Has anyone had a huge trim because of illness?

[Phalaenopsis]

And were you happy with it?
For over a year and a half, I've been saying that I want to cut my hair back to waist, because I'm so exhausted. I could have saved myself a lot of misery and just cut it already, it would have grown back by now.

I still want to get to tailbone one day, but I'm just so tired! And I think it would make my life easier to just go back to waist and reevaluate in six months.
My hair has thinned extremely, losing an inch of thickness, I'll probably be able to do updos at waist, which I normally couldn't do, except for a bun.

My hair is 35 inches, and I would like to go back to 30 inches. I was wondering if anyone else benefited from a trim like this.

The thing that exhausts me the most, is the way it hangs in the way. I just don't feel well, and I don't enjoy my length when I feel like this.

[lazuliblue]

Yes I have had a trim due to illness....well, it was more of a massive chop actually! I had anorexia, and one of the results was that a lot of my hair fell out and the rest became very thin and damaged. I went from APL to a pixie and it really was one of the best things I did for my hair! It instantly looked a lot thicker (which boosted my confidence) and although the process of growing it out is slightly frustrating at times, now I am eating well my hair is back to its usual thickness.

So I'd say go for it, in the grand scheme of things, 5 inches isn't much, and if it will help you feel less exhausted, that can only be a good thing.

[torrilin]

Not due to illness, but I'd had a definite habit of growing to BSL, then cutting back to APL. Say, 4-5". I wouldn't really consider that a big chop.

As far as exhaustion... if I know I'm not going to have a lot of time for my hair, I usually stuff it into twin braids and just leave it for a few days. The braids will get pretty caterpillar like after a few days, but they're easy to pin up as Heidi braids or turn into a bun, and if I leave the braids loose, they stay pretty troublefree. (not *pretty* or *nice* but out of my way and about a zillion times less tangled than leaving my hair loose or in the same bun for 5d straight would be). I don't do anything special like silk scarves or satin pillowcases, so about the most I ever get of a single style is 4-5 days anyway.

My other go to style for exhaustion is knot buns. Whether plain or Celtic knot style, they hold really well in my hair, are fast to do, and fairly flexible about length. My ponytail measures about 2.5-3" around, and I can start doing a plain knot around 27" at the absolute earliest. Celtic knots come online somewhere around 30". Plain knots aren't much good for sleeping in for me, but Celtic knots do work for sleep. They're flatter.

For me personally, cutting back to a length where I didn't have knot buns as an option is just OMG NO NEVER AGAIN. While I much prefer braided styles for every day, having an easy run out of the house screaming option is a huge deal.

[rainfortheend]

Accutane made a lot of my hair fall out. It's been almost 2 years, my hair is still falling out, and I've kept cutting it short. (chin, jaw, even pixie!) There are definite advantages and drawbacks.

For one thing, I can't just put my hair back in a ponytail and forget about it-- it's always out in the open, thin and stringy-looking, constantly reminding me of the horror. Also, I'm a 2a, which means awful flippy mullet phases as the hair grows, which leaves me frustrated and impatient, constantly fixating on my hair. Also, I can't stretch washes on short hair, which meads to more damage. Any touching of my scalp leads to more hair loss.

But it has advantages, too. Less tangles = less manipulation to get the tangles out = less hair loss. I made it to CBL, but my hair just got so tangled that I had to chop. I'd be afraid to comb it for fear of all the hairs on the comb and wondering if it was doing more harm than good. I think I lost less hairs as a shortie than at CBL, and my ends were always stringy.

I'd say cut off the 5 inches. Less tangles are always a plus, and you can still put it up and forget about it.

[spidermom]

I don't quite get how cutting 5 inches is going to help you feel less exhausted, but it's not that big a deal. Quit obsessing and just go for it. If you hate it, by the end of a year it will have grown back (more or less).

[swearnsue]

I second torralin's suggestion about the twin braids. It keeps the hair out of your way, you can take a nap with your hair in braids and if loose hairs from the hairs bug you, use some aloe vera gel to smooth the loose hairs back.

[McFearless]

Since you've wanted to do this for over a year and a half, I say go for it.

[lapushka]

And were you happy with it?

I went back from almost TBL (about 2 cm or an inch away) to hip, and two weeks later to waist. My hair was getting too long for me and was tugging at the roots, AND my mom started to find it too hard to care for (she does my hair due to disability), so the decision wasn't a hard one for me, especially because I had my own problems with the length.

Do what you feel most comfortable with, and it won't be a bad decision!