When do you think hair is too thin to wear long?

[musicallberrii]

My hair is rather thin and fine, and I have a good bit of scalp cleavage going on. I got really sick back in 2006, lost a lot of hair and thickness, and my hair has never been the same since. It doesn't look particularly stringy, but my scalp is very thin looking. I'm self conscious about it some times, but at the same time I love my hair long and think it looks much better on me than short hair. I desperately want to grow my hair out more, but don't want it to look awful. When do you think hair is too thin to have long?

[MonaLisa]

I think the answer to this is different for every person.
When you will be unhappy with it...that's it.
When you won't like wearing it down....or get too worried about how it looks I guess.

There's as many opinions as there is people, you can't and shouldn't please everyone, so rely on your own, especially when it's about your looks :)

[jackiesjottings]

I am fine and thin too and at classic. I would say- decide for yourself when you get there how long you want to go. I have had mine below classic before, and it is faery tale endy but always will be if I have it really long. I have seen people with much thinner hair than mine with it really long. I went to college with a girl who had very thin hair in the most gorgeous shade of red, and she had hers to tailbone and I always thought it was beautiful. So good luck, and in the end.. decide how happy you are length wise :)

[skyblue]

I have the same concerns, some thinning at the crown, when my hair is braided it's so small! One single braid of mine is the thickness of say someone who's wearing twin braids lol! But mine is at almost TB now and I'm glad that I left it grow, I was going to cut way back because to me it looked to thin, really it doesn't look any thinner then it would shorter so here I am lol
off to see just how long it can grow!
You should be happy with your hair, do what makes your feel good, I'm just saying that letting it grow, taking extra special care of it, longer thin hair looks just as gorgeous as a really thick head of hair

[jojo]

I don't think thinner hair looks too bad long, its just important to make sure you tackle any damage like splits a s soon as, else hair will look straggly. But there are lots on here with long, thinner hair. I personally think your hair looks lovely in your siggi.

[Vorvolaka]

Judging by you pics, I don't think you should worry just yet. It's lovely.

Scalp cleavage is a fact of life for us thinnies. It's not pleasant but I doubt others notice it as much as we do. And a fine tooth comb run over the offending area works wonders!

[frizzinator]

I've had thin hair for many years, and I know from experience that my hair looks just as thin when it is short as it looks when it's long. Short hair does not improve the look of thin hair, and I suspect we can thank self-interested hairdressers for creating this nonsensical idea.

With long hair, I have a lot of control to cover up scalp cleavage when I wear an updo.

[Night_Kitten]

Cutting it won't make it thicker - if you cut you will end up with thin and short hair... Your hair looks lovely in your pic, , I definitely think it will look good longer :)
Besides, no one's hair is perfect, you just have to make the most of what you have, and you have beautiful hair, so grow it long! :D

[Mesmerise]

I think you're probably more sensitive about your hair cleavage than you really need to be! most people won't notice it at all, and you look as if you have enough hair in your siggy pic!

My only issue with thin hair is when the ends are transparent :rolleyes:. Mine is sort of like that now, but I'm going to gradually thicken the ends up, so I figure in the long term it will look okay!

Also, as others have stated, it doesn't matter whether your hair is long or short, you'll still have the hair cleavage, and you'll probably hate it more short!

[Kwongdzu]

I've had thin hair for many years, and I know from experience that my hair looks just as thin when it is short as it looks when it's long. Short hair does not improve the look of thin hair, and I suspect we can thank self-interested hairdressers for creating this nonsensical idea.

With long hair, I have a lot of control to cover up scalp cleavage when I wear an updo.

I completely second this-

[spidermom]

With my thick and bushy hair, I feel I am SO not qualified to comment on this.

[Anje]

Based on your signature picture, I don't think you need to worry. I personally don't like it when ends get really thin and see-through, like there's a dozen hairs or so that have survived for the last 6+ inches of length, but you're nowhere near that. A little scalp cleavage isn't abnormal, and it's not going to go away with shorter hair.

