Shaving my head to start over!

[Boosabear24]

Okay so my hair is extremely damaged and I've been trying to grow it out for a couple years but it is so damaged that it is continuously breaking and I've been left with the same length after all this time. I'm starting to think I should do something so I've decided to shave my head and start fresh. I want to wear a human hair wig while it is in the middle of growing but I'm not really sure where to buy one. I look at some places like wigsbuy but they don't really show pictures of people wearing the wigs so I'm not sure to buy from there. I want really thick 20" dark brown human hair and a full lace cap but I just don't know what places sell wigs! If any one has any experience is this or knows the best places to go please help!

[Groovy Granny]

Whoa...please hold on for a bit and talk it out first :tmi:

It may not call for such drastic measures!

If you can give us more info and maybe post a pic or two, the gals may have some helpful info for you so you can salvage some of it :pray:

Welcome to LHC; you'll find lots of support and inspiration here :)

[Boosabear24]

I could try to I'm not really sure how to post a pic though lol😂

[Groovy Granny]

You can upload pics to a host site like http://s40.photobucket.com/, then copy/paste use the codes for each pic into your post. :)

[TaterTot]

hey! i did this 13 months ago, i have 5.5 inches of length now! it's a pretty wild style, but i rocked a wig for months 1-4, then a nice natural pixie, then a mullet which i put into pigtails and now i'm in flippy bob-like territory. it is a super scary (as an long hair lover i felt sooooo naked, exposed, not ugly but like i did not feel like "anyone's type") but it has also been so interesting to track and see it's shape and honestly a life changing and v fulfilling way to restart the process of growth. my step sisters have told me "your hair is still so short, it grows so slow" and i keep reminding them that going from a few inches will seem faster - starting at zero is a huge gap.

i got my wig at a store called "hair and wigs"... i liked looking at them IRL and asking questions. i only tried the one on but if i was really debating between up to 5 they would have let me see which i liked better.

[Suguru]

If you have not already shaved your head, make sure to implement the two week rule! As Groovy Granny wisely said, your hair problems may not be bad enough to warrant shaving as the solution.

If you have already shaved or are set on doing it, then I will add my, "been there, done that" to TaterTot's. It does grow back! I am eight months in at the moment and while I definitely miss my long hair (often) I appreciate the fresh start shaving gave me and how healthy my new growth is.

[bunneh.]

Depending on how long your hair currently is you could cut the damage off only (trim like 5 - 10 cm off your hemline, depending on how much damage you have of course) and continue with S&D to maintain the health and growth of your hair if you want it long and don't mind fairytale ends or keep trimming/dusting every month to maintain the health if you want blunt hemline. Try some conditioning treatments, wear hair in protective hairstyles and make sure to eat healthy to get all the nutrients you need and water and so on. I don't think shaving your head will magically solve the problem, your hair will still split and break as it grows and might start looking unhealthy again so I recommend you learn to take good/right care of your hair as every hair is different and likes different things.

[lapushka]

I think it might be better to microtrim. Also, you haven't said how long your hair currently is. You might not have to shave it all. Please post a picture so we can see first, before undertaking such drastic measures. And coming on a long hair forum stating "I'm going to shave my head", for sure might not get you the best of reactions. ;)

[spidermom]

I think shaving your head is pretty drastic, too. How about pixie or bob? Deep treatments providing protein and moisture make hair look and behave a lot better, too, even if it is damaged. Regular trims will get rid of the damage.

Of course if you like dramatic changes, shaving may be right for you. I'd be so unhappy that I can't imagine.

[Arctic]

Ok, so

1) your hair was damaged
2) you started to grow out the damage 2 years ago

Have you continued to do damaging things to your hair during this 2 years? If not, you should have 2 years worth of relatively healthy hair, that would be somewhere around shoulder length-ish (+/- depending on your growth rate).

If this is the case, and you have damaged hair beyond shoulder line(ish), then you could either cut the damaged areas off and rock a long bob, or do regular but smaller trims to get rid of the rest of the damage in a more slow manner.

The members here are quite wizards with all things hair, so if you'll post photos, and tell more about the type of damage you have, and your hair care routines, we might come up with nice solutions for you. I am almost certain you don't need to shave, unless you really want to do it for other reasons.

[lapushka]

The members here are quite wizards with all things hair, so if you'll post photos, and tell more about the type of damage you have, and your hair care routines, we might come up with nice solutions for you. I am almost certain you don't need to shave, unless you really want to do it for other reasons.

Yes this. ^^ Arctic solved a bit of the "mystery" for me. 2 years of healthy hair (if you stopped damaging habits) is quite something, not to be shaved off lightly. You could easily trim the damage off and retain a good length of hair to start over from. No need to go so drastic.

[Boosabear24]

http://s482.photobucket.com/user/Madison_Alexis_Walker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsm2klzq8z.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=0

http://s482.photobucket.com/user/Madison_Alexis_Walker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsfmey1agf.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=2

http://s482.photobucket.com/user/Madison_Alexis_Walker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsm2klzq8z.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=0



Here are some pictures of my hair

[Isilme]

That's not bad at all, get a good trim and make sure to treat your hair right and I'm sure your hair will be fabulous! Have you read this article? If not, do so now! :) http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm

[lapushka]

I'm sorry but I don't see much damage. Do you mean you have lots of splits or white dots. You could always *slowly* S&D them out. I see no need to shave or even trim the hair, but then you know the state of your hair. As far as seeing growth goes. Hair grows slowly, only (on average) 6 inches a year, so...

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Your hair looks fine to me, why shave it off? Just give it some tender loving care from now onwards, if you weren't before, and it will thank you for it.

