my hair is growing in a v

[geosangel]

yikes:( hubby just took a pic of the back of my hair, and there seems to be a large chunk missing out of the middle. It looks really weird, and I don't know why or how it's happening? I hope it's a temporary thing that will fix itself, but for now, well, I'm not very happy about it at all. :( If I knew how to post small pics on here I'd post it, but her is the link if you want to see what I'm talking about.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=6998&pictureid=93138 (please forgive the messy room, lol):o

[McFearless]

Has your hair always grown this way? This type of hemline is common, don't be worried. You might also want to think about the way you style your hair, updos, etc. The hair in the middle could have a lot of breakage or just grow slower than the sides of your head.

[longlockenvy]

Ok, I am not an expert on hair at all, so I'm just giving my own opinion. lol

You have nice hair, it just looks like if you got a trim, it would make the ends look thicker and it would even things up.

[geosangel]

My hair never grew this way before, and, as bad as I would like a trim, I am refusing to let anyone cut/trim/dust/go near my head with scissors after what happened to me before my wedding..worst case scenario, I keep it up until it grows long enough for me to fix...I just wondered if it looks as odd as I think it does, and if this is a normal thing that sometimes happens..although now I'm hyper sensitive because I just noticed it 10 minutes before I posted the pic..:rolleyes:

[NaClH2O]

Do you sleep on your side or on your back?

My hair naturally grows more quickly on my left side because I always sleep over there :) I end up with a crooked hemline too if I don't trim it. If you're a side sleeper, you could be having the same problem as me.

[geosangel]

I do sleep on my sides, both of them, I alternate side to side all night long..wow..I never thought of that...interesting.

[jojo]

Mine grows in V if I dont trim for a while, my sides grow slower than middle. Yours grows in a /\ either because your sides grow a lot faster than the middle or it may be you have just combed the side bits more before taking the photo. I always get my daughter to comb mine before taking a photo, else my hemline looks uneven when it isnt!

Get hubby to comb it and then take a photo again! if you get the same, then maybe a trim is needed.

[MicheleClaire]

When I look at the before photo, it looks like the hair on the sides is curlier than the hair in the middle, even though they have the same hemline. Your hair in the second photo is straighter, and the curlier hair on the sides straightened out to the same waviness as the hair in the middle. The curlier sides now look longer because they are straighter. Possibility?

[Anywhere]

It looks more like a "w" to me. I don't remember who else had this problem, but I remember them trimming slightly to get it to look more even. It could of course be the way that you combed it though , if you have layers it could be just the longer layers are brushed/combed more to the side.

[geosangel]

hubby combed it and retook the pic..same results. He said he would go with me to get it "trimmed". I don't know which is worse, my fear of someone near me with scissors or my anxiety of knowing my hair is so uneven in the back :(

[jojo]

The other option is to continue growing without trimming, keep putting it up and then when you get to a length which you feel comfortable, trim it to the thickest layer.

[McFearless]

I say wait until you reach your goal before trimming. If your trim it straight now you'll have the same hemline in a few months.

[geosangel]

double yikes..I don't want the same hemline in a few months..on that note..I'll think I'll wait it out, and just wear it up/try to forget its there.

[McFearless]

Sorry I didn't mean to scare ya:o You could try monistat on that one section of your scalp?

[geosangel]

I may just do that..wow, come to think of it, I did use it a few times on the top and sides of my scalp a while back, but until now i didn't realize i forgot the back...I wonder if that had something to do with it :confused:

[xoxophelia]

double yikes..I don't want the same hemline in a few months..on that note..I'll think I'll wait it out, and just wear it up/try to forget its there.

But see the thing is, you won't have the same hemline you have now if you don't trim. If you continue to not trim, the inverted V will be even more extreme. We also don't know that this is from your hair growth pattern for sure or if it is from damage. Do you always wear your hair down or spend a lot of time in bed from illness etc?

[geosangel]

my hair is typically up, no excess bed time...no styling or products or blow frying, no wet combing, co method, no trims since Feb 2010.

[xoxophelia]

my hair is typically up, no excess bed time...no styling or products or blow frying, no wet combing, co method, no trims since Feb 2010.

Without damage from heat or dye.. then it must be growth rate. My hair naturally grows in a V as well and I handle it by doing regular small tims. You can do one inch every other month which will be so small you won't even notice it :)

You won't gain length but you won't really lose any either.. and having a better hemline really will feel better... then you can wear it down at least without the worry. It takes awhile to sort this sort of thing out without major chops but that is the route I am taking (I also have the disadvantage of growing out bangs with my natural V growth rate).. but it can be done without large chops. Small regular trims will give you the best of both worlds. Is there any way your DH can trim a straight 1" off your hair or somebody you trust?

[spidermom]

Well, you could bring each side over each shoulder and trim 1/4 inch off at a time until it looks more even from side to side.

