Sigh, I give in, time for a haircut

[cuticom]

So last year a lot of my hair fell out, I was left with maybe a quarter of my hair. At the same time I developed 3b curls, so it wasn't too noticeable. But I'm working out and wearing protective styles now and if the tail of my hair isn't tucked up in a bun it looks hideous. My hair is currently APL, with 4 inches of very thick 'wooly' regrowth at the scalp.

I'm not brave enough to have all the thin hair cut off and go to a pixie length, but I'm thinking an above the shoulder cut, but not a bob, that is, a tad longer then a bob. I just hope it works to make my hair look less straggly... After all I'll be giving up being able to tie it up...

Just thought I'd share, can you tell I'm not big on the idea? but my hairs looking worse and it's time to deal with it...

[selderon]

I think you're brave to make this choice. Many of us hang onto hair that isn't doing us any favors just because it took time to grow. I'm a big fan of looking good throughout the journey because I believe that I'm more likely to stick with it if I feel good about myself as I go.

I hope you'll share pics with us when you get your new style!

[McFearless]

Is there a reason you shed so much? Have you checked it out with a doc?

Anyway, Its brave of you to cut off your hair. Many of us, me included hang onto hair thats damaged or like selderon said, isn't doing us any favours. I think a shoulder length-ish cut will be easy to grow out. Pixies are much more difficult.

[Slinks]

I also am a big fan on looking good thru out the hair growing journey .. go ahead and get it looking good then grow, grow, grow :-)

[cuticom]

Anemia, stress, last year was the year of horrors. I moved to college and hated it, my parents divorced, it was my first year of university. And with the anemia, I was in a new town and the new doctor wouldn't give me the prescriptions I needed unless I went through a range of very expensive tests I couldn't afford which was before I got my health care card. Oh and barely any protein in my diet as my college was catered and I was vegetarian.

Thankfully most of that is under control, I'm studying via distance from my Mother's house and going to my regular doctor, he wants the tests done as well, but is happy to keep providing my prescription while I get the testing done, which my health care card pays for. I can also monitor protein intake here. The stress isn't gone, but it's under control, you can see it in my hair. The 4" at the scalp is extremely thick new hair. The shedding has stopped as well.

The problem with a pixie is also, well you know old ladies with short hair and a perm? yeah all my regrowth looks like that, but the longer hair helps even it out. But 2" spiral curls are so not my thing LOL. So a bob or slightly longer length would bounce back to loose short curls, but it would still be very big hair, I need length to pull the curls. But my length is so cruddy, it doesn't really matter....

Well I guess I should just go for it, hopefully my hair dresser has room, though she normally does as she's friend with Mum and I. Hmph one day i will be free of short hair...

[leoninnu]

Good luck with growing again. I did the pixie cut solution years ago and it wasn't pretty sight when I was growing it out since after loosing so much lenght I absolutely refused to cut at all to even out the ends. I think I should have done the bob too... It's not as drastic change as pixie and since it's already even it's much easier to keep looking nice. And since your new growth is already 4 inches long it wont take too long before you again have a thick and even hemline, just wait and see :)

[Siiri]

I would also advise you not to cut a pixie. It's a pain to grow out. I did it last year when I was getting rid of my dye, it was a very short pixie around Midsummer's Eve. I have had small three trims after that but I still have only chin length bob with layers and short pieces especially above my ears. It's much easier to grow from a relatively blunt bob cut, because you won't get nearly as many ugly phases, and you won't start feeling like you want to cut it all of or trim it too excessively. I imagine it takes over a year for me to get most of the layers grown out, and thats only because I chose to keep my fringe. I think without a neat fringe my growing out period would have been much more difficult.


The problem with a pixie is also, well you know old ladies with short hair and a perm?

Yep, I felt I looked 5 years older with a growing out pixie. A curly pixie cut suits to some, like the actress Audrey Tautou for example, but you need to have delicate facial features for that, I think.

[cuticom]

Yeah, no layers for me. My natural hair has always been that bit too thin for layers, and I end up with a mullet, I'd hate to think how it'd look with my new curls.

I'm definitely thinking no pixie, even though it'd cut back to the regrowth. I do have 'delicate' features, the 'button' nose, 'rose petal' lips and big eyes (yeah I got sick of people describing my facial features LOL), but I'm fat too, so it kinda negates all that LOL.

Because I can't resist, this was me five years ago. First time I'd ever had it cut at a salon (my Mum was a hairdresser, so she normally cut my hair) plus a few foils to brighten the blonde (yes that is my natural colour)
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad206/BridgetsFlame/Hair/cca35a35.jpg

Now, the curls are airdried, the color is a few tints off my natural, as I originally had bright blue and I redyed it so i could grow it out without the roots showing
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad206/BridgetsFlame/Hair/83147fd8.jpg

And because I really really can't resist, the blue I loved so much, though my hair was blowdried here, and well my hair doesn't like heat
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad206/BridgetsFlame/Hair/4c628ddf.jpg

So a longish single length bob it is, now to see if I can get into the hair dresser.

[PeacenQuietGal]

Hi Cuticom,

I agree with the idea of growing back from bluntish edge versus pixie layers, and looking good through the journey. U R definately on the right track - But, I cannot resist adding to the descriptive list of your delicate features described by others - Let's not forget your porcelain complexion LOL!! Gosh, some of us should be so lucky Girl :pray:!

