has anyone cut from classic to tailbone

[willowcandra]

*update* March 2009.

and been really happy about it/regretted it.

I wanted classic length so badly and it took me years. But Much as I like the length , it tangles bad and if it's loose I sit on it etc.

The length I remember enjoying the most was tailbone. A forgiving length that is still long but far more practical.

But I feel so odd about cutting 6" off and going from the covetted classic length.

Those ends are also really really stupidly fine so I am sure my hair will look heaps better. but wow what a cut.
(I suppose I could grow it back out.)

So people talk to me....was cutting a good idea?
Do you like tailbone?
is/was your goal tailbone?

I guess I worry that I wont be seen as a long hair anymore (as rediculous as that sounds.)
I have to do something though as I am just not enjoying my hair anymore. I don't want to stubbornly cling to a length just because it's longer when a shorter one would make me happier.

I really haven't decided anything either way yet so I am just putting my thoughts out there to see what happens.:D

[Queenie]

I can't offer any help as I have been going back and forth about this decision for ages myself... Will be keeping an eye on this thread!

[~GypsyCurls~]

I would definitely just think about it for a while, one or two weeks (don't know how long you've been thinking about it already). Then, if you still want to you can just get a couple of inches cut off and see if you like it, and still want to cut to tailbone. If not, and you miss being classic, it will not take long to get the length back and the ends will be healthier too.

In the end, you gotta do what you want. Classic may be a coveted length, but if you don't enjoy it there is no point in having it, right?

I will always want to be able to wear my hair down, so if it ever reaches a length where I can't do that anymore I will cut back to a length that I can again...I never wear updos so for me there would be no point.

Keep us updated on what you decide!

[Themyst]

I know what you mean by not feeling like a long hair if you do it. Mine is close to classic and I don't feel like it's reeeeeaaaaallly long. I'm still taken back when people come up to me and make a big fuss about the length.

I remember probably seven years ago, my hair was a little longer than waist length but looked kind of scraggly. DH came along and gave me a 'trim' but went nuts and tried to keep fixing his uneven mistakes and wound up cutting it just below BS. I was very angry but then realized how thick and nice my ends were - it actually looked great and it's grown out nicely ever since.

I don't think you'll regret it - and you're right, you can always grow it back. You might even like it better with thicker, blunt ends.

[willowcandra]

Here's where I am thinking of cutting to. Picture taken today. (Colour's not accurate btw-flash)
http://www.forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=148&pictureid=32892

[joyfulmom4]

I sometimes think about cutting mine back too. But then I think about growing it to terminal. I can't make up my mind. And as long as I'm uncertain, I figure it would be a mistake to cut. How hard was it for you to grow from tailbone to classic? If it really took you years, then maybe I would think twice about cutting. Otoh, if it only takes you a year, it's not such a commitment, iykwim.

I used to wear my hair down all the time when it was between waist and tailbone. Now I wear it up 90% of the time. I sometimes miss wearing it down more, but it does get in the way a lot more at this length. I don't know why it gets in my way SO much more when it's just a few inches longer, but that extra length seems to make a HUGE difference. Also, even though I don't think my ends are terrible right now, I know they'd be awesome if I were to trim off several inches.

Good luck deciding.

[willowcandra]

It was only a year or so between lengths. Looking at that picture I think that the ends would look thicker with that much gone. hmmm decisions decisions. I would grab the scissors now-- but I'm gonna keep thinking it over for two weeks.

[Aisha25]

Once a few years ago I cut from just above knee to alittle below tailbone and I hated it everyday. I hope if you do it you will just take off maybe an inch or 2 inches,, something not so dramatic you know:flower:

[Finoriel]

Goals get set before knowing how it feels to reach them. If you discovered that being at your goal length does not feel as great as you thought and you liked another length way better, then going back to that length is a good decision. There´s nothing wrong to change your mind, when your hair starts to bother you. :wink: It´s not that trimming off some length would be a capital sin and everyone on the boards would be obliged to grow to terminal. It´s not the worst choice to yo-yo between tailbone and classic, trimming occasionally when it starts to become too long for your liking. Just wait some time to make sure you really want it shorter again, to rule out a temporary adaption problem with handling the new length... also winter often isn´t the greatest hair season regarding tangles.
After all growing long hair isn´t a competition :wink: at least it should not be one imho. Do what makes you happy and good luck with deciding :flower:.

