Anyone cut their because of its thinness and was happy afterwards?

[StubbornLocks]

Hello:)
I would like to know if anyone here cut their hair because it was too thin and was happier with it afterwards? I mean, were you happy with the choice and for how long?
I have been mulling this over because I am not happy with the way my hair looks right now, though its healthy and hennaed many times..
Basically there are three important things to consider if I decide to cut it:

First, my hair has always been thin. When looking at photos of me as a teen it was just the same. I have taken quite a good care of it so I can't really expect that it will thicken up as some people who join after having abused their hair. I'm taking iron and other supplements too and have no medical issues. My hair simply is and will stay on the thinner side. I admit it can be soft and shiny but..

Second, I really like to wear my hair down. It would be easier if I liked up'dos because the hair would be hidden and I wouldn't notice. But I want it to be nice looking when wearing it down!

Third, I do know that cutting it will not make it any thicker, but it could be less difficult to create volume and the hair might look more bouncy, not being weighed down..
I don't care much about what people think about my hair, this is more about my not being happy with it.


The only time my hair looked great was when it was bleached and blowdried on the cool setting. Wow my hair looked really nice and it had volume because of the slight damage (have to say it was not badly damaged, my hair is light brown and the roots were touched up rarely). Hmm I see how going back to that is a bad idea but sometimes however hard I try I just can't help it, I would love to have that hair back.

My hair has already reached BSL and I have trimmed it twice so now I am at (wispy) APL and considering SL.
It woud be great if anyone shared their experience/advice/comments!
Thanks for reading:grouphug:

[EmiliaF]

I once cut from 37'' to ear-length because I had highlights, some damage, went through a shedding-period and thought the shedding could be coming from traction (from the pony-tail... back then I didn't know about hairsticks).
While I liked my new look and many people told me it suited me well, I never felt like myself with this haircut. Whenever I am going through a hate-my-hair-phase I think back to that time. I will NEVER cut my hair again to thicken/ get rid of damage/ etc., because it doesn't really work (in my opinion).
Cutting hair to that length means having to get a lot of haircuts to even out the hemline and it will not necessarily improve the condition.
I find, that for myself, it's best to work with what I have and adjust and change things that need adjusting and changing. Time will heal all hair-wounds and bad hair days will come and go ;)

[Vampyria]

My hair was getting close to waist but the dyeing, flat ironing and birth control pills took its toll. I ended up with half of the hair I had before. I stopped abusing it, started taking supplements and I also had to cut it. Now I'm around APL and love it because it's so much thicker. But I'm still planning on growing it longer.

I still have some dye on my ends and hair is thinner there, but from now on I'm micro trimming. I would never cut my hair even shorter, because it would't suit my face at all.

[Valfreyja]

My hair actually looks thicker when it's longer so no, I'm personally much happier with it long. I would never cut may hair short ever again, but will probably not be joining the knee-length ladies anytime soon, either. (Simply for the sake of a fuller look)

[spidermom]

I know people here who have done a series of trims to thicken their hair and were very happy with it.

[ratgirldjh]

I cut my hair when it was just a few inches from waist because it was thinner in the bottom half of the length.

I cut it to a chin length bob! It felt much thicker! And I got a lot of compliments on it.

I liked it a lot but now am growing it again!

I think that even if you do cut it shorter it will still be fun to grow it again if you decide you want it long.

Really, I enjoy my hair at all lengths.

[LuckyH]

Hi, I think this is my first post! joined a few years ago in a pretty depressed hair-state, and actually just started coming back again after a totally mind-and-hair revitalizing trim!

anyway, I have straight very thin/fine hair (it just hits the top of my bra strap, I haven't learned the jargon yet) and I am constantly struggling to find a distinctive daily style that won't be torturous. I've had "sad" ends (as my sister so kindly put it) for the past 3 years as I was growing out some experimental haircut. Meanwhile I was forcing myself to get trims every 3 months to even out the length and cope with damage. Well my latest trim finally brought my hair to a single length and the difference is insane. It looks and feels so amazing to me now, I wish I had just given in and done this in the beginning. So to address your question, after looking at your pics, I think we've been in similar boats.....go to line 1 if you can stand it! I don't think you'll regret it!

ps. your hair's so shiny! you're doing great!

[LuckyH]

um I just realized you didn't post pics, that was another thread.....LOL @ me. but you're still shiny!

[Lisa R]

Hi!

