Should I grow longer?

[rags]

I would really like to grow my hair out longer, as I have never had hair this short for so long in my life! However, I've been told by several family members and every hairdresser I've seen that it will look awful. This is because my hair is not only extra baby fine, it has thinned horribly due to medication. But I don't think I'm going to get much regrowth (I've been off the meds a year now and have just a few 6" wispies coming back in - definetely not as much as I lost). So do you think it is too thin to look good long? You can see my avatar, and I am going to attempt to post a pic of my ittie little bun, but have been messing around for half an hour to try and get it, and keep getting a link. So, I will try....(oh, if I get it to work, I love my new ketylo sticks!)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=28731&albumid=2337&dl=1231349265&thumb=1

Rats, it didn't work, but maybe you could look at the link? Back to the test forum for me! And TIA for anyone who chooses to answer!

[Radulfr]

You won't really know how it would look until you actually grow it, so you might as well try. It's all up to you. Nothing to lose!

[Amara]

I think long thin hair looks beautiful. It's no reason not to grow it long. I think it's just as lovely as thick hair, in a different way.

[rubyann]

rags, I feel ya! I have super fine, thin hair as well. I finally decided that I don't give a rat's ass what anyone has to say, I want long hair. If I find at any time that I don't like the way it looks, I reserve the right to change my mind and cut it off. My bun still is very small compared to the hair I see on LHC, but oh well. My hair is finally BSL and I'm lovin' it!

My advice is to grow it and see if you like it.

[MsBubbles]

Heck yes! If you want to grow it, then grow it! It's only up to you - nobody else.

I wish I had learned when I was younger not to give the time of day to others' solicited or unsolicited opinions.

That's great that you have evidence of new/regrowth, too :).

I have had fine, thin hair my whole life and even after sorting out my thyroid and other deficiencies, I am still only a 1a/F/ii, and will probably never ever be a iii of any kind :p, but I have been gobsmacked to find out that there are actually people who find hair even thinner than mine to be very attractive.

It's all a matter of perspective. If you want long hair, go for it! You will get nothing but support here.

[jivete]

I agree with rubyann. I always thought my hair was too thin to grow long, but the more I grow and the better I take care of it, the better and fuller it looks. Someone actually commented that my hair looked thick the other day. :D

I'm still not sure if there's enough there to get to waist, but go for it. You can always cut it if you don't like the way it looks. But you'll never know if you don't try.

[Xandergrammy]

I wouldn't listen to what any family members, friends or hairdressers tell you. Grow it out and see if you like it. There are many people on this board with thin, fine hair that is very long and very beautiful. Good luck to you and welcome. :flowers:

[Akiko]

Your hair is beautiful and soft. If you would like to grow, do so. You can never satisfy scissor-happy hairdressers.

If you have thick hair, they say, "Oh, it's too thick and heavy. Let's cut it and lighten up with layers."

If you have medium thickness, "Oh, it's outdated. Let's cut it short and layer it to give some movement!"

If you have thin hair, "Oh, let's cut it short. Layer and fluff it up to give you some volume."

[lora410]

There are TONS of fine haired beauties here at LHC. There are NO RULES to growing hair. I SAY GROW FOR IT

[Isblå]

This is an easy one. Growing is slow, cutting is fast. If you at some point find that you want your hair to be shorter, you can get it done in no time. Grow for as long as you like, and whatever you do don't listen to hairdressers just because they are hairdressers. Especially if the tell you to get a lot of layers "to make it look fuller" Happy growing :cheese:

[mommy101405]

Honestly if you want it long go for it. From the pictures it doesn't look all that thin to me. I certainly wouldn't say its uber thick or anything but definitely in the realm of normal thin hair. Thin hair can be very pretty long. Judging from your pictures it will probably look very nice and sleek. People spend hours a day flat ironing to get their hair to look like that. :cheese:

[rags]

Thank you all so much! I don't really care what others say, but I was just secretly afraid they were right, and it wouldn't look good. But you know, they all told me it wouldn't look good past my shoulders, and now it's past my shoulders, and I'm a liking it a lot! Seeing so many pics of everyone's hair here has inspired me. While I too, will never be a iii, (heck, I doubt I'll ever make it to ii), I still love my hair longer!

