hair too fine to grow long?

[templeofvenus]

just wondering if any of you folks out there have had this said to you? I do have fine hair and the hairdresser has often said when I have asked if she thinks I could grow it long "your hair is best shorter and layered to give it body, its too fine really to have it long" now I respect her and have gone there for a long time she is a good stylist but do I believe this???? or go for it and grow!! currently I am trying to grow out a chin length layered bob and hoping I can prove that I can have long hair! are there any long fine haired folks out there???

[bunnii]

ME!! My hair is fine and it's waist length. I've had this said to me too but I ignored it and am very glad I have because I love my hair, and i'm going to grow it longer. I say as long as YOU are happy with it then it shouldn't really matter what others say :)

[freznow]

Definitely not! I have fine and average thickness hair and it's still grown. There are plenty of fine and thin longhairs on this site. Coarse and thick hair is not a requirement for long hair! Do what you want! :cheese:

[templeofvenus]

ME!! My hair is fine and it's waist length. I've had this said to me too but I ignored it and am very glad I have because I love my hair, and i'm going to grow it longer. I say as long as YOU are happy with it then it shouldn't really matter what others say :)


Indeed thats true and your hair looks awesome!!! I truly hope mine can look like that! I am going to try and just have a wee bit trimmed off every 6 months or so and see how it goes!:)

[Denebi]

Me too! But right now I realize that this is just nonsense. Fine and thin hair can grow long, and it will look lovely if you take a bit care of it. This is my (fine and thin) hair at the moment:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_tY1hGv3U2vU/SY39I-fgtHI/AAAAAAAABl4/l4opMLJGTac/s400/Laenge-Feb09.JPG

I admit it's not extraordinary, but it is still not long enough so I'll keep going and growing! And you should, too, if this is what you want. Go for it and find out for yourself if your hairdresser is right or wrong....

[MsBubbles]

You are the best judge of your hair, not your stylist.

I was told the same crap about my fine, thin hair my whole life. When I hit 40 I decided I didn't care what other people said about my hair and was ecstatic to find ladies here on LHC with butt-length beautiful fine, thin hair. Yeah!

Who cares what other people say about our own hair?!

[Carolyn]

I do have fine hair and the hairdresser has often said when I have asked if she thinks I could grow it long "your hair is best shorter and layered to give it body, its too fine really to have it long" now I respect her and have gone there for a long time she is a good stylist but do I believe this???? or go for it and grow!!No! Don't believe it. A lot of stylists will tell you things like that. It's YOUR hair and up to YOU to decide. I will warn you that this woman may give you a line of BS about not being able to grow your hair long. She may also resist your efforts by cutting off more than what you want. You may have to look for a long hair friendly stylist who is willing to give you well spaced out, mini trims.

[andrea1982]

I was told the same thing about my thick hair! My stylist asked me "why would you want to have extremely long, heavy thick hair? You should get layers otherwise you're going to get the "pyramid" collie hair look.." sheesh. Everyone has their own personal taste, and most stylists tend to prefer nicely cut styled hair over natural beautiful long hair. I'm sure she meant well, it's just a difference of taste...

[patience]

Chiming in with the everyone. Fine and thin can be long. Do what you want with your hair.

[embee]

I have long, fine, thin hair, straight and stringy as well. When it was short it was looked fine, thin, straight and stringy. It always looked flat. Now it looks *sleek* in an updo, and the "stringy" doesn't show. :) Plus I'm saving big $$ with no trims... (but I've spent a bunch on hairtoys!).

Suggest to your stylist that you'll try it for a while (like a couple of years) and if you are unhappy you'll be back. She means well, she wants to keep her good customer and she was surely trained that fine/thin needs layers.

[rags]

I have long, fine, thin hair, straight and stringy as well. When it was short it was looked fine, thin, straight and stringy. It always looked flat. Now it looks *sleek* in an updo, and the "stringy" doesn't show. :) Plus I'm saving big $$ with no trims... (but I've spent a bunch on hairtoys!).


This. Exactly. It's going to be what it is whether it is long or short, so if you want it long, go for long! If I can ever get my fine, very thin hair to waist again, it looks great in updos. And you can do them so much sooner than people with thick hair.

Unfortunately, Embee is also right about the hair toys too, they're addictive I tell you! :D

[Delila]

I used to believe the stylist too, until I let my hair grow out long enough that I could see for myself how thick my hair is without any layers at all.

Is my hair on the thin side of normal? Yes, but it's not too thin or fine to grow long. (I'm currently at about tailbone length, FWIW.)

I have also learned that gentle handling is KEY to my success. For me, that means mostly using finger detangling and finger combing, and seldom using a brush of any kind, ever. (I do comb, but only when my hair is completely dry, and only after the tangles are gone.)

[Beatnik Guy]

Well, Lady Godiva here comes to mind. Fine and 75" long. :)

[Cereus]

My hair is very fine also. I'd just let it grow and see what happens. The stylist probably has no idea what your hair would look like long.

[Silverlox]

I'm certainly no Lady Godiva, but I have super-baby-fine hair, in the lower half of ii and I just hit Classic length! :happydance:

The only thing layers ever did for my hair, was to make it look even thinner, especially at the ends. :rolleyes:

Like others said before, - you have what you have, whether it's long or short. I can choose between short, fine, non-thick hair or long, fine, non-thick hair. :shrug:

I chose long! Granted, I may never achieve the bun eating back of woman's head look, but there are other advantages to fine, not-very-thick hair. One thing that hasn't yet been mentioned is that you're less likely to get headaches from the mere weight of your long hair. Fine, not-thick hair is lightweight. :D

You've got to work with what you've got. As a fine hair, you need to treat your hair very gently, generally it isn't as strong or resilient as medium or coarse hair. If you would like to try what it's like to have long hair, - go for it! :thumbsup:

[Delila]

... The only thing layers ever did for my hair, was to make it look even thinner, especially at the ends. :rolleyes:

Like others said before, - you have what you have, whether it's long or short. ...

