thin long weak hair :(

[piiineapple]

Hello all,
This is my first post, I hope it's ok to ask for advice regarding my hair length.. I've read a lot of the threads on thin/fine hair so I hope I'm not repeating too much.

I'm just wondering what people think about my hair situation. I've got really thin/fine hair (ib/f/i), and my mum and some other family members have mentioned (because they have the same hair) that my hair looks a lot better shorter as it's too thin to have long. I know what they're saying as it's wispy and when I have my hair longer the ends aren't great even with very regular cuts. I much prefer my hair longer as a style obviously, but do you think just some hair types are too weak and thin to grow longer? I know it's a matter of what makes you feel good etc. but I oscillate because essentially I would like long thicker hair, and so I don't know whether longer but thin looking or shorter and thicker looking is better. I've been googling 'long thin dark hair' all day and can't seem to find any people other than very light blondes who can or have got away with long styles if their hair is as thin/fine as mine.

please advice as I'm fed up of thinking about it.

Thank you :)

[piiineapple]

I'm not sure how to add a picture...

[piiineapple]

http://imageshack.us/a/img14/813/n8zg.jpg

[prettyinpink]

Who ever said thin hair cant look good long? I'm sure its beautiful. just keep up with trims every few months :D

[Orange Queen]

I don't really have an answer for you, but I feel your pain.
I just posted a similar topic.
I've also googled thin long blonde hair, and what comes up is a ton of pictures of blondes with way thicker hair than me. I wish my hair was that "thin"
I just cut my hair into the dreaded bob, and will try to grow it out as healthy as I could.
It does look like I have a lot more hair, but I still prefer longer.
=)

[donnalouise]

I think your hair looks great, and not all that thin, your hemline looks fine, just keep up with micro-trimming if you want to keep the ends looking as thick as possible . I have a friend with very fine thin hair that is just below classic length and her ends are wispy and VERY thin (she doesn't trim at all) but she looks amazing and people are always commenting on her hair. What she lacks in thickness is more than made up for by the length. If you want your hair long, go for it, i haven't yet seen a hair type that looks bad with very long hair, super curly, straight, fine, thick, it all looks good long OR short.

[piiineapple]

Googling it got me very annoyed and sad for the same reason! I have to say, I went for a really expensive chop-all-my-hair-off-for-healthy-hair hair cut 2 years ago (thinking they could cut it longer and thicker...) and have been growing/trimming/growing/trimming since then, and I can't say that my hair looks any better than when I wasn't looking after it that well. Hopefullllly hopefully you'll have more luck!

[Orange Queen]

Your hair looks about 4 times thicker than mine, and the length is really nice :)
Yeah, seems like I'm stuck in some weird cut off-grow-cut off loop where my hair never gets past my shoulders for a while too.
Your hair looks good.

[lapushka]

My mom, when she was in her 40s/50s, had fiery red waist length hair. She is a i, maybe low iis at best. It's always been wispy, but she grew it long anyway. It's not impossible, and if you want to grow it long, who is stopping you, really? My mom's in her late 60s now and her hair is still i, low iis; it's between shoulder and APL now, and blonde (as she's gone gray, it's easier to dye a light blonde).

[vindo]

You won't know until you try!

Generally speaking - all hair can grow to a good length IF you are healthy, eat well (nutrient rich), your hormones are in balance, you don't shed too much (under 60 is better), and of course great care (gentle).

[torrilin]

Really, your hair doesn't look much like 1b to me. It might be wispy, but it looks a lot more like 2a or 2b hair where there is clumping making it look wispier.

The thickness looks pretty normal. That can be misleading of course, since curlier hair tends to not compress as tightly as straighter hair. Some members have really fantastic looking heads of 3a or 3b curls but only a i thickness. I'd definitely double check that you actually measured your ponytail's circumference. A lot of fineys seem convinced they have very little hair, when in reality they have more individual hairs than average.

[Rio040113]

Echoing what everyone else said, your hair looks great and not 'too thin' at all! Health and hair care being as they should, there's no reason why you can't grow your hair long, if it's what you want. There are members here with i/ii hair, thin - average and their hair is gorgeous. My hair isn't anything special but I'm i/ii now (usually medium/high ii but lost over an inch of my thickness recently thanks to trich) and because my hair is thinner now, people have said to me it'd look better if I cut it short... Do I give a flying fluff? No, no I don't. I love it long, so long it will be and continue to grow it I shall :)

[Kherome]

Mine is about Classic and fine/thin.