And Akiko, that was one of those things that are so true that you just have to laugh~

[rags]

Oh, and thank you Mommy 101405, for the compliment. It is very sleek, but it certainly is thin (that's a mini flexi 8 holding the entire half up, and it's a little loose)

[Sarahmoon]

I think your hair looks good in your avatar. And if growing it longer is what you want, then let the others say whatever they want and go for it. If, in the end, you don't like it, you can always decide to cut it again.

As for the slow growth... maybe you could try some tips from this forum, monistat and such, for faster growth? Who knows it might help.

[Sissy]

I don't know why they would say not to grow it. I looked at your photie album and think your hair looks shiny and beautiful. If it's in your heart to grow it, then grow it! :inlove:

One thing I've learned since joining LHC is that some hair dressers don't know what they're talking about anyhow (not all of them mind you, LHC even has a hairdresser on the boards and she's very good). However, some hairdressers give horrible advice. Ha, a hairdresser once told me to use an expensive tourmaline hair straightner with vents on my wet hair as it would be healthy for it... and I beleived that for a while. Now, I realize that hair straightners are bad and damaging for hair. This hairdresser also RAKED and YANKED a brush through my wet hair everytime I went to him for a deep conditioning treatment, significantly damaging my hair. I thought it felt too rough but just through he had a technique being he was a professional. Moral of the story.... don't base your ideals of what could be possible for your hair on a hair dressers opinion.

[wintersun99]

..............

[Honey39]

I'm a TOTAL sucker for straight, fine hair. I love it - I was out with a couple of friends, and I was totally admiring one woman's hair, which was baby-fine, very straight and fine, and oh so pretty! She thought I was just being flattering, and said so, and my other friend just commented 'No, she *really* likes your hair type!" And I do.

I love the fact that it's so straight and pretty and elegant; it dries quickly, it looks beautiful down, you can run your hands through it and it just falls down prettily. I think because I've got quite coarse, curly hair I just am enchanted by your hair type - I think you should definitely grow longer!!

[Roseate]

Just another coarse curlyhead who thinks silky fine hair is gorgeous!

I like my own hair too, don't get me wrong, but I certainly don't think fine hair has to stay short. And you'll be able to do figure-8s and other complicated twisty updos much sooner than me- fine hair often stays up easier than my heavy load.

And like others have said, if you reach a length you don't like, you can always cut.

[nimeera]

I agree. My hair is somewhat fine. No where near the thick long growth my sister had. Her braid was always so thick that it looked fake. But she always complained that her heavy hair gave her headaches.

Now she has hair shaved short, always keeping it shorter than her shoulders, and I have the long hair!

Fine hair makes great long hair! :p

[Johanna64]

I say:go for it!!
Your hair looks very pretty and shiny :)

[Deborah]

Your hair looks full and lovely to me in your avatar. Grow it! Hairdressers ALWAYS promote haircuts, especially short ones. That's where the money is. We longhairs do not contribute much to their livelihoods. It's all about $$$

As to relatives; sometimes it is jealousy, sometimes it is just resistance to change. Ignore them! It is YOUR hair. :flower:

[Islandgrrl]

I think if you want to grow your hair, give it a shot! I mean, really, you can always cut it shorter if you don't like it. It's not like growing it is irrevocable somehow! :)

IMO, your hair is there for you to enjoy. So do what feels right.

[HairColoredHair]

Thin hair can certainly be beautiful!

What I hate is when hairdressers talk people with thin or thinning hair into short choppy pixies and you can see their scalp and you know they hate it but they're doing it because the 'professionals' told them to. *sigh*

[Themyst]

I knew a woman who had really thin hair, but it was long, maybe about waist length.

It was very pretty and she kept it nice. It looked good!

If that's what you want, I'd do it. Anytime I listened to my hairdressers or friends about my hair I've regretted it.