This is all SO true. Growing out was challenging because I had so many layers to get rid of, and all along the way, my hemline was thinner than it is naturally, specifically because of the way the stylists had always cut it.

My hair is thin and fine, but it's MINE! :cheese:

(FWIW, I never realized how much I disliked going to the salon until my dad mentioned one day how much he has always hated going to the barber shop. Once I realized just how strongly I felt about it, not going felt more like relief than torture, and though I did dislike growing out my bangs, that definitely wasn't fun, but I'm glad it's over now.)

[PurpleRays]

You all have given me hope. I am excited to see my journey to wait length hair takes me.

[Chrissy]

Well, Lady Godiva here comes to mind. Fine and 75" long. :)

Amen to that Chris. She has hair like mine so she has always inspired me. Also my hair was pretty long and it is fine. Stylists want to make money on you and they won't if you are growing it out.

Give it a try and PROOVE THEM WRONG!!!! :)

[Chrissy]

You all have given me hope. I am excited to see my journey to wait length hair takes me.

Have you measured your hair yet? I'm curious how long it is now. Mine is around 16". It was 29". I wish you the best in your hair growing journey.

[Elbereth]

Always take stylists' opinions with a grain of salt. If you keep your hair short and in a cut that needs regular salon trips, it means more money to your stylist. That is probably one big reason why you don't often hear stylists encouraging anyone to grow their hair long. I have not visited a hairstylist for over six years -when my hair was short, I had to have my hair styled every month. I don't need fancy products for styling and conditioning my hair. Bad business, wouldn't you agree?

My hair is babyfine, around hip length and still growing. Granted, the ends are very thin, but I expect them to improve a little once I resume regular trimming. It is also true that I need to be more careful with my hair than people with coarser hair types. Still, I think my hair is beautiful and I enjoy it.

[Katze]

I was always told my hair was too fine and thin to grow, too. Well, first of all ii ISN'T thin, it's normal, and secondly:




The only thing layers ever did for my hair, was to make it look even thinner, especially at the ends. :rolleyes:

You've got to work with what you've got. As a fine hair, you need to treat your hair very gently, generally it isn't as strong or resilient as medium or coarse hair. If you would like to try what it's like to have long hair, - go for it! :thumbsup:

... if anyone had told me how to take care of it, or helped me with the kind of advice LHC folks have, I could have had long hair much earlier.

Because of layers and damage I have been trimming so my hair isn't 'long' by LHC standards but it is still longer, thicker, and healthier than it has ever been! :cheese:

There are many of us growing fine hair long...so you can do it too!

[Rhea]

There are many of us growing fine hair long...so you can do it too!
Yes , you can do it too ! With the right care it´s possible . :cheese:

[gallows_gallery]

My hair is at tail bone length, and it looks like I have loads, but in actual fact my pony tail is about 1.5cm in diameter.

Just don't have layers cut around the back if you grow it - some aorund the face doesn't thin it out too much (like a fringe or some flicky bits around your face)

[florenonite]

I chose long! Granted, I may never achieve the bun eating back of woman's head look, but there are other advantages to fine, not-very-thick hair. One thing that hasn't yet been mentioned is that you're less likely to get headaches from the mere weight of your long hair. Fine, not-thick hair is lightweight. :D


You also can do something other than a cinnabun before you hit hip :p I'm currently a couple inches short of waist and still amn't even close to a figure-eight or infinity :(

I have fine hair, but thick and it's growing quite well. I do need to be careful about splits (I really need to do an S&D, actually, because they're causing tangling atm) and gentle handling more than my coarser-haired counterparts, but besides that there's really no problem with having fine hair.

[spidermom]

Fine and thin hair can grow long. I saw a woman in the grocery store last year who had a thin little ponytail that terminated at her calves.

[Kirin]

Oh GHADS that old walnut?

I hate when people say that about thin hair. I'm sorry thin hair doesn't curse you to the fugly bob helmet head. I used to buy that line, but as a kid I decided not to cut and most of my teen years my hair was to the back of my knees.

Layers on fine hair? Thats crazy talk, fine or thin hair put in layers looks transparent, i know, i sported layers for years with that jaugernaut of wisdom.

Let it grow!

Sadly I have never found a hairdresser that didn't want to cut my hair so short I looked male...... and razor in a crapload of layers or that blunt bob thing that ends at the chin, always so youthening when you have a double chin emphasized by it.

[marla]

I've been told my whole life I couldn't have long hair so I've never tried until now. I really wish I could make it thicker but still I am determined to grow it to just below BSL which is all I really want.

[flapjack]

No way, fine hair grows just as long just as easily as any other hair type. I've seen people with floor-length fine hair without a split end in plain sight and their hair is amazing. Fine hair is just as good at any length and it usually feels softer, too. Don't believe your hair stylists, they just want your money.

[Lady Verity]

Me too. Very fine and flyaway. Hairdressers tell me I can only have long hair if it's layered...which is odd, as layers only make it thinner.

I'm doing pretty well so far, I can say that much. :)

[harpgal]

templeofvenus, years ago I was told by my aunt (who was a hairdresser) that I could never have long hair. It was just too fine and fragile. It is now at lower thigh. So, unless you give it a try for yourself, you will never know.

