SOS,Help!my hair looks like a dog chewed on it..

[Avital88]

Edit::
Following the advice of a kind member commenting on 'my problem' to wear my hair curly instead of straight this is the result..
I'm sooo surprised by my own hair,i think its bipolar :D
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lto2ha3HDl1qhdhwjo1_500.jpg








Soo, i just took some length shots of my freshly washed but still oily hair..
And i was shocked!!! it looks even worse than what i thought.. this is the proof to everyone that dying your hair will destroy your hair!! it looks like something chewed on my ends and i feel so horrible and i dont know what to do :(((
I need mental support and tips please..there is no way that a microtrim can resolve this because its especially the sides that are terrible not even the longest part of my hair..
here is a picture..


http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltmlfj4D1Z1qhdhwjo1_500.jpg

aarrrrggg i hate this :((

[Avital88]

so please tell me, what would you do if you were m? im seriously considering a big chop at this moment

[heartgoesboom]

how big of a chop? what kind of hemline are you going for? i mean, you can trim like 2 inches and keep the v or go for a u and it will still be well below waist. or keep growing and claim fte :) since it looks even, i don't think it looks like a dog chewed on it!

[morrigan*]

Maybe a smal trim (bigger than micro) and stop coloring?
And take extra care for the ends :D. I guess.

BTW your hair looks awsome.

[Avital88]

Maybe a smal trim (bigger than micro) and stop coloring?
And take extra care for the ends :D. I guess.

BTW your hair looks awsome.

Yes i quit the coloring 2 months ago but now this is what i ended up with... my hair used to be twice this thick, i cant understand how anyone would think this looks good:(

[Avital88]

how big of a chop? what kind of hemline are you going for? i mean, you can trim like 2 inches and keep the v or go for a u and it will still be well below waist. or keep growing and claim fte :) since it looks even, i don't think it looks like a dog chewed on it!

haha yes i was slowly going for a more U hemline anyway but i meant slowly not in one trim, but i think its the only thing i can do right now.. im so affraid the thinness will get more up,especially now that im at tailbone, i guess its isnt for me yet..bye bye classic at summer

[FrozenBritannia]

Yes i quit the coloring 2 months ago but now this is what i ended up with... my hair used to be twice this thick, i cant understand how anyone would think this looks good:(

I don't know about anybody else, but my hair is Half that thick, so it looks great to me. *shrug*

[Avital88]

back to waist would be too much of a change, if i chop i would consider everything between hip and where i am now

[lapushka]

I agree with heartgoesboom about the V hemline. You can trim half an inch to an inch if you go for a V hemline (Feye's self-trimming method).

[ssjhotau2]

If it were me I would say trim up to the U hemline you were going for (around hip) and then baby your hair from there, maybe maintain for six months or so trimming the damaged layers. Lots of damp braids and damp updos, overnight and prewash oiling, etc

ETA: Just wanted to say that I do love the dramatic V in your avatar and signature pics though.

[Avital88]

If it were me I would say trim up to the U hemline you were going for (around hip) and then baby your hair from there, maybe maintain for six months or so trimming the damaged layers. Lots of damp braids and damp updos, overnight and prewash oiling, etc

ETA: Just wanted to say that I do love the dramatic V in your avatar and signature pics though.

thanks,, thats how nice my hair used to look this summer:( the V grew in naturally but i wanted to go for an U eventually..i really think i'm gonna chop off a few inches and get back to babying and healthy eating. so hopefully the inches will grow back healthy in no time :)) why is it better to bun or braid while damp actually??


I also heard about people cutting of their damage and got the lenght back super quick and better ends, anyone around who can confirm this?I like my hair this lenght it finally became to feel really long and touching my legs while sitting so i feel really bad having to cut off precious lenght..

[xoxophelia]

If it were me I would either:
-cut a steep U with the longest just above hip
-put it up, forget about it, and maintain the length all the way until summer

If I was willing to do the second I would go for it but if the ends really made me sick or they tangled horribly I would go for the trim.

[heidi w.]

I didn't observe a subsequent post by the OP indicating that she's growing out layers? The hemline is heavily V-shaped, and looks as though this is layers growing out. Growing out layers requires trims at intervals to get the layers to eventually even up.

The strip down the center of the back tends to grow the best and thickest of all the volume.

To trim this to a u-shaped hemline, one would have to go up as high as about BSL to get the hemline to even up a bit more.

Agreed: dying hair can die your hair. Thank you for posting and being willing to be a poster child of the problem hair dye can pose to the life of one's hair.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

For almost 2 years I kept the bulk of my hair at knee length while I worked on allowing a weak spot on one side of my hair to fill in a bit. It kind of worked. I used to have, earlier this year, nearly ankle length hair, but it was uber thin in that zone. So I decided to cut it back to a little closer to knee length, and it looks wonderful. This is the length long hair looks best on me. Note: I am not saying that long hair is the best look on me, however!

