Hair is thin on the ends

[Jamie Lynn 40]

Hi -
I am sorry to bother you all again, but I was wondering your opinions when hair is thin on the ends. I am trying sooooo hard to grow my hair to hip length but at the same time I want it to be healthy & not scraggly. I have taken everyone's advice & have went " cone-free" and I think it helps & I also use jojoba oil & parachute coconut oil but I don't know if I should just wait to trim a while or not. I was thinking of waiting till October ( my birthday month) & then just dust it & then not trim it again for a year. What do you guys think? Any information would be very much appreciated.
JamieLynn 40

[xrosiex]

It sounds like your not sure if you want to trim. So use the 2-week rule. And Be sure to take your time. All the beautiful hair on this board makes me want to grow too. But try one thing at a time. And go slow. You will reach your goals with patience. And I'm wishing you good growing.:)

[LadyLongLocks]

A photo would help. I think that if the ends bother you that much you should give them a trim. A small trim can help the hemline look so much better and thicker. Do a little at a time, perhaps cutting the growth every month and maintain a for while until you are happy with how it looks.
I have hair to my knees and keeping the ends full and trimmed and healthy is the biggest challenge so far. I prefer health over length if possible. Wear your hair up as much as possible to preserve the ends.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i172/JJJLonghair/late%2007%20and%202008%20hair%20photos/100_4482cpyrtzsygmsPHOTO2-1.jpg
I trim every 4-6 weeks

[Shanarana]

First of all, you are not a bother......that's why we are all here. ;) I agree that a photo would help a lot. Many members have "fairy tale" ends that are a nice look and some like myself don't care for them to much. That's a personal choice. I don't see the harm in a "dusting" at the very ends, that would probably not be noticeable. If you decide to cut anymore than that than the two week rule is a good is a thing we strongly suggest here on the forums.

[Anje]

If you want your hair to be thick to the ends (that is, not fairytaled), you'll probably have to resolve to trim it a little, and perhaps quite a bit more often than once a year, depending on how evenly your hair grows. This doesn't mean that you need to trim large amounts, but if you take off, say, 1/4 of your growth every few months (say, 1/4" every 2 months, if you get the standard 1/2" per month), your ends will gradually thicken while your hair continues to get longer.

[Curlsgirl]

I have decided to get a very small trim about every three months or so as that seems to work best even though like you I am very impatient to grow to waist! I will cut perhaps 1/3 of the growth in that time period, maybe more or less depending.

Do you by any chance have any old layers at the ends or damage?

[spidermom]

I find it's easier to lose about 1/2 inch every three months. It keeps my ends nice and on the thick side, and I can't much of a difference in length after the trim. If I waited and had to cut 2 inches once a year, I'd feel how much shorter my length had become.

[FrannyG]

I find it's easier to lose about 1/2 inch every three months. It keeps my ends nice and on the thick side, and I can't much of a difference in length after the trim. If I waited and had to cut 2 inches once a year, I'd feel how much shorter my length had become.

This is what I do as well, and it's been very successful. To be honest, if I waited a year, which I've done in the past, it seems I need to cut off more than 2 inches, for some reason. The regular trims seem to keep my ends much neater, and (somewhat) thicker-looking.

[yogachic]

If you prefer thick ends over thinning ends, I think triming every 3-6 months would be benficial to meeting your goal.

[chelles2kids]

I second or third (?) what Spidermom said.

A small trim every 2.5-3 months would be what I would recommend as well.
That way you won't be trimming off what length you've gained, you'll continue to grow as well as thicken up your ends.

I struggle with this as well.
I'm almost to tailbone and promised myself that I wouldn't trim until I got there, my ends were driving me crazy, so I relented and done about 1/2 inch trim a couple months ago.

I'm so glad that I did. My ends were so much better and even though I lost some length, it was defiantely worth it to get them looking healthier.

Good luck on your decision!:blossom:

[UP Lisa]

Yes, I think trimming is definately worth it. I have been trimming mine every 3 months now, about 1/2" each time. I am also hoping to get my ends thicker over time.

