What prompted your last "big chop"?

[dollyfish]

I was just thinking about my own, and it inspired me to post a thread on the topic. I feel like it would be neat to hear others' stories behind your last major haircut! Was there any particular reason, event, prompt, moment, etc, that made you decide to make the chop? :)

I was growing to waist when I joined LHC. I started growing from jaw-length in May 2011, and I reached waist-length in October 2013. Then I went to a halloween party in Montreal and met more strangers at once than I had in years! So many french canadians complimenting my hair, exclaiming over it and marveling. "Is this your hair? Your real hair??" So excited. It felt like my hair debut, haha. After that, it was as though after I'd reached my goal I had won my award and received my recognition, so it was "safe" to cut back to shoulder-length! I could cite a number of reasons, including that my hair started to be more trouble than it was worth, and I missed how it felt and looked when my hair was shorter. But The Moment really came at that party, when I felt I got to show off my hair.

Anyone else have a similar Moment? :P

[Nadine <3]

Mine was because I thought it was dry, but I learned it was just build up after coming here :( I could have just washed it out...

[blue_eyes]

I don't know if this counts, because I haven't actually done it yet, but I am planning a big chop! I've got immense chemical damage on my ends (which are reaching BSL). I stopped dyeing my hair 8 months ago, so I don't have enough virgin hair to have anything other than a pixie & I refuse to have any hair shorter than shoulder length :P Anyway, the reason for 'the big chop' is that I've had dyed brown hair for so long & I'm itching for a change. Even though I want waist length hair, I'm planning to do a big chop once my virgin hair reaches shoulder length (maybe in about a year) and then go blonde and grow it out from there. I just need something new...hopefully I'll have the guts to part with my long hair when the time comes.

Also, congrats on reaching your goal! :D I can't wait to know what that feels like!

[adler]

I recently chopped from waist to apl because I felt it was too thin...but I think it was mostly in my head :shrug: I think I just wanted to be acknowledged for having long hair and once people started saying how long it was I didn't feel as motivated to grow it anymore. I also never wore it down because I didn't know what to do with it and my boyfriend didn't like it up all the time. I am currently growing it out now again, I don't really regret it too much because the decision was mine but also everyone around me thought it would look better shorter.

[Aderyn]

Well, the only time I've had a "big chop" was when I was in middle school (probably 6-9 years ago) and decided it would be a great idea to not wash or comb my hair and throw it up in a pony tail everyday for couple months or so. Had to cut from ~BSL to ~Shoulder length since I was too lazy to comb out the matted mess.

I had a mini chop in May 2013 when I made a decision to grow out my hair, cut off about 5 inches or so (from ~Waist to ~BSL). Had a bunch of split ends from prior abuse.

[Chocowalnut]

My hair was seriously damaged from bleaching and going back and forth between colors. I miss the length a lot but it really needed to be done as my hair is so much healthier now. Can't wait to get my length back though.

[kganihanova]

Layers. Cut those buggers off

[ErinLeigh]

3 due to damage and 2 due to horrible hair cuts. Results were one chin length bob, 2 SL cuts, a CBL cut and a one head shave.

Usually my chops aren't that large since I never have been past APL (usual loss is 6-9 inches)
I am a frequent trimmer so just never really grew hair long. I am just going with the flow this time. No goal length set. I will decide once I reach APL if I will keep growing. Hopefully if I do no more big chops.

I am chronically between SL and APL due to some hair crisis.
I dont regret the cuts. Just the damage that caused them.

[Arciela]

bleach/heat damage...I had to do a lot of big chops because of that...my last and final one was in November!

[GoldenSilk]

I've only had one big chop, from TBL/almost classic to shoulder length. I did it almost on a whim, though I had been thinking about it a while. I was wandering the mall with a friend and decided to get it cut at the salon. I think one reason was that it was my first year of college, and I felt like changing my hair would denote a different time in my life. I also wanted to see if it would wave like it had when I was a kid, without the length. (It didn't.)

I don't regret it, because it just made me realize I don't like it short. And I found that it was actually more work when short... It would get so greasy and misshapen if I didn't wash it every day, and my hair takes forever to dry. :rolleyes: Yet it was too short to bun off my neck in the hot summers. When I first got it done, it was too short to even ponytail it properly. Still, I kept it at various lengths between shoulder and BSL for a few years, just to be sure, before I was ready to grow it out again.

Funny enough, now that I am almost to tailbone length again, my waves came back... probably due to a year and a half of CO washing, oiling, and moisturizing... :lol: In fact, I woke up with a curl sticking out of my braid this morning! (Just nape hair, but still!)

[Bene]

I went from tailbone length to a shorter than nape length just over 17 months ago. It started off with a dream I'd had where all of my hair sticks and forks had been snapped and broken. Then, while walking with my dogs, I kept seeing hair salons. The idea of a massive hair cut was growing. I text my b/f (my self appointed hair sponsor) to talk me down from a drastic cut, but he was nowhere to be found. By 4 o'clock that afternoon, I was in a beauty parlor explaining to a stylist that I wanted it all gone. All of it. She didn't want to do it. Then some old ladies getting their perms tried to talk me down, but my mind was made up. In the end, I made up some story about donating it to little bald cancer kids and they stopped trying to talk me out of it.


I never once regretted it, although I found that people kept asking me if I was okay or if I was having some emotional issue that manifested itself with a dramatic hair cut. I also found people expecting me to tell horror stories about some envious scissor happy stylist who took off more than I'd asked for, or some newfangled hair technique gone wrong and the big chop was a last resort. No tales of surprise woe or freakish misery on this end. It was a conscious decision which I take full credit for.


Right now, I'm just about an inch away from the length I was when I decided to grow it long. In another 4 years or so, I'll be at tailbone length. This time, I'm practically starting from scratch, no damage to deal with, this should be much easier. Now that I think of it, I'm long overdue for a trim. Meaning, I haven't cut any of my hair since that chop. 6 to 8 weeks my ass! Try more than a year between trims :D

[rachel1031]

I went from tailbone length to a shorter than nape length just over 17 months ago. :D

Tailbone to nape is such a chop! I did something similar once but after a breakup in college. I am not surprised people asked you how you were doing emotionally. Hair can be very tied to emotions.

More recently, my "chops" have been almost inadvertent - "trims" which actually ate up my length! I have been much more resistant since following LHC but sometimes it frustrates me that my hair could have been much longer by now!

[Lyv]

My most recent big chop was in December when I went from MBL to a pixie. I did it because I wanted to grow out my natural color and since I had been using henna for the last year getting rid of the color wasn't really an option so I just cut it off. I have no patience for roots and knew I would just end up with henna again if I didn't lol. I don't really regret cutting it, I have about 4 inches of virgin hair and 1 inch with henna so that's pretty exciting for me but I do miss being able to put it up and things like that.

[Danu]

@}-`-]-,-'- preifat -'-,-{-`-{@

[restless]

Me and my hair had a very abusive relationship to eachother for many years when I was a teen as I hated the colour and waves/wurls. I dyed my hair black and tried to beat the waves into submission with a straightener on a daily basis. I never cared about the length back then, I would just throw it up in a tight ponytail anyway. In October 2009 I decided I needed a change and so I simply went to a hairdresser, let down my poor, damaged BSL hair from the ponytail and told her "do whatever you want to". I walked out of there looking like MacGuyver. That was my last big chop.

[jeanniet]

I just wanted to. It was past hip and perfectly healthy, but I don't have any special attachment to length--I wanted to grow it out, so I did, and then I wanted to cut it off, so I did. Having it shorter allowed me to experiment with the Curly Girl method without having wet hair all the time (my hair took forever to dry when it was long). Now I'm planning to grow it out a few inches past shoulder, just so I can put it up, but might end up cutting back again. Who knows?

[darklyndsea]

Last time, I went from ~hip to ~BSL because I was going to Japan for a month and wanted my hair to be more manageable. I was happy with it, since Japan is really humid and hot in the summer and I would not hae been happy with hair on my lower back.

The time before that, when I was at classic+, asked for BSL, and got shoulder, I chopped because I was really frustrated with classic-length moving hair out of the way and hair getting caught on everything issues, and didn't know how to wear it up (plus, my head wasn't used to having it up, so I'm not sure suddenly wearing it up would have been possible).