I have a picture in one of my Albums here. It was taken in July 2011.

heidi w.

[Maktub]

I do see the change in your hair... I was actually looking at your albums yesterday, and thought how your hair is FABULOUS and I had such hair envy !

It seems clear that you had some recent damage from dye, as your ends are much thinner like you said. It still looks good, but not as fabulously good as those pictures in your album.

I think a good trimm ( a few inches, U or V shape) and better care (stop de dye !) will get your fabulous hair back in no time ! I have experienced it and it is true that guetting rid of damage makes hair much thicker and grow much more easily (without breaking of).

[Avital88]

If it were me I would either:
-cut a steep U with the longest just above hip
-put it up, forget about it, and maintain the length all the way until summer

If I was willing to do the second I would go for it but if the ends really made me sick or they tangled horribly I would go for the trim.

Yes the thing is, it doesnt tangle so much at all, and my ends dont feel dry at all either there just really soft and shiny ,its just like i miss a big chunck of hair..its all breakage i think.. i so dont know what to do,,walking around with this ends doesnt make me happy but cutting will also be depressing..

[Avital88]

I didn't observe a subsequent post by the OP indicating that she's growing out layers? The hemline is heavily V-shaped, and looks as though this is layers growing out. Growing out layers requires trims at intervals to get the layers to eventually even up.

The strip down the center of the back tends to grow the best and thickest of all the volume.

To trim this to a u-shaped hemline, one would have to go up as high as about BSL to get the hemline to even up a bit more.

Agreed: dying hair can die your hair. Thank you for posting and being willing to be a poster child of the problem hair dye can pose to the life of one's hair.

heidi w.

Thanks for your advice heidi w, its true that i had cut layers in my hair some years ago but do you really think i need to go back totally to bsl?
And even though i hate the dye damage i hope i can prevent others from making the same mistake.

[Avital88]

I do see the change in your hair... I was actually looking at your albums yesterday, and thought how your hair is FABULOUS and I had such hair envy !

It seems clear that you had some recent damage from dye, as your ends are much thinner like you said. It still looks good, but not as fabulously good as those pictures in your album.

I think a good trimm ( a few inches, U or V shape) and better care (stop de dye !) will get your fabulous hair back in no time ! I have experienced it and it is true that guetting rid of damage makes hair much thicker and grow much more easily (without breaking of).


Ahh thanks a lot Maktub! I really hope i can get my hair back as it used to be, i quit the dye already for 2 months
In what way did you experience it? how much did you cut and how fast did it grow back? and was it the same when growed back or even better or less good??

[Maktub]

I had lots of damage and thin ends, so when I tried growing for the first time, I cut about 4 inches and then kept them freshly trimmed with regular micro-trimms every couple weeks. I cut from BSL to APL, and I am back to bellow BSL now.

It's never been thicker and never looked better !

[heartgoesboom]

haha yes i was slowly going for a more U hemline anyway but i meant slowly not in one trim, but i think its the only thing i can do right now.. im so affraid the thinness will get more up,especially now that im at tailbone, i guess its isnt for me yet..bye bye classic at summer

aw, then go for the u... start with an inch or so. i like having more blunt ends coz i can feel it so sometimes that feels longer to me than thin (but longer ends.)

a little off-topic, sometimes i see people with shorter hair ask if they should trim their thin ends and people say no... but people with longer hair with thinner ends and they get told to trim more. i understand it's due to the length (as we are long hair lovers :)) i just thought it was funny.

[Avital88]

I had lots of damage and thin ends, so when I tried growing for the first time, I cut about 4 inches and then kept them freshly trimmed with regular micro-trimms every couple weeks. I cut from BSL to APL, and I am back to bellow BSL now.

It's never been thicker and never looked better !

And how long did it took you to be where you are right now, like from the trim to be back at bsl again :)) haha
i always wanted to have thick classic lenght hair when i get married, so i need to calculate :)) not that i got proposed yet but heyy you never know haha,i dont want to tell my bf that we have to wait another 2 years because my hair isnt ready to marry..
whaha ok that wasnt a serious thing:cool:

[Avital88]

aw, then go for the u... start with an inch or so. i like having more blunt ends coz i can feel it so sometimes that feels longer to me than thin (but longer ends.)

a little off-topic, sometimes i see people with shorter hair ask if they should trim their thin ends and people say no... but people with longer hair with thinner ends and they get told to trim more. i understand it's due to the length (as we are long hair lovers :)) i just thought it was funny.

Yes i think its true what you say. a lot of people might think : oh she already has long hair, a little chop wont do any harm as it stays long.. but for a longhair it is a bigdeal. every cm counts,that doesnt stops when you are getting longer :) i remember myself saying:when im at waist i go for thick ends instead of lenght,well that became hip and now i'm at tailbone and i still want more lengtt.. hairaddiction anyone??