[Anje]

In your avatar, your hair doesn't look particularly thin, and it's not like you have large bald areas of scalp showing. In fact, from what I can tell you have quite a decent-sized bun for someone with shoulder-length hair.

I say grow it, if you feel like growing it. It might be thinner than before, but that doesn't mean it won't look good. And if you decide you don't like how it looks (independently of what opinions other people are throwing around), you can cut it with full knowledge of what it looks like long and what it looks like short.

Finally, consider that if it's longer, you have more layers of hair covering the scalp than you would at, say, pixie length. Your hair will actually look thicker with some length. And if you end up with a thin, whip-like braid, you'll be in good company and you can use it to whack people who complain.

[embee]

I've always wanted long hair. Now I have it. :)

It's fine and thin, but it would be fine and thin if it were short too, right????

Go for it. If you don't like it, cut it.

[joyfulmom4]

Here's my take on your hair situation...

If you like long hair and would like to have long hair, then grow it! You can always cut it if you don't like it, but you'll never know until you try.

As for the appearance of your hair, I didn't think it was so thin. I actually ran across the pic of your hair earlier this afternoon when I was browsing the new pics posted by members under "All Albums". I left a comment in your album, the one titled "Beginning" (or something similar, my memory fails me). I commented that your hair looked beautiful and shiny and healthy and that it was a great place to begin (with pretty, healthy hair). It didn't occur to me for a moment that your hair was too thin or fine to grow out. And remember, that was *before* I read this post. So I wasn't biased before looking.

So there you have my opinion. You have pretty hair that looks smooth and shiny and I think you're off to a great start.

As for a "tiny bun" there are many ways to fluff up a bun to give it greater volume if you wish. Sock buns are dandy for making your hair look fuller. So is braiding in a scarf or some thick ribbons. Or make messy buns. Lots of options to enjoy.

Best wishes on your journey.

[Roseate]

What I hate is when hairdressers talk people with thin or thinning hair into short choppy pixies and you can see their scalp and you know they hate it but they're doing it because the 'professionals' told them to. *sigh*

I wouldn't worry about folks with pixies secretly pining for long hair- I guess sometimes they are, but it can go the other way too.

My aunt has had thin/balding hair all her life, and she's never been happier than when she gave up trying to baby it along and just got it chopped. I know we all want long hair, but not everyone does! :)

[mommy101405]

Your hair looks full and lovely to me in your avatar. Grow it! Hairdressers ALWAYS promote haircuts, especially short ones. That's where the money is. We longhairs do not contribute much to their livelihoods. It's all about $$$

As to relatives; sometimes it is jealousy, sometimes it is just resistance to change. Ignore them! It is YOUR hair. :flower:

I always figure if you hairdresser wants you short you should take it as a compliment b.c it probably means you're a good tipper :p

[rags]

In your avatar, your hair doesn't look particularly thin, and it's not like you have large bald areas of scalp showing. In fact, from what I can tell you have quite a decent-sized bun for someone with shoulder-length hair.

Finally, consider that if it's longer, you have more layers of hair covering the scalp than you would at, say, pixie length. Your hair will actually look thicker with some length. And if you end up with a thin, whip-like braid, you'll be in good company and you can use it to whack people who complain.


Thank you all so much for the support! I know I want it longer; I have always had it longer. It just was never this thin before.

I kind of cheated on the bun; freshly washed and very, very fluffed. For reality of how thin it is, that is a mini flexi 8 in my hair and it is slightly loose.

Anje, the whack people with my braid comment made me actually laugh out loud!

[wintersun99]

Thank you all so much for the support! I know I want it longer; I have always had it longer. It just was never this thin before.

I kind of cheated on the bun; freshly washed and very, very fluffed. For reality of how thin it is, that is a mini flexi 8 in my hair and it is slightly loose.

Rags - I just visited your album and your hair is gorgeous! It seems so healthy and shiney!

[rags]

Joyfulmom, thank you! (blushes)

[HairColoredHair]

I wouldn't worry about folks with pixies secretly pining for long hair- I guess sometimes they are, but it can go the other way too.