[Kherome]

WHAT is scalp clevage???:confused:

[Anje]

WHAT is scalp clevage???:confused:
To pick on a picture in a recent thread, this is scalp cleavage (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=69873). It's when the hair typically in an updo and a little loose, parts itself so some scalp inadvertantly shows through.

[Slinks]

this is scalp cleavage (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=69873). .

I am unfortunate to have this without even putting my hair up !! lol, so I sure do get it when it's up, it's not as bad as the link pic but it's there, I don't let it bother me .. to the OP I agree your hair does look thick BUT you only show the bottom of your hair not any of your scalp in your siggy pic ..

[Anje]

Yeah, lots of people tend to get it even with hair down. I tend to blame goofy cowlicks (spots where the hair grows in different directions, like this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/debunix/2868527473/)) for that.

[Slinks]

Yeah, lots of people tend to get it even with hair down. I tend to blame goofy cowlicks (spots where the hair grows in different directions, like this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/debunix/2868527473/)) for that.

lol, that made me laugh out loud !! yeah exactly !! :-)

[leslissocool]

Unless it looks broken from damage, I say thin hair can look just gorgeous long. From your signature picture, your hair doesn't look that thin at all!

My hubby has really thin hair, and so does my son. My husband's hair is almost at waist :) and it's gorgeous, many people think he is balding but if you look at my baby son, his hair is starting to get long but in some parts you can see the scalp very clearly, so hubby is not balding but has the super thin and soft hair.

I say make sure you trim and keep a nice hemline, and your hair will look great. Don't feel self conscious about it because some people get their hair cut in a way to make it look even thinner than what you have and their hair looks good.

[Carolyn]

I'm like Anje and blame it on what I call my cowlicks. Maybe it isn't really cowlicks per se. Mine gets worse on Day 2 and 3 after washing. It's at it's best on the day I wash. Back to the OP's issue. Your opinion on your hair is the only one that counts. Judging by your siggy pic, I would say people are going to say "oh my she has lovely long hair" and not "wow, that's some scalp cleavage she has going on there". Those things are usually most noticeable to us and not to others. I don't think your hair is as thin as you are thinking it is. Cutting it only makes it short. Wouldn't thin short hair be harder to deal with than thin long hair?

[Delila]

I've had thin hair for many years, and I know from experience that my hair looks just as thin when it is short as it looks when it's long. Short hair does not improve the look of thin hair, and I suspect we can thank self-interested hairdressers for creating this nonsensical idea.

With long hair, I have a lot of control to cover up scalp cleavage when I wear an updo.


I completely second this-

I third it!!

As others have said, a wayward cowlick or wave pattern can create a funky bit of visible scalp.

I've seen plenty of people IRL with hair that's thinner and finer even than mine, and their hair was GORGEOUS!!

My dad's usually pretty indifferent to such things, but lately he's given me the 'wow, your hair is really long' comment several times, and not in a bad way. :)

For me, the growing out phase was the worst.

[picklepie]

I have to say, I have never noticed scalp cleavage on anyone in real life, ever. I had never heard of it until LHC, and still have only witnessed it in photos people took in order to show it clearly. I think it's just a subtle thing that doesn't glare out at you unless it's what you're looking for.

Personally, I love the look of very long, thin hair. It's like rippling water flowing over someone's shoulder-- thin hair has so much movement and elegance. My thick hair barely moves when it's long, it's kind of slab-like. Not to tear down thick hair, it has its good points! But I always admire long, thin hair when I see it.

[ravenreed]

I have a lot of scalp cleavage and my hair is not thin at all. It is just what happens when your hair grows in an odd way. I see adorable petite buns on people who have hair as long as mine but have thinner hair. So, if you are happier with it long, keep it long. As others have said, shorter hair isn't thicker.

[MsBubbles]

(Hair) beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Some people totally crave thicker hair up top and thinner hair on the ends. What might look ratty and unhealthy to one person, looks totally beautiful to someone else! It's funny how that is.

So with your own hair, please yourself! If you like it long even if it's thinner at the ends, who cares!

And when it comes to hair, so many women want what they haven't got.