[Kaelee]

If I were you I would trim the thinnest ends and start going for that U hemline. :)

[UltraBella]

Thanks for your advice heidi w, its true that i had cut layers in my hair some years ago but do you really think i need to go back totally to bsl?
And even though i hate the dye damage i hope i can prevent others from making the same mistake.

No, you don't need to go to BSL ! You could achieve a U hemline easily at waist length with what you've got now.

[Maktub]

No, you don't need to go to BSL ! You could achieve a U hemline easily at waist length with what you've got now.


I agree ! No need to go to BSL at all, waist would be enough !

For me, it took about 1 year 1/2, with lots lots of trimms, to grow back from APL to BSL

It could have been faster if I had not trimmed so much but I love trimming and feeling my ends very freshly cut :D

[alyanna]

I have to say Avital you have one of my favorite hemlines on LHC.

Having said that, I bet if you got a U-hemline at waist, your hair would look as good as new, AND, it would grow back pretty fast. There are no guarantees, but that's where I'd put my money ;)

[MonaLisa]

Oh sweety...

first of all - it might be a bad hair day! it happens! wait it out till after next wash!

And to be realistic, dyeing it several times during summer was a bad idea. but good part is - at least you got to enjoy your hair the way you love it!

I probably wouldnt keep those ends, because i wear my hair down most of the time and i want it to look good. and also - i don't aim for classic but anywhere from waist to tbl..so easier for me to say...
But even if you chop to somewhere between waist and hip - i believe it might be possible to reach classic next summer.

Goal is some point in future, and life isn't a race. You should enjoy the journey...
Reaching a goal, and not being happy with how it looks, wouldn't make me feel i accomplished anything.

so i'd say, wait and see how it will look like after next wash, if it doesn't improve, go for the V or U line at hip, i hope it will help, be very gentle and caring to it and forget the dyes please.

Also, i find it beautiful, always have :)

Hugs

[Avital88]

Oh sweety...

first of all - it might be a bad hair day! it happens! wait it out till after next wash!

And to be realistic, dyeing it several times during summer was a bad idea. but good part is - at least you got to enjoy your hair the way you love it!

I probably wouldnt keep those ends, because i wear my hair down most of the time and i want it to look good. and also - i don't aim for classic but anywhere from waist to tbl..so easier for me to say...
But even if you chop to somewhere between waist and hip - i believe it might be possible to reach classic next summer.

Goal is some point in future, and life isn't a race. You should enjoy the journey...
Reaching a goal, and not being happy with how it looks, wouldn't make me feel i accomplished anything.

so i'd say, wait and see how it will look like after next wash, if it doesn't improve, go for the V or U line at hip, i hope it will help, be very gentle and caring to it and forget the dyes please.

Also, i find it beautiful, always have :)

Hugs


Oh you are too sweet MonaLisa!!i love you :D
I will wait untill next wash then, but honestly i already had the scissors in my hands some hours ago but i just couldnt do it. because i love the last inch of length i have and i dont know where to start with trimming,it doesnt feel half as dead as that it looks :S no more dye for me thats one thing i did learned from this.. hugss x

[Avital88]

I have to say Avital you have one of my favorite hemlines on LHC.

Having said that, I bet if you got a U-hemline at waist, your hair would look as good as new, AND, it would grow back pretty fast. There are no guarantees, but that's where I'd put my money ;)

Thats very nice of you Alyanna:)) means a lot to me.. if i just wouldnt be so chicken to cut it..

[MonaLisa]

:love:

It could also be just a bad photo.
Drop the scissors and give it a chance :)

If it doesn't behave, be a brave girl!

[Avital88]

i really hope it is a bad photo then.. i will wait 2 more weeks and then i need to decide.. thanks for the input love x

[Emerald88]

You seem really upset right now, so my advice is to not cut until you have had time to make a rational decision and not an emotional one. If your goal is to get rid of the sharp V then I think you could take off a couple of inches, baby it and make small trims from there until you are happy with the condition and length instead of cutting back to bsl. You are going to have to cut at some point to get rid of the V and thicken the hemline if that is what you want.
Take a few days at least to decide what you want to do so you dont' regret your decision. Honestly, it isn't that bad and if you oil the ends and keep it up for a couple of weeks and take another picture you may be glad you didn't cut. Worse case is you will cut in 2 weeks instead of today.

