hair thinning on the bottom

[jojo]

....and im not even bsl yet!

is this normal to start getting thinner, like its obvious in my braid now.
Ive been long before but didn't really take much notice, but this is really annoying me.

I cut back to my longest layer in February, so i know its not a layer which is causing this, but it looks scraggly on the last inch, other than that its shinny, really healthy looking. It seems as soon as i get to 23/24" the ends look a mess, im never going to get longer if i keep cutting, but i dont want my ends like this. I did a micro trim on Sunday, but its still looks tatty.

Do you all think it would be better to cut another inch off and make the ends look thicker? or would it be better just to leave it? Im at a loss of what to do.

I feel like i must have done something wrong, but I can't think what.

TIA:flower:

[Riot Crrl]

Yeah it's normal. It happens even if we do not have breakage or splits. The hairs on our head grow at different rates. If you don't believe me, I have some unhennaed super uneven roots to show you.

Trim if the unevenness is causing tangles, or if it elsewise bothers you. If not, then you don't have to trim.

[MoldyCake]

Personally its all up to you, if the ends are healthy and you like that extra inch of length, keep them.

If they bug you and you think they look silly, chop that inch off.

I think fairy tale ends are cute though.

[Katze]

jojo, i have the exact same thing, and as my hair has grown, it's grown DOWN. The taper I used to have from ear to shoulder is now from shoulder to BSL, so I can hope that it will keep growing down.

While trimming is getting rid of old damage in my case, and helping my layers catch up, I don't think I can really get rid of this fairytaling/tapering. It just seems to be the way my hair grows. Hopefully, when the damage is gone and everything thickens out, it will be less wispy than it is now - I can already tell the difference between pre- and post-LHC hair.

don't worry, you are not alone!

Katze

[Tangles]

Jojo, I had this when my hair used to be BSL too, fairytaling can happen anytime and it's especially common in 2 range hair. Either leave it alone for now, or trim little by little, maintain for a while and then grow and see if the taper has descended. :)

[Rebelkat]

I have this exact same problem. Personally, what I'm going to do is to microtrim to maintain the length it is now and see if the ends thicken up. I have somewhere inbetween 18"-24" that has been bleached, dyed, straightened, curled, blowfried and otherwise abused, so I think that that is at least partially responsible for my severe fairytaling. Since discovering and joining LHC (I lurked for several months and learned alot), the base of my ponytail has thickened by around 0.3". Theoretically, this thickness should eventually move down my ponytail, and even if the rate of taper stays the same, the ends should get thicker. Sorry, I didn't mean to write this much, but I hope it helps. Only time will tell. In the meantime, know that you're not alone. :flower:

[akiss4lexie]

Me too! I have "two-length" hair from growing out layers, and much of the length below APL is old damage (highlights, straightening, etc). So I've noticed lately that my ends are horribly thin.

Last night I did a small trim - I trimmed 1/2 to 1 inch off of a few chunks of hair that were thin & uneven. My personal plan is to get my bottom layers to waist (should happen in the next month or two - fingers crossed) and then maintain there for about 6 months so that the short layers can catch up & I can trim off some damage. So I would recommend maybe growing to a reasonable goal length, and then maintaining for a few months to thicken up. Also, hair vitamins can help speed up the growth process. :)

[aisling]

My hair was a little above BSL for several years, I never managed to growit any longer, because the ends started to feel and look dry, I hated it and kept on trimming my hair. Then, with some LHC knowledge and ideas, I'm now close to tailbone and my ends don't feel that dry. I think BSL for many can be a crucial point, for others it is waist. This is where you have to pay a little more attention to your hair and perhaps even rethink a few things.

Important factors that helped me to grow my hair longer was to realise that I need to use a leave in after every wash, but a commercial cone-y leave in isn't the best for me. Coconut oil and perhaps some aloe vera gel is the way to go for me. Another important thing was and still is, to keep my hair up at work, while exercising and being outdoors in general, that way my ends are more protected and won't dry out in the same way. Of course there are other things as well, like actually finding a few conditioners my hair actually seems to like and that help my ends staying soft more than a day, CO washing is another.

[sapphire-o]

It's normal. Check out the picture on this link http://www.choisser.com/longhair/ It's how our hair grow. Those people with very little tapering have unusually long terminal length, probably floor or beyond. Most of us have terminal length somewhere between hip and thigh, so obvious thinning starting from mid-back to waist is expected. Of course you can always take super good care of it to make sure every hair can reach maximum length. :)

[tiny_teesha]

i personally think if you chop, it will regrow the exact same way (hapened to me 3 times i've learnt) i am right now waiting for my hair to fill up in the ends.
I think also we all have natural taper and you are not going to get past that ever...no way!
Just let it grow!!! Microtrim if it makes you feel better but i truely think it will fill up with time. You see, from past hair cuts you have got, the hair may be in the resting stage, so it will be the last length you chopped it to until it sheds, then it will regrow to its terminal length once more- the thing is... it takes about 3-4 years for hair to get to BSL, so since your hair was in that picie cut +4 years is how long it will take maximum for that part to fill up. It will!!! Be patient, your ends are not thin- just look at mine- PLUS i love fairytale endings, i really do, and also isn't it the thing nowadays people are razoring their ends to look all tattered on purpose...your just looking cooler with the thin ends!!!

