Back to hip? Help me decide!

[Syrena]

Hi everyone!

First of all, excuse the miserable quality of February pictures. I got a bit wild with the editing! It will get better next time! I promise.

Here is my dilemma.
I started actively grow my hair out 2,5 years ago. I was at hiplength then. Even if I never distressed my hair with hot tools, I treated it badly. My sins where washing my hair everyday only with the shampoo (even rubbing the lengths with shampoo –oops), regular highlights and wearing my hair down all the time.
I stopped highlighting my hair almost 5 years ago. My natural hair color has grown to ca. waist length until now. I only get natural highlights in my hair when I am in the sun, and I like this look very much.
I totally changed my hair routine and I wear my hair up 95% of time, wash it every 3 days only, apply no heat, I apply hair masks occasionally, and use natural products on my hair (Burts Bees, Lush, The body shop). However, I still sleep with my hair down, I cannot get used to sleep on braid or having a bun. And I don’t have a silk pillow case.

My problem is my thin hemline. During past 2 years I tried to gain as much length as possible. I almost did not trim my hair during this time. Sadly, it showed on my thinning hemline. My hair thins out very much as it grows. And in the last year I became a feeling, that I don’t like it. I started to micro trim last November (when my hair got to mid-but length), but my ends are so thin, that even after 4 trims (November, I trimmed twice in December, and January), my hemline stays very thin. I trimmed 1inch in November, and 0,5 inch in December and January.

In February I decided to trim to tailbone, so my ends will thicken a little bit. But still, hemline stays thin.
I am deciding on what to do now. Should I stay at tailbone and micro trim for a while? I would give it a try and trim for 6-9 months to see the development. Or should I trim back to hips and then grow with regular trims? My original hair goal was classic length, but I wished I would be able to maintain ticker ends. I never wear my hair down, but I would like to wear it down a little bit in summer on occasions. And I want to feel comfortable. Now, I don’t feel comfortable with the way my hair looks like at this length.
I am not sure if my hair is able to make it after hip length, my hair tapers naturally very strongly after this length. I am even reconsidering my length goal.


http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=8683&pictureid=126350
January, very thin ends in light background.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=8683&pictureid=123223
January, difference on black background, hemline looks much ticker.

February:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=8683&pictureid=126351

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=8683&pictureid=126349


http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=8683&pictureid=126348

PS: can you see the pictures?

[EtherealDoll]

I think you should trim it back but only 2-3 inches and then microtrim it for a few months to see if the hemline thickens.

[Kitsu]

I think you should go with what make you happy, whats the point if you don't enjoy it?

I hear a lot of people talk about the two week rule. Don't do anything drastic until you have thought about it for at least two weeks.

Sorry that I've not told you what to do. Heh I think hair cutting can be a very personal thing.

[Vercelli]

Hi,

I have to say my hair looks almost exactly the same even though I have brownish hair, and I have been micro trimming almost every month!

I had some hairloss over the last two years which resulted in thinning ends. And I was quite said about my looks for a while but started thinking more positive lately. We'll see how that goes longterm......

Apart from that I think

a) your hair looks lovely and you should not worry too much about it. Maybe try some more deep treats with oil and see how it goes. And don't forget: your hair is pretty as are you!

b) if you feel like cutting some length - why not? As long as you feel right about it. Don't be a slave of your own hair. Growing should be fun somehow. (Well at least this is what I am trying to learn for myself too at the moment...).

In any case all the best to you!

[Avital88]

keep on going with the microtrimming,and oil your hair and put it up or braid it during the night, this helps a lot , really! Just try it for a few weeks/months..
I'm sure you can fix this,its just a few inches, i wouldnt cut it all off in once but take better care of it

[Shebelina]

I'm going to start by saying your hair looks lovely, but what's important is that you are happy with it. I had very thin ends last year, having accidently grown it longer through benign neglect. I trimmed a fair amount off, until my ends were much thicker and more even. I'm only trimming every three months, as I want to see noticable growth, but so far no thin ends.

I didn't like sleeping in braids either, but I found that sleeping with two braids instead of just one was far more comfortable. There is less bulk in one place that way, and it doesn't frizz at the nape of my neck quite so much.

[lunalocks]

I have been sleeping with a bun on the very top of my head and I can't tell it is there. A side braid may work as well.

I have thinning ends too, that begin at about waist. Not all of us can have knee length hair. i would be conservative and take off just a few inches, and see what difference that makes.

[Syrena]

Thank you all for your replies. I appreciate it very much!

Etheraldoll:
I thought about trimming 2 more inches of. But I cannot bring myself to do it yet. That is why I want to know your opinions J

Kitsu:
No worries, I will consider the trimming issue carefully. I am trimming according to the moon calendar and I will trim in Leo days. My next trim is planned for the beginning of March. It provides me almost 3 weeks to decide how much I want to trim next time. I understand what you mean by hair trimming being a personal thing. I can ask for your advice but the final decision is up to me and how I feel about it. J

Vercelli:
J Thank you for your kind words. Did I found some hair twin? How is your micro trimming progress going?
I have been trying some hair masks (Lush) and treatments for my hair in last months..which was actually for the first time! I was never type who was concerned for the hair and never used hair masks! Imagine that!


