Does longer hair slim face and body?

[NicoleJean]

I was just wondering if you all have found that as your hair gets longer it gives the illusion of a slimmer face and/or body.

I am currently at 26.6” somewhere between mid back and waist and lately I have been getting several comments from people asking if I’ve lost weight and saying my face looks slimmer. It’s not my reason for growing longer hair but if looking slimmer is a side effect that would be amazing!

[Dark40]

Yes, I think longer hair makes your face/body appear slimmer. I've always had a wide face and long hair on me always has helped my face to look slimmer. Especially, when I wear bangs.

[lapushka]

Have you ever tried updos? I would try some if you're this length already. It saves the hair "chafing" on things and so you'll get less splits and issues like that; for sure worth it to explore!

[NicoleJean]

Have you ever tried updos? I would try some if you're this length already. It saves the hair "chafing" on things and so you'll get less splits and issues like that; for sure worth it to explore!

Actually I always wear my hair parted down the middle and framed over my face like hippy hair. Reason being is I feel like I have full kinda chubby cheeks and wearing the hair over my cheeks I feel kinda hides this. I know updos might protect my hair better but I just don’t like how I look with exposing so much of my face. I wish I were more confident to do so. Been wearing my hair down and over my face for 22 years.

[lapushka]

Actually I always wear my hair parted down the middle and framed over my face like hippy hair. Reason being is I feel like I have full kinda chubby cheeks and wearing the hair over my cheeks I feel kinda hides this. I know updos might protect my hair better but I just don’t like how I look with exposing so much of my face. I wish I were more confident to do so. Been wearing my hair down and over my face for 22 years.

Oh well, you do you! Just an "I don't like updos" would have been OK, no need to defend yourself and your reasons that much. :flower: We all have our preferred way of wearing our hair.

It's just that updos can be very protective when you gain more and more length, that's all. :)

[NicoleJean]

Oh well, you do you! Just an "I don't like updos" would have been OK, no need to defend yourself and your reasons that much. :flower: We all have our preferred way of wearing our hair.

It's just that updos can be very protective when you gain more and more length, that's all. :)

I keep thinking about trying updos for when I’m just hanging around the house because I keep reading it helps protect the hair. However I’m currently lacking skill other than a basic braid and then I wonder if the bands or clips used to hold the hair up will just cause damage too. Seems like everything causes damage!

[Ylva]

I keep thinking about trying updos for when I’m just hanging around the house because I keep reading it helps protect the hair. However I’m currently lacking skill other than a basic braid and then I wonder if the bands or clips used to hold the hair up will just cause damage too. Seems like everything causes damage!

I find that many buns are actually a lot easier to on oneself than braids. I don't mean to say in the wrong, though - I myself prefer braids over buns, too. It's just more me. Buns are totally worth exploring, though, and I wouldn't be too worried about damage as long as you're not using hairties to secure your buns.

[littlestarface]

Nope, only losing weight will do that. I wish it could make me look slimmer lol but long hair aint gonna hide my double chin and love handles.

[NicoleJean]

Nope, only losing weight will do that. I wish it could make me look slimmer lol but long hair aint gonna hide my double chin and love handles.

You look great! and your hair is gorgeous!

[MusicalSpoons]

Ah, if only! Even with knee-length hair there's no hiding the weight gain from chronic illness and medication :rollin:

[AutobotsAttack]

Nope, only losing weight will do that. I wish it could make me look slimmer lol but long hair aint gonna hide my double chin and love handles.

Exactly this.

[Aerya]

I can't speak for actually long hair, but as someone with a "short," square/round and sort of chubby face, I find a bit of length really balances out my face. When my hair was shorter it only drew focus to how wide my face is relative to the height and how flat my jawline is. I looked like a kid and not in the "supple and youthful" way, just plain twelve year old fat kid who is probably a Boy Scout. With some length around my face it looks more "right" sort of.

[Hailwidis]

I have a broad jaw that I'm quite self-conscious about and I do find that having long hair down around my face masks it and makes a difference in my appearance. Despite that, I wear it up a lot in a very unflattering plain, pulled back bun because it's the only thing I can do easily. I should definitely look into more flattering alternatives... I've thought about face-framing layers, but they'd have to be quite long.

[eresh]

Ah, if only! Even with knee-length hair there's no hiding the weight gain from chronic illness and medication :rollin:

Same here LOL!
Medication made me gain 30 kilos.
I halfed my dose and lost 10 kilos already Yay.
But the hair made no difference at all :o
My butt is still big LOL

[eadwine]

OK.. don't take this the wrong way, I am TOTALLY making fun of a situation that just is what it is and can't be changed. We can always tie our hair in a bun under our chins? Makes a new fashion statement too *giggle*

[Zesty]

Well for me, my hair length is no longer relevant when it comes to the question of whether it flatters/slims my face or figure because it's always up. (Out of curiosity -- how long are you wanting to grow?)

Anyway, I think it would make a minimal visual impact at best.

[Reyn127]

I DEFINITELY think that hair length can affect how your whole body appears... And I only say that because it was MY perception when I shaved my head, and actually one of the few things I didn't like about the experience. I just basically noticed that with no/very short hair, my head appeared smaller on my body than normal. It made the illusion of my body being larger in comparison to my head than before, which I think translated to "I look bigger" while in the mirror. Wheres when my hair grew out, my head got "bigger" in comparison to my body which appeared "smaller" against my floofy-haired head.

