Haircut advice (going short)

[majesticgoldenr]

Hey all. It's been months since I have gotten on here but I am back and I'm actually going to cut my hair.

For the past 3.5 years I have had my hair pulled up in a bun (pretty much the same bun) and under a religious head covering.

I was 13 when I chose to wear a head covering (and sewed them myself using a pattern I made myself, and it's actually really beautiful) and I really liked that it would encourage questions and conversation about religion. I will be in a gas station, museum, anywhere and people would ask what sort of church I attend....Yet I am possibly autistic and have picked up this fall that the conversations haven't really been meaningful. It's hard to explain. The other week I was asked by a very rude person if I knew what football is.... So I plan to stop wearing the coverings.

My hair is also very thin and gross and I am thinking of maybe something about shoulder length so I can pull it out of my face but can get rid of some of the length and split ends.

(Another reason that I have worn this covering is because I have had trich since at least 1st grade and pull out my hair, especially when it is short.)

It'd been since Feb 2012 since I have cut my hair and its been at finger tip length for about 2 years. Since then, it's become about 1/2 the thickness and while it used to get see thorough about my hips, now it's see through about all.

And I just want it gone. This time last year I bought henna to give it some life but other than the fact that I like the color better, I don't like it at all. I hope that makes sense.

Anyway, tonight I made a mask with egg and oil and peppermint oil and put it on my hair and it looks extremely stringy. I am second guessing myself now and wondering if I would be better off with a pixie cut.

This was my original idea in August or September but I wasn't sure if I could handle it with my trich. Also, I have a pear shaped face and i have no idea what sort of pixie would work for me.

I'm on mobile at the moment but I want to upload an image and if someone would help me work though shoulder length v. Pixie I would appreciate it!

Other facts: I have never been in a hair salon... When school started in 8th grade my mom was out of town for a month and my dad cut a few inches off my hair. That's the last it's been trimmed properly. (I am a senior now)

I had a period of a year or two during high school where i was no poo. That really destroyed my hair and I really regret it.

My mom doesnt do hair/make up/ nails and she wouldn't be much help. We have similar face shapes and both of out hair is thin, however her hair is cut blunt about hip length. She's in her late 50s. I assume an easy suggestion would be to ask my mom for advice but she really would be. Her hair has been the same for over 25 years.

On second thought, the images are very large to embed here so I will simply share the links.

http://i.imgur.com/wcRcolU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rHBcK5U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Zt9denN.jpg

[turtlelover]

Why not self trim an inch per week till you feel more comfortable with it rather than just chop it off in one go? That could save you some big regrets later on if you end up not liking it shorter. If you are still asking us for advice on what to do with it, that to me tells me you aren't really 100 percent sure about what you want.

[mizukitty]

First off, thank you for coming here to write about your experiences and reach out. I know it's not easy to ask for help sometimes, and I try to avoid doing it, so I think it's really great. I think your hair is really beautiful in the pics, it has a very rich, vibrant color and really incredible shine. It's not every day you see hair that pretty! I think you would look lovely with any length, but I would start with removing it small amounts at a time, and waiting a few weeks between the next cuts. You never know what length you'll be truly happy at, and taking it up to pixie immediately wouldn't give you that flexibility and option. Feye and Spidermom on here have amazing self hair cutting methods that will give you a precise cut - no weird unevenness to worry about. I think the search bar should pull it up if you search "feye."

Don't forget to show pics when you're done! I think this is a place where people love hair - all hair - and we wanna see it regardless of length! Good luck to you. :flower:

[spidermom]

I just got my hair cut to collarbone length, and I love it so much. It's easy to take care of, and I can still pull it all up and back if I want to. I'm so happy to be wearing it down after years of almost constant buns.

[Alex Lou]

It sounds like your hair is thinning a lot over the past 2 years? Do you know why? It's worth investigating if you don't know. Could be a health or nutritional problem.

[littlestarface]

Did you wash off that egg mask you did tonight with shampoo or conditioner?

[majesticgoldenr]

I am pretty sure I am going with something about shoulder length because:
- can out in pony tail or bun
- easier to style
- easier to maintain
- wont have to worry about whether a pixie looks good with my face shape
- I can go shorter if I want

but I worry that my hair is too thin for even that length to look good.