[Honestwitness]

This thread is very encouraging to me. I have fine hair, but it's not really too thin. Do any of you fine-haired beauties use "thickening" or "bodifying" shampoo or conditioners on your long hair?

Honestwitness

[marajade]

just wondering if any of you folks out there have had this said to you? I do have fine hair and the hairdresser has often said when I have asked if she thinks I could grow it long "your hair is best shorter and layered to give it body, its too fine really to have it long" now I respect her and have gone there for a long time she is a good stylist but do I believe this???? or go for it and grow!! currently I am trying to grow out a chin length layered bob and hoping I can prove that I can have long hair! are there any long fine haired folks out there???

I don't know if this has been said already but I chose to grow my hair and I was at the salon the other day getting a trim and the lady asked me if I was going to cut it short one day and I was like "Why"? and she said " Well your hair is just really THICK". You can't win with hairstylists- LOL.

[templeofvenus]

Well thanks to all of you for the encouragement :) I cancelled my hair appointment and its now 5 weeks since my last cut so here goes! :) Lets just see if I can have it long after all! I know its gonna go through painful stages growing the layered bob out but I will try and adapt with hair bands etc. At least I have grown my fringe out! I did that last year so thats one thing out the way lol :)

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Well thanks to all of you for the encouragement :) I cancelled my hair appointment and its now 5 weeks since my last cut so here goes! :) Lets just see if I can have it long after all! I know its gonna go through painful stages growing the layered bob out but I will try and adapt with hair bands etc. At least I have grown my fringe out! I did that last year so thats one thing out the way lol :)

I can relate to you in growing layered short bob, as i did the same mistake of visiting a salon for a haircut >: ((

Mine is quite dense and thick; but my friend has baby-fine hair; still managed to grow it waistlength (even though ends were bleached) when she decided to cut the damaged ends.

Hair is a very durable material. It can withstand more damage than we imagine. Just be sure not to alter its chemical structure (perming, dyeing etc.) and you'll do just fine.

(those hairdressers...they think they know everything)

[JamieLeigh]

Mine is fine, and I have had NO trouble whatsoever growing it to classic length. I've been keeping it blunt to maintain my thickness all the way down, and IMHO it looks good enough to me. ;)

[Alun]

I have fine and thin hair. Always have had. It breaks quite a bit, but it still grows. I used to have layered hair, which was less manageable, not more so. Layered hair on a guy? It was in the '70s, that's what everyone had.

[NeilTheFuzz]

My girl friend has extremely fine hair. She can grow it to about a chin length bob, but unfortunatley can't really go any further with it because it becomes too straggly. It must a genetic thing with her though, because her whole family have very thin hair. Oh well.

[ratgirldjh]

my mom used to tell me that her hair was too fine to grow long - that it would just get a certain length and break off...

that was when she was bleaching her hair...

she stopped bleaching her very fine hair and it grew to waist length...

[Fayejay]

I've had a the samething told to me. I have been at waist and hope to there again. I'd like to get to go classical or terminal (still learning terminology).

Your hair is your own. Go for it. You'll never know unless you try.

[LiraelQ]

My hair is quite fine, but I had it to waist length in high school, and I'm growing it out to that length again!

I've found that a lot of stylists follow rules to a fault (not ALL of them, but A LOT of them). Some have told me in the past that I have too small a frame to carry really long hair. But, you know what? I love my hair when it's long, and I think it's really pretty, so I'm growing it out. I could keep it at shoulder length, but there's just something so extravagant about growing it longer...

So, just ask yourself...is it worth it, not to do this thing you really want to do, just because your stylist says you shouldn't? If you hate it long, you can always cut it off, but you should try it. It's just that stylist's opinion.

[LadyEliza]

Grow it. If you don't like it, you can always go back to short hair, but if you don't try, you won't know!

My neighbour had very long hair - I never saw it out. She wore it in a plait all the time and it was just below hip. But the plait was thinner then my little finger. Doesn't mean it wasn't LONG though!

Wish I'd seen it out.

[templeofvenus]

My girl friend has extremely fine hair. She can grow it to about a chin length bob, but unfortunatley can't really go any further with it because it becomes too straggly. It must a genetic thing with her though, because her whole family have very thin hair. Oh well.

I have had this issue I think mine goes stringy after it gets past my chin and almost to shoulder, but how come my hair was long as a child, thats the reason I am gonna try again and grow it! will let you know how I get on! :) I really hope it will grow and look ok! sometimes I think too much conditioner on very fine hair can make it look stringy, I try and just condition the ends and I find that makes my hair have more body.

[Anje]

I say you should go for it! Mine's fine and a bit on the thin side of ii, but I've grown it to tailbone without doing anything special beyond keeping it up to minimize damage most of the time. Yes, it gets stringy easily (seems common for fine hair), but it did when it was shorter, too. I like it better like this, and that's what matters.

[wendyg]

Actually, I think fine hair looks better long - the length gives it some weight so it doesn't fly around as much, which in turn means you don't have to put a lot of crap on it (that you then have to wash out, adding extra opportunities for damage).

wg

[Leisje]

This thread is very encouraging.

I used to be told all the time that my hair was too fine to look good at extreme lengths. But I crave long hair so thats what I'm going for. It's a matter of personal taste to what you should make your hair. If you nuture it, and protect it, and you reach your hairs maximum potential... then you should be happy with your hair even if it isn't thick. And let it grow long!

I think fine hair looks like a silk sheet when it gets really long.