[Tall Blond(ish)]

About seven years ago, I shaved my APL hair clean off. I have always been very playful and experimental with my hair -- constantly changing cut, color, or style on a whim. Around that time, I was going through a divorce, a career change, and moving around. To some extent, I guess it was a symbolic shedding of my old life. I was also just very fascinated by the idea. I think some women are really beautiful bald. I am also prone to scalp build-up, and I had sort of an obsessive desire to really scrub it. I completely enjoyed the feeling of it. The first time I went outside and felt raindrops on my bare head was an intense sensory experience. I was taking a heavy load of college courses and appreciated not having to do anything at all with my hair. I had a chance to think contemplate hair and all it represents in terms of gender identity, vanity, social expectations, etc. It was ultimately a very positive experience.

Unfortunately, a few days after I shaved my head, Britney Spears pulled her razor stunt, and I ended up feeling a little like a crazy copy cat -- even though I had done my first, and NOT in a fit of insanity.

It had other unintended side effects -- a lot of people assumed I had cancer and gave me really pitiful looks when I went out.

It's past BSL now, which is longer than it has been since I was six and my mom chopped it off because she was tired of fighting with my fine hair and tender scalp. I recently realized I still carry a mini-trauma from that. But I digress.

So now I've got the notion to just keep growing it to see how long I can go. This experiment certainly takes more patience than the others!

[Aderyn]

This experiment certainly takes more patience than the others!

This definitely holds true! Also one of the reasons I decided to grow my hair out, just to show myself that I could. Takes a lot of patience and dedication to reach impressive lengths.

[followingup]

in 2010 i had about ap length hair and chopped it myself to about below chin length. i did it just because i thaught it looked good on me and it did. the next day in school i got a lot of compliments on my hair. :)

[ErinLeigh]

About seven years ago, I shaved my APL hair clean off. I have always been very playful and experimental with my hair -- constantly changing cut, color, or style on a whim. Around that time, I was going through a divorce, a career change, and moving around. To some extent, I guess it was a symbolic shedding of my old life. I was also just very fascinated by the idea. I think some women are really beautiful bald. I am also prone to scalp build-up, and I had sort of an obsessive desire to really scrub it. I completely enjoyed the feeling of it. The first time I went outside and felt raindrops on my bare head was an intense sensory experience. I was taking a heavy load of college courses and appreciated not having to do anything at all with my hair. I had a chance to think contemplate hair and all it represents in terms of gender identity, vanity, social expectations, etc. It was ultimately a very positive experience.

Unfortunately, a few days after I shaved my head, Britney Spears pulled her razor stunt, and I ended up feeling a little like a crazy copy cat -- even though I had done my first, and NOT in a fit of insanity.

It had other unintended side effects -- a lot of people assumed I had cancer and gave me really pitiful looks when I went out.

It's past BSL now, which is longer than it has been since I was six and my mom chopped it off because she was tired of fighting with my fine hair and tender scalp. I recently realized I still carry a mini-trauma from that. But I digress.

So now I've got the notion to just keep growing it to see how long I can go. This experiment certainly takes more patience than the others!

I felt so many of the emotions you expressed so well when I shaved my head. I loved feeling my scalp, the new hair growing in, the simplicity. Getting ready was a breeze. I liked how it felt to do something really different. The downside, as you mentioned was everyone thinking I had cancer. I felt almost guilty, like an imposter. I would get sad glances, and the start of conversations where people wanted to reach out to me. Gosh I felt bad about that initial impression even though it wasn't my fault. It didn't help I was also growing out my eyebrows. I shaved them also to start off with a new fuller shape as they had been overplucked previously. I couldn't get them to grow until I shaved them. It was odd.

[Melisandre]

I've had so many different hair cuts and styles in the last ten years, I didn't even notice because my hair grows so fast!

The reason I joined LHC in March is because I went from mbl to bsl, to apl to just below collarbone and finally mid neck length in January. Altough that mnl was supposed to be a lob (shoulder length bob), my hairdresser messed it up.

I wanted a lob because I felt like I was heading to a new direction in life. I don't regret it, I regret going to a hairdresser who doesn't know how to cut a bob :( so now I want my mbl back and even want to grow to waist.

[Tall Blond(ish)]

I felt so many of the emotions you expressed so well when I shaved my head. I loved feeling my scalp, the new hair growing in, the simplicity. Getting ready was a breeze. I liked how it felt to do something really different. The downside, as you mentioned was everyone thinking I had cancer. I felt almost guilty, like an imposter. I would get sad glances, and the start of conversations where people wanted to reach out to me. Gosh I felt bad about that initial impression even though it wasn't my fault. It didn't help I was also growing out my eyebrows. I shaved them also to start off with a new fuller shape as they had been overplucked previously. I couldn't get them to grow until I shaved them. It was odd.

I didn't feel guilty so much as annoyed. I didn't expect people to find it pretty or cute or sexy, but it had been such a matter of choice for me that I didn't expect to be automatically perceived as a victim. I found it very illuminating to realize that hair is such an expression of something; femininity, or health or status -- I'm not even sure what -- that people assume the only reason a woman would be bald is that she is ill and had no choice in the matter.

[MandyBeth]

Damage. From APL back to a pixie. 10,000 posts later and I still am at shoulder.

First, my medicine. Some cause structural damage. Some drastically slow growth.

Second, my hair is thick by the typical issues, so it can't really be up at APL even.

Third, cat fine hair here. It's really just not a thick enough strand to tolerate mechanical damage.

Granted, those might have been ok. But, the final reason was the killer.

Fourth, pyrotechnics. Rammstein, on the rail. I had so much heat damage.

However, there's nothing I would change about the fourth reason. I'll do that every chance I get. Yes, I love R+ far more than I even like my hair. I love the band with every part of my cold, black, metal loving heart.

[Rosa Harris]

Chemo - which is why I started this time from bald. I got it shaved so I did not have to deal with the hair-fall. It was waist length at the time so I donated it.

[LadyCelestina]

Well...I learned most of hair care from Curly girl and naturallycurly forum,so if you are familiar with those two,you know they have a very different attitude toward styling products,blow-drying and hair dye than we do at LHC.
I had really pretty *looking* hair when it was short,layered,dyed,and CG styled:


http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab50/Celestial-flight/P3170092_zps584850d2.jpg (http://s848.photobucket.com/user/Celestial-flight/media/P3170092_zps584850d2.jpg.html)
Well,back then I decided I want my hair long for the first time in my life,so I started growing it out.With the only care I knew,my hair became damaged ,so keeping it looking like that was becoming more and more high maintenance, on top of that my scalp was suffering from co-washing.
Then one summer day,after I probably didn't have time to do my extensive curly hair care routine, I realized my waist length hair looked awful.What I remember,I had those nape layers at waist,they were in three frizzy thin rolls and my actual hair ended somewhere around APL!I decided this was not salvageable and cut it to around APL.I felt so free and beautiful.It was when I realized how much my hair care perfectionism inhibited living my life.
With this I adapted the ways one might say are for straight hair,wearing it up,shampoo etc. For a long time I avoided anything CG,thinking it was what destroyed my hair.Now,looking back,I realized the problem was probably my attitude towards my hair.I sometimes experiment with CG,from time to time,but mostly,I enjoy a more laid back approach (as compared to what I did before).My hair is at waist+ again,thick,shiny,and aside from the last few inches of old hair,finally at least decent-healthy :)

So long story short,whatever your routine is,don't obsess about it :flower: :)

[SleepyTangles]

I had been playing with chemical dyes for a year and my hair was ridden of split ends, thinned out and not very happy. I already knew that anything below shoulder was damaged beyond salvation and I just preferred a fresh start :o.

[shutterpillar]

My last big chop was in 2010 when I cut from BSL shoulder because it was hot outside and I thought shorter hair would keep me cooler. I was wrong.

But since I've been actively growing my hair, my last big chop was just before Christmas of last year and I cut off 2 and 1/2 inches to get rid of a good chunk of my layers because they were making my ends look very thin.

[momschicklets]

I've had long hair pretty much my entire life, but I cut from about BSL to a couple inches above my shoulders soon after I turned 40. I bought into the notion that women should cut their hair after a certain age :rolleyes: I also thought it would be easier to keep up on coloring my roots if it were shorter, but I haven't found that to be the case. It's the same messy, PIA it's always been! :laugh:

Now to be honest I really loved the change! And even though I really, really can't wait to get back to where I was, I have been enjoying the different lengths and looks as it grows since I've never had them before. But my goal is to get back to BSL and I don't plan on chopping it again...ever.