[Unnamed]

On the scalp cleavage...I don't think others really notice much. I also don't think it's an issue strictly confined to thin hair. And having shorter hair won't fix this (nor make 'thin' hair necessarily 'better'--it'll still be thin regardless of the length).

And on too thin to be long...well, I'm sure mine is past most people's (everyone's, possibly :lol: ) 'looks okay' length, but even post three sheds (50% in late 2005, 40% in 2008, and 70-80% from mid-09 to mid-10), and pre-LHC damage (brush (ab)use--every hair that got brushed has a broken end, bah) I'm a *lot* happier with my hair at lower thigh than I was at BSL. Forget that until almost classic it was too slick to reliably put it up. But with it longer (I think starting a bit past classic?) at least I actually like something about my hair, rather than hate everything. :oops: Even with the wretched taper(s) and 'ugly' ends... I prefer blunt/thick ends, but have fairy hair instead. Vaguely considering (since the latest shed) maintaining at knee for a bit when/if/once it gets there, but haven't yet decided. :lol:

So on whether hair is too thin to be long: Really it's just personal opinion. When is curly hair too long? Or super thick hair? Or stick straight hair? It's when it's too long for that person.

[Miss Catrina]

I worry about the same thing, but there are lot of people with F i/ii hair here that is quite long, and they look just fine to me. It just looks different from someone with long, thick hair - not necessarily worse.

[DoubleCrowned]

picklepie
Re: When do you think hair is too thin to wear long?
I have to say, I have never noticed scalp cleavage on anyone in real life, ever. I had never heard of it until LHC, and still have only witnessed it in photos people took in order to show it clearly. I think it's just a subtle thing that doesn't glare out at you unless it's what you're looking for.

Personally, I love the look of very long, thin hair. It's like rippling water flowing over someone's shoulder-- thin hair has so much movement and elegance. My thick hair barely moves when it's long, it's kind of slab-like. Not to tear down thick hair, it has its good points! But I always admire long, thin hair when I see it.

I think you make excellent points. In addition, with unusually long hair, people will be looking at the length; not the roots. Thank you for the beautiful description of long, thin hair.

The girl who got the most hair compliments in high school had long, very thin hair that she wore all in front over one shoulder. It expressed her quiet delicacy perfectly.

[Annalouise]

I have 'i' thickness. I am trimming my hair to keep it as blunt at the ends as I possibly can. If this means I can only have bsl hair then so be it.:)

by the way, my pictures make me look like my hair is thicker than it actually is because I was plumping it up with henna and oils and various herbs. The only problem with that is it damaged my hair at the ends and they had to be cut off.

[TheBluffs]

When It's servery tapered more than 5 centimers, or damaged from heat styling, or the like.

[Demetrue]

I really wouldn't worry about what anyone else thinks and go for the long hair that you want! Years ago I had a friend with a very serious auto-immune disorder and one of the symptoms was that her hair was literally falling out in clumps, so she had bald patches all over her head interspersed with long tufts of hair. She finally decided to keep it shoulder length, blunt cut, so she could sweep it back into a loose pony tail. If she had cut it really short, she would have ended up with bald patches and shorts tufts of hair sticking up all over her head. She felt much more feminine keeping the hair that she had longer rather than shorter.

[ibleedlipstick]

I have some scalp cleavage, and my hair is super thick. It all depends on the way your hair flows, and I have yet to re-train mine.

Personally, I dislike the look of wispy ends. I don't mean fairytale, I mean 5-20 hairs at one length, and the rest a solid 10 inches shorter. However, it is none of my business, and if it makes someone else happy that is all that matters.

[musicallberrii]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied toughs thread, and I apologize for taking so long to reply! It's good news to hear that some people here have scalp cleavage too. It's a good point that we all probably notice it more on ourselves than someone else would. Ive definitely decided to grow longer and I think I will embrace my scalp cleavage!! :D

[Alun]

Cutting it won't make it thicker - if you cut you will end up with thin and short hair... Your hair looks lovely in your pic, , I definitely think it will look good longer :)
Besides, no one's hair is perfect, you just have to make the most of what you have, and you have beautiful hair, so grow it long! :D

Exactly. How would cutting it shorter actually help?