[Avital88]

You seem really upset right now, so my advice is to not cut until you have had time to make a rational decision and not an emotional one. If your goal is to get rid of the sharp V then I think you could take off a couple of inches, baby it and make small trims from there until you are happy with the condition and length instead of cutting back to bsl. You are going to have to cut at some point to get rid of the V and thicken the hemline if that is what you want.
Take a few days at least to decide what you want to do so you dont' regret your decision. Honestly, it isn't that bad and if you oil the ends and keep it up for a couple of weeks and take another picture you may be glad you didn't cut. Worse case is you will cut in 2 weeks instead of today.

thanks for your honest opinion, and i think that you are right.. the last thing i want is to regret a haircut.. although thats a mistake i made 7years ago so i wont go there again soon but still its tough.. haha i never knew my hair was this important to me.. u dont know what u got until its gone fits in here perfectly.

[Kathie]

It looks like you’re getting some good advice here. I second waiting a little bit. But if you do decide to trim I think you should start small. It’s amazing what a difference half an inch or so can do, despite the fact you may feel you need to take more.

[Avital88]

No, you don't need to go to BSL ! You could achieve a U hemline easily at waist length with what you've got now.

Thanks for telling me this, im a big admirer of your hair :)) and glad u tell me that that isnt necessary:))

[Avital88]

I just saw a picture of Nicole Scherzinger which i admired years ago, and all of a sudden i thought her hair wasnt as good as it could be either,or not as i thought it was.. so i think its also a part of me getting used to perfect hemlines and being a spoiled lhc brat.. hmm this makes me think really a lot.. im not gonna cut yet..

[Maverick494]

Hey dear. I know about dye damage as I used to be Paris Hilton blonde from a bottle. At that time I had a really sharp V cut that was a pain to grow out (at one point my ends were so thin I looked laughable when I put it in a braid). I went for a chop when I couldn't take it anymore, which set me back from MBL to BSL (if I remember right, it's been a while).

I think if you go for a chop you'll be back at where I'm at currently, which is a bit past waist. If you go for a big one, that is. The difference between your and my situation at the time is that my hair was a fried mess. Right now I don't think your hair looks unhealthy. Maybe maintaining and waiting for the rest to catch up will do the trick. I've seen good results with this approach from other users though I do not remember their exact usernames.

The only problem I see is that your hair grows into a V naturally, which makes it harder to get the hemline you want. :( Wish you the best. As for dye, I did a lot of overnight masks and that really helped improve how my hair looked and felt. Might be worth a shot.

[Avital88]

http://www.sweetslyrics.com/images/img_gal/1535_nicole_scherzinger.jpg333.jpg

For example here,, she might even have worse ends than me ..:(( hmm why did i never see this before

[Avital88]

Hey dear. I know about dye damage as I used to be Paris Hilton blonde from a bottle. At that time I had a really sharp V cut that was a pain to grow out (at one point my ends were so thin I looked laughable when I put it in a braid). I went for a chop when I couldn't take it anymore, which set me back from MBL to BSL (if I remember right, it's been a while).

I think if you go for a chop you'll be back at where I'm at currently, which is a bit past waist. If you go for a big one, that is. The difference between your and my situation at the time is that my hair was a fried mess. Right now I don't think your hair looks unhealthy. Maybe maintaining and waiting for the rest to catch up will do the trick. I've seen good results with this approach from other users though I do not remember their exact usernames.

The only problem I see is that your hair grows into a V naturally, which makes it harder to get the hemline you want. :( Wish you the best. As for dye, I did a lot of overnight masks and that really helped improve how my hair looked and felt. Might be worth a shot.

Overnight masks might be something i can try,, but the thing is my hair is in really good condition, its not dry.brittle or anything like that,its actually really smooth down to the ends so i think its mainly just breakage..

[Maverick494]

It's like anorexia: what at first seems like THE goal weight suddenly isn't great anymore when you got past it. I call it hairorexia for that reason :D I specifically remember movies and stars when I was younger who had hair I wanted, only to look back now and see how 'short' and badly cut it is, haha.

[Maverick494]

Overnight masks might be something i can try,, but the thing is my hair is in really good condition, its not dry.brittle or anything like that,its actually really smooth down to the ends so i think its mainly just breakage..

Well in that case I would really hold out for a while and try maintaining. Normally I'm big on trimming and chopping, but since your hair is healthy I think patience and updo's are the best medicine. And regular trims ofcourse. Do you have a lot of 'white dots' in your hair?

[Avital88]

Well in that case I would really hold out for a while and try maintaining. Normally I'm big on trimming and chopping, but since your hair is healthy I think patience and updo's are the best medicine. And regular trims ofcourse. Do you have a lot of 'white dots' in your hair?

nope i dont have them either so its really just length eaten by dye...evil dyeee...i thought my hair could handle it but i should have known better.. my ends are really damaged from years of (almost daily)heatstyling,bleaching and coloring. the past 2,5 years there didnt came off more than 6inches of length so its not weird that its breaking after all.

[Panth]

Personally, I'd just leave your hair alone. No trims, no cutting. Just baby it from now on and treat it well. If you want to get rid of that extreme V-shaped hemline you could do maintenance trims (i.e. trim back to a set point every month or so until the hemline improves). However, I don't really see that the hemline is ugly. It may not be what you want in an ideal world, but it's hardly too ugly to live with.