[browneyedsusan]

Chemo - which is why I started this time from bald. I got it shaved so I did not have to deal with the hair-fall. It was waist length at the time so I donated it.

Here's to a healthy body and bright future! :bottomsup:

------------
Mine was the second baby 17 months after the first. I loved my pixie and rocked that thing for years! I grew the bangs long, buzzed it to 1", dyed it every color, wore diagonal bangs, shaved the back, grew it to a duck-tail, shaved the sides, you name it, I wore it!
I finally got tired of having it "up" all the time, and wanted to grow it out. Now, I'm doing that! :)

[momschicklets]

Well...I learned most of hair care from Curly girl and naturallycurly forum,so if you are familiar with those two,you know they have a very different attitude toward styling products,blow-drying and hair dye than we do at LHC.
I had really pretty *looking* hair when it was short,layered,dyed,and CG styled:


http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab50/Celestial-flight/P3170092_zps584850d2.jpg (http://s848.photobucket.com/user/Celestial-flight/media/P3170092_zps584850d2.jpg.html)
Well,back then I decided I want my hair long for the first time in my life,so I started growing it out.With the only care I knew,my hair became damaged ,so keeping it looking like that was becoming more and more high maintenance, on top of that my scalp was suffering from co-washing.
Then one summer day,after I probably didn't have time to do my extensive curly hair care routine, I realized my waist length hair looked awful.What I remember,I had those nape layers at waist,they were in three frizzy thin rolls and my actual hair ended somewhere around APL!I decided this was not salvageable and cut it to around APL.I felt so free and beautiful.It was when I realized how much my hair care perfectionism inhibited living my life.
With this I adapted the ways one might say are for straight hair,wearing it up,shampoo etc. For a long time I avoided anything CG,thinking it was what destroyed my hair.Now,looking back,I realized the problem was probably my attitude towards my hair.I sometimes experiment with CG,from time to time,but mostly,I enjoy a more laid back approach (as compared to what I did before).My hair is at waist+ again,thick,shiny,and aside from the last few inches of old hair,finally at least decent-healthy :)

So long story short,whatever your routine is,don't obsess about it :flower: :)


I think your hair is gorgeous....lovely curls and color.

[BonnieU]

I had bsl hair and a friend kinda encouraged me to chop to nape! And the worst thing, my wedding was in 9 months and I just don't think I realized that I def would not get my length back :-( obv! Im back on track and mab 3 or so inches from bsl then onto waist! No more big chops for me!

[earthybee]

I just went from BSL back to APL to get rid of layers and some damage from coloring. I've always preferred healthy hair over damaged hair no matter the length.
I was sad at first but know I'll appreciate the one length more as it grows out again.

[Katlette]

Tailbone to nape is such a chop! I did something similar once but after a breakup in college. I am not surprised people asked you how you were doing emotionally. Hair can be very tied to emotions.

More recently, my "chops" have been almost inadvertent - "trims" which actually ate up my length! I have been much more resistant since following LHC but sometimes it frustrates me that my hair could have been much longer by now!

I had a lot of these inadvertent chops. Usually I'd tell my hairdresser (repeatedly!) that I wanted to keep it long. She'd then chop off several inches and insist it was still long. Which it of course still was, but it did definitely take away from the length. This was at a time when I wasn't that dedicated to growing it, so I wouldn't make a fuss.

But I haven't had any real "big chops" since I was very little, I think.

[joesgirl2011]

Emotionally I lost it after being hammered by my husbands family and evil kids about how "ugly" (yes that was the word used) I am and how beautiful his ex-wife is. My husband has nothing to do with any of them now and it has been much better for our family together.

But it still triggered something in me that said I was "less than" so I started bleaching my hair again. (his ex is blonde) then i would dye it brown then bleach/ highlight, dye it..I did this at least 15 times last year. No kidding. Now I have broken hair that is shorter on the left side than the right. There are pieces under longer pieces that are only 2 inches long near the top of my head. So now I have a little longer than chin length but it's really a mess although I can style it so that it doesn't look that bad. I haven't dyed in about two months which was a demi. It is pretty much washed out and the color isn't to bad. I have roots but they blend into it thank goodness. It's amazing even at my age that I let people get the best of me. His family and ex are professionals at "relational aggression". I went to counseling and found out that a lot of Second wives have this happen to them.

[sarahthegemini]

I went from SL to APL to get rid of stringy ends.

[lapushka]

The last big chop was years ago, from (almost) BSL to a chin length bob. My hair was chemically cut, I had a burnt scalp and then I said: no more. From then on I've been pretty good to my hair.

[x0h_bother]

through the growing process as I approach waist closer an closer, I become "Haggrad" look alike (i think thats his name). So I get to Haggrad about once a year, and then cut back around may closer to MBL with layers.

[Quasiquixotic]

Every time I've chopped (and it's always been a chop - BSL/wai to chin or pixi) it's been because I felt like I didn't do anything with my, I just put it up. I wasn't a member of this board then, I didn't know about sticks or forks or ficcares or buns. So I'd get board with my hair and think ugh, I do all the effort and never wear it down. I don't like hair on my neck.

Well lest just say, when my hair get long enough to put up, I'm gonna rock the wear your hair up for xxx challenge ;)

[spidermom]

A) I really needed a change and thought about it for over a year.
B) Finally a wrist injury made it difficult to handle blunt-cut, thick, tailbone-length hair. So I got a layered V-cut ended at waist, and I couldn't have been happier. Since then I've gone from V to more of a U, and I plan to grow longer again but keep the layers.

[nobeltonya]

I was right around 46", within 2" of my goal [fingertips] by September 2013, and started experimenting [which seems to always be a bad thing for my hair since I've found a routine and products that work].. well, tried washing every other day, not using conditioner [instead, only using coconut oil] and actually let my husband TRY to comb my hair one morning... well, after he ripped out a huge knot of hair, and with my hair disagreeing with the routine I was trying, I cut 6" off. :O I am currently about 41.5" and pretty much maintaining. I will eventually try again for fingertips, maybe after letting my ends thicken up a bit. :) :disco:

P.S. This was the biggest "chop" my hair has experienced since I started growing from shoulder in 2006.

[jeanniet]

Well...I learned most of hair care from Curly girl and naturallycurly forum,so if you are familiar with those two,you know they have a very different attitude toward styling products,blow-drying and hair dye than we do at LHC.
I had really pretty *looking* hair when it was short,layered,dyed,and CG styled:


http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab50/Celestial-flight/P3170092_zps584850d2.jpg (http://s848.photobucket.com/user/Celestial-flight/media/P3170092_zps584850d2.jpg.html)
Well,back then I decided I want my hair long for the first time in my life,so I started growing it out.With the only care I knew,my hair became damaged ,so keeping it looking like that was becoming more and more high maintenance, on top of that my scalp was suffering from co-washing.
Then one summer day,after I probably didn't have time to do my extensive curly hair care routine, I realized my waist length hair looked awful.What I remember,I had those nape layers at waist,they were in three frizzy thin rolls and my actual hair ended somewhere around APL!I decided this was not salvageable and cut it to around APL.I felt so free and beautiful.It was when I realized how much my hair care perfectionism inhibited living my life.
With this I adapted the ways one might say are for straight hair,wearing it up,shampoo etc. For a long time I avoided anything CG,thinking it was what destroyed my hair.Now,looking back,I realized the problem was probably my attitude towards my hair.I sometimes experiment with CG,from time to time,but mostly,I enjoy a more laid back approach (as compared to what I did before).My hair is at waist+ again,thick,shiny,and aside from the last few inches of old hair,finally at least decent-healthy :)

So long story short,whatever your routine is,don't obsess about it :flower: :)

That's interesting. I don't think CG is really different from LHC methods at all, at least in the basics: CO, leave in, possibly gel. Diffusing, sure, some at NC do that, but so do many here. And some at NC really get into product usage, but so do some here. Having an extensive CG routine is really what the individual decides to do. My CG routine is so minimal it takes less time than my LHC routine did (I mean when my hair was longer). It definitely can be very laid-back, or not, same as LHC. Definitely agree about not obsessing! :)

[Squiggy]

In the fall of 2009 I cut from hip length to collarbone length. I had just moved to the bayou of southern Louisiana and it was so hot and humid! Sadly, I had no idea how to fix my long hair to keep it off my neck other than a ponytail or a dutch braid. So I cut it! It was cute and fun, and it had some nice wave to it, and I do not regret it at all. I had not had short hair since around 1997.

