Who has (or plans to) cut back to waist?

**jel** · February 16th, 2009, 12:34 PM

Why? Do you find waist to be the ideal length?

I have noticed a few people mention, casually, in their blogs or on the board, that they have (or plan to) cut their hair back to waist from hip/tailbone/classic. I wonder if it's just a trimming decision (i.e. getting rid of bad ends on the way to longer length), or change of hair goal (i.e. maintaining at waist for the foreseeable future).

My hair is now past hip length, and the tips are only a couple of inches away from my ultimate goal, tailbone. Maybe it's due to some hair loss I recently experienced (though my thickness is still in the mid-ii), but while I thought my hair looked great at waist, it appears slightly too long when down, proportionally less voluminous, and is definitely more difficult to style. Although I really want to reach TB, just so I can say I achieved the romantic goal I set when I joined LHC, I'm seriously considering cutting back to waist afterwards.

Any thoughts/experiences?

**spidermom** · February 16th, 2009, 12:45 PM

When/if I reach the point where my hair is longer than I care to maintain, I plan to cut back to waist with long layers. I have several reasons for this.
1) The grow-out from waist to tailbone was fast and I wouldn't mind going through all those stages again.
2) I got more curl at waist with long layers. It was very pretty to wear down, not so hard to detangle afterward.
3) Waist is long enough to do a variety of styles.
4) It has been nearly 4 years since I joined LHC. If I were to cut back to waist right now, most of my hair will have received special care the LHC way (multiplying the number of months since I joined by the average of 1/2 inch growth per month). By the time I reach/pass my goal of classic and cut back, all my hair down to waist will be post-LHC care and should be in excellent condition.

**Meli** · February 16th, 2009, 02:32 PM

I cut from tailbone to waist, and I'm still kicking myself for it... I didn't cut it all at once, I just trimmed more than it grew during a bit more than a year. The reason was because my hair was so damaged and I also felt unhappy about it - I thought I had hit terminal and had so bad hairgenes that I couldn't even keep it there due to all the splits and breakage...

It was probably not my true terminal length due to said splits and breakage, but I didn't know that. And since I didn't know how to care about my hair properly either, trimming only made my hair shorter, not healthier. I was still cutting into damaged hair and the new ends got exposed to friction and deteriorated into nothing before the cut length grew back. Although I probably got rid of at least some damage by cutting - always something. But, I'm not overly happy with my current length, and I'd rather have very damaged TBL hair and work on improving health from there, than trying to grow it back while still fighting with the damage left. But what's done is done, hair is hair and it grows. I'll get back there someday - with healthier hair than last time.

And I don't think my hair is short - it's just not quite as long as I would like. I doubt I'll ever cut it to waist again, but if all that breakage I still have eventually manage to drive me nuts - who knows?

**k_hepburn** · February 16th, 2009, 02:51 PM

I cut back from hip to waist last year, or at least that's what I instructed the hairdresser to do. I was longing for a thicker hairline, and thought it might be good to keep splits away. Unfortunately the waist I got cut to was wet length, so in real term it felt to me like I'd gone back to somewhere just past bsl. To make matters worse, my hairdresser didn't manage to even the hair out properly, so one side is about an inch longer than the other i you pull it forward. But with all the length I'd lost, I just wasn't prepared to go back (or go somewhere else) to get it rectified.
Meaning I've now spent months and months trying to get back to hip, and I'm still not there. So, for me, next time I'll go to a hairdressers's it's going to be for a trim only. They'll probably end up cutting more than you told them too, anyway, but at least if I tell them one inch and end up with two, I can grow it back in reasonable time, not like telling them four inches and end up with about eight,

So, from personal experience, unless you have a long-established trustworthy relationship with your hairdresser I would seriously advise against giving anyone the free reign to cut back hair to waist from considerably longer. You may be in for a LOT MORE than you bargained for...

katharine

**Euphony** · February 16th, 2009, 03:09 PM

I've thought about it, I don't know yet. I still had mushroom head at waist, that was so weird - I realized I've finally gotten rid of that problem, but I have no idea when it was.

Waist is a complimentary length on me since I am built pretty odd - my waist is a full size (or more) smaller than the rest of me so with hair as long as it is now, from the back I look a bit like a lump

With my hair being thicker than the norm though, I'd be seriously stunted on what updos I could do with waist length hair. Heck it's at tail bone when pulled straight and I still can't do a cinnamon bun that looks like a cinnamon bun and not a fluff even now.

So I'm very undecided (helpful aren't I!?!)

**brok3nwings** · February 16th, 2009, 03:48 PM

My honest honest opinion is this....
waist lenght for me is the sexiest and feminin lenght. And in my personal tast it would have a U shape. Why waist? Well, waist (in female body) is very appealling and if your long hair ends up there it will take some attention to it. But thats me!

Besides it ends on the starting curve that will be your but (and that sometimes could , i imagine, be annoying because of the movement)

**Omens** · February 16th, 2009, 04:37 PM

I think waist is probably just much more easier to manage, and it's more practical. It's long without being too long. You still get to enjoy the styling and it isn't in the way that much.

I've definitely been reconsidering my own goals. I'm a very no fuss sort of person, and though I certainly to aspire to great lengths, I realize it might not be right for the way I am. I'm a bit past waist, and though I feel like it's still far too short, just a few more inches and it's really going to start getting in the way. The other day I almost shaved a lock off in the shower accidentally

I think I'm a little too rough to get much longer than this....

Anyway, it's more for the easiness of it than anything else. But it's different from person to person. Sometimes the look of really long hair can outweigh any of the other stuff that brings doubts. So wait till you get there and see how you feel. Maybe it will be the romantic idea you had originally.

**Forever_Sophie** · February 16th, 2009, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Omens

I think waist is probably just much more easier to manage, and it's more practical. It's long without being too long. You still get to enjoy the styling and it isn't in the way that much.

This is exactly why I'm gonna stay at waist

I am so glad I've reached this goal, now I can look forward to trims! I'm v. short and any longer will likely overwhelm me.

**Psalm186** · February 16th, 2009, 06:38 PM

I finally reached tailbone after a year of no trims, but my ends are in sad repair. They're dry, crunchy, starting to split/break, and tangling like mad. I'm heading to the salon for a trim tomorrow (stupid Family Day closed everything today -- even the buses aren't running!), and I'll probably have to cut back to waist

I was also thinking about adding some more shape. I think I need something to frame my face a bit... nothing too heavy, just something to pick it up, you know?

**Themyst** · February 16th, 2009, 07:15 PM

I'm thinking that waist length is probably easier to deal with.

Mine is probably at classic length now, I can sit on it. You have to keep moving it out of the way when you sit down ... er... anywhere.