I'm a thinny and fine/medium haired person here! I just cut my BSL hair to APL and it made tonnes of differene to how my hair looked and felt. If at APL it didn't look thicker or felt good I would've gone to SL but right now I'm sticking to APL cause I can wear it down and it looks good.

My circumference is only 2inches (JUST!!) so I know what it's like to have thin hair.

I love long hair but it seems 'long' hair isn't too achievalbe for me to be happy with it. It gets really stringy and thin. Some people who have the same hair type don't care and can grow it but it bothers me too much and I end up not being happy about it and wear it up all the time which I don't want to do.

I have come to the conclusion that I will never have the hair I want so I need to just be happy with it as it is. I may grow it to BSL again oneday who knows. But for now I'm really happy with it at APL.

Good luck!:)

[Mesmerise]

It really depends on whether you're happy with shorter hair. Honestly, I've cut a LOT of hair due to thinness (I have had some shedding issues in recent years). I had a LOT of taper at my ends, even though the hair itself was regrowing, it just made it look worse because it was thicker at the roots and so thin at the ends.

BUT I still sorta regret cutting so much instead of just maintaining! I'm only about APL now, whereas last July I was about 1" from waist. If I'd just maintained I'd probably be happier with the length, even if the ends bothered me.

[CarpeDM]

I'm going through this right now. I had a chin length bob for years and loved it. It was super easy, looked thicker and felt thicker to me. I've also had layered cuts that have been at shoulder length and/or a little longer and liked those cuts as well. Since my hair is very thin in the crown area I have never really tried to grow long hair before. This is my first time trying. At APL I noticed the front sides starting to thin out at the ends. Now my hair is BSL and my sides are fairytailing. I've tried to trim them and somehow thicken them up, but I honestly think it is futile. The longer it gets the more it thins out. Soooo with that being said, I can either shorten it up and thicken up the sides, or I can learn to love my fairytale ends and let it grow long. It all depends on which is more important to you, length or thickness?

[barely.there]

You and me have the same hairtype. I too have thought about trimming it because i have layers, but I want to get it longer quickly, so I'm only doing S&D for now. When my hair was all one layer, it looked weird and the ends were not manageable. Our thin hair will always have fairy tail ends to some degree. Its hard to avoid.

ETA: You can always try microtrimming/ maintaining for 6 months and see how that works for you.

[swearnsue]

I have never regretted cutting 1/4 or 1/2 inch, I regret shaving my head though. Trimming a little off really feels good I think, afterwards I can't stop touching my hair because it feels so silky smooth.

[Roscata]

I don't have your hair type, but like you said cutting your hair won't change the volume. If you want more volume try some heatless curls or waves. *big hugs*

[DoubleCrowned]

I have F/i hair, and have had it very short as well as long. I will never have it short again because it was too hard to take care of and difficult to style:

Short hair needed cleaning more often. Wearing it down in the wind meant instant greasies. Using product on it made it dirty before the day was over.
A few hairs out of place revealed the scalp.
If the hair didn't stay behind my ears to add thickness beside my neck, my hair was see-through from the front.
There was never the option of an updo on a bad hair day.
Without enough length to double up the hair somehow, only hair toys made for babies would stay in my hair.
Hair styles never lasted until noon. Hairspray broke my hair mercilessly, so I couldn't use it. Teasing fine hair is out of the question. Therefore, short hair involved frequent trips to the lady's room to bend from the waist, brush, and re-style (like, every hour or two).
Short hair went limp faster than longer hair--maybe because there wasn't as much length to float and rest on other hairs. The length does not seem to flatten my hair because it is virtually weightless.
Short hair was always falling in my face if I looked down. I still remember the happy day my hair was finally long enough to stay on my back when I moved my head.

If I were forced to cut my hair, I would make it at least long enough to get into a French twist or some sort of a flattering updo, and it would have to be long enough to stay out of my face without barrettes. I can daydream about the fluffy, face-framing hairstyle my friends think I can have, but I have had my hair that length and proven that short, thin, fine hair on me requires a lot more attention than I am willing to give it.

[MsBubbles]

Short hair was always falling in my face if I looked down. I still remember the happy day my hair was finally long enough to stay on my back when I moved my head.

If I were forced to cut my hair, I would make it at least long enough to get into a French twist or some sort of a flattering updo, and it would have to be long enough to stay out of my face without barrettes. I can daydream about the fluffy, face-framing hairstyle my friends think I can have, but I have had my hair that length and proven that short, thin, fine hair on me requires a lot more attention than I am willing to give it.