[Anje]

There's a part of me that leans toward justifying it -- that it's only a year's worth of growth, and you'll have thicker ends. But I haven't been there, haven't done that. I can only tell you what you already know -- tailbone is long, but it's still an "easy" length, care-wise. It's once you get to fart length and can sit on the ends that care gets trickier.

[willowcandra]

Goals get set before knowing how it feels to reach them. If you discovered that being at your goal length does not feel as great as you thought and you liked another length way better, then going back to that length is a good decision. There´s nothing wrong to change your mind, when your hair starts to bother you. :wink: It´s not that trimming off some length would be a capital sin and everyone on the boards would be obliged to grow to terminal. It´s not the worst choice to yo-yo between tailbone and classic, trimming occasionally when it starts to become too long for your liking. Just wait some time to make sure you really want it shorter again, to rule out a temporary adaption problem with handling the new length... also winter often isn´t the greatest hair season regarding tangles.
After all growing long hair isn´t a competition :wink: at least it should not be one imho. Do what makes you happy and good luck with deciding :flower:.

Thankyou.
I have been classic for a year now. So I know it's not an adaptation issue.:)

6" really isn't that much is it.

[enfys]

How much would you need to cut off to not be sitting on it? Assuming you have good posture that would most likely just leave you in a nomans land between the two points and you woud even protect the ends a little from surplus friction.

[Finoriel]

You´re welcome.
I wasn´t sure about how long you´ve maintained at classic and mentioned the evil classic adaption phase "just in case", I remember it being umm interesting :p .
Nope 6 inch out of 42 isn´t terribly much :wink: only 1/7 and nothing is lost forever either.

[jeniffer]

I chopped 4 inches, maybe 5 last month. first I had my normal planned trim of about an inch, maybe an inch and a half. And then just a week after a friend asked me if he could trim my hair for his school exam. So yeah, since he was a friend, what was I gonna do. I told him just a very small trim, but since my hair is so long, he though a small trim was 3 to 4 inches! So yeah, here I'm left with 4 to 5 inches off! I maybe needed it, the end were a little thin, but 5 inch is a lot of hair! And since you are talking about 6, I totualy feel what your talking about. I didn't like to sit on my hair either. So at least that problem is gone. But if you ask me, do I regrett? Well...can't wait how fast to grow it back on! I know it's a lot easyér to manage the shorter hair. Now it's right above my butt. It used to be halfway down my butt. And there is something about that that it really makes it look so much longer. I don;t know, I think you feel the same way. Maybe I just made it much harder for you, I'm sorry, just the way I feel about mine. You do what you think is best. Maybe start with 3 inches?

[Teazel]

I've been at tailbone and I've been at classic, but I haven't yet cut back so I can't tell you how that feels.

I would guess your tangling issues could be due to the ends being fine - probably damaged? - in which case a very small trim might make a big difference. Sitting on your hair... well, that can be dealt with by moving it out of the way. :D

Anyhow, I would err on the side of caution, because 6 inches will take at least the better part of a year to grow back. But it's your decision, of course! :flower:

[freznow]

One note: It often seems better to cut an inch or so at a time, when your contemplating a cut, rather than all at once. You never know, that inch or two may do you as much good as a 6" chop. And if not, you can cut another inch or two later.

[jeniffer]

One note: It often seems better to cut an inch or so at a time, when your contemplating a cut, rather than all at once. You never know, that inch or two may do you as much good as a 6" chop. And if not, you can cut another inch or two later.