Unfortunately it took quite a bit of effort to manage and tame it at that length. So then I cut it to chin length in the summer of 2011!

Immediately I knew I had made a mistake. Surprisingly (haha), it wasn't easier to style when it was that short. Plus, I couldn't pull it back out of my face for running or for working in the lab. I have been growing it back out since then, and am almost to waist.

[eadwine]

My new growth had reached just below BSL and you could really see where the old hair still was before the massive shed due to trauma. That and it was getting in the way a bit too much, so.. CHOP. Tailbone to just below BSL I went, and I don't regret it for a second :)

[rohirrrims]

The hairdresser?
Lol, no but really, a microtrim ends up in "woooOOPS my hand slipped and half your hair is on the ground and now you have layers up to your ears!" :mad:

I seem to have been stuck between APL and BSL for two years because of scissor happy hairdressers who don't understand trimming, and because my hair is so damaged from excessive (and boy do I really mean excessive) chemical and heat damage, and because I'm as shy as a mouse, I would always just be like "ok i guess it was needed".

Since lurking around here and finally joining I've stopped using chemical dye and heat and I have a hairdresser who really knows how to micro trim and hates layers so no more accidental big chops for me!

A few years ago before that, I would get a chop to shoulder length every time I got to BSL because I'd always think "oh short hair would look really cute", as if I'd sort of magically forgotten the last time I did that! But because of my hair type it was always noooooppenopenope and let me order another tall glass of NOPE with that. It took me years to learn :o

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I had one major chop in my life and i had two main reasons: 1)I had a friend who never looked back after cutting her hair very short. 2) I didn't know how to "handle" long hair. I had awesomely thick, hennaed, hip length hair with a thick blunt hemline... Wish i had that hair again :(

[LadyCelestina]

I think your hair is gorgeous....lovely curls and color.
Thank you! Yes it looked very pretty when I did CG.


That's interesting. I don't think CG is really different from LHC methods at all, at least in the basics: CO, leave in, possibly gel. Diffusing, sure, some at NC do that, but so do many here. And some at NC really get into product usage, but so do some here. Having an extensive CG routine is really what the individual decides to do. My CG routine is so minimal it takes less time than my LHC routine did (I mean when my hair was longer). It definitely can be very laid-back, or not, same as LHC. Definitely agree about not obsessing! :)

Of course.A lot of it is individual and delibaretely done- personal tweaks to the suggested routine. I had problems following CG so I switched.That doesn't mean CG is not a good method,it's great! If it works for you,it's awesome,always happy to see people doing something that works for them :) .
What I think is the main difference between "LHC methods" and CG is that CG focuses more on the aesthetic aspect than health.

[Auburndreaming]

Yesterday I had my mum cut my hair for me, I was almost a solid BSL but now I am just past shoulders, glad it's done though, as I'm growing out hair dye/damage and it just makes me feel like I'm one step closer, the shorter hair is feeling nice at the moment :)

[Wosie]

I've had several big chops, a few when I was younger but back then I had had long hair for so long (between 4-16 y.o.) that I appreciated shorter lengths so I just cut it on a whim regularly.

The last big chops were... From APL to a long pixie (in July 2011, with right side being extra long, so an unsymmetrical cut) because my hair quality was suffering quite a bit. Due to eczema and not using the right products. I don't think I used conditioner regularly back in the day, but it's hard to remember.

...Once that cut had grown out I cut it again, in March 2012. The other cut started to look really odd and ugly (I have a few pictures but I daren't share them :o). I cut it into a short pixie (very short, about 2" in the longest parts and virtually buzzed in the back... felt very interesting to the touch! ...especially as I had never had hair that short before). I have grown it since then.

[snuflan]

I recently chopped from waist to apl because I felt it was too thin...but I think it was mostly in my head :shrug: I think I just wanted to be acknowledged for having long hair and once people started saying how long it was I didn't feel as motivated to grow it anymore. I also never wore it down because I didn't know what to do with it and my boyfriend didn't like it up all the time. I am currently growing it out now again, I don't really regret it too much because the decision was mine but also everyone around me thought it would look better shorter.

This. THIS is the exact reason I cut mine! Even though my hair was only SL, I felt the same thing. I always wore it up, my boyfriend wanted me to wear it down, my hair was damaged from bleach so I didn't like the feel of it (important to me).. So I cut it off and was happy for a few weeks.. But then that "omg-i-miss-my-long-hair"-feeling hit me like a truck load of bricks. I trimmed my pixie one last time before this feeling hit me, and now I haven't cut it in 4 months. Looks terrible but I know it will be beautiful again!

[bunnylake]

My one and only true big chop was last December.
Before LHC I always kept my hair short, no longer than APL.
I grew it to TBL and originally intended to grow to classic length, when suddenly I no longer felt that long hair suited me. I didn't like wearing it up that much, it took forever to dry, and worrying about the length was getting stressful. I fussed over it too much. I wanted to feel free from all that, so I had my sister (who is a stylist) cut it into a chin length bob. Now the ends touch my collar bone, and I'd like to grow it a couple more inches. It's a lot easier to handle now and I'm having a lot more fun with it. I love long hair on other people, but I don't think it's for me. :)

[meteor]

Well, every time I've had a "half-an-inch" trim I got 5-8 inches hacked off, so I guess my latest "big chop" was last year when I got my "trim". My ends have stopped splitting altogether since I've been treating my hair the LHC way (thank you so much, LHC! :) ), so I think I'll stop trimming altogether or at least delay by a couple years.

[meteor]

My one and only true big chop was last December.
Before LHC I always kept my hair short, no longer than APL.
I grew it to TBL and originally intended to grow to classic length, when suddenly I no longer felt that long hair suited me. I didn't like wearing it up that much, it took forever to dry, and worrying about the length was getting stressful. I fussed over it too much. I wanted to feel free from all that, so I had my sister (who is a stylist) cut it into a chin length bob. Now the ends touch my collar bone, and I'd like to grow it a couple more inches. It's a lot easier to handle now and I'm having a lot more fun with it. I love long hair on other people, but I don't think it's for me. :)

This is so interesting, bunnylake! It's great that you found the length that works best for you! I do really miss short hair when I think of how easy it was to get root volume or create a tousled stylish look and see "movement" in hair, but I somehow remember shorter hair as being very difficult and high maintenance (maybe because I never had a trusted stylist). Somehow it gets easier and easier for me to handle hair as it's growing longer. I guess it always depends. :)
Your hair is beautiful whether it's long or short. And the color is so rich and gorgeous! :)

[Tall Blond(ish)]

. So I'd get board with my hair and think ugh, I do all the effort and never wear it down. I don't like hair on my neck.

Well lest just say, when my hair get long enough to put up, I'm gonna rock the wear your hair up for xxx challenge ;)

I totally relate to this. I keep thinking I should join a "wear your hair down" challenge, because I almost never do, and always end up searching for anything to tie it up because I can't stand getting everywhere, and I have enough damage that it tangles too easily.

[battles]

I cut to chin from midback in September of last year.

For some reason, I thought henna would be a fabulous idea. It was not. I grew my demarcation line to slightly past chin and then cut as soon as I was able to, and I'm at collarbone and on my way to hip.

[Lucky_Lucy]

I cut from BSL/MBL to mid-neck in August 2011 I think. The reason was I wanted long hair, but my hair was pretty damaged, and I read an article about how to grow long hair, and it said you should just start by cutting off the damage, so I went ahead and cut it to just above shoulder XD Then when it got to shoulder, I cut it into a bob, and then when my longest strands got to CBL I chopped it all back to where the shortest ones where-again, midneck. That was around the time I joined LHC. I didn't trim for about an year, then trimmed at the beginning of last year. Now I'm almost at waist :D

I don't think short hair would suit me anymore, as it can be quite high maintenance(frequent trims/trips to the stylist if you have a pixie etc). Though I can't say long hair is low maintenance, but I'm kind of enjoying everything :3 Not to mention I love hairtoys! I want to be able to wear them.

Also, a few months ago, I was determined to chop to a pixie, because for some reason I felt that it would fit my sexual orientation/gender identity better...but honestly I think it was more because of the way others see me(they usually assume I'm a straight female), and I don't want to change myself for others.