Ah hah hahahaha! I am laughing like a maniac here. So very well said! :applause I think I am going to have to refer back to this brilliant piece of fine-hair prose quite often.

[alyanna]

Hey OP!
I could've written your post. I love my hair when it was between chin and shoulder, with side-swept bangs, a few layers, and highlighted. It was flattering, easy to care for and I could wear it down all the time.

It didn't look any thicker though...

I figure I'd try length, maybe it'll add to the wow factor. I've never had it very long, so we'll see how it goes. If my little experiment fails, I have no qualms about chopping it all off.

[chrissy-b]

I recently cut a pixie for this reason. I grew my hair to hip, but it was too thin and scraggly looking to wear down. At least, that's what I thought. I wasn't happy with it so I cut it. I love my new short cut, but am growing out again and aiming for APL. That's the length that looked good down, was easy to care for, and still looked thick.

[tiarefleur]

My hair was getting close to waist but the dyeing, flat ironing and birth control pills took its toll. I ended up with half of the hair I had before. I stopped abusing it, started taking supplements and I also had to cut it. Now I'm around APL and love it because it's so much thicker. But I'm still planning on growing it longer.

I still have some dye on my ends and hair is thinner there, but from now on I'm micro trimming. I would never cut my hair even shorter, because it would't suit my face at all.

EXACT same situation for me here minus the BC pills!

[StubbornLocks]

I find, that for myself, it's best to work with what I have and adjust and change things that need adjusting and changing. Time will heal all hair-wounds and bad hair days will come and go ;)
Thank you EmiliaF, you are right that bad hair days come and go :) I still have to learn to appreciate what I have!



I still have some dye on my ends and hair is thinner there, but from now on I'm micro trimming. I would never cut my hair even shorter, because it would't suit my face at all.
This is exactly me! I have some dye left too, but cutting it all off would leave me with a truly NOT flattering haircut :p.


My hair actually looks thicker when it's longer so no, I'm personally much happier with it long. )
Valfreyja, how do you do that your hair looks thicker when longer? Any secret or is it that your hair naturally behaves that way? :)



I cut it to a chin length bob! It felt much thicker! And I got a lot of compliments on it. I liked it a lot but now am growing it again!
I think that even if you do cut it shorter it will still be fun to grow it again if you decide you want it long.
Wow I'm suprsised you had the guts to cut it, it must be really difficult to part with so much length! You are right, even if I went for APL it would still be long and fun to grow!

[StubbornLocks]

Hi!

I'm a thinny and fine/medium haired person here! I just cut my BSL hair to APL and it made tonnes of differene to how my hair looked and felt. If at APL it didn't look thicker or felt good I would've gone to SL but right now I'm sticking to APL cause I can wear it down and it looks good.
Hi Lisa R;) It's great that you like the change! Yay for APL:)
Your post made me seriously consider SL :)
I agree, we have what we have and every hair type can be beatiful.

[quote=Mesmerise;2085703]It really depends on whether you're happy with shorter hair.
Mesmerise, I certainly wouldn't be happy with hair above SL because it is now more wavy than ever and I would have to fight with it! But SL is tolerable for me!


Now my hair is BSL and my sides are fairytailing. I've tried to trim them and somehow thicken them up, but I honestly think it is futile. The longer it gets the more it thins out. Soooo with that being said, I can either shorten it up and thicken up the sides, or I can learn to love my fairytale ends and let it grow long. It all depends on which is more important to you, length or thickness?
CarpeDM, I feel your pain. Mine thins out too with the length. I can't decide which is more important to me, this is changing every day depending on how my hair decides to behave :o

[StubbornLocks]

ETA: You can always try microtrimming/ maintaining for 6 months and see how that works for you.
barely.there, this is what I'm going to do! I will try to cut just a tiny bit and if it is not for me, it will grow back quickly!


I don't have your hair type, but like you said cutting your hair won't change the volume. If you want more volume try some heatless curls or waves. *big hugs*
Hi Roscata, thank you for you post, it is very nice of you:heart:. I didn't mention one thing. The other day there was this thread about a lady who had sort of puffy and damaged hair and some LHCers recommended trying the curly girl method. Her hair seemed a little bit like mine, though my "is" straight (at least that was what I thought!). So after washing it and scrunching it I let it air dry and didn't comb it.
It seems that I have always been a hidden wavy, like 2a/2b! I didn't change it in my profile though because I am not ready for the waves yet. I think I will stay with my previous routine and 1b hair :) :o.