[pocketsmall]

Anything is possible, you just have to be patient when it comes to experimenting (tons of trial and error!), it's really the only way to find a routine that works for you!

[Anje]

Echoing all the others, I think your hair looks nice and a little wavy. Pretty normal-looking thickness, too -- it's definitely not "too thin", if such a thing even exists.

I suspect that the prevalence of wigs and extensions has managed to brainwash at least a subset of the population into thinking that if you don't have really dense hair all the way to the ends, that it's horribly thin and shouldn't be worn so long. That's just not the case -- normal hair thins out a bit and tapers. It's expected and natural. Enjoy your hair and repeat after me: "I'm not here to decorate your world."

[Rio040113]

I suspect that the prevalence of wigs and extensions has managed to brainwash at least a subset of the population into thinking that if you don't have really dense hair all the way to the ends, that it's horribly thin and shouldn't be worn so long. That's just not the case -- normal hair thins out a bit and tapers

^ This x1000000000.

[Morphidae]

http://imageshack.us/a/img14/813/n8zg.jpg

Your hair is definitely not thin!! Just be very gentle with it, and keep it in a protective style all the time. My hair is so fragile even to run my fingers through it would cause it to fall... but I'm learning to be patient, and more careful when combing it, showering , and handling it in any way. It can grow, of course is possible!! You just need to be extra gentle with it.

I found stress takes a high toll on my hair, when I'm under much stress or not sleeping well, my hair will shed like crazy!!! Handfuls of it. Scalp massages also help a lot. And positive thinking too!!!

[Silverbrumby]

Not thin at all but it does look fine which is a lovely type of hair. What is your hair care routine? How often do you wear it up? Do you brush it when it's wet? How often do you trim? Have you ever used henna or that other colorless henna for thickening? What's the longest your hair has gotten?

If you look at my avatar that's pretty thin hair. I have had a lot of shedding in the past four years due to aging but I'm still happy to have it this length. I lose about 100 to 200+ hairs a day.

[AmyBeth]

I have to say, your hair looks lovely to me. I am in my early 50's and in my entire life, I have known two (2!) people with hair thinner and finer than mine. I have had pixie length and I have had TBL hair at the longest because I wasn't really taking very good care of it. I decided to regrow after a big chop, above my shoulders and decided that for me, long hair forever!. I don't personally care how thin it is, I'd rather have long thin hair than short thin hair. It's at hip now and I'm going for at least classic to terminal, and it looks better than ever in my life. I don't know how long you've been studying the methods that we talk about here at LHC, but I know, I promise- if you find what works for you, you will maximize your genetic potential and have the nicest hair you've ever had. Really. Read, try what makes sense to you- you don't have to spend a lot at all to have products that will help you along the way. I know you can have nice long shiny silky hair if you are willing to work a little and be patient. Ask questions- we will all help and encourage you. Don't feel hopeless. You can have the hair you love and love the hair you have.

[Quahatundightu]

People used to say that to me but my hair managed to make it to TB... and now hopefully beyond. Why don't you give it a try anyway? The only thing that really matters is whether you like how it looks or not! You might find that you think it looks great. You may have to be very gentle with it, I would recommend microtrims as they have made a big difference in the quality\ of my hair and its ability to grow longer. It makes the ends look thicker than they would if you let it grow out without it.

[piiineapple]

Thanks to everyone for such kind responses, although i think the picture is doing me more favours than id like to admit. It's just a real relief to be talking about it as its been on my mod for a while.



Not thin at all but it does look fine which is a lovely type of hair. What is your hair care routine? How often do you wear it up? Do you brush it when it's wet? How often do you trim? Have you ever used henna or that other colorless henna for thickening? What's the longest your hair has gotten?



I don't wear it up very often at all to be honest, I'm going to get a hair stick today as it sounds as though that would help.
I don't usually brush it when it's wet, maybe once a month by accident!
I used to get it trimmed every 5 weeks but its been longer this time just because I've been travelling a lot and I'm not confident enough to do it myself (I've been reading a lot a out micro trimming and I really think that would help but I'm ridiculously unsteady of hand!)
My hair is probably now the longest it's ever been, and I've hennaed 3 times now.
One problem I have is shampoo and conditioner. I haven't found any that i really like and that really work for my hair, and quite a few make my scalp itch or a bit sore.