I will say though, I stopped thinking it made a difference after I got to about chin/shoulder, so I'm not sure what's going on with your appearance changing "so much" at this point. I wonder if it's literally that - that your head/hair appear to be getting "bigger" compared to your body, which is disappearing behind all that hair, therefore people perceive you as being smaller?

[zmirina]

i find the short hair draws attention to my wide jaw and generally round face, while longer hair doesn't, even if it is in an updo.

I can see how shorter hair makes my brother look older and more masculine by widening his ( insubstantial for a guy ) jaw.

[share801]

Not mine, unfortunately. I have fine thin hair so it looks rather like less of it against my big butt!

[Natalia_A00]

It's funny, my mother tells me all the time that long hair makes me look fatter and shorter. I really don't think so, she just doesn't like my hair and finds any excuse to criticize it. My perception is that very long hair makes your face slimmer (not sure about body though)

[MusicalSpoons]

Same here LOL!
Medication made me gain 30 kilos.
I halfed my dose and lost 10 kilos already Yay.
But the hair made no difference at all :o
My butt is still big LOL

Oh yay! Good for you :D I nearly halved mine and can't shift the weight I put on, but I've stopped gaining [and I can't complain too much because it wasn't *too* drastic, it just felt like it because I went up in clothing size after staying the same size for about a decade since my teens.]

Back on topic: I do feel that having my hair up all the time exposes the extra weight on my face, but I don't really care :shrug: having my hair up is the only practical and protective option :)

Edit: LOL eadwine!! :rollin: Maybe we should have a thread for that ;)

[NicoleJean]

Wow so many different experiences and I appreciate them all. It seems to make more of an illusionary difference for the face than body.

I was just curious about this because only the last couple months people have been suddenly asking me if I lost weight and commenting that my face looks slimmer. But in fact I’ve gained a few pounds lately. So I was wondering if it was maybe the longer hair creating a slimming illusion.

I kinda have chipmunk cheeks going on and have for 22 years wore my hair parted down he middle and over my cheeks to try them hide them. My husband actually also commented the other day that my face looks slimmer lately and the comment was completely random and unsolicited.

[NicoleJean]

It's funny, my mother tells me all the time that long hair makes me look fatter and shorter. I really don't think so, she just doesn't like my hair and finds any excuse to criticize it. My perception is that very long hair makes your face slimmer (not sure about body though)

I love your hair! So beautiful and full of body. Your hair is my dream. Sorry your getting criticized. I’m starting to get some of that too the longer and longer my hair gets.

[NicoleJean]

Well for me, my hair length is no longer relevant when it comes to the question of whether it flatters/slims my face or figure because it's always up. (Out of curiosity -- how long are you wanting to grow?)

Anyway, I think it would make a minimal visual impact at best.

I’m currently almost at waist and want to go somewhere between tailbone and classic. Maybe more?

[NicoleJean]

Hmmm I also wonder so if your shorter verses taller than hair must look very long
On your body sooner then it would on a tall person. I’m on the short side.

My sister was telling me how long her 7 year old daughters hair was and that it went down to her butt. When I see her it does appear very long but than when we measured her hair compared to mine it was actually 3” shorter than mine but because she is also much shorter than me her hair actually appears longer than mine.

[Panthera]

For me it's backwards. You can't see my upper body behind my hair but my hair isn't that big, I'm just small and my hair looks bigger than it is. :lol: Or maybe biggish hair makes me look even smaller. Could be both, not sure.

[Carrieberry77]

It might slim face if parted in the middle.
I have an oblong face shape and a middle part further elongates my face, therefore I always part it on the side.
I think that short hair actually makes people appear taller whereas long hair makes your body appear shorter.

[Milkchocolate]

I think it does add the illusion of slimming :) I’m a girl with round features everywhere. Pear-shape type and chubby cheeks. Long hair covers my back, and adds a vertical symmetry down by face. As opposed to having a shorter cut which would appear more “horizontal” and make me look wider in the face and figure

[lithostoic]

I think if you are very thin, long hair can make you look wider. My hair is clearly broader than my waist when viewed from the front.

[share801]

I think my hair makes my face look fatter not thinner (when down). My hair is quite curly and face quite thin so I suppose it varies.

[Cg]

I doubt it. I look scrawny no matter my hair.

[cjk]

It definitely can. Emphasizing the vertical element, elongating that line, can definitely make your face look longer and, therefore, thinner.

But to maximize the effect the hair needs to be straight.

Those of us with curly hair, particularly the shoulder length triangle poof, can end up emphasizing the width.

Like everything else it's a tool. Use it effectively to get the results you want.

[sillyme]

I think that short hair actually makes people appear taller whereas long hair makes your body appear shorter.

I haven't noticed short hair making me look taller, but I have noticed long hair making tiny people look even smaller. That's one reason I don't want to grow my hair much past collarbone length. I always felt like pixies and short hair made my head look too small for my body even though I am short.

[Beckstar]

My face looks fuller when I have a pixie.