I am unfortunate to have this without even putting my hair up !! lol, so I sure do get it when it's up, it's not as bad as the link pic but it's there, I don't let it bother me .. to the OP I agree your hair does look thick BUT you only show the bottom of your hair not any of your scalp in your siggy pic ..

I do too.


On the scalp cleavage...I don't think others really notice much. I also don't think it's an issue strictly confined to thin hair. And having shorter hair won't fix this (nor make 'thin' hair necessarily 'better'--it'll still be thin regardless of the length).

And on too thin to be long...well, I'm sure mine is past most people's (everyone's, possibly :lol: ) 'looks okay' length, but even post three sheds (50% in late 2005, 40% in 2008, and 70-80% from mid-09 to mid-10), and pre-LHC damage (brush (ab)use--every hair that got brushed has a broken end, bah) I'm a *lot* happier with my hair at lower thigh than I was at BSL. Forget that until almost classic it was too slick to reliably put it up. But with it longer (I think starting a bit past classic?) at least I actually like something about my hair, rather than hate everything. :oops: Even with the wretched taper(s) and 'ugly' ends... I prefer blunt/thick ends, but have fairy hair instead. Vaguely considering (since the latest shed) maintaining at knee for a bit when/if/once it gets there, but haven't yet decided. :lol:

So on whether hair is too thin to be long: Really it's just personal opinion. When is curly hair too long? Or super thick hair? Or stick straight hair? It's when it's too long for that person.

Again, how would shorter hair fix the 'scalp cleavage'?

Fine/thin is my hair type, and always has been, but I just like long hair, and can't really figure out how having it shorter would help anyway?

[Alun]

I really wouldn't worry about what anyone else thinks and go for the long hair that you want! Years ago I had a friend with a very serious auto-immune disorder and one of the symptoms was that her hair was literally falling out in clumps, so she had bald patches all over her head interspersed with long tufts of hair. She finally decided to keep it shoulder length, blunt cut, so she could sweep it back into a loose pony tail. If she had cut it really short, she would have ended up with bald patches and shorts tufts of hair sticking up all over her head. She felt much more feminine keeping the hair that she had longer rather than shorter.

I once knew a guy with TB length hair and a large bald patch at the back of his head. He always wore a ponytail, which didn't quite hide the bald patch, but sort of transformed it into a merely thin patch, because his hair was always tied back over it. It looked better than you might think.

[rags]

As far as cutting it shorter "fixing" the thin part - well, I found that out myself this past October. I chopped my i thickness hair from BSL to a long pixie. (I had never had short hair in my life. Well, I hope to never have it again!) It did make it look slightly thicker, as they cut many layers into it. However, now that it's about SL again, it's most certainly NOT any thicker. It's all an illusion.

And I discovered also - when your hair is shorter and you have a cowlick which causes scalp cleavage; if you cut your hair all that will happen in that then the hairs can stand up in all different directions quite merrily. Thus exposing the scalp cleavage/cowlick in all its glory. For about the first three months after my chop I had to wet my hair down twice a day, as the hair would stick straight up in back!

[WaimeaWahine]

No time to read through so many posts, please forgive me if this has been mentioned.

I sometimes color the cleavage. Eyeliner pencil, eye shadow, a dab of mascara - it may sound crazy but it colors the scalp and makes me feel a bit better.

[ilovelonghair]

I have some similar issues as well, except for the scalp cleavage. The thin ends can go fluffy so I wet them when they are too fluffy and put aloe vera in them, that keeps them more stuck together so they look less like flyaway nothing-ness. My hair is getting close to TB and normally I start cutting because the thickness is still not growing in (if it ever will), but this time I am trying to stay away from scissors to see how long it will get.
Sometimes thinner hair looks better longer because the eye is drawn to the length instead of the thickness when hair looks healthy.
I lost a lot of hair recently and under bright light I can see it's much thinner (I can't feel it) but I didn't loose any thickness in the length, that is rather mysterious but good. Maybe those were just short hairs falling out. Wearing my hair down helps to hide the thinner hair. If it were very short, I think it would be visible, but now it doesn't show as long as it doesn't go fluffy at the scalp.