[Jamie Lynn 40]

Thank you all so much. You have helped tremendously. Do you all use a special leave-in conditioner to keep your hair so pretty? Also, do any of you take any special vitamins for faster growth? Thanks again.
JamieLynn 40

[Jamie Lynn 40]

LadyLongLocks-
Thank you so much for your reply. You have beautiful hair by the way. Do you color your hair? Also, have you always had long hair? If not, how long did it take you to grow it to your knees? Do you take hair vitamins? Also how much do you trim every 4 to 6 weeks? What kind of leave-in conditioner or hair routine do you use? Sorry for so many questions, but I am really trying hard to grow my hair to hip length. It is just past my shoulders now & I will more than likely cut some pretty soon. Thanks for your time.
JamieLynn40

[Stagecoach]

As others have said it depends a lot on what your looking for.

There are many members here with lovely fairytale ends, but others, like myself, prefer our hair blunt.

For the past two years I did a 'no trim' experiment where I only trimmed every 12 months. And while I did get some nice growth in there, I've noticed that my ends are not as thick as they would have been if I'd trimmed small amounts as I was growing.

I just had 1" taken off and it's already made my ends look more full.

So if it's full, blunt ends your looking for, I'd vote for small trims every 3-6 months.

[ktani]

I agree with Stagecoach.

Individual hairs grow at different rates and are in different growth cycles, so when you grow hair without trimming, the uneven growth can cause some taper.

Evening the hair out can make a difference. You do not need to trim much each time.

[Unnamed]

Now, as one with thin, scraggly ends who is not trimming (aiming for terminal, don't see the point in trimming for blunt ends) my advice might not be welcome... :lol:

...but I have to agree, that if blunt ends is what you want, you *do* need to trim fairly often. Not a lot at a time, but more often. Not only do hairs grow at different speeds unevening the ends, but as hairs shed out, some of those would have been in the ends--and if you're not trimming, you're not able to compensate for that, either.

Way back I noticed that to *keep* ones ends about the thickness they are at, one seems to need to trim about 1" per year (either at once, or in two trims of 1/2"or four at 1/4").

If your ends are thinner than you want them or you're trimming out layers/damage (that might be why they're thinner), I'd go with the 1/2" (or so) off every three months to thicken while still gaining length. If your hair grows super fast or slow, you might bump that up or down, and if you have any damage that is causing the thinning or are really unhappy with how they look right now, then you might want to trim all growth off two months in a row (then go to the every three months), to get a start on the thickening. If it's too much, you can always change to triming 1/2" every four months.

[truepeacenik]

Here's something to compare to: if you were to shave say, your forearm, the hair growing in would be blunt (the stubble) if you were to wax or pluck that patch, the hairs would be growing in with natural individual hair taper.
so, too with head hair.
Does this make the fairytale/ even edges question easier?
I don't think so. I have basically fairytale ends because I'm lazy and fearful of strangers with scissors.
I'm debating picking a point and "hold " my hair there for a few months to see what happens.
(And I'm open to opinions here)

[Aries_jb]

I was able to grow my hair to waist length without trimming but twice a year, and I ended up with very thin, scraggly ends that I wasn't happy with. A couple months ago I cut to shoulder length and my new plan is to grow to BSL and trim about every three months to thicken the ends. While it's growing to BSL I'm wearing it up about 90% of the time, so as not to damage the length while it grows.

[Jamie Lynn 40]

Aries jb-
How much do you trim every 3 months? Do you take any hair vitamins or anything? Also, do you use any leave in conditioner for the ends? Thanks for your reply.
JamieLynn40

[Aries_jb]

At the moment, I'm growing my hair to BSL, so I haven't started trimming yet, but my plan is to trim a quarter of an inch every 3 months and see how my hair likes it. I take biotin and MSM for my hair. I also take a mulit, b-vitamin complex, and fish oil, but that's not really for my hair, though I imagine it helps :). As for a leave-in, I'm currently using Abba Gentle Conditioner mixed with a small bit of coconut oil. I have high hopes for this routine, so fingers crossed that it works!

[chotee]

I alternate a mini and a big trim every 3-4 months. My growth is slow when compared to others but like all others who have mentioned here its a personal opinion. I like blunt cut and also i have to take special care in keeping my ends really well oiled in an updo if i want to maintain the health of my ends even in those 3 months of not trimming.