[UP Lisa]

I always heard the same thing from stylists. For many years I kept my hair short and permed because I thought I just didn't have enough hair to have it long or straight. 6 years ago I stopped going for haircuts. I just trim the ends myself, and my hair is about at TB now. I do have to be extremely gentle with it, and keep it up most of the time, but I still love having it long!

[Pixna]

That's a crock of :poop:. I'm sure she means well and is just passing on information (aka myths) that she was taught. Of course fine hair can grow -- there are lots of long-hair examples right here at LHC. You just have to treat your hair well and take care of it. I have a girlfriend who has always said her very thin, very fine hair couldn't grow past chin length. Well, she just happened to miss a couple hair salon appointments recently and, voila!, suddenly her hair was a lot longer than she ever thought possible, just by doing . . . nothing.

Give yourself two years (no cuts, no layering) and you are bound to be a longhair.

[Morningglory]

;)I have fine and thin hair, and it is hard to grow it long. But, I am going for it anyway!! I think you should too. It takes a lot of time so don't give up!

[templeofvenus]

That's a crock of :poop:. I'm sure she means well and is just passing on information (aka myths) that she was taught. Of course fine hair can grow -- there are lots of long-hair examples right here at LHC. You just have to treat your hair well and take care of it. I have a girlfriend who has always said her very thin, very fine hair couldn't grow past chin length. Well, she just happened to miss a couple hair salon appointments recently and, voila!, suddenly her hair was a lot longer than she ever thought possible, just by doing . . . nothing.

Give yourself two years (no cuts, no layering) and you are bound to be a longhair.


Well this is inspiring to me thanks! :) if your friends hair managed to get past a bob and look good I am sure mine can! All I can do is give it a try and have patience! which is something I lack and thats why attempts in the past have failed, but this time I hope I can learn to WAIT!!! and keep away from the salon!!! :)

[Juanita]

Mine is fine and thin and waist length. It was longer years ago. I stopped colouring nearly 2 1/2 years ago. letting the natural grey come out . my natural colour is past shoulder length now. I have diabetes which does cause your hair to thin.

[neon-dream]

This. Exactly. It's going to be what it is whether it is long or short, so if you want it long, go for long! If I can ever get my fine, very thin hair to waist again, it looks great in updos. And you can do them so much sooner than people with thick hair.

Unfortunately, Embee is also right about the hair toys too, they're addictive I tell you! :D

GAH i know, I have really thick hair and it's so hard to do most updos. My hair will have to be much longer before I can do most of them!

[feralnature]

Thin and fine hair here. it has been quite long in the past. It is shinier and silkier than it shows in my pic, also longer now :)

[Kirin]

a bonus to fine thin hair that i have to throw in. Roller setting is the bomb with fine hair. So much easier than thicker hair and holds a curl way better in my opinion. I can roll my hair in like a whole whopping 8-10 rollers....... and look like i have tons of hair LOL

[madworldmilly]

My hair is really really fine,
and i hate to tell you this but mine looks so much better short, with layers like the hairdresser said!

having said that though, just because it doesnt work for me doesnt mean it wont look good on you

xXx

[Pixna]

My hair is really really fine, and i hate to tell you this but mine looks so much better short, with layers like the hairdresser said!

having said that though, just because it doesnt work for me doesnt mean it wont look good on you

Then why are you here???
Could this be :spam: ???

[Silverlox]

My hair is really really fine,
and i hate to tell you this but mine looks so much better short, with layers like the hairdresser said!

having said that though, just because it doesnt work for me doesnt mean it wont look good on you

xXx

Yeah, well. That's life. :shrug:
There are lots of people who look better in short hair, we just don't see so many of them here. I'm sure you get your dose of longhair from your BF, though. ;)

There's really no such thing as a one-size-fits-all. But since this is a long hair community, we try to encourage everybody who expresses that wish, to grow their hair, no matter their hair type, by giving them the best advice we can. :D

[shayly-fyanna]

I have always been told that my hair was too fine and straight to grow it long. but i simply ignore the comments and grow it. I haven't gone to a salon for years, a friend cuts and trims my hair and my hair has been healthier since she started cutting my hair. I love the way my hair feels and looks now, i used to get such tangles whenever i went to a salon and my scalp is so sensitive i had to stop going.

[Jules diamond]

I don't have fine hair myself, but I used to go to school with a girl that did. Her hair was about BSL and GORGEOUS. It would fall over itself so nicely, like silk. Go for it!

[Helen Baq]

I don't know if this has been said already but I chose to grow my hair and I was at the salon the other day getting a trim and the lady asked me if I was going to cut it short one day and I was like "Why"? and she said " Well your hair is just really THICK". You can't win with hairstylists- LOL.

LOL! I have thick hair, too and most of my experiences in the salon has been the stylist telling me I need to have layers to thin my hair out! Funny how they tell everyone the same thing for different reasons. :p

My hair is baby fine and I've been able to grow it out to around TBL at this time. I'm about to have my fiance trim off several inches, though, because the ends are damaged and thin. I wasn't taking care of my hair when I started growing it. :( Don't listen to the stylist, only you can know if you can grow your hair by trying it. I've known a couple of women who were told by a guitar teacher that their hands were too small to play guitar! Complete bunk! I have tiny hands and I play an acoustic 12 string and one of the stand up bass players at the Seattle Symphony is a tiny woman with small hands and hair down to around her calves (and I do believe she has fine hair, come to think of it)! Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. If you try and fail, at least you tried, but if want to do something and you never try you fail by default, in my book. ;)

[rossjen]

If the "too fine to grow long" statement were true, I think LHC's membership would be down by half. There are so many members on here who have proven that fine hair looks stunning long. I say go for it and see where the journey takes you.