My aunt has had thin/balding hair all her life, and she's never been happier than when she gave up trying to baby it along and just got it chopped. I know we all want long hair, but not everyone does! :)

:lol: No, I didn't mean to imply ALL people with pixies want long hair...

I've just known a couple people who've cut their thinning hair very close and absolutely hated it, but did it because the hairdresser told them to. :)

[Xandergrammy]

And if you end up with a thin, whip-like braid, you'll be in good company and you can use it to whack people who complain.


:rollin: I love this!!!

[Unnamed]

Short version:
I vote yes to grow longer. And ignore what anyone says 'will happen'. Really. Just grow and find out for yourself what your hair is or isn't capable of doing.

Long version:
Even if it stays thin, thin isn't necessarily bad. You get to do updos sooner, and you get to do things that thick hair might not ever be able to do. Which, okay, it's a pain if you ever get to the super long lengths, but you'll find new things to do. And, yeah, at 51" I still have a dinky little bun...I mean, others with BSL have bigger buns! But, being thinner means it's lighter. So yeah, with thinness means lack of the good aspects of 'thick' hair, but there's other good things about it being thin. ;)

For me: According to hair dressers 1) My hair was to fine to grow long (forget it being thin), 2) my hair would never reach waist length (both the fine and thin parts) 3) my hair is too thin to look okay long, etc., etc.

But I wanted longer hair (growing to terminal length has been something I've wanted to do for a long while), and I eventually managed to put that ahead of what others might think or say to me and let it grow. Now, I'm still not sure it looks okay, but I don't think it necessarily looks bad. I figure if someone thinks so, that's their problem. They can do what they want with their hair, so why can't I?

So far my hair has disproved every point that's been said about the thin/fine aspects. And that's even with massive health issues that don't help at all I'm sure. So far I've just liked it more as it's gotten longer, even if it's actually gotten thinner. Right now hair is right about 2" even at the nape, so it's i/ii, but barely.

So, yes, please do grow longer if that's what you want to do, which it sounds like it is. You can always cut it back shorter if you don't like it longer but thinner, or grow a bit and then maintain (or cut off every other month's growth) if you find your thickness returning.

I actually remember seeing your avatar on another thread and thinking shiny! Looking at your album pics I think that and that yours is similar to my hair (close in colour, shine, fineness), or, well, minus the soft waves. I never really thought 'thin' from the picture, just shiny!

ETA: Oh, I edited and think I took out about that my thinness is also more or less medically caused. For me it's mostly low thyroid, I think, although I've got other issues that I'm sure don't add thickness. I lost half my hair almost 4 years ago (thickest my hair ever got--almost 3" for about 3 months!), gained a bit back a bit over a year ago, and then lost all that gain about 6 months ago with another large shed. :lol: So my 'base' thickness is probably much thicker, and I may or may not gain some of that back once the health issues are resolved. I hope so, but I've also mostly accepted it thin, too. But, yeah, losing a lot of hair isn't fun, especially when one wants longer hair as there's a lot of negative about having thin hair...but IMO that negative is whether it's long or short. :flower:

And good growing (whatever you decide), and hope your hair recovers from the loss. :flowers:

[heidihug]

When I started here early last year, my pony circumference at my nape was barely 2". Now it is almost 2.25" - yay! I never thought my thin and fine hair would grow in thicker, no matter what. But, it did, and it is. And, just to let you know, I am at classic (I actually have wispies two inches below that, but I call it classic).

Grow your hair if it's what makes you happy. I know that, once I allowed myself to do what I wanted in life, hair included, I became a much happier person.

[Demetrue]

Omigosh - your hair is so SHINY and smooth as glass and I see no damage whatsoever! It already looks long to me at shoulder length, and it will look just gorgeous as you grow it longer.

[kam984420]

I say do what YOU want. If YOU want to GROW IT LONG, GO FOR IT. Ignore what everybody else says. I'm growing my hair out too, against some people's wishes. Do i care what others say? Nope. I'm growing it out anyway.:cheese:

[Beloved]

Rags, you have a pretty honey color and nice shine. Show it off! Your hair is thick enough to look good longer. I think you should grow out to bsl and then see what you think.