I figure I'd try length, maybe it'll add to the wow factor. I've never had it very long, so we'll see how it goes. If my little experiment fails, I have no qualms about chopping it all off.
Nice experiment and great idea! the wow factor will surely come! let me know how it's going. Good luck :)

[StubbornLocks]

And once again thanks everyone! Your posts really make me feel better about my hair type!

[Nellon]

I was just thinking that if you start using something like soapnut for washing and not putting so much conditioner in your hair, either something like Biotique conditioner or just using "normal" conditioner on the ends, and only very little. Then fingercomb in the shower, hair upside down, while the conditioner is in the hair, rinse and then only make your normal parting and carefully squeeze the water out of the hair with a towel... And then not comb it, (or only comb the top layers with a wide toothed comb once dry) perhaps could help? When my hair is washed and dried like this it makes quite a lot of diffeernce from it looking like a cow licked it down on my head Lol, to having some volume and even waves!

This has always been my issue, chopping my hair off due to it being thin. Since I realized that "normal" schampoos and conditioners and how I treated my hair overall weighed it down and then changed my routine for caring for my hair it got a little better and now I'm actually planning to grow it! :) Sorry for the rambling, tired today. But just wanted to offer my advice since I have the exact same issue. (You might need to clairify also before using soapnut? I don't know. Just in case you have a lot of residues in your hair. But I never did this.) I don't know so much about haircare, just telling what I think! hope it helps. good luck!

(oh and also, trimming helps I think. Because when it grows it also looks thinner, but if you maintain it at a length and then keep on trimming the ends slowly slowly I'm sure it'll look better!)

[lau_g]

I had just cut my hair into a midlenght bob,2 months ago,because of really thin hair.It was BSL and of course,now I regret it:( .I wanted to get rid of henna too,I was bored with my chestnut brown hair,i wanted my medium brown back.It also seemed like it was falling more when it was longer...I don't understand why,I always take some hair vitamins,or multivitamins.Now I am growing it back:eyebrows:.

[StubbornLocks]

Nellon, we are on the same boat :-) These are some good tips, thanks, it is nice of you! I will definitely use only a tiny bit of conditioner next time. I haven't tried soapnuts, but my scalp is rather dry and things like rhassoul/clay creat a matted mess for me. Do you think dry scalp and soapnuts can go together?
And lol I have a huge cow lick at the back of my head which showed up after a long shedding and if I put my hair into a ponytail without being careful it might get scary! I look like a balding man!


Lau g, I am sorry you are not happy with the change. I think the amount of hair that fall out is the same it might be just your noticing it more because it is long. Happy growing! :-)

[Audrey Horne]

I did. From BSL+ to almost shoulder and I was happy till it went APL :) simply because I hate this length and sadly there's a lot to grow between APL and BSL.
I loved it at shoulder, ends got suddenly thicker and nicer (and healthy too!). The only problem with fine hair: it is so light and flies everywhere! It was always in my face, so it got greasy even faster. But I don't regret, the ends were thin and I'm not a fan of that look on myself.

[Katze]

Interesting that many people who post that they have cut have fine/mixed wavy hair - similar to my hair type.

I think this hair type is just incredibly hard to deal with for many of us, and adding in natural taper and frizz, and in my case coarser patches that won't grow means hair that does not necessarily look good long!



I love long hair but it seems 'long' hair isn't too achievalbe for me to be happy with it. It gets really stringy and thin. Some people who have the same hair type don't care and can grow it but it bothers me too much and I end up not being happy about it and wear it up all the time which I don't want to do.

I have come to the conclusion that I will never have the hair I want so I need to just be happy with it as it is. I may grow it to BSL again oneday who knows. But for now I'm really happy with it at APL.

Good luck!:)

THIS. My hair is not fine - it is actually bordering on thick at the ponytail, but tapers dramatically. And this is AFTER regular cuts.

In November I cut from BSL to a bit below shoulder to get rid of taper and thin ends. Those thin 'fairy tale' ends just don't hang right for me - they look stringy and damaged even when they are not, and the extra frizz doesn't help.