[vindo]

It wasn't a huge chop, but my last trim from TBL to barely hip was done because of hair loss. Summer 2013 my hair loss started again, after only having 3 months of peace, so I trimmed a whole to be preventative. :P

[AmyBeth]

I've only ever done one big chop. I had long hair all my life, and got to about hip length but couldn't get any longer, probably because I was very mean to it- chemical color, highlights, SLS shampoos, blow drying, curling irons- the works, plus I always wore it down. It was fine and thin and lots of split ends and white dots, not very impressive. All my life I'd heard that it was too thin and fine, my face was too long, my nose too big. Plus I hit 35 and always heard that women of a "certain age" should cut their hair. My mother had passed and sent me into deep mourning, and about the time I turned 35, I started feeling like I could deal without my mom, and felt that I was getting older, and maybe I really would look better with short hair. I went to a very high-end salon, and had a very excusive stylist cut my hair from hip to above my shoulders with all the artsy layers and bangs. When he was done, I looked in the mirror and thought "Wow, that's kind of neat!...Can I have my hair back, now?" Cutting my hair didn't make me look better, just me with short hair. And I prefer long. So here I am, and my hair is longer than its ever been, and with all of your kind advice, it is thicker and shinier and healthier than I ever thought my hair could be! Henna, coconut oil, sleep caps and updos with fun hair toys make all the difference. I will never cut it again.

[Danu]

@}-`-]-,-'- preifat -'-,-{-`-{@

[cole]

Dryness, damage, and boredom were the culprit of my last big chop. That, and some icky green ends from using Sonic Green SFX dye (it is the only dye that stayed, no matter what I did to remove it. I did have white hair before applying it, but still). I had tried bleaching them out, shampooing them out, hot oil treatments... It would fade to a certain point but never get past that. I think there is still a little hint of it left in some parts of my hair, but the henna has finally made it hard to find. I've sworn off cutting for a year, though, unless I find a really really good reason to.

[CurlyCap]

Pre-LHC

The only way I knew to take care of my BCL-length hair was to keep it layered, use tons of this expensive conditioner paired with tons of an expensive coney serum. At the time I was dead broke, stressed, and growing irritated with the comments I would always get if I tried to cut back on any of the above 3 items to save money. In the end, I just cut it off in my bathroom and I've never regretted the decision.

I, for one, think long hair is a luxury...at least with my hair type. It takes a lot of committed work and access to the appropriate products for MY hair...and at the time I just didn't have room in my life for those luxuries.

3.5 years later, I'm nearly back where I started, but in a much better place health-wise and financially. Also, I've discovered some neat money saving tips along the way. So this go round, I'm much more comfortable keeping my length and trying to grow longer.

[MissBubble]

My last big chop was about three years ago when I went from MBL, almost Waist, to APL.
The reason was that I had decided to grow my hair but I was not satisfied with my hemline. I didn't have any serious damage but my ends were very fairytale and thin. I have thin hair after all.
Also, it was the period when I decided to stop dying and be all natural at some point, so I was also getting rid of 3-4in of dye.
I had also people telling the usual get-a-haircut thing, look at your ends and how they look etc, although they were very soft, without split ends etc.

What I realized with this chop was that my hair grow this way and I cannot do anything about it. I am reaching WL now and it is the same. i have accepted that and I will go on growing.

[Jennah]

I decided to chop my hair at neck length because this is what my hair looked like for all my adult life:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9023&d=1391218434

Whenever I went to the hairdresser, they´d cut it in layers and with bangs. That seemed to be the most common style to do with my hair...

As a result, the hair would fairytale like in the pictures and it wouldn´t grow past that length, ever!

So I decided to try for the first time to have the hair in one length, and see if I could make it long! I´ve been stuck at shoulder length for a year now because I kept on trimming in order to even out the bangs and layers. :scissors:

[ExpectoPatronum]

Damage, damage, and more damage! I'd trim the split ends and within two weeks, they'd be right back. It was all from constantly dyeing and flat-ironing my hair when I was in my teens. I also had some bad layers. I cut from BSL to around APL and my hair was instantly better. It actually grew most of the way back in about 5 months so I'm happy about that. Unfortunately, I've started chemical dyeing my hair again lol. However, I have much better hair care practices now than I did in the past. I use gentle products, oil and moisturize my hair, and a flat iron hasn't touched my hair in nearly an entire year! (I flat ironed my hair for graduation from my college, and even more then I only did it once every few months on a special occasion). The only heat that touches my hair now comes from my diffuser, if you count using it on 'low' and 'cool' as being "heat."

[mrs_coffee]

Henna and emotional trauma. I probably could have waited out the henna, but I felt like I needed to shed my hair as it felt, to me, like a lot of the emotional trauma I went through was somehow tied to my hair. I'd been actively growing it while going through the thing, and at the end it was just too much of a reminder. I needed a fresh start, so I chopped it.

[Scarlet_Heart]

Horrible shedding/hair loss (the cause of which, I'm still not 100% sure) so bad it resulted in bald spots and major thinning. That was about 2.5 years ago. Cut it to shoulder.

[Frozen_Farmgirl]

My last big chop was the first time I had ever cut my hair short. I had decided I wanted to try shorter hair and cut it back from between mid-back and waist length to shoulder length. I didn't really like it... Kept it the summer and let it grow out after that. I don't know, I think short hair makes me look shorter... anyway, back at waist length and dreaming my way to classic length.

[MadeiraD]

I had various shot cuts for a long time, my one really big chop what from knee or nearly knee, to waist, and then into a bob when I was 15. I'd had long hair almost all of my life and wanted a change.

[CurlyOne]

Wow, so many different reason everyone has done it, amazing.

For me, I was living in Africa and had lost most of my hair, due to stress, (very) poor nutrition and the antimalarial drugs I was on for over a year. My one saving grace is that I have pretty curly hair and after it dried, it still looked way bigger than it was. Seriously, I was getting majorly depressed over how much I had lost.

So I got a cut, granted, I had only been down to just past my shoulders, but I got it cut and it was basically up to my chin, which for me is REALLY short. It made it look better though and helped me get through the hot season. About that time, my mom started sending me biotin and I began eating them like skittles, shorter hair also ended up meaning that the little baby fuzzies had a shorter distance to grow out.

[Jessykins]

After having my baby last year I didnt have as much time to style my hair so id part my mid back length hair, pony tailed and braid it. I
t didnt look flattering on me and I sort of looked a lot older than what I was, plus it was a chore to find time to wash it seeing as baby liked to be awake mostly as night. So chopped it to my shoulders, this is after having the ends bleached into ombre because I felt my hair was so boring, still didn't like it so shaved it off with clippers into a sort of pixie and hated it until it was a tiny bit longer and shaped a bit.
Its just as well I lost the attachment and cut it because a few months later I was diagnosed with cancer and now currently bald! Everyone was fussing worrying id be upset bald but I was looking foreward to it because I was planning on cutting shorter anyway!
Now ive got the short cut phase out my system I can look forward to growing it out again when im done chemo lol

[Weewah]

My last big chop was in high school when I was growing out a horrible self bleach job. I had a full on ombre look in the early '00s during my first 2 high school years. As soon as the bleached hair got chin length I cut all of that off. My waves actually looked nice when it was short, like a funky short hairdo, when I had nooo idea how to care for or style my wavy hair.

[inanna]

Jessykins, I hope you kick cancer's butt soon!

My last chop was due to just feeling blah about my blunt cut BSL+ hair, and admittedly the relationship I was in at the time. I never really did anything with my long hair, it was in an English braid about 99 percent of the time because that was the only hairdo I had mastered with any confidence. I felt like I wanted to do something, and decided to not only get my hair cut but to do it in a foreign country, explaining my wishes with a picture that didn't quite match what I wanted and in a language that I didn't quite master at the time. shudder:

I had it cut into a layered chin-length bob with bangs, and proceeded to go shorter for the next few years. I'd walk into a salon and tell them to do whatever they wanted with it, as long as all the maintenance needed would be washing it. It was wonderful coming out with something new and exciting, and the shorter lengths really brought out my waves. I could just scrunch and go after a shower and I looked fab, if I say so myself. I did have a few overly graphic cuts that looked like butt because I was too lazy to use a straightening iron, but overall I loved the short hair.