Heck, my hemline is quite a lot like that - I've got at least 7" difference between the centre and the edges. I just hide it in updos (not, I hasten to add, because I dislike the hemline - I do updos because I can't get past classic without them). My hemline was caused by growing out short face-framing layers. I plan to get to knee and then maintain at that point until my hemline is straighter.

You could maintain at TB for a bit to make your hemline less V-shaped. Alternatively, you could head straight on to your goal length (or an intermediate length) and then maintain.

[Avital88]

Personally, I'd just leave your hair alone. No trims, no cutting. Just baby it from now on and treat it well. If you want to get rid of that extreme V-shaped hemline you could do maintenance trims (i.e. trim back to a set point every month or so until the hemline improves). However, I don't really see that the hemline is ugly. It may not be what you want in an ideal world, but it's hardly too ugly to live with.

Heck, my hemline is quite a lot like that - I've got at least 7" difference between the centre and the edges. I just hide it in updos (not, I hasten to add, because I dislike the hemline - I do updos because I can't get past classic without them). My hemline was caused by growing out short face-framing layers. I plan to get to knee and then maintain at that point until my hemline is straighter.

You could maintain at TB for a bit to make your hemline less V-shaped. Alternatively, you could head straight on to your goal length (or an intermediate length) and then maintain.

thanks for the input,, might have to wear it only up too to get it growing to classic.. the reason why i think its ugly because im not used to having my hair this thin as you can see in my avatar and siggy it used to be a lot thicker.. i think i decided what im gonna do and that is, baby it for now really good, let it grow, get back on vitamins etc then begin of january start maintaining my hemline around tailbone lenght for a few months,maybe until may then let it slowly grow to classic length,then hopefully in a year from now i can laugh about this picture and show you all some healthy thick almost classic hair!

[SpinDance]

Hang in there, Avital88. It looks and sounds like you have a couple of things going on. Let me see if I have these right.

- Your hair used to be thicker particularly at the ends.
- Your hair is cut and/or grows naturally in a V hemline.
- You are having breakage.

I don't remember seeing how often you trim, but if you don't trim at least a little now and again you will end up with some that are longer than the others simply because some are in the growth phase of their life cycle while others are in the post growth phase where they stay without getting longer until they fall out. With your V hemline any new length will certainly outpace the hairs that are no longer gaining length. Then if you add some breakage to the mix, well, you'll have fewer hairs in those very longest parts.

As I see it you have a choice to make. Do it fast or do it slow. :) In either case I suggest implementing the 2-week rule. You can choose to cut it back to whatever sort of hemline you want for the long term and then maintain that shape as you get the length you want. Or you can do it slow, either trimming the entire hemline a little to thicken up the ends of the current V shape and trim off a little more from the point of the V to start to round the shape. Then you can do a tiny trim, maybe 5 mm, ever month to continue trimming the shape back to a U, letting the rest catch up as you trim back the very longest. Since your V shape is so long you may find that you need to trim the edges of that shape a bit every few months to keep it from getting so thin as new hairs outpace others.

It sounds like you are very lucky in that other than some breakage you describe your hair as otherwise healthy. Keep up the good work, and if you really don't like looking at the ends as you grow out the V-shaped hemline, just put it up for a while. Benign neglect can be a wonderful thing!

All the best to you in your journey.

[heartgoesboom]

http://www.sweetslyrics.com/images/img_gal/1535_nicole_scherzinger.jpg333.jpg

For example here,, she might even have worse ends than me ..:(( hmm why did i never see this before

avital - maybe just curl your ends with some hair friendly rollers when you wear it down? curly fte are pretty!

[Kherome]

back to waist would be too much of a change, if i chop i would consider everything between hip and where i am now

To me, you're only at hip now, so I guess you don't have the option to trim at all. I mean, you have like 30 hairs that are almost tailbone, but most of your hair is at waist/hip.

It doesn't look that bad, but you're right, it does seem a bit thinner. What I would do, if it were me, is a good 3 inches off and baby it back to where it was, which would only take 6 months or so depending on your growth rate.

[kidari]

I think your hair looks absolutely gorgeous. If you haven't done a major trim in a while it's just the tapering that occurs naturally. I agree with Heartgoesboom that if you just curl your hair the ends will look pretty much exactly like the picture she posted. As long as there are no white dots, splits, or overall velcro feel and quality you don't need a major trim. I would just microtrim or curl the ends if you are going to wear it down.

[xoxophelia]

I think one thing to keep in mind with all of this is that your hair seems to grow pretty fast. So, if you were to trim just an inch you would make it up pretty quickly.