[Jamie Lynn 40]

chotee-
Do you mean coconut oil or jojoba oil when you say you oil your hair ? I have both but I don't know which one is best. Thanks for your reply. I think I want my ends blunt also but it seems like when I go to the salon they cut it & it is blunt & then it grows out scraggly everytime & I don't get any length to it for some reason.
JamieLynn40

[Jamie Lynn 40]

aries jb-
Thanks for the info. I think I will try your trimming plan. This may be a silly question, but what does BSL stand for? Also, is that Abba leave-in good stuff for dry scraggly hair? I have never tried Abba products before. I just ordered some Lanza leave-in to try. It had some good reviews on Amazon.I think I am going to start biotin again. I take country life maxi hair, flax capsules ( 6 per day), phyto hair & nails, & biosil. Thanks again. Have a great day.
JamieLynn40

[tiny_teesha]

It truly depends on how your hair grows.
Since May i have trimmed my growth every month. And i didn't see fast enough results. The last 16 or so centimeters of my hair is really thin and horrible and over hennaed. So i cut about 4 cm yesterday and there is a noticeable difference. That is about 1.5-2 inches. My hair feels a lot better for it too. And it LOOKS better also! I think a trim like that really helps to make you feel a difference, like i said i have spent the last 5 months trimming my growth but the difference wasn't noticeable for me. I rather this big difference to help in the feel of my ends.
Also don't get a V hemn, they make the ends look thinner!

[Boudicca]

If you think split ends may be contributing to the thinness, then try wearing your hair up more often. I have noticed a DRAMATIC reduction in the amount of splits I have since I started wearing my hair up more often. I couldn't believe how marked the change was.

[Jamie Lynn 40]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I think I will try wearing my hair up more often but I will have to learn how to do this because I am not very good at styling my hair. I think it might be at that stage where it is kinda hard to work with. Anyway, have a great day everyone.
JamieLynn40

[RetroKitten]

quick question, i am curious:

what are fairytale ends? how do blunt ends look?

[Aries_jb]

aries jb-
Thanks for the info. I think I will try your trimming plan. This may be a silly question, but what does BSL stand for? Also, is that Abba leave-in good stuff for dry scraggly hair? I have never tried Abba products before. I just ordered some Lanza leave-in to try. It had some good reviews on Amazon.I think I am going to start biotin again. I take country life maxi hair, flax capsules ( 6 per day), phyto hair & nails, & biosil. Thanks again. Have a great day.
JamieLynn40

BSL stands for bra strap length. As for the Abba, I really like it. It has protein in it, so it may not work for some people who are protein-sensitive. I also mix it with a drop of oil (either coconut or an oil blend that consists of avocado, jojoba, and olive oil), which helps retain the moisture it gives me.

[sibylla]

I trim every month a few millimeters. I love to trim my own hair and I can´t wait for more than a month.

[Katze]

I'm trimming every few months or so, still trying for a thick hemline. Spidermom and others have given good advice; if it's thick(er) ends you want, trims are the best way to go.

Because of old damage and a heavily layered "shag" cut (see upper left hand sig pic) I still have a long way to go before my hair is all one length. Taper seems to be part of the equation, too; never will I have a braid that's thick all the way down.

However, I can have hair that looks good down, even with the taper I do have, if I wash it more often, keep it trimmed, and take care of the ends/length. This helps my hair look thicker and thus healthier.

[Juanita]

Hi Jamis Lynn. I also have fine thin hair. I just trim the splits out otherwie it seems to get nowhere for me. My hair is waist length with a taper. I like cocnut oil in my hair.

[Juanita]

Sorry Coconut and I mostly wear my hair up. Us with fine thin hair can usually do some of the updo's that our thicker haired sisters can't

[aprilmay]

I make the decision to trim based on how the ends of my hair behave. When they start to thin, split and become more prone to tangles I recruit a family member to cut.

[truepeacenik]

Hey, JamieLynn,
you might want to start a different thread for vitamins and oiling, and I'd do a search, too, because I KNOW we have gone on and on about that! We try our best to be on topic by thread.

Fairytale ends will always have natural taper. trimming gives blunt ends (in whatever shape: straight across, U or V).

and BSL= bra strap length (and APL= arm pit length...there's a thread somewhere on all our acronyms.)