I'm also growing my hair out after a bout of hair loss. One of the things I've discovered is it doesn't take that much regrowth for hair to start looking thicker. My hair does not look thick by any means, but I think it looks good. After about four to six months of growth, which I suppose would be about two to three inches in length, my hair started to look a lot fuller and my scalp looked better. My actual hair length is a couple of inches shy of bsl. What I'm saying is, you can actually start seeing big improvements in your hair thickness in not much time. In retrospect, I'm so glad I didn't cut it! I had been thinking about going up to shoulder length or chin.

[Roseate]

I've just known a couple people who've cut their thinning hair very close and absolutely hated it, but did it because the hairdresser told them to.

Aw, that's too bad. Especially since it takes approximately 300,000 hair-years to grow out a pixie! Not a look anyone should get because someone else thinks they should.

[vindo]

Your hair is beautiful and soft. If you would like to grow, do so. You can never satisfy scissor-happy hairdressers.

If you have thick hair, they say, "Oh, it's too thick and heavy. Let's cut it and lighten up with layers."

If you have medium thickness, "Oh, it's outdated. Let's cut it short and layer it to give some movement!"

If you have thin hair, "Oh, let's cut it short. Layer and fluff it up to give you some volume."


I agree, hairdressers always want to change something.

I was told forever I should never grow my hair out..that it won't look good. By family and hairdressers..

You will only know if you try, just go as long as you think it still looks good :)

That is at least what I tell myself. I don't have a distinct goal..I will stop when I don't want any more.

[feralnature]

Yes. grow it. Do it for yourself. It looks great in your avatar :)

[Debra83]

Go for it! It's what will make you happy and you'll always regret if you don't. You can always cut it later if you don't like it. Your choice, no one else's, right?

[METABUZZ]

I think you have to try it; if you don't like it's a problem easy to solve

[brok3nwings]

People say it even to the ones that have really thick hair... normally people with really thick hair listen to comments like "you have to cut or your hair is going to look too big" so... what i mean with this is, if you want long hair just try it first before you give up. Besides i think your hair is looking great

[Katze]

short answer: yes! If it makes you happy, that is what counts!

long answer: i was also told, for years and years, that my hair would never grow. Well, I also bleached it starting at age 12 or so, later dyed it every color imaginable, used a hairdryer and curling iron (to straighten and curl), washed it daily, followed salons' advice on how to take care of my hair...everything that we at LHC know is bad, and especially bad for fine/thin hair.

Stylists always told me my hair would never get long. My mom always told me my hair would never get long. Heck, my future mother-in-law still tells me it till never get long.

And guess what? It is now LONGER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN! I am starting to have friends ask me for haircuts, advice, and styling (a huge compliment!) and BF is listening to my hair care advice for his fine, thick, wavy-curly hair.

It has taken a LOT of time and a LOT of patience, and a LOT of trimming to get rid of the layers and damage, but my hair has grown and continues to grow. I still have severe taper (see profile pic and braid pics in album) but I really hope my hair will get thicker as the damage disappears.

At the end of the day, it is your hair, and when you are happy with your appearance, you look good. Feeling good about yourself is what counts - not what others say.

And your hair looks pretty good already!

:flower:

katze

[LutraLutra]

Yup, I totally agree with everyone else - of course you should grow your hair long. If you grow it long and don't like it, cut if off. But you won't know unless you try. :)

[rags]

Thank you all so much. I can't believe how nice everyone is here! :) I appreciate it more than you know. To terminal, here I come!

[Amoretti]

Long, fine hair has a charm all of its own; like spiders' cobwebs in the breeze. :inlove: Go for it.

[Sissy]

Long, fine hair has a charm all of its own; like spiders' cobwebs in the breeze. :inlove: Go for it.

That is so true.... Go for it!!! :)

[inspiral]

yes, grow if you want to, its what your hair naturally wants to do!!