Actually, now that I think of it I'm not sure what made me go from pixie length with blocks of unnatural colour to waist length virgin hair. I think it all started with a boyfriend who was sad not to be able to grab me by the hair. :D

[YvetteVarie]

My last chop was on 1st May 2012. I had dyed my hair the year before, and i had extreme damage. There were areas where some of the year had broken off and I was left with my virgin hair (less than 1'' long). So I asked my mum to cut off the dyed and relaxed hair so that I was only left with virgin hair. I went from a damaged NL to about an inch of hair. I have been growing it out since then

[Sarahlabyrinth]

When I did my last big chop (from BSL to SL) I was moving to Australia and thought that having long hair there would be much too hot:)

[LauraLongLocks]

Lice. I had MBL hair, and my kids and I had lice, and I took care of all their hair, but had no one big enough to help me with mine. My husband said he couldn't do it that day, and would do it the next day. There was no way I was going to live with those critters on my head for another day, especially after picking through my children's heads and changing all the bedding in the house. So, I put it into a ponytail and I chopped it off. I missed my long hair but everyone told me how nice it looked in my new pixie cut. I wore a pixie cut in high school, and grew it out because I didn't feel as pretty and feminine with such short hair. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it short or grow it out, but after a few mullet cut backs, I really decided I missed my long hair, so I started growing again. I already knew about satin pillowcases, BBB, coconut oil, jojoba oil, hair-friendly elastics/scrunchies, CWC, and not using heat/dye/perms so my grow-out was healthy and nice. I probably trimmed more than necessary on my way to waist, and I stupidly got layers cut in, and then a stylist touched them up (read: whacked them back as if with a chainsaw) so it has taken me longer than it would take most people. I joined LHC when my hair was back to MBL, because all my searches for long hair updos and care led me to LHC! Now my hair is the longest it has ever been and is responding well to CO-washing, shea butter and coconut oil on my ends every night, S&D, henna, and deep conditioning treatments. I am enjoying each new half inch every month.

[neko_kawaii]

My last big chop was from waist to shaggy pixie right before my son was born. I was thinking it would be easier with a baby to have it short - wash and go, right? But no one mentioned how hard it is to get into the shower when you have a baby that screams his head off and vomits if he is set down. Unwashed short hair is greasy hair. Couldn't wait till I could pull it back again.

[grimsqueaker]

My big chop in May -June 2013 was from BSL to chin, because my bangs had grown out and I had never been allowed to have my hair above ~APL before that point, so I went for it. I also did a mini-chop in late January 2014 of about 4" because I really wanted to get rid of the last of the really bad heat damage.

[see_turtle]

Mine was a post wedding chop. 2 days after my wedding went from waist to shoulder very impulsively. I had been planning to get it cut back to BSL and when I sat down in that chair I just said cut it all. My DH prefers short hair so partly it was to make him happy. His first comment upon seeing it was " I thought you were getting a bob"....ugh. I'm almost back to waist and I will NEVER have above BSL hair again. MY goal is classic and I've decided I'm not trimming until I'm 34-36". I can not find any splits and the last time it was this long I could so I know it's healthier.

[hennalonghair]

My last big chop was because the hairdresser that was scissor happy.
I ended up with 2 1/2 feet of unwanted layers and hated it.
It took me YEARs to grow it back. I had to cut off all the layers gradually.
Then stupidly I went to another hairdresser and asked her to merely straighten out my hemline.
I spent 10 minutes explaining that I had just taken YEARS to grow my layers out.
SHE GAVE ME LAYERS,,,,,,

I will NEVER EVER go to visit a hairdresser, stylist again.
WTF is WRONG with those people?
They seem to hate long hair.

[Jonquil]

My last big chop was in January last year. I went from almost waist length to just above shoulder length. My hair was very dry and damaged. I also had a lot of thinning and thought it would be easier to disguise with shorter hair. It didn't help too much... now I know that proper (and hair friendly) styling is much more effective at making hair look fuller :)

Since then I've had about 3 inches trimmed and my hair is back at BSL. The ends are still dry but I plan to get to waist length first, then microtrim regularly until all the damage is gone :)

[jacqueline101]

Layers. Cut those buggers off

Same here was tortured with them for a year. Let's see a broken chunk of damage. Then i s&d my ends and cut the splits off my broken chunk. I'm regrowing it out but this time with better ends.

[PrincessPhoebe]

My last big chop was in September 2012. It was only from APL to about collar bone, which I don't suppose is really that big. It was mostly because I didn't really know what else to do with it and my hairdresser said the last few inches were very dry. I hadn't really considered growing it 'properly' long up until then. It was after that cut that I discovered LHC and I haven't been back to the hairdresser since :)

[vsvisionz]

My last big chop was because I thought I wanted a change and hated it ever sense I did it. Its about where it was finally when I chopped it all off, but want it soooo much longer now.

[Angelica]

I just cut off nearly five inches because it was so thin and split, and the sides were growing much longer than the centre part of my hair. I am now back to BSL, feel sad that the length had to go, but it feels and looks much better.

[kganihanova]

I just cut off nearly five inches because it was so thin and split, and the sides were growing much longer than the centre part of my hair. I am now back to BSL, feel sad that the length had to go, but it feels and looks much better.

Doesn't that feel great?!

[Marika]

My big chop was in June 2012 from tbl to shoulder. I mainly cut my hair because it reminded of the past and I had many positive changes going on in my life in 2012. So it was logical to change my hairstyle too. And I admit, I wanted to wear it down more often to feel prettier (that was just my own insecurities). I've only now started to regret my chop because I would probably have classic length hair without :scissors: Now it's midback length with some wispies at waist.

So the reason for my chop was "beyond hair", it was a cathartic experience. Like when some women cut their hair after divorce. I just wish I hadn't cut all the way to shoulders :brickwall

[alessandraa]

Extreme heat and bleach damage. I literally felt like straw. NEVER again.

[queenovnight]

The last time I chopped (about 3 inches) was because of damage. I realized that 'repairing split ends and damage' was a myth. I realized that if I wanted long hair (like the LHC girls!) I'd have to listen to them and get rid of the damage.

I don't regret it. Was totally worth it. It sucked at first, but I would have awful hair if I had tried to grow that mess out.

[soothsayer]

My "big chop" was when I got some short, retro bangs cut while I was growing my hair to waist length. I hadn't had bangs since elementary school, so the thought of growing them out for over a year bothered me so much that I chopped it off into a pixie cut. I just popped into a grocery store hair salon, said I wanted a pixie cut, assured the stylist that I really did want it, and let her cut off almost two years of growth. The pixie looked great, but I want length again. Needless to say, I'm much more careful about getting any hair cut in any way now.

[clairenewcastle]

I've had a number of big chops in the last few years, more than I care to think of. The last one was last year, caused by shedding. Back to square one.....

[cherrybird]

My last big chop was June 2012. I was starting a new degree in the fall and wanted a fresh start, plus I had some really poorly done streaks put in less than a year before, plus I was looking forward to a cooler style for summer. I really liked my short hair, but it became a little difficult to maintain. It got to an in betweeny chin length stage and I thought it was probably easier and less expensive to just let it grow. I'm glad I made that decision now, my hair is healthier and softer thanks to everything I learned on LHC!

[Nymphea]

1. the hairdresser had gone scissor-happy (I wanted to go from classic to slightly longer than BSL and I got shoulder length... Don't ask how).
2. getting rid of extreme damage (from TBL to APL-ish-BSL-ish). This time I did it myself. No more salons for me! :disco:

[Angel_Abby]

I got a trim yesterday and it put me back up to APL, but it was nothing I regret. I was only *almost* to BSL and I am growing out dye and have some seriously fried ends. Now that I can get a half way decent braid and bun going I plan to cut my growth every three or four months until this dye is gone. I like this length.

My last 'chop' you can see in my avatar. I got a very nice inverted bob back in November of 12. I will NEVER EVER EVER go that short (willingly) again not because the cut was bad... it was cute! And very flattering. But the upkeep and styling required a flat iron, pretty frequent cuts to maintain the shape and no variety. Then to add insult to injury- growing it from nape to SL was the best patience teacher I have ever experienced.

So glad to be past those awkward stages.

[HintOfMint]

Speaking as a normal person, my last big chop was in 2008 when I had so much damage from heat that I just had to start over, and so I chopped from waist to collarbone.

Speaking as an LHCer, my last big chop was a few months ago when I chopped four whole inches (quelle horreur!) bringing me up to waist from tailbone.

[Marbid]

Hmmmm.....

About last month, from hip to bra strap.. Layers, gots to go.

I had split ends in those layers, i could not s&d them away, not enough patience and eye power for that. I considered maintaining, but i felt the spits would just travel up and increase the damage... By the time the layers caught up, i felt they would be damage and i would have broken hair of all lengths all over. Best way to monitor my hemline as it grows, i felt was to cut just above where the layers begun.. Luckily for me, that was bsl.. I can still do my go to bun. So just the occasional dusting is all i need to keep all my ends healthy.