[chotee]

chotee-
Do you mean coconut oil or jojoba oil when you say you oil your hair ? I have both but I don't know which one is best. Thanks for your reply. I think I want my ends blunt also but it seems like when I go to the salon they cut it & it is blunt & then it grows out scraggly everytime & I don't get any length to it for some reason.
JamieLynn40

Hi JamieLynn40, I mostly use coconut oil on normal days. I use herbal oils like amla, bringraj, castor oil the day before my hair wash. If you want to increase the thickness of your hair, use castor. If you want to increase the thickness of the ends, the only option would be to cut little by little and keep the ends safe in a braid or updo. Keep them oiled mostly. I have my trims in a place where the girl understands and she gives me a micro-trim. It really makes a difference. Keep doing that often and your hair will look thicker after 3-6 months.My ends are getting better but it takes a long time and needs a lot of patience but you get there, so hang on! Also, i henna my hair once in a while. and use indian herbs to wash my hair. But on days with no-time, i also use a diluted shampoo made of hibiscus. since both our hair are of the same type, i can tell you that the ends need a great care. One tip i would love to do but have not yet got is a satin ribbon. Use them to tie your ends and keep them safe. :smile:

all the best

[Jamie Lynn 40]

chotee-
Thank you so much for your reply. I have never tried castor oil. I almost bought some the other day, but I ended up not getting it for some reason. I will have to get some, though to try. Right now, I am trying jojoba & coconut oil. I also color my hair so it tends to get dry & the ends do split/ thin so you are right I have to be very careful with them. Hopefully, by the time I am 45 years old ( almost 40 now) I will have hip length hair. My hair is just a little past my shoulders right now. What do you think? Is this a realistic goal? Have a great day.
JamieLynn40

[chotee]

chotee-
Thank you so much for your reply. I have never tried castor oil. I almost bought some the other day, but I ended up not getting it for some reason. I will have to get some, though to try. Right now, I am trying jojoba & coconut oil. I also color my hair so it tends to get dry & the ends do split/ thin so you are right I have to be very careful with them. Hopefully, by the time I am 45 years old ( almost 40 now) I will have hip length hair. My hair is just a little past my shoulders right now. What do you think? Is this a realistic goal? Have a great day.
JamieLynn40


I became 40 this year myself in July. I started growing my hair from a heavily layered and thinning hair in May 2003. Now my hair is touching my tailbone. But i had to wait till all my layers got cut. Also, improved on the health of my hair by including vitamins and protein(i was a near-vegetarian when my hair was falling out). Once i started including fish, meat etc in small quantities, my hair quality improved. So, 5 years is a long time. All you need is patience.....i am sure you will...:smile:
all the best...

[UP Lisa]

Yes, JamieLynn40, that is a reasonable goal. My hair grows at a pretty normal 1/2" per month, and it took me about 5 years to get it from a pixie to waist. with regular trims. I am now heading for tailbone!

[Jamie Lynn 40]

UpLisa-
Wow! Now there is hope for me. I would love to have tailbone length hair. I just thought it was impossible because of my age & me coloring my hair. Thanks so much for the information. I really appreciate it a lot. If you don't mind me asking, what was/is your hair care routine? Thanks again.
JamieLynn 40

[Jamie Lynn 40]

Chotee-
I was a vegetarian for several months so maybe that is why my hair doesn't grow very fast. I have been lately adding meat to my diet. How long/ short was your hair when you started growing it 5 years ago? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what type of vitamins & hair care routine do you do & have you done to get your hair to tailbone length? Thanks for your time.
JamieLynn40

[Speedbump]

I have done two different strategies for my hair, and both worked for me at the time:

1) When I had LOTS of damage to grow out, I trimmed early and often. I *had* to, really, or my hair would knot, tangle and break off like crazy. I kept doing this, trimming smaller and smaller lengths eventually, until I felt I could get away with not trimming but once or twice a year.

2) About..oh, two years ago? I started trimming only about twice a year, usually less than an inch each time. I sacrificed blunt ends, bigtime, to gain length. I am not sorry I did it, because I definitely achieved a lot more length in less time. HOWEVER (and isn't there always one of those? :p ) you can get diminishing returns with that strategy. Eventually, at least in my personal experience, my ends have gotten bad enough that I need more "help" for them than just regular S&Ds and twice-annual trims will give.

That is where I am now. You can see in my current sig pic that I have fairy-tale ends at this point. I don't like them; never have, never will. (This is how I feel about *my* ends, not anyone else's.) My final goal IS blunt ends. But I chose to sacrifice that ideal until I got closer to my final hair goal of classic when dry. (Or at least I think it's my "final" hair goal right now. ;) )

I am also now at the point where I am going to have to have a decently-large trim. Say 3 inches. That is still less than I would have trimmed before (total), but did it really, in the long run, get me anywhere that much faster? A little bit, yes. It might have put me three, maybe for months ahead of the game. Not a huge difference, but a difference.