[templeofvenus]

well I am trying its growing :) 6 weeks till last cut and no intention of giving up yet! I will keep you all posted of progress and thanks for the replies it really gives me hope in the growing power of fine hair :)

[Kuchen]

I've known a couple of women who were told by a guitar teacher that their hands were too small to play guitar! Complete bunk! I have tiny hands and I play an acoustic 12 string and one of the stand up bass players at the Seattle Symphony is a tiny woman with small hands and hair down to around her calves (and I do believe she has fine hair, come to think of it)! Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. If you try and fail, at least you tried, but if want to do something and you never try you fail by default, in my book. ;)

OT, but have you ever seen Kristin Hersh play guitar? I think she's 5ft tall with small hands, but I bet she could play that guitar teacher off the stage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRoqCBlzKhg)...

[Ndnlady]

Yes! I have fine hair and am loving the journey so far to my goal length. I have finally come to accept my little braid and my fairytale ends.:)
I was talking to my sister about hair and she is the complete polar opposite of me as far as thickness, and she wishes she had my fine hair instead of her thick hair!:)

[UP Lisa]

I still don't understand why people who have their hair typed as F/M or even M will call it fine when they respond to these threads about fine hair.

Unless it's truly fine, you don't know what fine is like!

[MsBubbles]

Yes! I have fine hair and am loving the journey so far to my goal length. I have finally come to accept my little braid and my fairytale ends.:)
I was talking to my sister about hair and she is the complete polar opposite of me as far as thickness, and she wishes she had my fine hair instead of her thick hair!:)

I understand the thin braids thing :)...but did you mistype your hair in your profile? It says you have medium, not fine.

[Hypnotica]

I still don't understand why people who have their hair typed as F/M or even M will call it fine when they respond to these threads about fine hair.

Unless it's truly fine, you don't know what fine is like!


Are we talking about F/i-hair only? Because there is some of us wtih M/i-hair or me that is F/ii.

Even thought I'm a ii, hairdressers tell me that people with fine, Scandinavian hair should layer it and blablabla....

[Hypnotica]

Are we talking about F/i-hair only? Because there is some of us wtih M/i-hair or me that is F/ii.

Even thought I'm a ii, hairdressers tell me that people with fine, Scandinavian hair should layer it and blablabla....

...and now I that I have forgotten to update since my last hairtyping session. Sorry about that.

[Helen Baq]

OT, but have you ever seen Kristin Hersh play guitar? I think she's 5ft tall with small hands, but I bet she could play that guitar teacher off the stage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRoqCBlzKhg)...

I have not, but I have seen Rickie Lee Jones play and she has teeny hands like mine. :)

Back to topic - I saw a girl at the symphony last night with beautiful, shimmery light blond fine hair that was classic length. It looked gorgeous!

[Teacherbear]

I just saw this thread for the first time, and I haven't read all of the replies, but I wanted to dive in. My hair is VERY fine. If a hair is loose I can feel it, but I can't see where it is to remove it. I teach and if a hair lands on the overhead projector you can't always see it in the projection. My hair looks pretty thick (when dry and left to its wavy-self), but when it is wet or put into a braid it is very thin.

I know my hair will tangle very easily and many things cause breakage. For those reasons, I take special care of what I use on my hair and where my hair in "space." I move it out of the way of shoulder straps. I wear it up a lot so it doesn't catch on door knobs (or screws/bolts in doorways or on chairs) or peoples shirt buttons, etc.

It is VERY possible to have very fine hair and long hair.

[templeofvenus]

I just saw this thread for the first time, and I haven't read all of the replies, but I wanted to dive in. My hair is VERY fine. If a hair is loose I can feel it, but I can't see where it is to remove it. I teach and if a hair lands on the overhead projector you can't always see it in the projection. My hair looks pretty thick (when dry and left to its wavy-self), but when it is wet or put into a braid it is very thin.

I know my hair will tangle very easily and many things cause breakage. For those reasons, I take special care of what I use on my hair and where my hair in "space." I move it out of the way of shoulder straps. I wear it up a lot so it doesn't catch on door knobs (or screws/bolts in doorways or on chairs) or peoples shirt buttons, etc.

It is VERY possible to have very fine hair and long hair.

:):):):) thanks I hope I can achieve it! lots of people seem to have managed!

[rags]

Are we talking about F/i-hair only? Because there is some of us wtih M/i-hair or me that is F/ii.

Even thought I'm a ii, hairdressers tell me that people with fine, Scandinavian hair should layer it and blablabla....

Well, since the OP only specified Fine hair, I would think anyone with fine hair could answer? After all, they tell all of us to cut it off!:p

[punkgirl89]

I have very fine hair and for most of high school it was BSL even though I took horrible care of it, so if you take good care of it, there is no reason you could not grow it out very long indeed.

[Hypnotica]

Well, since the OP only specified Fine hair, I would think anyone with fine hair could answer? After all, they tell all of us to cut it off!:p

Well....*parks her behind comfortably in the thread*...

I have gotten the comment that fine hair is fragile and therefore impossible to grow out.

My hair is not fragile even though I'm a F.

[Helen Baq]

I have gotten the comment that fine hair is fragile and therefore impossible to grow out.

My hair is not fragile even though I'm a F.

Here here! I've been held captive by one hair being caught on something! :p

[lynnala]

I have fine, thin hair and I've had it long, short and in-between. Long is best! When it's short it just hangs there like a wet towel. Long, it hangs there like beautiful long hair!

[florenonite]

Well....*parks her behind comfortably in the thread*...

I have gotten the comment that fine hair is fragile and therefore impossible to grow out.