Based off of how you seem to be feeling I am in the maintain for a bit camp now. If you trim off the amount of your new growth, you could have this sorted out in no time. I am guessing you get more than the average .5" of growth looking at your album so maybe even just 3 months would be enough to even things out enough for your liking for the time being.

[Avital88]

I think your hair looks absolutely gorgeous. If you haven't done a major trim in a while it's just the tapering that occurs naturally. I agree with Heartgoesboom that if you just curl your hair the ends will look pretty much exactly like the picture she posted. As long as there are no white dots, splits, or overall velcro feel and quality you don't need a major trim. I would just microtrim or curl the ends if you are going to wear it down.

Thank you :) i have curly hair natural but i always brush it straight while damp/80%dry,i was thinking that i might just keep on wearing it curly and dont brush it or only when totally dry or comb and keep the curls so the ends can hide a bit.. hmm decisions decisions

[Avital88]

To me, you're only at hip now, so I guess you don't have the option to trim at all. I mean, you have like 30 hairs that are almost tailbone, but most of your hair is at waist/hip.

It doesn't look that bad, but you're right, it does seem a bit thinner. What I would do, if it were me, is a good 3 inches off and baby it back to where it was, which would only take 6 months or so depending on your growth rate.

well this is quite mean, its not just 30 hairs that are at tailbone, that would mean that next month i'm not at tailbone at all anymore because of a normal shed rate?

[Earelia]

It looks a bit frayed and thin on the ends, I bet a trim would make it look a hell of a lot better. Just take a little off at a time and see what you can pull off without taking too much. The length of it still has shine from what I see.

[Avital88]

I think one thing to keep in mind with all of this is that your hair seems to grow pretty fast. So, if you were to trim just an inch you would make it up pretty quickly.

Based off of how you seem to be feeling I am in the maintain for a bit camp now. If you trim off the amount of your new growth, you could have this sorted out in no time. I am guessing you get more than the average .5" of growth looking at your album so maybe even just 3 months would be enough to even things out enough for your liking for the time being.


I'm not sure if my hair is still growing this quick, back then i was taking silica and vitamins which im not taking at this point anymore..
I will wait a few weeks to see what i'm going to decide, in the meantime i hope my hair will recover a bit and at least grows a bit so i can cut of that lenght:))

[Avital88]

Hang in there, Avital88. It looks and sounds like you have a couple of things going on. Let me see if I have these right.

- Your hair used to be thicker particularly at the ends.
- Your hair is cut and/or grows naturally in a V hemline.
- You are having breakage.

I don't remember seeing how often you trim, but if you don't trim at least a little now and again you will end up with some that are longer than the others simply because some are in the growth phase of their life cycle while others are in the post growth phase where they stay without getting longer until they fall out. With your V hemline any new length will certainly outpace the hairs that are no longer gaining length. Then if you add some breakage to the mix, well, you'll have fewer hairs in those very longest parts.

As I see it you have a choice to make. Do it fast or do it slow. :) In either case I suggest implementing the 2-week rule. You can choose to cut it back to whatever sort of hemline you want for the long term and then maintain that shape as you get the length you want. Or you can do it slow, either trimming the entire hemline a little to thicken up the ends of the current V shape and trim off a little more from the point of the V to start to round the shape. Then you can do a tiny trim, maybe 5 mm, ever month to continue trimming the shape back to a U, letting the rest catch up as you trim back the very longest. Since your V shape is so long you may find that you need to trim the edges of that shape a bit every few months to keep it from getting so thin as new hairs outpace others.

It sounds like you are very lucky in that other than some breakage you describe your hair as otherwise healthy. Keep up the good work, and if you really don't like looking at the ends as you grow out the V-shaped hemline, just put it up for a while. Benign neglect can be a wonderful thing!

All the best to you in your journey.

Thank you so much for your long response,i was microtrimming the past 2 years, just 0.3 inch every 3 months or so. but when the dye came in that wasnt enough probably.this in combination with breakage,hairloss and summer is the result.

I wish that in a few months i have this all fixed but i'm scared that this time it will take me a lot longer.i will def. wait 2 more weeks before im gonna decide what to do.I think i will turn out to be maintaining at tailbone and hopefully get my old hemline back,if the tiny trims are not helping then i have only one way to go and that is the big chop, and 2 inches to me is already a big chop :)) haha

[Mesmerise]

Okay, so this is what *I* would do. I would go for a U shaped cut, with the shortest pieces at waist (they're not much different to waist anyway, as you have a deep V) and the longest no more than hip. That way, yes you would lose length from the back, but from the front (with your hair over your shoulder) it wouldn't look that much different because the main difference would be chopping off most of that V.

I really don't think that any less of a trim would thicken your ends sufficiently to make you happy with them!

However, by cutting a shallower U, your ends would look much thicker and you'd lose the "dog chewed" look.