So it's really about what is most important to YOU. If thick, blunt ends are REALLY important to you, then keep them that way. You will get there a bit slower, but you will get there. Or you might even do what I did and try both ways and see how each strategy suits you.

[mrs carol]

I haven't trimmed my hair for almost two years. It will be two years in November. I'm thinking about an inch trim just to even it up. The ends aren't really thin just uneven. Its almost over my bottom so I don't really want to cut off much length. For me trimming more often isn't necessary. I use jojoba oil on the ends and half the length about once a week. My ends don't get dry with the jojoba oil.

[truepeacenik]

I'm a very long term (28 years, and I'm 40) vegetarian with an adequate but not great diet.
I have slightly over average growth, but prone to stalls. Seems B complex and mineral related.
If I start on the three standby dinners, which are light on green, I get a hair stall.
Eat greens and voila!
essential fats are important, too.
So if you don't want fish, eat ground flax (must be ground or it just passes by).

[chotee]

Chotee-
I was a vegetarian for several months so maybe that is why my hair doesn't grow very fast. I have been lately adding meat to my diet. How long/ short was your hair when you started growing it 5 years ago? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what type of vitamins & hair care routine do you do & have you done to get your hair to tailbone length? Thanks for your time.
JamieLynn40

Hi jamielynn40, you are right. Diet is the first and foremost important thing. Protein is the most important thing. some people can absorb from veggie-protein like nuts and dairy but i didn't and lentils don't suit me either. Thats why, fish, meat and liver in small quantities help hair grow healthy for me. Also, i included a multi vitamin on most of the days. If i remember, i include some kelp, flaxseed, amla(vit c), brewer's yeast, and calcium. When i take these extra supplements, defenitely my hair looks and feels better but i have to take it over a period of time like atleast 2 months to see the results. There are some months when i don't take at all like esp holidays. Drinking lots of water also keeps hair in a good shape. So does exercise like aerobics to help scalp circulation. I add 2 more very helpful things and that is massage for the body, head and reflexology. This i do every 15 days or so usually with oil.This is like asking for too much :smile: but this routine generally keeps a body healthy and when the body is healthy the hair is healthy too. Only after this comes the hair-routine which is like washing and conditioning. I have learnt it the hard way. Keep it simple. Follow a simple routine and leave your hair alone. Keep a routine like when to trim date, wash only once a week, oil or condition everyday. And put your hair in an updo. and then forget about it. Then very soon you will see the difference.

All the best, chotee.

[UP Lisa]

Mostly I am just really gentle with my hair. I generally just finger comb. Combs and brushes are deadly to my hair. It just breaks too easily. I do not color my hair, so don't know how much that will affect your ability to get it long. I always condition after every shampoo. Usually I use a leave-in on the ends. I never let it blow in the wind, since if I do I will get tangles that I cannot remove without cutting them out. The biggest challenge with my hair is keeping it from tangling.

I take a multi-vitamin-mineral tablet most every day, and I do take fish oil. Don't know if that helps my hair or not.

Lisa

[Sascha888]

For ones that say wearing hair up helps protect the ends from damage, is that really true? I always thought wearing it up a lot can cause damage with the hair bands and stuff. I like to wear my hair up in a bow, and I also do that donut bun and use bobby pins to hold it up. I also recently trimmed my ends. I believe my hair grew a bit fast, and faster than I was aware of. I have been using olive oil all over my hair and especially the ends. I won't need any oil this month, since it has been oiled 3 times, but I also alternate washing with water only and condition washing, and every Saturday it will get shampoo. I haven't used any harsh stripping shampoos, so I will see how this goes. So I'm hoping mine will thicken out at the ends. I want mine down to my waist. I have also weaned myself off of the blow dryer :) (only took a day) haha. But I could never go back to blow drying now. It's hard to describe my hair type. I think I have more than one texture, because it's wavy in the front and straightens out at the ends, and some of the back is also wavy at times. Mine is also fairly poofy which I do like. Does poofiness hinder hair from growing really long?

[VJG]

I think trimming to maintain a nice hemline is important. I was concerned about trimming my hair, too, when it was at a v-shaped tailbone. I am so glad I did! Taking it back to waist helped make it look much healthier and thicker. I plan to do more small trims this year. Previously, I'd only trimmed once a year. Protective styles and oiling the tips could help too.