[Hockeymomof3]

i personally think if you chop, it will regrow the exact same way (hapened to me 3 times i've learnt) i am right now waiting for my hair to fill up in the ends.
I think also we all have natural taper and you are not going to get past that ever...no way!
Just let it grow!!! Microtrim if it makes you feel better but i truely think it will fill up with time. You see, from past hair cuts you have got, the hair may be in the resting stage, so it will be the last length you chopped it to until it sheds, then it will regrow to its terminal length once more- the thing is... it takes about 3-4 years for hair to get to BSL, so since your hair was in that picie cut +4 years is how long it will take maximum for that part to fill up. It will!!! Be patient, your ends are not thin- just look at mine- PLUS i love fairytale endings, i really do, and also isn't it the thing nowadays people are razoring their ends to look all tattered on purpose...your just looking cooler with the thin ends!!!

I totally agree! Same thing has happened to me -- I think that my thinner ends are a sign of bad hair and chop it off, only for the same thing to happen -- I'll know better this time - I'm just going to let it grow.

[Avrilon]

Hi all :waving:

My hair starting thinning before waist when I decided to just let it grow without any trims. I'd finally grown out my perm and was tired of trimming off my length. But on my fine hair the ends looked thin and I didn't like it. So I started getting regular trims and am now at tailbone with pretty even, "thick" ends. I think it depends on your hair type, but mine is so fine that it needs regular trims to avoid wispy ends.

Here is a before and after when my hair was around waist. The picture on the left was when I'd just decided to let my hair grow without trims, and the one on the right is about 2.5 years later after getting several 4" trims and smaller trims. I decided to maintain around waist to work on thickness rather than length. I think there is quite a big difference! I thought that my sides weren't capable of growing out, but they grew longer too. See?

http://images112.fotki.com/v586/photos/1/105445/394790/thinandnotthinends-vi.jpg

Now I'm at tailbone and so-far-so-good in keeping thicker ends. I got 2" trimmed about three months ago and will probably always have to get regular trims. My goal is classic, but only if it looks full. It's a good thing I have plenty of patience! :)

Avrilon

[jojo]

oh thank you so much everybody, i suppose i should see it as a positive that my hair is growing quite normally, i don't mind fairytale endings but on longer hair, it makes mine look like a scarecrow.

I think maybe i will just do micro trims every 3 months or so, to keep it neat. I do have one more layer which is at my shoulders, so maybe once this hits my waist I *may* equal it up, funny thing is i had a million and one layers in the back, but the others (apart from the shoulder one and the one i cut hem to in feb) have grown in.

I feel a lot better now, thanks everybody for taking the trouble to reply, what would i do without you all. xxx

[Guenever]

Sorry to hijack, but Avrilon - gorgeous locks and great progress - it looks as if you extended the terminal length of a part of your hair^^
I have the same problem with taper - would be great if I could get to where you are now with regular trims :inlove:

[Anje]

Hi Avrilon. Haven't seen you around here (though I've seen posts and pics on other long hair sites). Glad to see your sides filled in, since they're still staying shorter on me...

Jojo, as you've heard, some taper is normal. Even Dianyla has hit a point where she's noticing taper, though I think it starts somewhere near her ankles. :violin: You can probably reduce it if you maintain a length, or if you take care of it, it should eventually move downward as your hair grows.

[jojo]

Hi Avrilon. Haven't seen you around here (though I've seen posts and pics on other long hair sites). Glad to see your sides filled in, since they're still staying shorter on me...

Jojo, as you've heard, some taper is normal. Even Dianyla has hit a point where she's noticing taper, though I think it starts somewhere near her ankles. :violin: You can probably reduce it if you maintain a length, or if you take care of it, it should eventually move downward as your hair grows.

some great advise and it has reassured me, thanks and nobody can argue that Dianyla's hair is indeed the definition of the word beautiful, tapers or not xx

[30isthenewblack]

Avrilon - your hair is breathtaking. It is a work of art and absolutely beautiful.

Jo Jo - I have the same problem as you. I found an old picture of mine where I had 5 inch fairytale ends and I didn't mind growing it out and cutting off the damaged ends when it was longer but for me, my hair kept on breaking off. I was in this cycle where I'd grow my hair to a certain length usually bsl and it would either break off or a hairdresser would have to trim off the damaged ends. I think some people's hair are long enough to withstand that damage but mine isn't and it might be the difference between chemical damage as mine was and natural tapering as the hair grows longer.