My hair is not fragile even though I'm a F.

Mine isn't particularly so, unless the ends dry out, in which case I get some bad splits. However, the individual hairs are quite fine and I can often feel hair on my arm but can't see it to remove it!

I don't get the 'you need layers' comment because my hair has no body, but because my hair's so thick it has too much!

[Rapunzal2Be]

I have very fine hair and for most of high school it was BSL even though I took horrible care of it, so if you take good care of it, there is no reason you could not grow it out very long indeed.

I couldn't agree more!! I just spent a while looking back through my photos to see my favorite color/length and I realized that I've had BSL hair very often throughout my life while treating my hair horribly, and would then head to the salon for a trim and end up with it chopped because I was told that my baby fine hair needed to be short with layers to give it "life".

So now I am going to take better care of it and stay out of salons and see just how long I can grow it!!

[Rapunzal2Be]

I have fine, thin hair and I've had it long, short and in-between. Long is best! When it's short it just hangs there like a wet towel. Long, it hangs there like beautiful long hair!

Mine, too!! When it is short it tends to look scraggly and thin - but when it was long it laid down nicely and was beautiful in its length alone.

[MsBubbles]

I realized that I've had BSL hair very often throughout my life while treating my hair horribly, and would then head to the salon for a trim and end up with it chopped because I was told that my baby fine hair needed to be short with layers to give it "life".


You must have gone to all the same stylists I went to, LOL. Seriously, the hair-salon school training manuals need to be updated :rolleyes:

[Firefly]

Fine and thin here, too! Here's a recent pic-- I am growing out some damage as you can see, but I still have made it to waist and am still going strong!
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/scifi-chic/Tresses/?action=view&current=tresses04090002.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/scifi-chic/Tresses/tresses04090002.jpg
http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/p1_Staedtler-Wedge-Pencil-Sharpener_97971_Business_Supplies_10051_SEARCH

[Lamb]

It's astonishing how wide-spread the layer-myth is. If I had a dime for every time a hairdresser (or female relative) told me that my hair was too fine to grow long, or that I should layer it, I wouldn't be panhandling for school grants now. :p

I can say that for my hair, layers are a curse. Thankfully, the ones I have now are growing out fast. Fine hair only looks more scraggly and see-through with layers. With or without curls.

[nutsenmai]

Along with everyone else here I have very fine thin hair, and with no body to boot. I've always been told to keep it short, as it would look sad long. I've also been told that I need layers to give it body, but layers don't do anything but take away from the thickness of my thin hair!

Hair is hair is hair. And it will grow, no matter the thickness or texture!

I would say that, if anything, thin hair would be easier to grow long (as in care for?) since you don't have to worry about a mass of hair to deal with. [Yes, I know this isn't true, just my thin-haired perspective. :p ] I would have a difficult time with my long hair if it was thicker. Then again, I though having long nails would be hard to deal with... You get used to it though!

All hairdressers will tell you that they need to keep your hair short and with layers, because it's hard to do decent layers at home. It keeps their customers coming back!

[Melisande]

Layered cuts were invented, if my historical knowledge is right, in order to save women from the toil of "dressing" their hair into the styles of the 50s. Those styles were short. A layered cut simply dries and falls into place. A nice layered cut can look good, especially if it's constructed well and is adapted to hair structure, bone structure etc.

But layers in long hair don't look good. I see so many heads every day with long layered hair and I really can't understand why people rob their hair of the bounce and fullness it might have. Even unlayered THIN hair looks fuller than layered hair. I just don't get it.

Hair stylists can't understand people who don't want to be styled. I had very good haircuts, but no stylist ever told me: in order to look better, GROW your hair. No, all they know is CUT your hair.

So just don't listen.

My hair is fine and used to be thin. With loads of TLC it reached a level of fullness I didn't have before, but still, it's not thick hair. The growing pattern on your head and your head shape also play a role. My hair grows flat. It doesn't lift even a milimeter. So if I want it to look a bit more, hm, fluffy, I have to help it along. That's fine with me because I made my peace with my hair and don't envy curlyheads any more. Even with thin hair, a curly head always looks fuller and has more volume. I grew up in the Eighties and am conditioned for big hair= good hair ;-)

But fine hair looks good long. It moves softly. It shines. It looks gorgeous in updos. Often, fine hair has great shine. Well-treated fine hair looks amazing long. Much better than it would look if it was short.

In updos, noboday can see whether you wrapped a thinnish braid three times or a thickish one twice. It looks good, it looks special. One is not better than the other. It's different, and it's beautiful.

Get the stylist's voice out of your head and her scissors out of your hair.

I did, and I never looked back.

[marialena]

just wondering if any of you folks out there have had this said to you? I do have fine hair and the hairdresser has often said when I have asked if she thinks I could grow it long "your hair is best shorter and layered to give it body, its too fine really to have it long" now I respect her and have gone there for a long time she is a good stylist but do I believe this???? or go for it and grow!! currently I am trying to grow out a chin length layered bob and hoping I can prove that I can have long hair! are there any long fine haired folks out there???

I wouldn't believe so easily such claims. I have the finest hair in the world on waist length.
Ok I agree. It isn't the easiest thing in the world to grow long very fine hair, they can brake easier than other thicker hair, they can tangle, or look thinner when they get longer but I can assure you that you can and you will manage to grow your hair longer.

See my album and my pictures if you doubt.
;)

[natt i nord]

I can't believe this nonsense is still told and even believed.
How thin a hair is has nothing to do with how long it can grow. Your scalp does surely not say "Oh, this hair is too fine, it can only get to chin-lenght. This here is quite thick, it can grow for waist"

I was often told my hair was too thin to grow long, but now I'm at BSL. I have a growing stop right now, but I'm sure it can get longer.