I agree, it's much betetr to cut it inch by inch. Let somene yo utrust do it, and when your sure you want to go shorther, maybe let a professional cut the last 2 inches.

[SimplyLonghair]

I have to get my DD to post on this, as this is exactly what she did, only a little more.....Okay alot more. She went from classic to almost waist length, because that was the last of the really thin hair, that had been damaged by different things. She and I talked and talked about it. The debate was between healthy length and just length for length sake. So after long debate, she cut. I was nice;) and let her cut back my fairytale ends too, so she wouldn't feel alone.(I also felt that it was needed on my hair too, after the debate.:p)

Between two cuts she cut a total of 16 inches. I cut off about 6 inches.

I don't think that either of us regret cutting.
I know that I don't.
I wasn't at classic, about an inch away when I cut, but I love the smooth ends now and so does she and we are working to get the length that we want, but thicker and healthier.

It wasn't an easy decision but I am happy and hey in a year or so I will be there again and I hope that it will be healthier than it was.:D:cheese:

[invisiblebabe]

and been really happy about it/regretted it.

I wanted classic length so badly and it took me years. But Much as I like the length , it tangles bad and if it's loose I sit on it etc.

The length I remember enjoying the most was tailbone. A forgiving length that is still long but far more practical.

But I feel so odd about cutting 6" off and going from the covetted classic length.

Those ends are also really really stupidly fine so I am sure my hair will look heaps better. but wow what a cut.
(I suppose I could grow it back out.)

So people talk to me....was cutting a good idea?
Do you like tailbone?
is/was your goal tailbone?

I guess I worry that I wont be seen as a long hair anymore (as rediculous as that sounds.)
I have to do something though as I am just not enjoying my hair anymore. I don't want to stubbornly cling to a length just because it's longer when a shorter one would make me happier.

I really haven't decided anything either way yet so I am just putting my thoughts out there to see what happens.:D

Yep, I cut from classic to tailbone right after I graduated high school. My goal was to have classic length hair all through high school, which I did. :) I was happy with tailbone length hair too, and it was thicker on the ends after I cut it. It still looked PLENTY long!

[spidermom]

I'm at tailbone, and I don't find it all that easy to manage. I'm about 90% sure I'll cut back to waist once I reach that much coveted classic length, although the idea of terminal also calls my name.

[Redheaded Raven]

I have to get my DD to post on this, as this is exactly what she did, only a little more.....Okay alot more. She went from classic to almost waist length, because that was the last of the really thin hair, that had been damaged by different things. She and I talked and talked about it. The debate was between healthy length and just length for length sake. So after long debate, she cut. I was nice;) and let her cut back my fairytale ends too, so she wouldn't feel alone.(I also felt that it was needed on my hair too, after the debate.:p)

Between two cuts she cut a total of 16 inches. I cut off about 6 inches.

I don't think that either of us regret cutting.
I know that I don't.
I wasn't at classic, about an inch away when I cut, but I love the smooth ends now and so does she and we are working to get the length that we want, but thicker and healthier.

It wasn't an easy decision but I am happy and hey in a year or so I will be there again and I hope that it will be healthier than it was.:D:cheese:
OK here are some photos of me before and after
I really missed my hair at first as I had to relearn some styles and things, but the smooth ends and healthier hemline and everything I am much happier and hey it's growing!

But ultimately you have to decide what you can live with, good luck and happy growing.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/Redheaded_Raven/user4092_pic26273_1228422010raven.jpghttp://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/Redheaded_Raven/DSC_0004.jpg
After 6 inch cut After another 10 inches off.