I am thinking of getting it cut all at once because
- I have wanted to get it cut for a while
- I dont have sharp enough scissors myself, either once or weekly

Reasons my hair is a mess
- trich
- hasnt been cut in a very long time
- no poo (baking soda)
- stress
- anemia
- same hair style for years and years. (The thinnest part is in the back and thats where the Amish pins go.)
- it was a mess a long time ago and I just did nothing about it
- genetically I probably wont ever have thick hair
- I havent been oiling it as much this fall because I have planned to cut it.
- I also havent been using my silk hair cap so much even though I dont really have a good reason
- there have been other things on my mind than hair.
- using a hair dryer a bit this fall
- my hair is the most finicky hair I have ever seen and will split because of anything. You could sit my sisters hair in a bucket of bleach for a month and it wouldnt even notice but you could never do that with my hair.
- changing multivitamins

etc.

While I am here writing all these long posts (sorry) I do have a biotin theory....

In the fall of 8th grade I was taking a "hair skin and nails" supplement and the main ingredient in that is biotin. And most things containing biotin will have *a lot* of biotin because the body is supposed to flush out the excess. But when I was taking it I was a mess^2 and always in tears and always freaking out... and just a mess. And then this past April I started a multivitamin with very little biotin and it was great. However, in September I ran out so I started a third supplement because it was cheaper. It was very similar to the one I started taking in April but each pill has like 2000% the daily recommended dose of biotin and you take 2 a day (therefore a lot of biotin!!!)... And again I was super sensitive and always crying and my relationships with other people were suffering. So I realized that there seems to be a trend here and stopped taking the new multivitamin on Nov 24th because it is so much biotin in it and I have been noticeably happier. I am back on the supplement from this spring but all of the off and on and happy and depressed might have something to do with my hair being unhappy.

Also, to littlestarface, I washed it off with shampoo and plan to add oil this afternoon. I know that egg can cause the hair to dry out which is why I mixed 1 egg with oil. Right now it seems fine.

[nekosan]

If I were you, I'd cut to something like bra strap length or armpit length first, then shoulder length if I still wanted shorter. If you have even just a grocery store or drug store nearby, you can get a pair of inexpensive hair scissors and cut it yourself. Keep it long enough to pull back in a ponytail or a short braid; I don't have trich but I do play with my hair a lot, and a French braid keeps it contained enough to mostly deter that.

Your hair could be being wacky due to puberty; it may settle down a bit more once you're in your mid-twenties. (Not helpful now, I know.)

We're usually own own worst critics. I try not to say anything to myself that I wouldn't say to my best friend.
:blossom:

[Deborah]

Honey, your hair is far from gross. It looks shiny, healthy and lovely. What about cutting it into a nice blunt waist length for right now? It would still be long enough to wear up or in braids or a ponytail quite easily, but you could comfortably wear it down too. I think a pixie cut might be too drastic for now. You can end up there if you still want to later on, but please consider taking it more slowly. You might find that you still like you hair long, just not as long as you have it now.

[Flipgirl24]

I think shoulder length would be good though you could do a bob that is just below the chin. You can search on pinterest for hairstyles for pear-shaped faces.

[majesticgoldenr]

I appreciate replies! I agree pixie is too short for now, I was just nervous earlier.

I'm sorry if I upset anyone calling my hair gross. I was only trying to say that the amount of split ends and cleavage on my scalp makes me upset. I have experienced both breakage and shedding and I am okay with trimming some of the length off. I'm definintely not saying that anyone who has had a rough patch needs to cut their hair or thin hair cant be long :)

[Zindell]

I was 13 when I chose to wear a head covering (and sewed them myself using a pattern I made myself, and it's actually really beautiful) and I really liked that it would encourage questions and conversation about religion. I will be in a gas station, museum, anywhere and people would ask what sort of church I attend....Yet I am possibly autistic and have picked up this fall that the conversations haven't really been meaningful. It's hard to explain. The other week I was asked by a very rude person if I knew what football is.... So I plan to stop wearing the coverings.

I have no advice about the haircut but I wanted to address what you wrote above...

As I understand it you really liked wearing a head covering and it made you feel beautiful. And you also appreciated the questions and conversations about religion that came with it. Don't let the odd rude person change who you are and what you like to do.
:grouphug:


(There will always be haters and the best thing is to ignore them).

