Should I cut my extremely thin hair?

[auroramichelle]

It’s always been goals for me to have waist length hair, but I used to over style & dye my hair so it never grew past my shoulders. I chopped off all of it & haven’t done anything to it for almost 3 years now. I do everything you’re supposed to, I’ve even made sure it’s not a medical problem. My hair is VERY thin. I’m in cosmetology school, & when we do anything to hair, we separate is first into 4 segments. ALL of my hair, is less hair than 99% of people have in only one segment. It’s skightly longer than bra strap length but doesn’t even look long because it’s that thin. Nothing I do is making it thicker & I’m very discouraged. I get that it’s going to be thin & fine whether it’s short or long, but to me I think it’s more upsetting thinking about how beautiful it would be at this length if there was just more of it. It’s very soft & has a nice curl but looks stringy, lifeless & broken. Half the time I just want to take my razor & shave it all off. Any advice?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Well - do you have a photo of it so we can see what you are talking about?

[Lady Stardust]

Hi

I'm sorry that you're feeling so down about your hair. Please remember that we are all our own worst critic! You posted some photos in an earlier thread and I thought your hair looked really pretty and not thin at all. You mentioned your ponytail circumference too and it came into the "average" range of over 2 inches.

I do understand how it feels to compare thickness to others and find it lacking. My hair is the same. I find it best to give myself more encouraging words when I think about my hair - it compacts down because it is straight and silky, rather than being flat. It is floaty and ethereal rather than fine and flyaway.

If you think that you would like to have short hair, then by all means cut it, but if you really want to have long hair, then why not try microtrimming for a while? Many people on this forum do that and find that the thickness travels down. I find that even a small trim of half and inch makes my hair look much thicker.

Are you wearing your hair up in protective styles now? That will also help enormously.

Have you had a good look around the site for threads for your hair type? It doesn't feel so bad when you know that others are in a similar boat. I find it really helpful because I can see the beauty in other people's hair and it makes me realise that there's nothing wrong with mine. The ultimate goal is to see the beauty in your own hair, and it will come, I'm sure.

[Zesty]

We are often our own worst critics, so keep in mind that it may just be you being self-critical. That being said, to an extent we have to accept our hair for what it is. If you would be happier with shorter hair, go for it, but there are several members here who show that thin hair can be beautiful at long (or even super long) lengths. Focus on the things you like (softness, curls) and experiment with hairstyles so that you can find ones that make you feel pretty. And maybe a single braid doesn't make you feel good about yourself, but I'm sure there are nice updos that will! And try not to compare yourself to others. I know I can get down about my own hair when I watch certain YouTubers' videos, for example, so I try to look at pictures of hair that's similar to mine and therefore attainable for me.

Anyway, if long hair is what you truly want, try to look at the positives (easier said than done, yes, but possible!). And post pictures to the LHC, because we are probably the most encouraging bunch of people on the entire interwebs. ;)

[spidermom]

You will find all kinds of attitudes about hair around here. There are people who cherish length above all else and proudly call their length based on a single longest hair. There are others who won't ever get past a certain length because they want thick, even ends more than anything else and regularly trim off the hair where they can see taper in thickness. There are others, like me, who set a goal, reached it, then cut to a shorter, more convenient length.

One thing for you to consider is whether you want long hair because of all the various ways you can pin it up. The reality of long hair is that it's most practical for most of us to wear it in some sort of up-style - braids, buns, french twist or peacock twist, etc. If you're going to pin it up, it doesn't matter how thin the lengths are.

[Krissycats]

Not really advice, but I'd like to encourage you to keep growing. I think it is quite pretty.

[Groovy Granny]

Your pics in your first thread look fine to me, but you know how it feels, and if it bothers you that much, then you could take some off...a little at a time.

After a small snip you can see if it will make a difference in how you feel; if it doesn't you may choose to stay there or snip more.

You can always grow it back out, but you wouldn't want it so short that you can't do anything with it.

Take it slow, treat it well, and accept it for what it is... if you have done all you can to remedy it, and you are certain that is the state of your hair to be.

But again....I thought it looked pretty....no visible thinness. :shrug:

One error we can make is to compare our hair to others...DON'T...the grass is always greener!

It is best to do all you can with what you have ....learn new styles etc....and love it for the uniqueness that is yours.

Good luck ~ let us know what you decide and how you make out over time :cheer:

[Aunt Rapunzel]

Your pics in your first thread look fine to me, but you know how it feels, and if it bothers you that much, then then I would take some off...a little at a time.

Then you can see if it will make a difference in ho you feel; if it doesn't you may choose to stay there or snip more.