[dearladydisdain]

I have. It's not much but it makes a world of a difference. I was happy. My hair is too tangly for classic. Classic really has some annoyances that people have no idea about. :p

[tiny_teesha]

I went from thigh to shoulder. And while i didn't regret it at the time I've found myself wanted to reach TB again, and so technically yes i regret it. I am on the LHC afterall!
As the others said, at the very least trim off 1 inch a week, and if you find yourself happy at a point, STOP! And if you regret the first inch, then grow it out, it should reach the original length in 2-3 months anyway! :)

[Cinnamon Hair]

I cut from low 40s to 34" or thereabouts but it was very early in my hair growing journey, just after joining LHL. The measurement is what hit me the hardest. It was tough waiting so long to get back to that number. But 40" is just a number. My hair was so thin, I knew it looked better after the cut, so in reality I had not lost anything. Obviously I cut not with the intention to maintain tailbone, but to grow my hair out with thicker ends. Don't regret it at all.
Just FYI for anyone who hasn't seen it, my hair growing journey (http://classiclength.googlepages.com/longhairjourney.html)with photos.

[justme]

I've been playing with this decision for years now. I'm at about knee length and sometimes I really miss wearing it down, which is only possible for me at tailbone (just before you sit on it) length. So, no help here, just commiseration. I would say that if it's only a year's growth, I wouldn't do one inch here and one inch there. Maybe three? Or all six? I'd be going from 55" to ~42", which is probably three years growth, so I'm much more reluctant.

[willowcandra]

Thankyou all. I am still not sure, so it's good that I decided to do the two week rule.

I think that cutting a couple of inches off each time is a good idea. It's been nine years roughly since I took more than about an inch off so a good trim might be a good idea.

Thankyou for all your input and experiences:) They are very helpful.

[willowcandra]

So I decided not to cut it. I'm not certain enough to go for it. too many doubts. But it is in need of a snip. It's hard to reach my ends behind me so if I trimmed I would cut an inch or so above classic.

I am however wondering a different thing-that I might just search and destroy for the rest of the year to see if it fairytales. I suspect I am near terminal and it may be fun to see if that's so. there's a potential 5" growth left this year and if I taper or quit gaining length then I will know that I am there. My other thought is that it would be really nice at the end of the year to cut 5" off in one go.

So for now I am going to s and d every month or two and just go with the flow.

Spending more time here and playing around with different updos and braids has relieved some of the monotony.
I guess I am just not as annoyed with my hair as I was when I posted this thread. hurray for you guys and the two week rule.

[joyfulmom4]

I have. It's not much but it makes a world of a difference. I was happy. My hair is too tangly for classic. Classic really has some annoyances that people have no idea about. :p

Like when you're standing in the shower with water running down your back and your hair gets stuck in the crack of... Oh nevermind... Waaaaaay TMI! :p

[willowcandra]

Just to say that I have a blog entry for today about this.:D:D:D:D:cheese:

[gmdiaz]

You could always cut half of what you're suggesting. . .and try to maintain that length (going a little shorter, a little longer) for a year or so. See if you can thicken up your ends a little while keeping a nice u shaped hemline.

During that year, you could focus on coolio up dos.

At the end of that year. . .not such a long time. . .you could rethink your length. You might see that you're ready to go back to classic. . .but it won't take much time at all, if you do.

Just an idea.

[Phalaenopsis]

I already posted something in your blog, I wanted to say it again, your hair looks really pretty with nice thick ends :flower:
I hope you enjoy your new length!

[princess]

If it is very thick in the end part(The longest I have ever had was tailbone and so I am not speaking from experience) then I would very much regret cutting it.

But if it tapers too much and the volume is too less compared to above tailbone then it is healthier looking ends that I would be considering and not the length.

Because anyway it is not a lot of hair that you would be losing if you trim just the thin ends.

It is your decision so you are the best person to decide for yourself.

Defenitely if my ends are thick I would not mind the inconvenience at all like sitting on it etc.

DD had hair like that and I really took care of it.

Now she is on her own so has trimmed it.