Avital88:
I am using coconut oil regularly on my lengths so far... I even tried coconut milk treatment, my hair seems to like it very much! But I never tried any other oil:rolleyes:
I will try to braid my hair for the night. I hope I can withstand the challenge to sleep in the braid. Or I will make 2 braids, as Shebelina recommends me to do.
However, my hair is rather a slow grower L It grows only ca. 0,4 inch/month. It will take time to micro trim all thin ends away. But long hair means patience and persistence, doesn’t it? J

Shebelina:
Thank you very much for your compliment J
The idea to sleep in 2 braids sounds interesting. I will definitely try that! Thank you!

[Madora]

It's your hair, but I'd definitely cut back to hip to give it the illusion of more thickness.

The older your ends are, the more delicate they are and prone to damage. For the sake of all your strands, protect them by confining them at night...somehow. If you use braids, I'd be very careful not to braid all the way to the ends.

[HintOfMint]

I'd cut it back to hip. It looks great in the January picture against a dark background, but in most of the other pictures you can see the thin ends.

Your hair would look gorgeous with a thicker hemline.

[Amber_Maiden]

I would trim back to hip, or at least cut a few inches off.

I don't braid or put my hair up when I sleep either- but I do have a satin pillowcase.

[maborosi]

Now, I'd cut back, personally, but that's because one of my big things is having a thick hemline.

It's your choice, though I think the cut back to TB did make the hemline look thicker, and going back to hip might really, really help it out. If you maintain there for a little while, I think your hemline will eventually thicken up some more, provided you are nice to your hair. :)

You've got really pretty hair. :)

~maborosi~

[Lostsoule77]

First off, I think what you are currently doing for your hair sounds really good. You do need to try a few more styles at night until you find something that fits. It should make a difference, especially on your delicate ends.

Then you need to decide whether you care more about length or quality. This is personal to all of us and you need to decide which is the priority to you.

If the thin ends don't really bother you then I'd hold off on doing anything other than your usual microtrim. You wear it up 95% of the time anyway. Just put it up and forget about it. When summer hits you can always reevaluate and see if the hemline has thickened up a bit. If not you can always make a bigger trim then. :)

If the thin ends do bother you then I'd say trim to BCL, or wherever on your body that white shirt hits. The ends there are a bit thinner than at hip, but not much. Then continue to maintain at that length until summer. Same thing, put it up and forget about it. That'll give the rest of your hair time to try and catch up.

Whatever you decide your hair is lovely! Just do whatever is going to make you happy and you can't go wrong. :D Good luck!

[lapushka]

I'd microtrim if I were you. Please have lots of patience for those ends to catch up. It takes a lot more time than you think (even years).

[Deborah]

I'd trim back to hip if I were you. The rest of your hair looks nice and thick, so the thin ends are pretty noticeable. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[xoxophelia]

I would trim maybe half way back to hip. The reason I say this is because my guess is your previous treatment of your hair may be the cause of your thinning ends. You might have to trim off your length regularly for the healthier hair to grow down.

You could also continue to wear it up and then decide where to cut to come summer.

[spidermom]

If it were me, I'd keep with the small trims and give it some time. You can always trim a bit more if you're not becoming more happy with the way your ends look, but you can't put the hair back on if you cut too much off. So - easy does it.

[Emmental]

I would trim to hip, but a healthy-looking, thick hemline is more important to me than length.

[BrightEyes]

Wow, you have beautiful hair! I would say take 2-3 inches off the ends, then start regularly microtrimming to thicken up the hemline.

[Spring]

I think you should cut back to hip then continue with regular trims :blossom:

[Maverick494]

To be totally honest with you: if it were my hair, I would cut it back to hip. You may have started out at hip, but let's not forget that's one hell of a length to start out with. Progress from hip to classic is very different than for example APL to BSL, because at that length most of the canopy hairs are still involved as well. Also, since by now most of your hairs are at that length, the hemline would look beautiful.

Just my two cents.

[ravenheather]

I'd just microtrim. Your hair is very pretty.

[QueenMadge]

I would micro trim and try and wait for it to thicken up on its own naturally. Hard to do and easy for me to say, I know. :flower:

[silverjen]

It really depends on what is most important to you: length or thickness. If you aren't sure, then just maintain and think about it until it becomes clearer to you. Oh, and your hair is gorgeous! I love both the length and the color. Hugs!

[lizdini]

I don't think your hemline is that thin-looking. maybe stick with the micro trims for a bit, to see if it improves? You can always cut later if you still don't like it.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I know it would be a very hard decision to make, but after cutting out damaged hair myself I believe it would be well worth the effort to cut it to hip and grow it slowly by trimming half the length that it grows monthly so that although it will take longer, it will be much thicker and better off in the long run.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope you'll be happy in your decision.

[Syrena]

Thank you all! You make my decisions much easier!

I have been thinking about it for a few days now. I have been considering all pros and cons for cutting.
I listed through all my length shots I took starting January 2010 and I felt a little bit nostalgic. It took me 2 years to come to this length. I learned a lot about my hair and proper hair care during this time.

