairline, which is a big no-no if you still want your hair to look natural.
Avoid combing or brushing your hair after application, as this will just move the fibers around and take away the neatness of your application.
Just pat the fibers into your hair and be gentle with it.
Don’t use too much product, as it will look unnatural.
Just use a little bit of the fibers first, and then build it up gradually in added layers to get the coverage you were envisioning.
How To Make Hair Fibers Stick
You might be tempted to use pomade or gel on your hair before applying the hair fibers and help them stick better, but that’s the last thing you want to do.
The fibers bind with your hair through static electricity.
Using a styling product can disrupt that, making it hard for the fibers to stay in place.
Simply rub the hair fibers into your hair after application in a manner that distributes the product evenly throughout your hair.
The rubbing motion will also help the fibers stick to your strands better.
Just make sure you’re not overly rough with how you handle your hair.
Hair fibers generally don’t fall out of your strands easily.
But to take extra precaution, try not to shake your hair out so much to extend the lifespan of your hair fibers.
How Long Do Hair Fibers Last?
Hair fibers will be washed away after one shampoo session in the bath.
If you do a quick shower with just water, you might have better luck retaining more of the hair fibers – so long as you don’t massage your head roughly while rinsing it.
They also won’t last that long throughout the day if you walk under heavy rain without an umbrella.
Light rain should be fine, but watch out for the fibers staining your clothes if they run down your head.
Try not to scratch your head while you have hair fibers in.
You’ll end up pulling out some of the fibers in one specific area, making it obvious that you’re concealing thinning hair.
To extend the longevity of your hair fibers, just pat your head where you feel it itching.
While it’s advisable to wash the hair fibers out of your locks after a day, some people try to prolong the lifespan of their fibers.
To do this, sleep with a durag on to ensure that none of the fibers fall out even as you toss and turn in bed.
And when wearing them on day two, consider putting on some hairspray to keep them locked in place.
How To Make Hair-Building Fibers At Home
Looking for a cheaper alternative to fancy hair fibers?
Allergic to the chemicals that are infused in the most popular hair fiber brands?
Don’t worry – you can always dig up some kitchen materials and make your own powder that will work just as well.
This is a terrific way to use something similar to hair fibers without breaking the bank.
It’s also a smart choice if you’d rather go the organic route for all things hair.
Garlic Cloves
All you’ll need to do this DIY project is garlic cloves, a frying pan, and a food processor.
First, peel all the garlic cloves and save the skins by setting them aside.
You need as many skins as possible for this, so peel tons of garlic cloves.
You can put all your cloves in a jar and put them in the freezer for future use.
All you need to make your DIY hair fibers are the skins.
Fry The Skins
When you have a big pile of garlic peel, put them in a frying pan and turn the heat up.
Fry the skins until they turn black.
Frying them up will take out the garlicky smell and make the peels even crispier.
Because of the crunchiness, they’ll be easy to crush later on.
Place your fried garlic peels in a food processor and pulverize them until they make a fine powder.
Put them in a small jar, preferably one with a dispenser or shaker on top for easy distribution of the product.
And voila! There are your DIY hair fibers.
Do the jab-and-pull method or sprinkle the powder into your hair whenever you need extra volume and plumpness.
Because of the black color, it’s also great for making your hair look darker.
That’s super useful for those with graying hair that they want to conceal but aren’t quite ready for the commitment of permanent hair dye yet.
Conclusion
With high-quality hair fibers, you can go from thinning, receding hair to a lush, dense head of hair again.
It’s also an excellent way to achieve more body and volume for those with low-density hair.
These fibers are extremely easy to use, whether you use a spray-on format or do the jab-and-pull trick for precision.
Regarding how to make hair fibers stick, you just have to know how to look out for things like sweating or rain to ensure they stay longer in your strands.
Just make sure you pick out the right color for the fibers to seamlessly blend into the rest of your hair naturally.
You should also purchase hair fibers that contain no ingredients that you might be allergic to.
Keep these in mind, and your thicker, fuller hair will be golden.
