Why? A question about length

[Darkhorse1]

Alright, I'm curious to know this:

Whenever my hair gets too long/goes without a good trim, it looks thinner/feels thinner. The minute I get it cut (half to full inch), the body comes back and feels way thicker.

How can not trimming have this effect on hair? This has been something I've noticed for ages with my hair, and have always been curious to know if others notice this too?

I have naturally wavy hair and maybe I am noticing the fact once it's not trimmed for awhile, the natural body flattens out??

This is stemmed from a trim today in where my hair dresser noticed my hair seemed thinner and she asked me if I'd been shedding a lot. I'd just gone through a major shed, but after the trim, my hair is mega thick now.

[denzelswifey86]

Alright, I'm curious to know this:

Whenever my hair gets too long/goes without a good trim, it looks thinner/feels thinner. The minute I get it cut (half to full inch), the body comes back and feels way thicker.

How can not trimming have this effect on hair? This has been something I've noticed for ages with my hair, and have always been curious to know if others notice this too?

I have naturally wavy hair and maybe I am noticing the fact once it's not trimmed for awhile, the natural body flattens out??

This is stemmed from a trim today in where my hair dresser noticed my hair seemed thinner and she asked me if I'd been shedding a lot. I'd just gone through a major shed, but after the trim, my hair is mega thick now.

I have the same issue with my hair, and it is wavy/curly mid way to the ends! This is one reason i had to cut my hip length hair to bsl because it looked lifeless! but then again I have thin hair/ thinging hair plus i did not trim when i had long hair which probably made it even look worse! my hair doesn't seem to go lifeless unless i stop triming it! right now i have not trimmed in a long time and fighting the urge to do so! i need to thickin my hair up then i think it wouldnt matter if i go long without a trim :) - i also think- but i am not sure, i think the folicle size comes into play in this issue - my hair folicile is thin and the longer it gets it will look thinner because of the stands that are longer than the rest of the hair have very thin folicles - makes it look lifeless!

[spidermom]

My guess is that we might be evaluating our hair by how the ends look, and when they're thicker and more defined, we have a better feeling about our hair in general.

What puzzles me is how having a 1/2-inch trim will improve tangling that was happening halfway up the length.

[Lilli]

When it is cut, the ends are blunt and even and stack up on each other. This makes it look fuller. As it grows and the ends start breaking here and there, it allows it to sort of puzzle together and lay flatter.

[Loreley]

I agree with Lilli. And even if your hair is not breaking, not every strand grows always the same rate.

[Darkhorse1]

So it's an illusion then, which makes sense---that you even the hair up, so it lays nicer. But how is it it feels thicker? I mean, in regards to even making a braid, I can see that it's thicker. Maybe for some people, no trims just cause it to be weighed down?

Spidermom--I've never had a problem with tangling--I'm lucky (unless I get caught in a windstorm ;) ).

[xoxophelia]

I think it is in large part because the ends become "sticky" so as it dries that kind of keeps the hair from puffing out or springing up.

[Alaia]

I think since each hair tends to grow at a different rate then the longer without a trim the thinner it looks because the hairs are at more different growth stages.

Once you cut, they're all the same length (depending on how much you take off), and I think that makes the ends look much thicker.

[PixxieStix]

Have you considered micro trimming your hair as it grows to avoid the thin/lifeless phase you don't like? As for thickness, I'd be curious if isn't just an illusion. When I was younger and had my once every year or two haircut, my hair always felt much thicker once I had six or so inches whacked off, but if you measured the ponytail before and the ponytail after, I'm sure they would still be the same.

Curious, very curious. :)

[Darkhorse1]

I tried micro-trims and they didn't work. :(

Thing is, I notice fullness all over---bizarre. I think its helping bring out the curl/wave? I've noticed this for years though--was curious if others have.

[MonaLisa]

sticky ends make sense to me! for looking thin + for tangling as spidermom said!

I get major difference too after even a small trim!

[QueenJoey]

I agree with everyone who says that the reason is that individual strands grow at varying rates (I'm paraphrasing). CinnamonHair explained it perfectly on her website when she said something about "strands catching up with each other" Trims cut the faster growing strands shorter so that the hemline is even and fuller.

[Avital88]

its not an illusion, i microtrimmed 0.3 inch yesterday and the difference was huge!
My hair is soo much thicker and even more volume, just from that little amount.
Plus less tangles and hanging and sacking.
Thats why i am pro trimming every once in a while because it really makes a difference.