Now, honestly I don't think your hair looks that bad, but I also know that I can't stand thin ends on myself, and cut off quite a lot of hair back in July/August because I hated my thin ends (and my hair is lots shorter than yours... and yes, I don't like the length it is now... BUT I don't mind how it looks so much when I wear it loose now).

[Amber_Maiden]

It does not look like a dog chewed on it. Believe me.

[growingpains]

Avital, it really needs to be said: you have gorgeous hair. It is simply stunning. You are one of my LHC inspirations. In all your recent album recent pics I think it looks fantastic.

Here's the thing. Right now your hair is definitely fairytailing a bit and, to me, that kind of gives it a bit of a carefree look. There is NOTHING wrong with that, but if you are wanting a more polished look, a blunter cut would deliver that.

I think you should seriously bite the bullet and get a small trim. I think it will make you feel better. Nothing huge, just like an inch or so. If you do it right it will look much thicker. Just really plan it out how to cut it to maximize both thickness and length and you will be fine. You can of course not bother, but if you want to feel good about it down you probably should do an inch or so. I agree with invoking the two week rule, though.

[growingpains]

Also, if I were you I would trim to one inch below your shorts line using the U method (which would miss trimming the shorter side pieces). I would then *microtrim* (1/3 inch max) the shorter sides using the deep V method (but making sure you are leaning your head down super far so you avoid taking length off the ends. This will tidy it up a bit, but won't make a dent in the length.

[ange1ito]

I would try the U hemline but only after you give it a few weeks. I got really down with mine and chopped right up to the shoulders to get rid of layers and guess what I still have at least a years growth of the shorter one's to grow out!!! Don't rush into you may still not be happy once you cut.

[Avital88]

Avital, it really needs to be said: you have gorgeous hair. It is simply stunning. You are one of my LHC inspirations. In all your recent album recent pics I think it looks fantastic.

Here's the thing. Right now your hair is definitely fairytailing a bit and, to me, that kind of gives it a bit of a carefree look. There is NOTHING wrong with that, but if you are wanting a more polished look, a blunter cut would deliver that.

I think you should seriously bite the bullet and get a small trim. I think it will make you feel better. Nothing huge, just like an inch or so. If you do it right it will look much thicker. Just really plan it out how to cut it to maximize both thickness and length and you will be fine. You can of course not bother, but if you want to feel good about it down you probably should do an inch or so. I agree with invoking the two week rule, though.

Thank you so much, thats very sweet.. so yes, fairytaling isnt for me i found out, i dont want a specific polished look but i do want neater ends.. they werent so great after all the last years but this is above all expectations.
I will look up the selftrim method for cutting a U, in 2 weeks from now i will make another lengthpicture to see whats going on and work from there. thanks for the advice x

[Avital88]

Ok so you all know.. i decided to not wear my hair straight anymore, and it makes a difference instantly..I'm gonna take silica for 6 weeks( i know about the longterm risks so i dont use it a long time) do a little trim in a few weeks and hopefully i'll be back on track to my goal:tailbone with healthy ends and classic by summer...

[Lissandria]

I just LOVE your V hemline. I would love a hip length (maybe tailbone if im lucky ;)) deep V hemline one day. It definitely does not look like a dog chewed it.
However, as you have reported breakage, I would baby your hair for at least two weeks like some others have suggested and if still not happy after two weeks I would take mesmerise's advice (and any others who said similar) and just trim the deep V into a hip length U -only if you're not happy in a few weeks and also only because you want to have a U instead of a V anyway!
Your hair makes my hair green with envy :D Keep us updated with your hair!

[ssjhotau2]

thanks,, thats how nice my hair used to look this summer:( the V grew in naturally but i wanted to go for an U eventually..i really think i'm gonna chop off a few inches and get back to babying and healthy eating. so hopefully the inches will grow back healthy in no time :)) why is it better to bun or braid while damp actually??

I read awhile ago that damp/not quite dry hair that is bunned or braided is given more time to absorb the moisture. I never read up on it again- it just makes me like my hair a little bit more because it feels like its softer and healthier.

I've never had patience for bad ends really- if I don't like my hair and I know the ends have to come off anyways I cut the worst off and try to maintain the rest as long as possible. Damp braiding and updos has helped me resist cutting by both making my hair feel better and hiding it from me so I can't see/feel it to want to cut it :p

[Avital88]

I read awhile ago that damp/not quite dry hair that is bunned or braided is given more time to absorb the moisture. I never read up on it again- it just makes me like my hair a little bit more because it feels like its softer and healthier.

I've never had patience for bad ends really- if I don't like my hair and I know the ends have to come off anyways I cut the worst off and try to maintain the rest as long as possible. Damp braiding and updos has helped me resist cutting by both making my hair feel better and hiding it from me so I can't see/feel it to want to cut it :p

ok thanks! might gonna try that too :) your hair is gorgeous by the way!
I'm usually also more impulsive, but i've made big mistakes in the past with cutting my hair so i rather do nothing then cut with emotions.. so whoever invented the 2 week rule is awesome..its just that usually after 2 weeks i stick to another 2 wks and that goes like that for months..