I miss the length. No lie bout that. I really really miss it. Felt so bad about the shortness i decided to just hide it in a bunt till i came to terms with the near two years its going to take me to get back to 32".... But I'm over it now...

My bangs have finally gotten long enough to incorporate them in my pony circumference.. And i have now a 4.1" thick pony.. And it goes down to the hemline without tapper.. So its quite impressive.. For now i just hope i can maintain such glorious fullness well enough by the time i get back to hip.

[Stray_mind]

My last big chop was in winter 2012 i think. I went from MBL to shoulder lenght. I wanted to go to chin length, but my hairdresser didn't really understand what i wanted. I ended up with layered shoulder length hair.. I was inspired by serial experiments lain haircut and wanted something simmilar. Didn't get it though.

[maskedrose]

Hmmmm.....

About last month, from hip to bra strap.. Layers, gots to go.

I had split ends in those layers, i could not s&d them away, not enough patience and eye power for that. I considered maintaining, but i felt the spits would just travel up and increase the damage... By the time the layers caught up, i felt they would be damage and i would have broken hair of all lengths all over. Best way to monitor my hemline as it grows, i felt was to cut just above where the layers begun.. Luckily for me, that was bsl.. I can still do my go to bun. So just the occasional dusting is all i need to keep all my ends healthy.

I miss the length. No lie bout that. I really really miss it. Felt so bad about the shortness i decided to just hide it in a bunt till i came to terms with the near two years its going to take me to get back to 32".... But I'm over it now...

My bangs have finally gotten long enough to incorporate them in my pony circumference.. And i have now a 4.1" thick pony.. And it goes down to the hemline without tapper.. So its quite impressive.. For now i just hope i can maintain such glorious fullness well enough by the time i get back to hip.

I did the exact same thing last week. Hip to BSL, for layers and highlight damage. I still have a bit of highlight damage left, but my totally virgin growth has only made it to shoulder and there was no way I was cutting back that far. 6 inches was plenty...and by far the biggest chop I've had since I joined LHC 7 years ago. I've been "maintaining" between hip and waist for years now, because my ends would always get dry and thin close to hip, so then I'd trim back to waist. I highlighted once a year throughout this period, and I think my hair is just too fine to withstand chemical damage and grow longer than waist.

So, now I'm starting "over" with mostly virgin hair and ridiculously thick ends. My braid has NO taper, and it's absolutely bizarre to me after so many years of heavily layered hair. I'm hoping to be able to go a year without trims, but I may end up doing a bit of dusting, depending on how the partially highlighted canopy holds up. I miss feeling it swish around my back and hips, but it will be there again soon...and this time much thicker and healthier!

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I usually cut my own hair. However after battling with major shed, damaged ends and tangles for a while. One day after my operation this year I tried to cut it but just did not have the stamina.

Then on the 28th May of this year at my brother's birthday party my sister was there. I finally told her to cut it. My sweet baby sister kept asking me "are you sure". She cut it from below waist to BSL. I have not regretted my big chop. It was exactly what I needed.

[littlestarface]

My big chop was from above calf to just abit below classic in november 2015, why cuz my ends were so thin and just looked blech. I wanted to give them a better chance next grow around and now my ends look so much better. Always wearing my hair up in braids now.

[Strands]

It was not by choice. And it was a horrific experience. My husband hated my fairy tale ends - I loved them. He insisted on cutting them off and he did. He also cut it crooked because he had no idea what he was doing. I lost the plot to say the least. I then had to schedule a REAL hair cut to have it evened out. The only good that came out of this is that two of the 3 layers I had were removed, now it is just this last one.

This horrible experience took me from TBL to almost BSL. I am not lying when I say it was horrific. It truly was. :(

[animetor7]

Last January I cut from hip to about BSL, maybe a bit longer because I had bleached the ends and dyed them fun colors, which was great for a while, but eventually I didn't want to deal with the damaged ends. I'm still glad I did it as it got rid of some layering and significantly thickened my ends now that I'm back at hip. Also, the bright colors were fun. :)

[vampyyri]

MBL to SL when I was going from my dyed brunette back to blonde... perhaps back in 2012? All of the bleached hair is long gone now though.

[MudderOfDragunz]

My last big chop I went from Classic to Chin. I had had a series of bad cuts, too much thinning and sheds so my hair just didn't feel like my hair. I have really regretted that chop since. Sure, I enjoyed it for about two months, but my hair is so flipping coarse and thick I just look like a poodle with it so short. I've learned my lesson this time around and am successfully on my way to longer hair.

[Reyn127]

The last time I seriously chopped my hair off was just over 6 years ago at this point. One day I scissored off my waist-ish length, dyed hair to about an inch long, and the next day I buzzed the rest off. It was mostly because of the dye, I was just done with it and I realized I liked my natural color better. Also my hair wasn't in that great of condition, and I didn't know how to handle it properly. I was just frustrated.

I buzzed it once again about a month later to maintain the look for a little longer, and I've been growing since.

[elisavictoria]

Well.. Men :rolleyes: ;)

My last big chop was exactly a year ago and I went from short to REALLY short. Before that I was experimenting with bleaching my hair on my own because I wanted to lighten it up and it just got worse and worse.

But the main reason was propably because I was unhappy with my lovelife and I just needed a change.

Girls, never make the mistake to change your hair drastically because of some stupid guy! lol I regret it till today.

[Cg]

Headaches. Whenever my hair got close to knee the headaches never stopped (hair used to be very thick) so I chopped to pixie. Nope, no regrets. Then a lot later I grew it long again...and again headaches and pixies.

This time my hair is much thinner so I doubt headaches will be an issue. I'm really enjoying my hair now, whereas before I more or less ignored it and took it for granted. Most likely if I do get headaches as it lengthens I'll just trim a few inches and maintain. Long hair really is easier, a lot more fun, and much less costly since I never visit a salon.

[patienceneeded]

I got bored with long hair. I was SO over having long hair and all the *stuff* that caring for it properly entailed. So, chopped to shoulder. One month after that, I cut again to a pixie. No regrets! I loved every moment of my pixie. I don't ever plan on going "long" again. I am however, growing out the pixie to a bob. Not because I don't like the pixie or have regrets, mostly because I want to ponytail my hair again. I had the pixie two years. Time for something different.

[Seija]

I chopped mine off to my chin and shaved the sides last year. I was going through a really tough time in my life and I felt like cutting it off would make me feel like I had a fresh start. It did feel liberating at the time, but short hair is definitely not for me. I'm just glad I was talked out of shaving it all

[Pamberpestana]

I've only ever chopped my hair because I damaged it too much. Now that I have so much more knowledge, I can hopefully make it past BSL haha

[school of fish]

An attempt to blend damage thinning into intentional layering was behind my last biggish chop. While it did serve the purpose of looking purposeful, the effect wasn't as I had hoped because I just don't have the coarseness of texture to pull off the look I had in mind...

That was the cut that taught me that layers leave my hair MUCH more susceptible to friction damage than a blunt cut does, and so began my hair rehab programme which continues to this day... :p ;)

[pili]

Earlier this year I went from two inches below BSL to shoulder length to get rid of bleach damage. I still have some left, but I couldn't go shorter. I'm comfortable microtrimming the rest out. The previous big chop was from waist to pixie and was due to a whole bunch of personal upheaval. I keep the pixie for six months before starting on my journey to TBL.

[NimbleNut]

My big chop came in 2013 shortly after my first baby. My hair was about APL and I chopped to chin. Throuch the later stages of my pregnancy my hair seemed to turn to straw and was incredibly difficult to comb out. Add to that the postpartum shedding and I broke down and cut it. I maintained there for a few years before now deciding to try again. I probably would have wound up here and been able to turn it around if I had only thought to Google a little! I thought the only way to fix it was by chopping it. I didn't realize these were other options. Live and learn I guess!

[LakeofGlass]

Initially I had went from waist length to BSL because I wanted long but not super long anymore. My hair is honestly too heavy to enjoy the buns and braids I was doing. And my lifestyle has changed over the years. I can't be a "by the book" LHCer, especially after I got into fitness. So I went straight to a bob, which I've learned to cut and maintain on my own. So I at least avoid evil salons, hahaha. The last time I had a bob cut I was not happy with my neck getting shaved, because those baby hairs were just fine on their own. I honestly do enjoy the short hair, but I still adore long hair.