[lynnala]

Oh yeah. I used to hear it all, I should have layers, I should have a blunt cut, I should have tapered ends, I should have layers ends.....when my hair was short, it was just limp and stringy no matter how it was cut. Now that it's long I don't have to worry about that anymore, it looks fine straight out of the shower, and to heck with the hairdressers!

[feralnature]

Fine hair here too. My hair looks full in my siggy pic because it was just washed and air dried on a day with low humidity. Also, the ends are damaged from color so they look thick. I have had my virgin hair to my waist as a youngster and had no problem doing so. In the 70s, long hair was groovy hair, in the 80s big hair was cool, after that...I did everything to it! Now, long grey hair! As long as I protect my hair from breakage, either chemical or mechanical, it will grow long.

[yahirwaO.o]

This old thread makes me feel so encouraged to actually start growing my hair again past my mid back..... Ive been so let down at times when my hair is not freshly trimmed and taking pics, just to see that my ends are not that great looking as I feel they are in real life.

I love when u have that fine and long healthy looking hair without obivous fairytail ends (which are lovely on some people) and I really want to archive that, but man it feels like forever.

Still i would never cut my hair super short or layer it to make it look something its really not. Longer hair and one lenght is in theory more hair. :eek:

[kysgrl]

Is waistish long? I feel like in the wild it is but on here I feel like its short Lol.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Certainly waistish is long:).

My hair is fine like spider silk and currently at tailbone and showing no sign of stopping yet. With gentle care, fine hair certainly can grow long. I think some hairdressers need educating...

[Rosetta]

I can't believe this nonsense is still told and even believed.
Oh, it's actually the prevalent view over here (Finland), so deeply rooted that I doubt it will ever change :(

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Oh, it's actually the prevalent view over here (Finland), so deeply rooted that I doubt it will ever change :(

Well, you have proved them wrong, for a start.

[Rosetta]

^ Well, in a way, yes, I guess so ;) Thanks for that! :)

Though the related view (which usually follows from the above) that "fine hair doesn't look good long" is much harder to disprove... :?

[hanne jensen]

I have baby fine hair, just a lot of them. I've been told all my life that my hair is just too fragile to grow long. Like a fool, I trusted these professionals and kept my hair short. I just hit MBL and am planning on growing to terminal. I have hairs on my head that are over 10 years old so I do have the potential to have very long hair.

There are members here who have fine, fragile hair and are calf length and marching towards ankle. I truly believe that the idea that we finies can't have long hair is just propaganda promulgated by the industry to lighten our wallets. I choose to use my hair money on hairtoys instead of a salon.

[Nellon]

I always also had short layered hair, because it was so "thin". Then I washed it with sulphate shampoo and put coney conditioner in it that weighed it down and made it look even thinner.. Then I cut layers and bleached it and put hairspray in to make it "fuller" :) Not a good idea.
Ditching the sulphate shampoos most of the time, oiling a tiny bit at the ends, and using coney conditioner only on the ends (if at all) made the whole difference (and no more layering). Oh and henna makes it a bit fuller, I've heard. Good luck with growing, I'm looking forward to seeing you future long mane here on the forum! :)

[M-L-E]

Yes this!! I also kept my hair in a short choppy bob for most of my childhood and teenage years, as the hairdressers told me it was too thin to be long, and needed to be layered to have any volume... Which is ridiculous! Because the layers thin out the bottom of your hair, leading to it getting all scraggly and horrid (for me anyway)... Ugh, thank goodness for LHC!

[nuvola]

I believed my hairdresserS for so many years. "You should get layers!" "That's perfect for your fine hair, because it looks more voluminous!" Well the end were really thin tips what looked really awkward. As a consequence, my hair was never longer than shoulders.

Well until I decided "I want long hair!" And see - it worked :D

http://up.picr.de/21370836jp.jpg

[Rosetta]

^ And quite brilliantly, too ;)

If there's one thing to take from this thread, imo it's definitely "never believe a hairdresser!!!" ;)


I always also had short layered hair, because it was so "thin". Then I washed it with sulphate shampoo and put coney conditioner in it that weighed it down and made it look even thinner..
Well, we are all different, but my fine hair loves cones (in conditioners) and is fine with sulfates, too... So at least for me, those don't exacerbate the issue.

[Nellon]

Oh yeah, I didn't mean we're all the same ;) Just that it could weigh down already fine hair, this was my experience that's all! :)

[Five of Five]

Stunning, Nuvola! I'm glad you came to that decision!

I too used to believe that my baby fine hair couldn't grow long. Luckily, I was convinced otherwise by pictures such as your own of long, healthy fine heads of hair on LHC.



I believed my hairdresserS for so many years. "You should get layers!" "That's perfect for your fine hair, because it looks more voluminous!" Well the end were really thin tips what looked really awkward. As a consequence, my hair was never longer than shoulders.

Well until I decided "I want long hair!" And see - it worked :D

http://up.picr.de/21370836jp.jpg

[Linguaphilia]

I want to chime in by saying that fine hair often gets thicker when one lets it grow very long! Although that may be an illusion, caused either by 1) eating better and taking more care results in more hair 2) long hair tends to push itself up, it is heavier.

[diddiedaisy]

I keep seeing a woman in my town with very long fine hair. It's past classic and it's always down flapping about in the wind. It looks to be natural medium blonde, and blondes usually have fine or thin hair. Of course, I can't say for definate it's fine but it does look it. It also looks great.

