lopped off three inches, tonight :(

[hennared]

So..

I had to cut my hair.

I know I've whined here in the past about shedding, and actually, it had got a bit better for a while, but tonight I was pulling and pulling and pulling them out. Another big shed has been underway for me, the past few weeks, and I could not take it anymore. I have been thinking about cutting a good bit off, since the longer they are, the more traumatic it is, to me, to pull out all this hair. And my ends have been horridly tangly since the hair loss started, and my hair's texture went wacko (yes I know it makes no sense, but I swear to you, the length of my ~24" hair changed in texture in less than a year). So.. I pulled out the scissors, and took a good sized hunk off :( I am sad because I felt I *had* to cut it, but I do feel I 'did the right thing'. I was sick of not being able to comb my hair, for one thing, and it seems nothing I could do would tame the last several inches - and my hair wasn't even that long! Anyway, I'm definitely a bit, well, depressed about it.

Just in need of a bit of support about this, I guess. Hope for me it might yet grow back.. and stop falling and thinning out...

Hennared

[Leisje]

I'm sorry to hear about your hair loss. :(
My hair has been shedding a whole lot lately too so I can sympathize.

It may be hard now to deal with having to cut some off, but it SHALL grow back. And in the meantime you can enjoy beautiful healthy ends.

You have my support!

[Elenna]

Well, sometimes hair is just too damaged, so then the hair gets trimmed. Hair will grow again.

[JamieLeigh]

I'm sorry you've had to cut! :grouphug: But if you were feeling worse about the hair loss the longer it got, maybe it was good to cut it back a bit shorter until you can solve your problem. I hope you find a solution that works for you....and yes, it will grow back. :flower: Good luck to you!

[Rohele]

Sorry to hear about all your hair troubles. :(

I've heard about crazy texture changes too. A friend of mine had her hair change from straight to very curly over the course of a year (she was 25).

I've been experiencing some shedding and noticing some overall thinning with my hair as well. I don't think I would have even noticed had I kept my hair shorter, so I can completely sympathize with wanting to cut - it looks like so much hair is coming out when it is long.

I'm probably asking something that's been asked before, but have you seen your doctor to see if it's a nutritional deficiency/thyroid/medication issues causing it?

Sending good thoughts for less shedding and some regrowth. :grouphug:

[zen_oven]

I feel your pain--I'm sorry you had to cut. I am contemplating this myself since my bottom layer is getting more and more dramatically different from the top as it grows. I'm worried that thinner bottom layer, while very healthy now, will start to sustain damage, plus it just looks so see-through.

I'm hoping the healthy ends will help. :hug:

[Coriander]

Some hugs and moral support :grouphug:

[dorothea-brooke]

Hang in there, hennared! I had a huge, huge shed last year -- very scary -- but my hair is back to its original thickness now. It will grow back!

Are you getting enough B vitamins, including biotin?

:grouphug:

[Rainbow2911]

I can sympathise. I cut my tb length hair to chin length a couple of years ago in anticipation of a post partum shed. I've had a couple of those with longer hair and it was awful. Having shorter hair did help me. I don't think I shed any less but it looked a lot better than the fist fulls I used to get with long hair.
I hope your shed is over soon and your hair grows back quickly and healthily!

[ButterCup02]

((HUGS)) It will grow back! I bet your end looks a lot healthier now.

[GypsyGoddess]

It is so hard to cut hair off! When I joined the forum, I was looking to grow LOOOOONG hair, but after reading I realized all I'd done to my BSL hair was what was making it shed and frizz and do terrible things, so I cut it all off. I still kind of regret it, but now I can grow new, beautiful hair rather than try to heal damaged hair.

Hugs! It will grow back!

[girlcat36]

I'm so sorry!
I can definately sympathize with you! I have the same struggles, I'm sure you remember my thread last month about cutting 3" off, after a big shed. Like you, I know I did the right thing, too. But it's so hard to see some people just grow so effortlessly while we patiently wait to have long hair.
By the end of the year, you will be back where you were before the chop!

[hennared]

Thank you thank you thank you, you guys. I just really needed the support, today - lots of changes in my life, recently, that magnify the hair issue (my self, including my appearance, being one thing I thought I could control in the midst of chaos, you know?). I am taking heaps o' vitamins, including biotin, and had a lot of bloodwork done last year. I suspect I should repeat the thyroid and sex hormone tests - er, once I have health insurance again (in the Fall I will).

I know hair *should* grow back; it's just, in the past, my hair has always been very slow growing. I think taking MSM a few years back was part of what accelerated the growth, then; time to stock up on that, I guess! Yes, at least the ends are healthier, and it IS nice to be able to comb through them, again.

I so hope I will be as lucky as some of you re-growers. The toughest thing about the big shed is the not knowing if I will recover some of what I've lost, or not. (fingers crossed)

[jojo]

I grow at a snails pace and shed like mad, seems unfair huh? Well it will grow back just keep babying it, like girlcat said by christmas you will back to 24" but with better hair, so thats something to focus on. x

[LadyLongLocks]

Been there :( I had finally grown my hair to its longest at the age 17 when I got very sick and as a result I lost about 40% of my hair. It was so thin I hated looking at it. Sadly I needed to cut it to my shoulders from waist length.
I basically started over. Now many many years later I still have it long. Be patient and keep growing. Good luck. :)

[AnneAdeline]

I hope you are able to find out what is causing the hair loss and then stop it.
Are your ends better now, at least?

My ends are terrible from previous bleaching, but I can't bare to cut them. You did a brave thing. :flower:

[theshadowpuppet]

I know the feeling of being afraid to comb your hair. It sucks, so I just keep my bleach damaged ends hidden till I can get rid of them when I'm at my goal. Micro trims don't help much. :/ Sometimes trims are needed. I'm sure you'll be happier with your hair being healthy. That's more important, sometimes.