[Adavidal]

I usually cut my hair when I'm stressed or just not feeling great. It's something I can control and have a say in, unlike growing hair out- where you're at the mercy of a growth rate, damage and breakage. When work starts stressing me out or my classes are getting too much to handle I usually get the urge to chop it off.

I also love having short hair, it's fun and different and plus I can blow dry the CRAP out of it and not have to worry about the ends.

[hanne jensen]

A lot of damage. I chopped from almost waist to shoulder back in July 2013.

[spidermom]

Many reasons:
1. Those stinking buns with my hair all skinned back against my head. In pictures, it looks like I had no hair. Same with a single braid down the back.
2. Then I tried face framing layers, and they tended to fall straight in front of my face. So I'd end up pinning them back most of the time.
3. Wet hair hanging all over me for hours in cold weather or taking an hour to blow dry. Forget bunning or braiding damp/wet hair; I don't know if it would EVER get dry.
4. The split ends! I tried everything I was willing to do, and I could never get rid of them for long.
5. I have graduated from my medical assisting program and will soon (I hope) be going on interviews. I don't want to look like an old granny on her way to the retirement home, and that's how buns make me feel. I want to look vibrant if not young. Shoulder to collarbone length is about as long as I could wear my hair down as a medical assistant.

I was so afraid that I'd regret it, so I proceeded cautiously and had it cut from tailbone to just below waist, then to mid back, and finally to collarbone. I wish I had just gone to collarbone like I was thinking from the beginning. I could have saved about $50. I guess I could have cut it myself those first 2 times, but I couldn't bring myself to cut off so much hair at once after being used to only taking an inch or less off the ends for so many years.

Anyway, I love collarbone length. I love how it feels moving at my neck and shoulders, and it makes me feel younger and more in touch with the times. Honestly I think it makes me look younger, too, because it hides the jowly sag in front of my ears. I can pin the very front back so it doesn't fall into my face and leave the rest down all the time. Heaven!

[rubix]

I cut about 10 inches in October and decided to do it for a couple of reasons.

One reason was that I had been growing out black dye and couldn't stand the dark ends anymore, even though the black had faded for a dark brown and the harsh division had gotten a little muddled so it looked more ombre and less just awkward. My natural colour reached past my shoulders, so I decided it was enough to get rid of the dyed portion and still have long-ish hair.

The other is that I've been shedding like mad since August and I couldn't stand the feeling of having loooong hairs stuck on or wrapped around me anymore. I also felt like it was starting to look thinner and figured it might look better with a cut.

I'd like to grow it back if it doesn't get too thin, though!

[Nymphe]

The same reason I buzzed it down to a 1/4" TWA the last six times--I was sick of dealing with my hair when it reached APL. This is my last go-around to reach WL before I get microtwists and let it lock for life.

[Jenw777]

I had a big chop in July due to a job change. I felt I needed to change my look and release the past. I miss my hair so much, but I have to Admit it's much healthier now. Back to re growing!

[Longhairgoals]

I am kinda addicted to dyeing my hair so every now and then I chop off my hair to get rid of all the split and dried ends

[trolleypup]

A mouthful of pizza and hair...chopped to shoulder length with bangs...that was the late 80s.

[capillus]

Emma Watson's Pixie cut

[JadeTigress]

My hair was just a few inches from waist, and I was dating a guy who kept trying to get me to cut it off because "long hair is mangy". I told him to go jump, that it wasn't happening. He wouldn't shut up about it, and I kept seeing all these cute pixie cuts on Pinterest. I'd already had a pixie once and knew how miserable the grow out was, but I kept seeing all these cute haircuts and somehow my impulsiveness made me forget all about it and I just randomly went and got it done completely on impulse. I liked it for about a week, and then I was like, "omg, what have I done."

A month later I broke up with the guy (unrelated to my hair), and now it's been right at three years since the cut. I'm about an inch from BSL. The pixie grow out was just as horrible this time as it was last time.

[littlestarface]

A mouthful of pizza and hair...chopped to shoulder length with bangs...that was the late 80s.

What kind of pizza was it?

[-Fern]

Compact cut gone awry. Was horrified at how it looked and wound up trying to fix it by cutting a deep V-shaped hemline freehand. Lost 6 inches from longest length and more like 10 inches from the front layers.

Though I have to admit, it looked surprisingly good for being borne by pure frustration. Have since gone back to Feye's self-trim method and a deep U.

[Annalouise]

Thinning hair. People told me it will look thicker if its shorter. :no: I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe that one.
And stress.

[trolleypup]

What kind of pizza was it?
Stringy, after I chewed a bit. :yuck:

Some nice juicy, cheesy, meaty, thick crust pizza.

[truepeacenik]

Pizza and long hair; with dedication, one can have both. :)

I thought a nice tidy-up of my ends would be nice.
Looked down and saw six inches on the ground.

The only thing I should see six inches on the ground is snow.

[jazzhands]

Really bad tangles and dye+bleach+henna+more dye damage, though it wasn't all that dramatic of a chop - I only went from BSL to about APL-ish. Also, I was swamped with schoolwork and it was really difficult to find time to take care of my hair.

I think I look better with this cut, personally. I'm a very, erm... compact person and my thick BSL-length mane was making me look like a dwarf.

[Swan Maiden]

I wanted healthier length and the difference in thickness/taper from an undercut growing out was annoying. No Ragrets.

[lostchyld]

Mine was a combination of frustration because growing out a pixie sucks until just past shoulder and a deepseated desire for a close buzz cut. I'm currently growing out the buzz cut, so we'll see how far it goes this time. The big chop to the first pixie was boredom. I really like super short hair and long hair (past BSL), but all the in between bugs me. I'm not sure I'll make it past chin length again.

For the record, if I didn't have to cut my hair so often, a 1 spacer all over is the most comfortable and easy to maintain hairstyle ever. I do miss braids and buns, even if by hip length last time I didn't have enough length to do most of the really fun hairstyles. I think I'm headed that direction again, but maybe with an undercut to reduce bulk. But first to get past chin length.

[trolleypup]

Pizza and long hair; with dedication, one can have both. :)

I thought a nice tidy-up of my ends would be nice.
Looked down and saw six inches on the ground.

The only thing I should see six inches on the ground is snow.
Nice! Snow!

Who knew there was a prime hair length for it to leap onto a slice of pizza on its way to my mouth.

[maborosi]

Terrible anxiety attack

Luckily, I don't really get them like that anymore.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

What kind of pizza was it?

Lol you had to ask.

[Animae]

very thin, dried out ends, and a friend who is training at a very upscale salon near me, and it was a free haircut. I got seven inches cut off and she did an amazing job and I am going to baby my fresh ends, and try to protect them more.

[H o n є y ❤]

Extremely uneven layers ugh.

[Simsy]

Father decided the BSL curls were looking a bit manky and showing the neglect that got them there in the first place. Cue the SL triangle head most curlies have lived through at least once.
I ended up keeping that length for 6 years while I worked out what everyone was doing wrong with my hair; and how to actually handle it. Also got my colour/straightened/blow wave stage done and dusted before I started growing again.

I have told DH that if classic starts to get a bit painful, I'll look at going back to waist; or a pixie if I can forget the curly mullet I sported in high school

[Sulis]

I had long hair for so long and was very tired of it and wanted to experiment with a shorter length.

[Alissalocks]

Karlie Kloss, one heckuva slick Vogue feature article in January 2013, and the decision that I could do anything in life. Including things I thought impossible. Like dare to cut my hair I'd been growing, without luck, for over a decade.

Unintentionally, it made my hair grow better and stronger, and with LHC help, hopefully now will end up being even longer.

[HairPlease]

Terrible damage and a V-hemline which I didn't like at all. I wanted nice, short hair more than long, damaged hair.

[FairHairedDane]

A year of micro trimming and too much damage at the ends to make a brush go through it.
I took of 8 cm of a week back, but I'm certain that I will grow it all out again this year, and then I will take more care in wearing it :o

[ameliasuzanne]

I missed my natural color. After almost 2 years of colorful hair (one way or another - "natural" dyed colors and brights) my hair was actually not SUPER damaged, but had some damage, and I just didn't want to deal with roots and growout transitioning. Plus, it was all kinds of weird lengths -- I had undercuts on the back and one side, while the rest was jaw-length. So it was time for it all to go! I got a buzz cut in June '16.

Six months into growout, I'm now in the awkward phase between a long pixie and a short bob. Hoping that in a couple of months I'll reach a real jaw-length bob!