But still after these 2 years, what I have to sacrifice if I will cut back to hip? The length. It seems such a easy thing to do, but…

Why to trim back?
- The main reason are my thin ends
- Also, my ends damaged pretty much (basically from hip I have bunch of split ends and breakage)
- I would get rid of almost all my old highlighted strands from years ago
- I would gain thicker hemline
- I would feel much more confident about my hair
- The trim would give me a “fresh” start
- My hair will look much healthier

Why not to trim back?
- Emotional attachment to my hair
- 2 years of hair growth will be gone in a second
- I would like to keep my length

I want to wait until the beginning of March (waiting for the Leo sign day J). I know that I will do bigger trim, but I still don’t know how much. I am a bit worried to suddenly cut it all off to hip.
Maybe I will go in small steps and trim during few months until I will finished by hips. I have to find out. Like that I can see if the thickness grows down and how fast. If my hair still continues to thin by hip, I will definitely trim to hip length and stay by this length. My dream of classic will crash down, but I think that hip length is already not bad.

[hanne jensen]

Syrena, you could have the best of both worlds if you dust half your growth every month. Your ends would gradually thicken and you'd still have growth. You could also try lightly oiling your ends. This will make them appear a little thicker.

I honestly don't think that your ends are that bad in your Feb. pictures. Yes, they are thinner, but not that bad. If it were my hair, I'd dust every 4 weeks, oil the ends, be very careful and gentle with the entire length and wear it up all the time. I'd also damp bun after washing.

[Darkhorse1]

I'm going through this same dilema. The problem for most people is that hair strands don't all grow at the same time, so we will always have a time where our ends will be thinner. Two options are: trim the ends to allow the other hair to catch up or wait it out and then do a big trim.

I went for a 2 inch trim not long ago and am very happy with the results. I was at the same stage you are--(I have no torso so I can get to tailbone pretty fast), and I hated how thin my braid looked and the ends were see-through. While I miss the length, I love having healthy looking hair--I have my fullness back and my braid is much thicker.

So, ask yourself if length is more important than apperance in health/thickness and that will help you decide. My hair dresser always says to trim length slowly--so maybe get an inch more trimmed and see how it is?

It looks gorgeous!!

[onlyforhim]

Your hair is a lot like mine it thins a lot in the ends but I guess that's from all the bad treatment in the past but honestly your hair is lovely like really lovely and after seeing it I decided I myself will not cut back :). If you want then just do microtrims they will really help and you won't feel like you are losing anything

[onlyforhim]

Oh this is a late reply I just hope you did the right thing for your hair I am sure it looks lovely whatever you chose. Good luck

[Syrena]

Thank you all! Even late replies count!;)

I have been trimming monthly ca. 0,5 inch. My hair has actually grown a little bit even if I trim monthly. I have quiet decent hemline right know, but still very thin. I don’t think I can have tick hemline in any case. I will have to accept it.
2 weeks ago, I went on vacation with my bf. During this time, my urge to cut my hair was so strong as I never experienced until now. My hair was just bothering me. My thin ends the most! They are also so funny curved. In some weird J-curved shape and they never want to look pretty.:confused: During my vacation I decided to cut my hair to hips and to start to straighten the ends occasionally in order to enjoy nice ends from time to time. I hated them so much. Luckily, I did not have scissors with me!

I changed my mind when we came back. Now, I am ca. 1 inch past tailbone. I include my May picture – hopefully you can see it... (somehow I cannot upload it to my album).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79658263@N04/?savedsettings=7300752840#photo7300752840

[jacqueline101]

I'd braid it and micro trim keep oiling it. Then I'd do the benign neglect wear it up and don't worry about it.

[bunzfan]

Thank you all! Even late replies count!;)

I have been trimming monthly ca. 0,5 inch. My hair has actually grown a little bit even if I trim monthly. I have quiet decent hemline right know, but still very thin. I don’t think I can have tick hemline in any case. I will have to accept it.
2 weeks ago, I went on vacation with my bf. During this time, my urge to cut my hair was so strong as I never experienced until now. My hair was just bothering me. My thin ends the most! They are also so funny curved. In some weird J-curved shape and they never want to look pretty.:confused: During my vacation I decided to cut my hair to hips and to start to straighten the ends occasionally in order to enjoy nice ends from time to time. I hated them so much. Luckily, I did not have scissors with me!

I changed my mind when we came back. Now, I am ca. 1 inch past tailbone. I include my May picture – hopefully you can see it... (somehow I cannot upload it to my album).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79658263@N04/?savedsettings=7300752840#photo7300752840

You did the right thing your hair looks fantastic now:thumbsup: i did a similar thing after going a long time between trims but i have been monthly trimming and you can really see a difference. I would say continue taking a small amount off for a good 3 months .

[pepperminttea]

Now, I am ca. 1 inch past tailbone. I include my May picture – hopefully you can see it... (somehow I cannot upload it to my album).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79658263@N04/?savedsettings=7300752840#photo7300752840

Your hemline looks so thick now! :D