[Jemoiselle]

As a person with very fine thin hair that *was* "can I call this classic" length :p I want to say a resounding "It is only about making yourself happy, if you don't like it, it's too long! If you like your hair despite being thin and long, then that's the right decision." Beauty is 50/50 looks and attitude, to me. So, if it makes you happy.....DO IT! If you don't, you might always wonder! ;)

[bella77]

my hair is extremely fine and thin, and even though it's only APL right now, my goal is waist. I have not ever had long hair! It was to the middle of my back as a child, but that's the longest I have ever had. I love the way my hair feels on my back. I like feeling the texture of my hair and how it changes from day to day. I am in no hurry to cut ever again. Don't worry about what any one else says, if it makes you feel good, that is all that matters.

[Othala]

Don't cut it! Love your hair...each strand...especially the ones as fine as silk or gossamer. They are beautiful and precious.

[Alun]

As far as cutting it shorter "fixing" the thin part - well, I found that out myself this past October. I chopped my i thickness hair from BSL to a long pixie. (I had never had short hair in my life. Well, I hope to never have it again!) It did make it look slightly thicker, as they cut many layers into it. However, now that it's about SL again, it's most certainly NOT any thicker. It's all an illusion.

And I discovered also - when your hair is shorter and you have a cowlick which causes scalp cleavage; if you cut your hair all that will happen in that then the hairs can stand up in all different directions quite merrily. Thus exposing the scalp cleavage/cowlick in all its glory. For about the first three months after my chop I had to wet my hair down twice a day, as the hair would stick straight up in back!

Only twice a day? This reminds me of my early teens, before I started to grow out my hair at age 15, except I had to wet my hair down far more frequently than twice a day!

[Mrspuddinhead]

@ Musicalberrii I too have thin hair and at times I worry that once my hair reaches classic length it won't be as beautiful as I intend it to be. My pony is 3". The California air seems to make my hair ends dry so it appears much fuller then what it normally is. Thanks to LHC I've learned quite a few things I plan on trying some of the suggestions here, write down what works for me so I too can be a long haired beautie. I believe thin hair can be long and beautiful if well taken care of. I saw a 17 year old girl who had thin hair and it reached the ground. It was truly beautiful, virgin hair, yet it was thin, but she took very good care of it. Sadly she cut it shoulder length. So I say be proud of having long hair, show it off!! We of LHC will be behind you 100%.

[ilovelonghair]

my hair is extremely fine and thin, and even though it's only APL right now, my goal is waist. I have not ever had long hair! It was to the middle of my back as a child, but that's the longest I have ever had. I love the way my hair feels on my back. I like feeling the texture of my hair and how it changes from day to day. I am in no hurry to cut ever again. Don't worry about what any one else says, if it makes you feel good, that is all that matters.

You got beautiful hair! Doesn't look thin at all to me :)

Mrspuddinhead, how is it possible for thin hair to grow that long? I wish mine would!

I just cut off 3 centimeters of my hair today because the ends were insanely thin (compared to me the OP has thick ends :) ), so it is not much loss of length, but it looks so much better! I had one hair that nearly reached TB, one hair only :p. Now I hope the thickness will one day start growing into the length.

[xoxophelia]

By your pictures I don't think you have any cause to worry. There are no rules for length and having thin hair. Some have thin hair but when they grow it long it looks like a thin coating of glass going evenly down their back. It can be a very attractive look.

If you're asking what the general idea seems to be in society.. I would guess too thin would be if you have a bulk of hair and then at some point only wisps growing down, a few see through clumps, or if it looks like a rat tail. Probably at that point people may think negative things or make negative comments (but it is up to you to decide how you like your hair.. not the masses).

Another issue would be if it really does look like you are balding.. and in a major way. In that case your main concern would just be going to the doctor to care for your health if there is something wrong.