[MonaLisa]

Don't forget the Moon as well :D

To choose a proper moon phase!

[Avital88]

Don't forget the Moon as well :D

To choose a proper moon phase!

yes yes yes!!! i always trim by moonphase!now im out to buy me some new silica;-) have a good day xx:poot:

[Celtic Morla]

Nah doesn't look like a dog chewed on it BTDT as a dog groomer I ahve had it chewed, cut part off by mistake-thought it was a dogs drag coat... I kinda like the natural hemline, but I know we are trained by society to think its awful. I would just really oil it up and sleep on it. I negkecte dmy hair this summer and now that I am babying it I can;t believe how much better it feels!

[honeyblonde]

I have always liked your fairy tale ends. Braid waves do make your hair look fuller though!

Here is another trick for fuller braid waves: While hair is damp make two front pigtails, then use sponge rollers and roll up the ends! After hair is completely dry take them out....you will have nice thick looking ends!

[McFearless]

Your hair is still so gorgeous. Just take care of yourself and ignore the hemline for at least 6 months. Then trim a little every few months. :)

[Avital88]

Nah doesn't look like a dog chewed on it BTDT as a dog groomer I ahve had it chewed, cut part off by mistake-thought it was a dogs drag coat... I kinda like the natural hemline, but I know we are trained by society to think its awful. I would just really oil it up and sleep on it. I negkecte dmy hair this summer and now that I am babying it I can;t believe how much better it feels!

hhahaha you did for real? thats scaryy.maybe i should neglect too, well i only have experience with a dog chewing on my shoe so i thought this looked quite the same..:cool:

[Avital88]

Your hair is still so gorgeous. Just take care of yourself and ignore the hemline for at least 6 months. Then trim a little every few months. :)

I think if im gonna neglect my hemline for 6 months my thinness will get all up to waist or bsl :(

[Annibelle]

You've always been one of my hair idols! You totally rock the FTE. :)

[Maelyssa]

I was in the same boat as you two years ago & I went to a stylist for just a small trim. We ended up talking about my long hair goals & she was completely on board with helping me achieve long, healthy hair but she highly advised chopping off all the damage & growing it out healthy. I weighed it for myself & what it came down to was this...I did want long beautiful hair but most of my hair was beyond help & I feared that further splits & damage would occur from trying to hang onto the length.

So I really let her chop it. I went from hip length to shoulder length. Was it hard to do, absolutely because I felt like I had set myself back on growing my hair out but after that initial upset I was thrilled. For the first time in a while my hair felt & looked AMAZING. Seriously, it was the best thing I've done for my hair.

From that night on, I use no to very little sulfates. I don't use damaging heat appliances or hair toys that would cause damage. I'm very careful with brushing/combing gently.

Now, two years later my hair is at waist & it feels like hardly any time past to get it there. I was too busy living life & enjoying may hair rather than spending so much of every day stressing about what to do to fix it.

It's up to you in the end but a big chop is definitely NOT the end of the world & in some cases it can do wonders for your hair & your confidence about your hair.

Good luck with whatever your decision!

[Avital88]

thanks for your post maelyssa but in my world short hair really is the end of the world.. i have had past waist length hair until i was 16 and then i chopped it to shoulder lenght, only since last year my hair started to be long again and im 23 now.That was a long time! haha, chopping it of is something i would never do,especially never shorter than midbacklenght. I'm really gonna try to fix my hair but i think the biggest trim im gonna do will be not more than 2 inches once and after 1inch max at a time.. i really hope its gonna work, im just gonna try it in some months, if in summer i find out it doesnt work after all then there is always possibility to chop alot:)

[Avital88]

You've always been one of my hair idols! You totally rock the FTE. :)

Thank you Annibelle, too bad im not into fte myself.. on myself.. it can look nice on some but its not for me...So im going to be realistic and plan for a miracle;-)

[morrigan*]

Yes i quit the coloring 2 months ago but now this is what i ended up with... my hair used to be twice this thick, i cant understand how anyone would think this looks good:(

I lost a lot of thickness too when coloring :(, still doesn't look thin, but i know it was thicker. Just take care of it, this is the only thing i can say to you.:o

[Avital88]

thanks morrigan!!(i like that name:D) i'm doing the best i can do ,i hope to post some good news in a few months.. x

[morrigan*]

Thank you :D
It will grow back, I know mine does. I bleached twice, and colored several times (3 years). Then decided that I don't want to destroying my hair, and it's now more than a year from last coloring, and i have a lot of baby hairs, few inches long :D

[LaurelSpring]

I just think that you should do monthy microtrims with some S&D. Give it a little time and TLC. It looks great. Not bad at all.