Like LisaR, I have accepted that I may never have 'long' hair that looks good down. I don't particularly care for many updos so I have to work with what I've got.



I'm going through this right now. I had a chin length bob for years and loved it. It was super easy, looked thicker and felt thicker to me. I've also had layered cuts that have been at shoulder length and/or a little longer and liked those cuts as well. Since my hair is very thin in the crown area I have never really tried to grow long hair before. This is my first time trying. At APL I noticed the front sides starting to thin out at the ends. Now my hair is BSL and my sides are fairytailing. I've tried to trim them and somehow thicken them up, but I honestly think it is futile. The longer it gets the more it thins out. Soooo with that being said, I can either shorten it up and thicken up the sides, or I can learn to love my fairytale ends and let it grow long. It all depends on which is more important to you, length or thickness?

Good question!

I think hair that I feel comfortable with is most important to me. I have tried, and tried, to thicken my ends and in my case it is futile too. No amount of good care can make up for taper that seems to be genetically preprogrammed!

Check out my 'problematic hair thread' for a lot of other tips from people with similar hair types...

[CarpeDM]

Interesting that many people who post that they have cut have fine/mixed wavy hair - similar to my hair type.

I think this hair type is just incredibly hard to deal with for many of us, and adding in natural taper and frizz, and in my case coarser patches that won't grow means hair that does not necessarily look good long!



THIS. My hair is not fine - it is actually bordering on thick at the ponytail, but tapers dramatically. And this is AFTER regular cuts.

In November I cut from BSL to a bit below shoulder to get rid of taper and thin ends. Those thin 'fairy tale' ends just don't hang right for me - they look stringy and damaged even when they are not, and the extra frizz doesn't help.

Like LisaR, I have accepted that I may never have 'long' hair that looks good down. I don't particularly care for many updos so I have to work with what I've got.




Good question!

I think hair that I feel comfortable with is most important to me. I have tried, and tried, to thicken my ends and in my case it is futile too. No amount of good care can make up for taper that seems to be genetically preprogrammed!

Check out my 'problematic hair thread' for a lot of other tips from people with similar hair types...

I totally agree with what you said about the genetic preprogramming and good care. I had noticed some old pictures of my mother when she had waist length hair the other day and she had the same taper in the front that I have. I remember seeing those same pictures years ago and thinking, wow she really should have trimmed her hair LOL. Now I understand :)

[torrilin]

Easy. No cutting.

I'm not particularly interested in wearing my hair down. Fine hair means floaty hair, and hair in my face makes me itch. EW. I loathe hair in my face.

Because my hair is straightish, my hair laughs at the very idea of volume. Pixie cuts leave me with hair slicked to my head, like I have no hair. Chin length bobs are flatter than even a flapper could want. Shoulder length my hair looks thin as can be, and it's not like my hair is thin... quite the opposite. I've got a 3" ponytail. Now that my hair is down around waist length tho, I can do updos that let me fake having a bit of volume. Not a lot. Nothing will change my hair from being fine and delicate.

Basically, my type means my hair is good at looking sleek, flat and architectural. And my growth rate means my hair would prefer to proceed straight for the floor, by any means necessary. So I don't argue with it. My hair will win.

[girlcat36]

I am on the fence about this myself. My hair is terribly thin(and babyfine) from shoulder downward. I am at about 28"(oh-so-close to waist!) and trying to maintain by microtrimming for a year and see if it makes any difference. It has been about six months of microtrimming and I see no improvement in my hemline. And yes, as someone else said--the longer it is the more it wants to shed. I know this is true because I count shed hairs. That's how obsessed I am with my too-thin hair. Several times I have cut back to APL and honestly, it didn't matter; my hemline fairy-taled anyway. My hair is thin to begin with, just over 2" at the nape, but then it tapers pretty dramatically.
I have been at this since 1991, believe it or not! I took a detour for cancer treatment in 2007, but other than that I have been actively growing my hair for 21 years and here I am stuck at 28".
If I have to cut my hair back it will be to APL and no shorter.

**My siggy pic might look okay, but keep in mind it is against a black shirt, and I have 'full of air' curls.

[girlcat36]

This is my hair at APL three years ago:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=819&pictureid=32275

Here is my current hair(pretty pathetic), it's about 80% dry in this pic:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/girlcat36/LHC%20pictures/040-3.jpg


I'm not sure which is worse.
If it's going to look like this anyway, it might as well be long I guess.