[LovelyL]

Here's a link to an article "Getting the cut/trim you want at a salon" http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=175
I like the idea of taking DH with you, it'll be an extra pair of eyes watching what the hairdresser's doing! and make sure he knows exactly what you want, so he can stop the scissors in time :)

[Anywhere]

If it was due to the monistat then it should be fine after a trim, or you could put the monistat on that section and wait it out for a little while. I agree with Spidermom's suggestion of trimming it ever so slightly yourself, until you get a result you like. I imagine it would be similar to the U or V shaped Feye's self trim (http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim).

[geosangel]

thanks for that link..I think I'll try it myself using the method the link provided for the straight hem. I'm not to picky with what kind of hem I have, but I don't want to look like someone took a chunk out of my middle when I wasn't looking, either..which is how I feel right now. I have racked my brain trying to remember something/anything that could have caused this way back when the lady cut my hair. I'm starting to think that maybe when she cut it, she left the sides longer than the back, because it was the back she cut when I went berserk seeing inches of hair length hit the floor. (she was supposed to only trim off about 1/2 inch, and took more like 5 or 6 inches, because "she" thought it looked better short). It would make sense for her to leave the sides longer, to give a not so short appearance when one looks straight into a mirror, possibly in a desperate attempt to calm me down. I was so mad I was in tears. I thought after a year passed, I wouldn't still be upset about it, but, alas, here it bites me in the bum again with this hemline.:mad: And to boot, I lose more length trying to fix her error a year later.:mad: ok ok I'm done ranting:p

[geosangel]

wow, even I am trim shy with the scissors in my own hand. I tried the V method on the link (my hair is waaay to uneven in the back to do the straight hem) and found out just how uneven it really is. I took about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off both sides, and thinking I would see a big difference, sadly I did not. I believe I would have to take about 1 inch additional off, and I'm not brave enough to do that yet. The ends do feel better, almost thicker (maybe that's just in my head, I don't know) and so for now I think I'll let it go for another month or two and see how it goes. My mini goal is bsl, and if I keep cutting I won't ever get there, but I don't want a weird looking ^ type hemline, either:rolleyes:

[spidermom]

If you're careful about how much you take off, trims will not keep your hair from getting longer. I had a trim every 6-8 weeks during the first 3-4 years of growing my hair out from a pixie. My hair grew about 2 feet during that time. It's not super-sonic growth, for sure, but my ends always looked good.

[xoxophelia]

wow, even I am trim shy with the scissors in my own hand. I tried the V method on the link (my hair is waaay to uneven in the back to do the straight hem) and found out just how uneven it really is. I took about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off both sides, and thinking I would see a big difference, sadly I did not. I believe I would have to take about 1 inch additional off, and I'm not brave enough to do that yet. The ends do feel better, almost thicker (maybe that's just in my head, I don't know) and so for now I think I'll let it go for another month or two and see how it goes. My mini goal is bsl, and if I keep cutting I won't ever get there, but I don't want a weird looking ^ type hemline, either:rolleyes:

I would suggest having a period where you maintain at this length until you feel your hemline is semi-decent. Again, it is about how *you* feel. I think if you waited two months, cut off one more inch, you would be good to go. Since you do have uneven growth, or we think you do anyways, you could continue to trim a half or a third of your growth (2" a year about) which would mean your hemline will continue to improve but you will also get lenght.

I basically feel it out for myself as well. I will have periods where I maintain if I feel like my hemline needs to get more even and then when I think it is OK, go for 8 months without trimming etc.

[Anje]

For whatever it's worth, hemlines do all sorts of bizarre things. Some grow in a ^ shape, some make a v or a u, some have one side or the other grow faster, a few stay thick and more get thin fast. Almost all of us live with what we have, or trim it to keep it even. (And the ones who stay thick and even are usually the people who wish they had fairytale ends.)

Since you're thin in a place where I've lost hair, though, I'd suggest you make doubly sure you never, ever tighten ponytails by separating it into parts and pulling. Ever! For that matter, be cautious of ponytails in general -- they've got a history of giving my breakage right in that middle section that has taken years of bunning to grow out.

[geosangel]

I am so very guilty of doing that, for as long as I can remember..and never gave it a thought. Another habit to break, but I don't often wear a pony tail lately, unless I want a migraine...but, if I do for work, I will make sure not to do this anymore. Thanks!

[Keep It Flowin]

Dont ignore it and do nothing. If you dont fix it it will remain and you wont have much growth. Healthy hair grows faster. If you have a mother or friend who you trust have them trim it to look more even and do so in another 2-4 months for a more solid hemline. If you get it professionally trimmed be sure to ask how long this person has been trimming hair as the new ones tend to mess up the most. Tell them you want to keep your length and are just trying to clean up the hemline. I know it will feel like a lot more is taken off than what really is, but this way it will grow much faster and nicer than ignoring it and keeping it up!