I have trimmed my hair and it's been a long process but I'm finally at a stage where I can start growing it out. If your hair is still growing as it tapers out then you have the option to grow it out and do regular trims until it is thicker. Unfortunately, I did not have that option.

[jojo]

the question being is tapering damage? or is it like katze said a natural thing with some hair, im thinking the later, as my hair is all virgin and doesn't have any heat. Im beginning to think along the lines that it is something that naturally occurs, strangely enough 99% of those who have answered this thread are in the fine to medium range, which again makes me think its due to hair being finer.

I know looking back to when my hair was long before, although i wasn't as obsessive as i am now my hair did get thinner as it grew, but it still grew. Maybe then the answer is trims definitely but with a blunt hem, this way it gives the illusion of thicker and less tapered hair.

I am going to do regular micro trims i think on a when needed basis, even if it means me not getting to bsl until christmas, for me my ends need to look neat, thats not to say once i get to waist i wont let the fairies take over, i personally think they look nice but not on my length.

Thank you to everybody for your support and advice, its nice to know that im not the only one and that no matter how rocky the road is to growing my hair or however many hurdles i come across, i can come on here and get the support i need.

Thank you

[30isthenewblack]

I meant with my post that I had the same problem as you that my hair does taper but mine was due to chemical damage and not natural tapering as yours is which is why my hair was breaking and I couldn't grow it longer with tapering ends. I do think that my hair would probably would taper anyway as I do have thin hair. I hope this all makes sense. I'm confusing myself now lol.

[jojo]

It ok I knew what you meant! its hard sometimes replying posts to get the point you mean across, but no worries I got what you meant!

[Pegasus Marsters]

You also have a curly hairtype. I had this, my hair would look piecy and thin because of how the curls all went in different directions on the ends. Have patience! :flowers: It'll look better as it gets longer.

[Morag]

[quote=jojo;117920]I think maybe i will just do micro trims every 3 months or so, to keep it neat. I do have one more layer which is at my shoulders, so maybe once this hits my waist I *may* equal it up, funny thing is i had a million and one layers in the back, but the others (apart from the shoulder one and the one i cut hem to in feb) have grown in. [/quote

Hi Jojo!

I have nothing to add to all the good advice already given, but I do want to offer support and encouragement. My hair has always started getting thin ends very soon after it passes shoulder length. It starts to look more and more straggly, and I have always gotten disgusted and chopped it off after a while. :demon: :scissors:

I'm doing better this time with LHC, and am much happier with how my hair is behaving. My plan now is much like yours - tiny trims every three months to keep the hem even. I will eventually have to pick a length and stay there for a while to let the layers to catch up, but I think I could happily do that if I can manage to reach BSL first. :o

Yikes! I just realized I have a "five-year plan" for my hair! :whistle:

[jojo]

Pegasus Marsters, i think you have hit the nail on the head. Yes I agree due to the curl/wave its going off in all directions; stands to reason!

thanks xx

[jojo]

Hi Jojo!

I have nothing to add to all the good advice already given, but I do want to offer support and encouragement. My hair has always started getting thin ends very soon after it passes shoulder length. It starts to look more and more straggly, and I have always gotten disgusted and chopped it off after a while. :demon: :scissors:

I'm doing better this time with LHC, and am much happier with how my hair is behaving. My plan now is much like yours - tiny trims every three months to keep the hem even. I will eventually have to pick a length and stay there for a while to let the layers to catch up, but I think I could happily do that if I can manage to reach BSL first. :o

Yikes! I just realized I have a "five-year plan" for my hair! :whistle:[/quote]

Thanks hun,
We can grow together. I am also planning on maintaining at a certain length to allow this last layer to catch up.

BSL seems so near yet so far at the moment, but it will happen!

Thanks for your support :)

[aisling]

the question being is tapering damage? or is it like katze said a natural thing with some hair, im thinking the later, as my hair is all virgin and doesn't have any heat. Im beginning to think along the lines that it is something that naturally occurs, strangely enough 99% of those who have answered this thread are in the fine to medium range, which again makes me think its due to hair being finer.


Hair tapering is totally natural, it can just be augmented (is that a good word to use?) by damage. Due to the growth pattern of our hairs, they have a certain life span and will shed sometimes, then new hairs start to grow. We have hairs that shed every day, all our hairs can't be full length due to the shed pattern and life span of our hairs, some must be shorter than others, which create tapering. Very logical, if you think about how hair grow. This natural tapering can then be made more severe due to damage.

To this I can also add that some hairs of our heads seem to have a shorter life span than others, they won't grow as long as other hairs and this of course also adds to the natural tapering.

[jojo]

Thank you, that does make sense coupled with the curl suggestion.

thank you