[CarpeDM]

Girlcat36 I just have to say I love your curls!

[Audrey Horne]

girlcat36, does it grow at normal rate? I used to think that when hair tapers dramatically it's a sign of hitting terminal soon. I think I'm wrong.
Right now I have a "carrot debate" myself and think of chopping that carrot off but then I'll never have long hair and stay at the shoulder forever out of frustation :(

[kidari]

Each time I do a significant chop depends on the amount and type of damage. My hair was completely trashed from repeated monthly chemical dyes and daily washing and daily heat styling so I just chopped to a super short bob. I had no regrets. Recently I did a 4-5 inch chop but in 2-3 different sessions. I over layered my hair and it was beginning to look like a mullet and the ends were so sad and thin even though I was technically at waist, it didn't look like it. Also, the last 4 inches of my hair was a different texture due to the ombre bleach damage I was growing out from last summer. This time around I have to say I regret it a little bit. I don't think my hair looked all that bad in hindsight and I'm so thankful it's still at least at BSL. If I can do it again I would have only trimmed 1 inch each month until I was happy with it. But the way I see it hair is meant to be enjoyed and we learn from trying things out even if there may have been a few mistakes. I now will never again heat style daily, I will not color my entire head with chemical dyes every month, and I think last summer was the last time I'll ever get highlights. When I reach my goal finally, at least I hope I will not have any itches to do anything drastic and I will appreciate my hair.

[xoxophelia]

Hmm.. I think it is important to bring out your natural beauty to the best of your ability. So, if you look better with shorter hair or feel you would, then I think it is the best idea to embrace that and enjoy those options. But, if you feel your long hair is best for you (for any reason including your own desire) then stay with that :)

[Lissandria]

Whenever I cut my hair due to thinness I am usually disappointed. It still always looks thin, just shorter. :shrug: I hope this time I can persevere and have long hair finally!!

[StubbornLocks]

girlcat36, I have read the entire thin/fine hair thread and seen you there. Feel your pain.. but I personally think your hair is stunning not only because the curls make it look big, it has some nice curls and colour! I love looking at your hair.

xoxophelia, I can't agree with you more! But sometimes the hair just has a bad day and that's when such thing comes to my mind.. *embarassed*

Lissandria, it seems to me that you are determined to to grow it long this time. I'll keep my fingers crossed! We can do it :-) Maybe we could have a special thread for thinnies trying to grow long without cutting. Is there any thread like that?

[Lissandria]

Stubborn locks- Yes, it would be great to have a support thread not just for us fine/thinnies but us fine /thinnies who truly wonder whether we will ever have long hair. My hair is so thin I am not even sure it will grow past BSL. :( My hair will never look thick nor abundant at any length so I may as well try for long hair even see-through with severe taper. You are definitely not alone in this :blossom:

[Nellon]

A thread for thinnies trying to grow long?! Count me in ;)

About the soap nuts and dry scalp, sorry, this I cannot answer since my scalp is normal I suppose... In terms of Indian herbs there is also something called Shikakai that one can use to wash one's hair if one does not want to use shampoo. I am going to pick it up at the local supermarket soon and give it a try, then I can report what it's like! (I live in Nepal so I buy henna and herbs for my hair in the supermarket mostly :) ) I have never used shikakai, but I read it is supergood for washing hair. I will report back after I tried it. Sorry I couldn't me of more help with regards to the soap nut.

[rock007junkie]

I am going through this right now. the bottom 4 inches of my hair are significantly thinner than the top. Everyday I think about just cutting them but I know I'm gonna feel sad about losing all that length. In order not to deal with it I just put my hair up 98% of the time. Out of sight, out of mind.

[Babyfine]

The short answer is yes-but-
In January of 2011 I had managed to get my hair a few inches from waist but the last 5" or so were very thin looking and it seemed I was wearing it up all the time,but I actually did get some compliments and even a few people in RL asking what I did to grow it so long.
I cut it to a shoulder length bob and loved it at first- The ends looked so healthy and thick! My ponytail circumference is about 2" and my hair is quite wavy-my avatar picture is out of an updo so my air dryed hair is a bit wavier than that. So it looks deceptively thicker than it is. In a braid or pony it compresses down to nothing.
I missed my long hair, though, so I began to grow it again and it's now about the length you see in my picture. I definetly need to put up new pictures.(That was taken in 2008)
I loved the ease of the SL cut, and I could still put it in a twist, or wear a sock bun, which are my go -to styles even with longer hair, or a lazy wrap bun.
And that was the issue. I never wear braids or ponytails out in public because I feel they just showcase how thin my hair is. So does a Chinese bun. Unless I get my hair to classic, I'll never have big updos, which is what I would like.
So I'm very conflicted- I want long hair, but I did like the shorter cut.
One thing, though I willl NEVER go shorter than SL, because my hair is very hard to deal with too short. It needs a lot of work, I have frizz and cowlicks. I need the weight of a longer style.
ETA I would like to get to waist to see if I can do it, and maintain with trims to see if I can thicken up those ends. Plus would like to stop the coloring and go natural, to see it that helps.