[UP Lisa]

If I let mine fly around in the wind for 10 minutes, I'd have to chop it off due to the tangles.

[b70]

I wish I had found LHC sooner - then maybe I wouldn't have spent over 20 years with my dark, thin,baby fine hair in a layered bob, never growing past my shoulders because I believed that my type of hair could not be long. But now at 45 I will finally do what I want, grow my hair and prove them wrong ;)

[omidaverde]

I had a friend with very long waist length hair at school which was very fine and very thin and I still thought it looked gorgeous! Eventually she cut it off though :(

[Thinkrgrl]

This thread is extremely encouraging to me. :grouphug:
My husband said you can have short thin hair or long thin hair, which do you prefer?:rolleyes:
At least with longer hair, I'm not always having to style it every other day and I can go longer between washes. Amazing!:joy:

[DeadlyUnicorn]

Mine is fine and maybe a bit thin. It's at tailbone length and it's gotten there despite being down 24/7. It looks great. I think what she said is quite ridiculous.

[yahirwaO.o]

Mine is fine and maybe a bit thin. It's at tailbone length and it's gotten there despite being down 24/7. It looks great. I think what she said is quite ridiculous.

May I say your hair is like reallly georgeous????? It is totally what I wrote in this thread revive..... Soft, Silky and Long!!!!!!!

I feel the urge of growing mine, but Im kinda commited to my monthly trim for at least another year to get thicker hair ends-hair in general.

And yes fine hair like mine can totally grow nicely, but I dont feel comfortable with super clumped stringy ends if I just let it grow!

[MINAKO]

I noticed a funny thing about my hair very contrary to the believe that finehair is automatically "weaker". Now i have thick hair and all kinds of textures on my heads F,M and C. Out of these the C hairs usually have a shorter terminal. Percentage wise i donthave alot of them but thats what i mostly shed while some of the baby fine hair seems to hold up much longer.

[AmberJewel]

I have fine hair that tends to tangle easily, but I love it anyway! I'm past hip now and it still doesn't feel long to me. It does need a little extra TLC (which I'm often too lazy to give it), but it's still growing. If it ever gets to the point where it's too long and stringy to enjoy then I'll trim it back and maintain. That time has not yet come. In fact, I don't think that time will be arriving for quite a while. If you want longer hair you can have longer hair, no matter your hair type. Happy growing!

[MandyBeth]

I'm one with cat fine hair. Literally. Since I can't avoid medical damage, plus a slow growth rate - I can have shoulder length healthy hair or not quite APL ratty, thin, damaged mess that I whack off to shoulder. I am not the only member with ultra fine hair who has problems growing out length AND staying looking decent. My hair may grow more, but a practical terminal length is shoulder. Because the breakage starts and 1/2" crumbles off and I only get 1/4" growth a month on a good month, so I wind up with less length and it's damaged to boot. Vs keep it at shoulder, trim 1/4" monthly and it's as healthy as it'll ever get.

My mother had equally fine hair, but despite as thin as mine has gotten, hers was thinner. She looked amazing with a pixie or shorter. Longer, no. She couldn't do anything without causing breakage, and there wasn't enough to not look sparse and unhealthy.

Are we the norm? No. My uneducated and anecdotal opinion is it relates to the ultra fine hair. Years ago, there was a thread on how to measure hair with a laser pointer. Mine was, and still is, abnormally fine. I literally have the same hair as a Persian cat. One of ours actually has thicker strands than I do. I don't see splits, my damage is that ends snap or crumble. It's too fine to split, so it just falls off.

Another anecdotal opinion is it's a relation to autoimmune diseases and fine hair. If the immune system is haywire, hair is easily ignored by the body as less needing of nutrition and support. Now add in at times less than stellar diets, bye bye hair.

[UP Lisa]

I'm one with cat fine hair. Literally. Since I can't avoid medical damage, plus a slow growth rate - I can have shoulder length healthy hair or not quite APL ratty, thin, damaged mess that I whack off to shoulder. I am not the only member with ultra fine hair who has problems growing out length AND staying looking decent. My hair may grow more, but a practical terminal length is shoulder. Because the breakage starts and 1/2" crumbles off and I only get 1/4" growth a month on a good month, so I wind up with less length and it's damaged to boot. Vs keep it at shoulder, trim 1/4" monthly and it's as healthy as it'll ever get.

My mother had equally fine hair, but despite as thin as mine has gotten, hers was thinner. She looked amazing with a pixie or shorter. Longer, no. She couldn't do anything without causing breakage, and there wasn't enough to not look sparse and unhealthy.

Are we the norm? No. My uneducated and anecdotal opinion is it relates to the ultra fine hair. Years ago, there was a thread on how to measure hair with a laser pointer. Mine was, and still is, abnormally fine. I literally have the same hair as a Persian cat. One of ours actually has thicker strands than I do. I don't see splits, my damage is that ends snap or crumble. It's too fine to split, so it just falls off.

Another anecdotal opinion is it's a relation to autoimmune diseases and fine hair. If the immune system is haywire, hair is easily ignored by the body as less needing of nutrition and support. Now add in at times less than stellar diets, bye bye hair.


So your hair is fine, but not thin, apparently? You list it as ii/iii.

[MandyBeth]

When I started, I had a ~4" ponytail. I have had a major shed, so it's now a 2" ponytail. But I've been lazy and haven't fixed my stats because I forget what the numbers are. At one point, I had an over 4" tail with 1/3 of my head in an undercut. I have had a ton of hair, it's just too fine to tolerate damage well. Plus it's a self defeating issue. The ends need major, major protection. But it's too short to put up in anything that protects the ends.