Thank you again :)

[piiineapple]

Ooh also I shed... A lot.

[cranberrymoonz]

I don't think your hair looks thin at all. You can grow it longer for sure, but you need to treat it gently because it is fragile. Just a few things you can try:
- if your hair is porous, try products containing protein for extra strength
- henna, cassia and catnip strengthen hair
- prevent damage: gentle detangling, gentle washing, gentle everything(!)
- grow slowly but steady, microtrim half your growth or so.

I can't really name any american brands, but it would probably be best to get a sulfate free shampoo without any harsh chemicals for they can damage the scalp. Try some organic or health stores.. For conditioner: must be silicone-free if you decide to go sulfate free. Furthermore, ingredients like keratin, collagen and wheat or silk protein are great for strengthening hair.

On the shedding: it is normal to loose about 50-100 hairs a day. If you shed much more, it may be the time of the year (some people shed extra in fall and spring), or you may have some health issues or an insufficient diet. My advice is to wait and see if you still shed a lot in a month or two and maybe see a doctor if you do so. Or make some diet changes/try some multi-vitamins or a hair complex vitamin if you think diet is the cause.

Good luck!

[firegypsy]

My hair is quite thin and fine, but I prefer to think of it as "delicate" rather than weak. It needs to be treated very gently, so I work hard to do that. I'm only at waist, but I have no doubt that I can go longer so long as I take the proper precautions. :)

[summergreen]

Your hair doesn't look thin, not at all!! And against a light coloured top as well!

I don't think shorter hair necessarily equals thicker looking - my hair looked thicker when it got to BSL because it hung better and swished about more freely than at APL where it sort of caught on my clothes and folded itself up - I guess it was the extra weight. After waist it did look...not thinner exactly, but the contrast between length and width seems less flattering. So if thickness is very important to you, you might find a certain point where thickness and length are the best balance for you - but looking at your nice thick ends I would think you could grow a lot longer and still have thick looking hair :)

[jrmviola]

An old lady (i have forgotten who) told me that her mother grew her hair out knee length, but it was only like a 1/2 inch or 1 inch circumference the whole way down. She did it because it made her happy not because she was "looking to win a beauty contest". Thin hair can grown quite long in most instances (all things considered). If it makes you happy forget how it compares with others, that wont change much anyhow.
Coincidentally last time i grew my hair long it was because of this lady's story gave me the courage to try. And now its been done on my head twice. So be patient and learn and enjoy whatever comes out as the result!

[Firefox7275]

My hair is probably now the longest it's ever been, and I've hennaed 3 times now.
One problem I have is shampoo and conditioner. I haven't found any that i really like and that really work for my hair, and quite a few make my scalp itch or a bit sore.



Ooh also I shed... A lot.

These two issues could well be linked via irritation/ inflammation. You might consider allergy testing via your family doctor, getting a hair analysis, overhauling your diet to make it as anti inflammatory and nutrient dense as possible. Consider dropping all sulphates and other anionic surfactants (especially the olefin sulfonates) as these are potent irritants, use products with few ingredients (eg. a shampoo and conditioner 'base') with a pH that respects the hair and the skin's barrier function so 4.5 to 5.5.

http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/06/sulfate-free-shampoos-genuinely-gentle.html
http://pedaheh.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/goosefootprints-hair-analysis-with-my.html
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair?page=4

[Flor]

I've struggled with this a lot my whole life. People seem to have this notion that only those with really thick (and preferably straight and cascading, like in shampoo commercials) hair are allowed to grow it long. Everyone is obsessed with thickness!

I think it's because general idea is that thick hair represents good health. And those of us that GENETICALLY have thinner/finer hair are supposed to do whatever possible to at least have our hair appear thicker. It doesn't matter what we want for ourselves and it doesn't matter if the circumference of our ponytails does not represent our health.

And it's as if people find the size of my braid/bun offensive? Like what the heck am I thinking, growing THAT hair long? Fascinating, really.

Anyway, I think the best thing about growing older is that you literally stop caring about what other people think and only listen to yourself on such matters. You like your hair long - grow it long.

[MaryMarx]

I hope it makes you feel better when I say I would do anything for hair like yours. :)