I see why you loved the Blue - I love it too. It reminds me of Ariel (the Little Mermaid) I know she had Red hair, but this still reminds me of her, or possibly her sister or something.
But I am sure other people told you that it distracts too much from your natural beauty and they would be right about that, technically, but it suuuuure was catchy on you!

But Lovely pics, lovely hair - thank you for sharing with us.

[cuticom]

LOl I don't think it counts as porcelain, vampire white maybe. I'm three tones lighter then the lightest MAC shade and I have freckles galore. The paleness though is actually from a combination of things. Partly I'm naturally pale, but I was also exposed to intense UV as a baby because I was premmy and had severe jaundice, so now I get second degree burns if I'm in the sun for more then fifteen minutes, and add in the anemia, I'm lucky I'm not paler LOL.

I adored the blue hair, I would still have it if I could, but it had to be redyed every month and every time I washed it stained the bejeezers out of everything. And I needed streaks bleached in to give it some oomph, so even though most of it was over virgin hair it still seemed a bit damaging. I used manic panic electric blue for it...

[delsh]

I'm sorry you went through such a hard time :( I can only give you my personal opinion, but if it was me, I think I would get a cut as well. I didn't have any trouble growing out a pixie, just trimmed up the back until I had a nice neat bob. I always feel better growing when I have a nice shape :) But an above-the-shoulders cut would be quicker to grow out, for sure. It just depends how long you want to wait for your regrowth to catch up. I think you'll look great with whatever cut you get! :D

[Firefox7275]

I think your natural colour is pretty, and I am sure you could learn to style shorter curls so that they looked studenty not retired. You have the whole of LHC at your disposal, not to mention naturallycurly forum etc. If you still feel the style is too mature for you, crack out the blue you loved so much! :cool: Upkeep is a bit of a pain with permanent or semis, but colour leaching/ staining can be managed. The less frequently you wet your hair the better, I use dry shampoo and/ or leave-in conditioner wherever possible. Cold rinses are also supposed to help both with retaining colour and slowing down the greasies.

I have specific towels for wrapping my hair, and specific pillowcases for sleeping on if I have damp hair - these are all hand-me-downs or just plain old. Anything white can go in a bucket of household bleach, anything dark and the stains don't show. I also have a specific t-shirt that I wear whilst colouring which is very stained - you can use cheap pyjamas if there are others about while you colour. :o Stains in the bathroom just get bleached.

[Annalouise]

I think cutting it into a blunt cut at the shoulders or whatever length you choose will be nice as it will make your hair appear thicker.

And I agree that its better to enjoy your hair at all stages on the journey. If it is bugging you then get a good trim and thicken up the ends.:)

[cuticom]

Well called the hair dresser and for the first time ever they aren't busy, I could've gone in today, but uhh no LOL. So 3:00 tomorrow I'm having 6 inches of hair cut off, uhh eek. I know I need to do it and stop clinging to the ratty hair, but I really really really don't want to. I think I still believe that one day I'll wake up with thick lustrous hair in place of ratty ends. Oh well, it's going and hopefully the new haircut looks fine. I'll get them to wet it and straighten it out before they cut, as I've had my curls cut 'properly' before and yes it looked supermodel amazing on the first day. After the first wash however, when the curls chose new pathways and sat differently it looked totally horrendous, like I'd hacked it off using blunt scissors and no mirror.

[Xandergrammy]

Good luck with your cut tomorrow! I hope you're planning on posting pictures? :flowers:

[cuticom]

Just snapped some pics before my hair cut and jeepers, I had no idea my hair had gotten THAT curly. The now picture I posted before is kinda wavy/curly and looks thicker. But my hairs thicker now and the back drops in ringlets the whole way down. Hmmm I'm thinking my hairs going to be very big once the length is taken off....

[x0h_bother]

I'm sorry to hear that you have been going through so much stress. My stress shows up on my hair too. I also agree getting a trim would be helpful. As for the demarcation line for new growth, perhaps a (coney?) leave-in might help make it more uniform. GL with your new cut!

[Firefox7275]

Just snapped some pics before my hair cut and jeepers, I had no idea my hair had gotten THAT curly. The now picture I posted before is kinda wavy/curly and looks thicker. But my hairs thicker now and the back drops in ringlets the whole way down. Hmmm I'm thinking my hairs going to be very big once the length is taken off....

You can use leave-in conditioner or gentle styling products to reduce volumen and it is easier to control curls when the ends are not velcro/ straw. :)

[Anje]

Wow, the curls are cute!

If I were in your position, I'd make sure they leave the hair long enough to gather back in a ponytail. That's about all the advice I have for you.

[cuticom]

I got it cut to just above my shoulders, wow it looks so much thicker now. I can just pull it up into one of those really short ponytail or twin pigtails etc. However the hair dresser had to brush the curls out and I haven't gotten around to soaking my hair yet, so once I do and the curls return I'll post pics...

I sue a lot of leave in now, my hair dries out appallingly if I don't use cones, or if I just use one coney conditioner. My normal routine is shampoo with pantene hydrating curls, condition with hydrating curls, detangle, rinse, conditioner with daily moisture renewal intensive treatment, rinse in cold water. Then I add a tonne of a schwartzkopf leave in conditioner. That leave my hair silky smooth and shiny. I clarify every month or so.