[Groovy Granny]

I agree...it looks great!

Make note of Lapushka's growth expectations, and if there is damage causing breakage, then micro-trimming will remedy that over time, along with TLC.

IMHO shaving it is an overreaction and not needed :shrug:

[copperlites]

I agree with Lapushka, groovy Granny and Sarah Labyrinth. You hair actually looks very pretty on the photos. I would do loopers of conditioning treatments and micro trim damage. Coconut oil, reduced infrequent heat, and stretching washes and TLC has done wonders for my hair in the past 9 months.

[Stormynights]

You are beautiful and your hair is beautiful. Maybe you are too self critical. I doubt that you would think another person should just shave their head if their hair looks like yours.

[Boosabear24]

I used to have bra ight red hair and all the bleaching to achieve the red has thinned it out a lot and made it aloe drier than it used to be I guess I just wanted to go back to the way it was

[luxurioushair]

Well why not trim it...instead of shaving the whole thing off

[spidermom]

Your hair looks healthy enough for a shoulder-length cut. It will take at least 2 years to get back to where you are if you shave your head, more or less - depending on growth rate. 1/2 inch per month is average.

[MotherofJames]

Whoa...please hold on for a bit and talk it out first :tmi:

It may not call for such drastic measures!

If you can give us more info and maybe post a pic or two, the gals may have some helpful info for you so you can salvage some of it :pray:

Welcome to LHC; you'll find lots of support and inspiration here :)


I agree :) I did that once and it took me years to be where I wanted to be. They are non drastic measures you could do , in little baby steps to get it back to healthy. Because once it's long again, you'll wonder what it will look like
Now if You hadn't cut it :-)

[Deborah]

Maybe just trim off a few inches and call it good. It will thicken up your ends a lot, and make your hair look generally thicker.

[Amenahh]

I agree with the rest. Your hair looks very nice.
If however we just can't see the damage in the pictures, why not just trim your ends? Or if you really want to cut more to get rid of the damage, just cut a bob. I'm sure it would feel healthy.

I have done that a few times (from long hair to bob) because of damage, and the bob always felt so great afterwards.
However, after joining LHC and learning how to take care of hair, i wish i had just trimmed and babied my hair instead of losing all the length.
Something to consider.

[lapushka]

I used to have bra ight red hair and all the bleaching to achieve the red has thinned it out a lot and made it aloe drier than it used to be I guess I just wanted to go back to the way it was

Then I would just trim. spidermom is right. It will take you at least 2 *years* to get back to shoulder and even longer (3 possibly) to where you are now. How old are you? If you are employed right now, even part time, they might not appreciate you shaving your head.

[two_wheels]

I would think more than 2 years - have a look at my sig for what you can get with average growth and minimal trims:
- Last used henndigo (the dark colour) in Oct 2011 - this is the equivalent of shaving start point because it's where the natural colour starts
- Cut to pixie in Jan 2012, it was about 50% dark still, growing out colour slowly to April 2012
- Got to your current length maybe April 2014, probably more like October 2014, three years after zero.
You might not trim as much (I trimmed a fair bit in early 2012 to get rid of the grow-out mullet) so maybe 2.5 years but I wouldn't bank on it. I went 18 months after that without trimming at all.

Or you could cut to shoulder and do it in one year instead.

There are other reasons to shave your head though and you have a pretty face so, if you have other reasons that you want to do it and you don't mind years of growing back/keeping it short, why not?

[bunneh.]

http://s482.photobucket.com/user/Madison_Alexis_Walker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsm2klzq8z.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=0

http://s482.photobucket.com/user/Madison_Alexis_Walker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsfmey1agf.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=2

http://s482.photobucket.com/user/Madison_Alexis_Walker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsm2klzq8z.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=0



Here are some pictures of my hair

Your hair looks amazing in my opinion... If I were you I wouldn't shave it, I'd either S&D or microtrim every month. But the final decision is yours, just know that you have gorgeous hair. :)

[Agnieszka]

You would look amazing in any hairstyle. I would just cut to shoulder, if any.

[hannabiss]

I started from bald also. 2 years and 4 months later I'm at APL. I've also trimmed off about three inches in this time. Going bald is quit the journey if your up for the challenge. The challenge being. People will at first assume many things. I straight up got told it was ugly to be bald while in line at the grocery store. On the flip side. If you have a very nice shaped head amazing cheek bones and a smile you may be surprised at how many compliments you get as well. I loved being bald. I've thought about doing it again. However at this point I'm obviously happy growing my hair. Just remember the choice is yours. If you can trim and see how you feel TLC can go a long way. Otherwise buzz it off wether you love it or hate it its an experience you'll always remember

[Christine_O]

I've been bald. I don't recommend it. Your hair looks much better than any wig out there. Do scalp massages and conditioning. If you want to lose layers, then do so gradually.
Of course, if you want to reboot, you have the face shape for it, but you're looking at years of growing just to get where you are now.

[lapushka]

Not to mention when it grows back, the stubble - ouch. Not fun. Plus the chance of ingrown hairs.

[Anastasia Hope]

your hair is beautiful!

[Arciela]

I wouldn't shave it either..maybe do micro trimming! Or if anything try cutting back milestones until you are satisifed :flower:

[two_wheels]

zombie thread alert :brains:

[fhairyqueen]

I’m at 2 years growing out serious bleaching damaged that snapped my hair off to about an inch in random places
My healthy hair is about collar bone length
You certainly wouldn’t need to cut off more than collar bone length at most
Your hair looks fine to me and you are super pretty :)