[zift]

Hey I think it looks really nice willowcandra. And don't worry about regretting it's not that much if you think, you can grow it back in a year or so if you want to. I once cut from mid-thigh to around mid-butt and than it grew back to mid-thigh again and I cut back to mid-back this time. And it's already past waist again. Hair is a nice thing which can grow back:D hehe I didn't regret both of the times because it was needed and I believe you thought about it a lot and decided it was needed for you too. What needs to be done should be done or your mind won't let you rest. It looked gorgeous before your cut and it looks gorgeous now too. :flowers:

[carinkla]

yes..I got to classic with thin ends. cut about 15 cm and that made it about tailbone again. Now I am back to classic with thicker ends. But it was a terrible decission to make

[Fireweed]

Your hair looks great. I love the new ends.

[vindo]

TB is my backup plan in case classic won't work for me, my ends are thin and if they won't thicken up enough I will go back to just Tailbone, 35". But I have time...

[Flaxen]

Not frm classic, but i hav cut about 7 inches frm my longest ovr teh last yr. so, from low tbone to waist. the ends r still thin, but they look better. i lik it! :grin:

[AmyJorgensen]

Well, if you think you would enjoy tailbone more...then that is all that matters. If classic is difficult for you to wear loose due to tangling, I'm guessing you wear it up a lot. So, if it is put up...I would imagine tailbone and classic look very similar. I chose a length and stuck with it because it is what works in my life even though I know I could grow it longer if I wanted.

[somethingwicked]

Not frm classic, but i hav cut about 7 inches frm my longest ovr teh last yr. so, from low tbone to waist. the ends r still thin, but they look better. i lik it! :grin:

I dunno if I was classic, but mine was well past the sitting on it stage when I let my mom's hairdresser cut it back to waist. I wasn't too fussed, but every now and then I'd look at it and think, "dang, my hair's short!" It WASN'T, it was still hella long, but I would really miss it at times, like the sitting on it parts, having to watch out for it in the bathroom (erm...) At least she dyed my first pink streak, though, so that served as a bit of a distraction to the loss of length. With my semi-sorta-kinda active lifestyle, it was a little more trouble than it was worth though (slap me!!!!) What really bothered me, though, was the loss of my fairy tale ends :( They're coming back, though! yay!

[David's Bride]

Personally speaking, my goal is tailbone, as I find this to be the most flattering length on me. I don't like to wear my hair up all the time and keeping it at tailbone will allow me to wear it down when I please. Classic is beautiful, but not for everyone. Try cutting three inches first and see how you feel.

Tina

[morguebabe]

I really debating cutting my classic hair to tailbone.
It's getting really really annoying to be honest.

[Zombiekins]

I don't post often, but I've seen this thread on the front page the past few times I've come along and figured I'd chime in too. :P

I cut my hair back from classic last year (June) to tailbone, then a few months after that to belly button, and recently even further back to just below my breasts. While I miss the length (only when nekkid and my hair looks pretty) - sort of - I'm much more happy with my hair. I can actually wear it down now and enjoy it, whereas I couldn't before. It doesn't get in the way like it used to, and the condition is much better (while I pampered the s**t out of my hair, there were always splits and dryness starting about halfway down). And also? Hennaing is waaaaayyyy easier. In addition to just "being in the way" when it was classic, I felt the hair on the front of my head was thinning due to constantly being pulled by the length, and in buns. I developed neck aches, which turned into headaches, which also contributed to a bit of shoulder/upper back pain from holding my head/neck differently to compensate for the weight. Anyway, it just wasn't a good situation - for me. I'm not advocating cutting if someone truly wants long hair, but if it's a chore? Definitely give serious thought to doing something that makes you feel better about it.

Maybe one day I'll grow it back out to classic-ish again.....but for now I'd much prefer to enjoy having my nice hair instead of having to constantly keep it up and hidden away.

[Monchhichi]

About 4 years ago I cut my hair back from mid thigh to tailbone. I've kept the tailbone length since then and I never regretted cutting my hair.