You can always grow it back out, but you wouldn't want it so short that you can't do anything with it.

Take it slow, treat it well, and accept it for what it is... if you have done all you can to remedy it, and you are certain that is the state of your hair to be.

But again....I thought it looked pretty....no visible thinness. :shrug:

One error we can make is to compare our hair to others...DON'T...the grass is always greener!

It is best to do all you can with what you have ....learn new styles etc....and love it for the uniqueness that is yours.

Good luck ~ let us know what you decide and how you make out over time :cheer:


SUPER advice. It's so easy to look at someone else's pictures and think that they have better hair. Comparing ourselves to others almost always brings about unhappiness.

I thought your hair looked very nice in your first thread, too. But what is important is how YOU feel about it. If you feel like you need a change, then maybe try trimming a little off. Or try wearing your hair up in different cute styles. Maybe after it's up and "out of mind" for a while, you'll see it differently once you wear it down again.

Best wishes to you!

[Reyn127]

Here are my thoughts:

Unless there is an obvious point where an extreme taper begins and you want a blunt hemline, or, if you really just CAN'T bear the way you feel about it no matter what, I say you should not feel like you have to cut it. I checked back on one of your previous posts with some pictures, and your hair looks totally normal to me. Maybe thinner than some, but I don't think it's extreme. I would not look at it and think your hair is thin. It looks pretty. Cutting it won't get you more hair, it will just make it shorter. But by letting it grow, you WILL get more hair, in a way.

It's entirely up to you, but I don't think cutting it will really solve anything.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I feel the same about my hair, but other users here also say it’s thicker than their hair.
I think it’s about perspective. You’re probably being too hard on yourself.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I’m also really confused... in one forum you say you’re 3a-3b which is very curly.
But in your actual photos in your first forum post, your hair looks very very straight.
Are you still using heat???


From reading your other posts I’m getting a feeling that you’re just doing things that are damaging.
I know for me, using a flat iron even once results in a big fat 1” trim.
If you’ve continued to do damaging things every so often the last two years.. and still struggle with wearing your hair up every day... then yes. You’ll have thinner hair. Or hair that does grow as long as you’d like it to.
That’s just your hair type. Comparing your hair to girls in school that do more damaging things is unfair.
To yourself for the most part. In reality there are more people like you and I, that cannot color or use bleach or tease and do high manipulation hair styles. I’m sure it doesn’t help you’re in beauty school either.

Stop comparing yourself to others and give it more time. There are some users here that’s have been growing for 10 years.

[Robi-Bird]

Unless there is damage, appearing as breakage or serious tapering, thin hair is just a matter of genetics. Our dna decides how many hair follicles we have on our heads, there is no shampoo or conditioner or anything else that can make more of these. As long as your hair is healthy, enjoy it, if it isn't then address what's causing the issue, and go from there.

To put it in perspective, my hair is quite thick, but it is also really quite coarse, not at all soft to the touch, and never has been. I inherited the texture from my father. There's nothing I can do to change the makeup of my hair and make it soft, so I need to enjoy it with its coarseness instead of resenting it for what it can't be.

[Alex Lou]

It is amazing how much hair thickness varies from person to person. You are by far not alone in having thin hair. Many people do. My husband has a fraction of the hair that I do. And as it happens, I really admire his hair. It's shoulder length now, but used to be mid-back. And you know what? His hair is never poofy or unmanageable. It never takes long to dry, never needs to be tamed the way mine does. Thin hair is seriously beautiful and there are some real advantages. Cut it or don't. I'm sure it will look gorgeous whatever you decide.

[akurah]

You might have already considered this, but if you want long hair anyway and already know you’re never going to be happy with how thick it is or is not, might as well be unhappy with your hair while it’s long. Short hair might make you double unhappy for also being short.

[Alissalocks]

I've noticed that most people who complain about their "overly thin hair" have the same, or more, hair than I do. I have barely 2" circumference to my ponytail. My braids are the thickness of a pencil.

If I can learn to love mine, you can too. :flower: Treat your hair right and just accept it. :flower:

[lapushka]

I've noticed that most people who complain about their "overly thin hair" have the same, or more, hair than I do. I have barely 2" circumference to my ponytail. My braids are the thickness of a pencil.

If I can learn to love mine, you can too. :flower: Treat your hair right and just accept it. :flower:

Yes there is a fine, thin thread on this forum, I'd peruse that at least before doing drastic things!

[renia22]

Unless you've done a big chop before and were happy, I'd say skip it. There's really nothing that I've ever seen on this board before that a good clarifying and cutting an inch or two at most wouldn't improve upon anyways. I'd start there and only take off more if you have length to spare.