[lapushka]

Are you sure you want shoulder length with your trich? Especially now that you are going to remove your covering?

My experience with hair when it gets too long is that you want to do drastic things. The thing to do is to cut it like say, 2-6 inches shorter and that irritation you feel towards the length will be totally gone! While a drastic cut you would have regretted. I've been through this a few times now.

[OhSuzi]

I think shoulder length would be nice.

I guess if you're someone desperately trying to grow your hair super long as quickly as possible with no in between styling cuts there'd be times when you get fed up and just want to chop it all off - then I'd say hold on a minute push through / try a trim.

But if you've had a hairstyle for a while and you fancy changing it up why the heck not?!
Sometimes having a big chop can be freeing and kind of feel like a relief losing the weight of all that hair and it can feel like a fresh start for you and for your hair, so if that's the length you've decided on - go for it!

[majesticgoldenr]

Hi all. I wanted to update everyone that I did get a hair cut last wednesday at a local salon and honestly I have to say that I love it so much! I have gotten many many compliments and I thought I would share pictures of before and after here.

http://i.imgur.com/7hRQQUu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L4YzoIA.png

[turtlelover]

Hi all. I wanted to update everyone that I did get a hair cut last wednesday at a local salon and honestly I have to say that I love it so much! I have gotten many many compliments and I thought I would share pictures of before and after here.

http://i.imgur.com/7hRQQUu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L4YzoIA.png

Turned out fantastic and it looks sooooo much thicker now! Nice! :D

[Rowdy]

What a cute haircut! Congratulations!

[Borgessa]

It suits you very well, nice hair cut :)

[Deborah]

Looks good!

[nekosan]

That does look really cute on you. Congrats!

[lapushka]

Hi all. I wanted to update everyone that I did get a hair cut last wednesday at a local salon and honestly I have to say that I love it so much! I have gotten many many compliments and I thought I would share pictures of before and after here.

http://i.imgur.com/7hRQQUu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L4YzoIA.png

It looks cute! :D I'm glad you're happy with your hair cut. :)

[vega]

You look like model I love it

[Upside Down]

I love it, it really compliments your face!

[Alissalocks]

I would die for your hair. :cheer: From your ponytail circumference, it looks like we have the same amount of hair. Mine is very thin, very fine, and often looks piecey and see through, and flat flat flat. I struggle with accepting its deficiencies, so I know what you mean by how you see your hair compared to others.

But I agree, maybe only cut back to a different milestone, like waist or BSL and see how that feels?

On the other hand, and I'm a Libra so I always see both sides, annoyingly, but when I cut off my hair from BSL to chin in 2013, it felt glorious and I never regretted it. So who knows? Also, I haven't finished reading the responses, sorry if I'm being redundant.

ETA: ok so you totally already cut your hair and it looks amaze balls! And you look really happy too, that's all that matters. Lol, just ignore all my babbling, teaches me to respond before reading everything!

[NimbleNut]

I have no advice about the haircut but I wanted to address what you wrote above...

As I understand it you really liked wearing a head covering and it made you feel beautiful. And you also appreciated the questions and conversations about religion that came with it. Don't let the odd rude person change who you are and what you like to do.
:grouphug:


(There will always be haters and the best thing is to ignore them).

Thank you for saying this! This was my first thought after I read the OP and I totally agree! If you want to wear a head covering then do it. If you don't want to then that's fine, too. Make sure that your dong it for you though and not some rude stranger.


Hi all. I wanted to update everyone that I did get a hair cut last wednesday at a local salon and honestly I have to say that I love it so much! I have gotten many many compliments and I thought I would share pictures of before and after here.

http://i.imgur.com/7hRQQUu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L4YzoIA.png

Your new cut looks great!

[spidermom]

I think you made the right decision. That's a pretty haircut, and it's flattering to your features. It looks much thicker.

Now get rid of the experiments with baking soda and eggs, etc. Get a nice gentle shampoo and conditioner. You can find organic formulas if you like.

[patienceneeded]

Your new haircut looks great!!!! Love the shorter length, it looks loads thicker and far healthier.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Congratulations your new length looks great and the most important thing is that you are happy with it. Good luck and enjoy your new length.