The reason for cutting my hair back to tailbone was that with classic or longer I couldn't wear my hair down or in a ponytail. In the end, I even sat on the end of my braid. For a couple of months I was doubting whether to cut or not. I feared that after cutting I would have to modify some of my updos because of the thicker ends. But it only took me about a week or two to get used to the thicker ends. ;)
I can wear the same updos with tailbone length as with classic or mid thigh.

[carinkla]

ehm about not being able to wear classic down. I do that regulairly. If you know where the problems will be you know when to pull away your hair. I dont see that as a prob at all....;)

[Kaeri]

I'm about mid thigh at the moment and have considered going back to tailbone or even waist a few times. The bottom of my braid is just about long enough to sit on let alone my hair when its down (I only really wear it down when I go out - bout once a month nowadays) and I completely agree with the people above talking abut that length hair and showering.


Its something I've been playing about with in my head for the last couple of months, but I haven't managed to come to a decision yet so its slowly growing longer still in the meantime :) I'm about due a trim so hopefully that will get rid of some of the scraggly feeling. I lost 4 inches from about this length last time I went for a trim and never really noticed the difference in my own hair (Unless I specifically looked obviously). I'd agree to cut a few inches at a time rather than going straight for the 6inch cut tho if you do decide to cut.


I also remember my hair being more fun somehow when it was a bit shorter and am sure the bits under my bum are starting to look more straggly than hair like, but going to tailbone (or especially waist) is such a lot of hair to lose and I do enjoy the look on friends faces when I haven't seen them in a while and they can tell its grown. I think if my hair was thicker at the bottom I'd be more definate about staying this length. I can totally agree with you about thinking I'd feel like I only had short hair if I cut it tho even tho it'd still be long though, Now if I could just make up my mind things'd be good :)


Hair thats shorter can look great too, I saw a girl get off the train yesterday whos hair was mid way between BSL and waist but it was so thick and lovely that I was envious even tho mines far longer, it just looked so nice, and if she hadn't been in mid conversation all the time I was walking behind her I'd have probably said so.



Hope you're happy with whichever you choose and let us know if you do change your mind and go with the cut. :)

[Little_Bird]

I wanted to revive this thread since it's exactly what I'm going through right now.

I've been experiencing this feeling for a long time now, maybe a year? I've been trying to decide wether to go back to another lenght or not or grow.

I am very very close to classic now with very thin ends. They look so much thinner on me because I'm a boy so I have a much bigger frame. Anyways, the thought of trimming is so scary and I really understand why. Classic lenght is really a very magic lenght, it makes you feel your hair is really very long, it covers up most of your torso, you can stretch it out to touch your legs, it makes you feel like a mermaid when you swim, its amazing.

Truth it though, it has to be up everytime. I know people who had classic lenght hair and they wore it down all the time, my sister included and cousin included, but they are much shorter people that had really thick ends even at classic. Truth be told, they trimmed back to about waist and their hemline are crazy now. Super thick.

I might decide to trim but not to tailbone right away. I can't say I don't want classic lenght hair anymore. But even when it's loose, you can't see the longest parts because they are... well, too thin. So I might go a bit shorter, mid way between tailbone and classic, and mantain there to gain lenght. I might find out that I'm loving the new ends and want to trim more or I can get desperate to grow to classic again and just have to deal with it.

I really wanted to be able to wear it down more often and experience my hair wherever I wanted, instead of having to be so carefull everytime I have it down (which honestly gets down to combing and when it's wet). I can barely remember the days when I wore it down all the time... I stoped doing it when it was about mid-back.

I don't know... :cool:

[jojo]

Hi LB nice to see you posting. Why not do monthly dustings to help with those thinner ends? I am very nearly hip and have started getting those thin ends you talk about, so I am not dusting teeny bits each month to try and thicken them up.

[Little_Bird]

Hi Jojo :) I will be trimming little by little, but definitly I've been on the edge... my mind just goes back and forth. I can relate so much with the things some people said in this thread!

And yeah, I missed posting :D

[jojo]

and we missed you too! you done anymore video updates yet?