[Babyfine]

I did. From BSL+ to almost shoulder and I was happy till it went APL :) simply because I hate this length and sadly there's a lot to grow between APL and BSL.
I loved it at shoulder, ends got suddenly thicker and nicer (and healthy too!). The only problem with fine hair: it is so light and flies everywhere! It was always in my face, so it got greasy even faster. But I don't regret, the ends were thin and I'm not a fan of that look on myself.

Exactly, I live in a very windy climate and my hair seems to blow around much easier than other people's.

[Mai Gloeckchen]

My hair is thin and fine and during the last year I often considered cutting. In my case from hiplength to APL or at least waist.
I have lost half of my hair due to a severe shed and in the beginning it looked really terrible.
Looking back, I am glad, that I didn't cut. I trimmed severeal times and so I remained on hiplength plus/minus a few centimeters for about half a year. But I trimmed in small steps and every time I did, I could see, that it was always not as much length that had to be cut, to even up the hemline, as I first thought it would be neccessary.

When your hair is thin and fine, well, if you cut it, you will have short, fine and thin hair. If you wear it long, you can at least make buns, that makes your hair look like more.
I won't tell you, that it is easy to grow thin and fine hair long. But it is possible and it has its advantages over short fine hair.

[girlcat36]

Girlcat36 I just have to say I love your curls!

Thank you, CarpeDM!


girlcat36, does it grow at normal rate? I used to think that when hair tapers dramatically it's a sign of hitting terminal soon. I think I'm wrong.
Right now I have a "carrot debate" myself and think of chopping that carrot off but then I'll never have long hair and stay at the shoulder forever out of frustation :(

My hair grows at a very normal rate, at least 1/2" per month; sometimes a little more than that.


girlcat36, I have read the entire thin/fine hair thread and seen you there. Feel your pain.. but I personally think your hair is stunning not only because the curls make it look big, it has some nice curls and colour! I love looking at your hair.

Thank you! I can get decent curl formation, but I just wish there was MORE of it. It's painfully thin after shoulder length.
I'm not even asking for that much more----a 3" ponytail would be fine with me! And LESS taper.


I have decided to cut 2" off this week, which is going to bring me closer to BSL than waist. Oh well. :rolleyes:

[Bonkers57]

This is my hair at APL three years ago:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=819&pictureid=32275

Here is my current hair(pretty pathetic), it's about 80% dry in this pic:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/girlcat36/LHC%20pictures/040-3.jpg

If it's going to look like this anyway, it might as well be long I guess.

I also love your curls, girlcat! And I'm starting to feel the same way - if my hair's going to look thin and stringy, it may as well be long so I can put it up.


Whenever I cut my hair due to thinness I am usually disappointed. It still always looks thin, just shorter. :shrug: I hope this time I can persevere and have long hair finally!!

I get exhiliarated when I first get chopped. I usually get a lot of compliments. But eventually my hair starts looking thin, stringy and greasy unless I work with it a lot. I'm not as inclined to futz with it as I used to be, so I'd best stick with what's easy for me.


A thread for thinnies trying to grow long?! Count me in ;)

About the soap nuts and dry scalp, sorry, this I cannot answer since my scalp is normal I suppose... In terms of Indian herbs there is also something called Shikakai that one can use to wash one's hair if one does not want to use shampoo. I am going to pick it up at the local supermarket soon and give it a try, then I can report what it's like! (I live in Nepal so I buy henna and herbs for my hair in the supermarket mostly :) ) I have never used shikakai, but I read it is supergood for washing hair. I will report back after I tried it. Sorry I couldn't me of more help with regards to the soap nut.

My scalp is EXTREMELY oily - I wonder if soap nuts would help me? Worth a try!