Will the thickness really move downwards?

[Rini]

I'll try not to make this into a big whingey post, but I'm a bit down about my hair at the moment. Actually, I expect not to be too happy about it for a couple of years since I quit the dye 8 months ago. I have many many new hairs sticking up all over the place, several hair colours going on, old dye going increasingly brassy.... and just a big mess really. Still, I'm sucking it up and persevering with all that.

My problem is with my ends (isn't it always??). My hair grows pretty fast and I got from just above BSL to just above waist in 6 months. Not bad....BUT....only some of my hair grew fast. It looks as if the ends stick out of the "cloud" that is my fine, floaty pyramid-shaped hair like pathetic little pieces of straw. The thick part of my hair (ie the part that isn't see-through) hasn't moved down my back much at all. I'm left with a dilemma. I could chop my ends to even things up a bit, but then I'd lose length and therefore some tiny bit of weight that is preventing my hair from looking completely pyramid-shaped. I wouldn't say my ends are all that damaged, besides the fact they are dyed and obviously not the shiny smooth virgin hair I'm enjoying more and more every day. I've been around LHC for a few years now, so I'm not bad at hair care and preventing damage

I feel as if I always get to this point (this length) and then do a big chop. I never really seem to get beyond this length due to the thickness thing. If I compare photos, it does seem that the thickness moves further down...but it's soooooo slow!

What to do? Wait it out, keep the ends and just wear it up for the next couple of years? Cut the ends off, be back to above BSL and have it look more even in thickness?

The other thing is, as it gets longer it seems to be getting "bigger"...ie growing outwards. My hair is not thick, but the fine-ness of it makes it float around my head and not hang well. At a certain length I expect it will sit nicely. Exactly what length will that be though??? I'm also experiencing difficulty getting my hair to go into upstyles that previously were always reliable. Oh dear....I did say I wasn't going to whinge!!

I suppose I should end with the latest pic to illustrate my dilemma. Washed, still half wet, combed out a bit (so curls didn't eat length) and looking pretty ratty. Still, it shows the ends well and you get the idea of what I'm up against.



On a positive note, I AM enjoying my new silver hair. It's coming in nicely and I feel better about it every day

Thanks for listening

[Gabriel]

Hi Rini! We don't have similiar hair at all so I don't really have a lot of good advice but I wanted to say that I always have thought of your hair as super pretty.

My hair looked a little bit whispy like that when it was half wet too last year. Near the ends I mean, but it got better for me this year with regular seasonal trims. Try a picture of your hair completely dry, it probably doesn't look nearly as whispy!

Are you on a trimming schedule? Emichiee is a great inspiration for me when it comes to showing how to gradually grow in thickness. She did very small micro-trims for a while.

I think your hair growing outwards may mean that maybe you're going to have more curl formation coming in. That will be really pretty! Are you using any products to help weigh things down a little?

[KatiSasha]

I agree, you're probably a lot curlier than you realize. Try this website : http://www.naturallycurly.com/ It's for wavies, wurlies too. Maybe those thinner ends can end up in really pretty spirals

[Vervaine]

Do you wear ponytails often? I had a similar problem, where I had a weird "halo" that never seemed to grow (my hair was serially dyed too), and it turned out that it was damage from wearing a ponytail at work! I started wearing it in a braid or a big claw clip and I have noticed it finally getting longer.

I also expect that with regular trims the oldest and crispiest parts of your hair will get cut away and the newer more pampered hair won't have such a tendency toward breakage. Good luck though!

[Anje]

If you take care of it, the thickness will move downward until you hit the point where the shorter hairs have hit their (annoyingly not-full-length) terminal length. The trick just seems to be waiting out the slow downward (and outward) progress of thickness and generally not damaging it.

I agree with the previous posters -- try some more curly-oriented methods, and consider microtrimming. Just maintaining your length will give the thickness a chance to catch up.

[SilvraShadows]

I have the same thing going on as well. But after so many years I think, for me, my thickness will never grow longer. Albeit, my hair is much thinner than yours. Still I hope for it to grow longer. Yet still, I always cut it back when it gets just above my waist which is sad for me since I want hip length. It used to be I would cut it back always in hopes that the thickness would grow right along with the rest.

Your hair is beautiful, the brassiness you are talking about... I can't see it.

[Firefly]

Oh Rini, I think your hair is pretty! I think these things always looks worse to us than to others. I do see the thinness you're talking about and I had a similar issue pre-LHC. It has been slowly moving down my back and is past BSL now; it does take time. I've been tempted to chop as well but think I'd rather keep the length. We're similar hair types and I need some length to weigh it down, too. I wear it up a lot and try to forget about it. Hang in there!

[elbow chic]

I bet the hemline will thicken up. Have you ever seen Cinnamon Hair's website? Her ends got really thin at various points but she said it just takes the rest of the hairs awhile to catch up after the faster ones have gotten to a particular marker. Made sense to me.

As for hair growing outward instead of down, I have no advice, but lots of sympathy.

I had hoped mine would LAY DOWN by bsl but so far that's still not quite happening... ah well.

[Misti]

Hi, Rini,

Just to add to the choir, I too think your hair is lovely just the way it is. Such pretty, delicate fairy tale ends! (We always want what we don't havem though -- believe me, I get that. I'd gibe a lot to have thick, heavy hair...)

I would have suggested that you try lots of moisture and see if that helps tame the ends -- but other have suggested that you try some curly methods, and I see what they're saying -- your hair does look like frustrated curly. So now that's my suggestion, too.

You'll probably be happier if you keep the length, baby the ends, and when the thin ends get on your nerves, just put it up and ignore it. Yes, it will take time to get a nice even hem (I don't expect I ever will!) but in the end, isn't it really more important to have long and beautiful?

I could chop my ends to even things up a bit, but then I'd lose length and therefore some tiny bit of weight that is preventing my hair from looking completely pyramid-shaped. I wouldn't say my ends are all that damaged, besides the fact they are dyed and obviously not the shiny smooth virgin hair I'm enjoying more and more every day. I've been around LHC for a few years now, so I'm not bad at hair care and preventing damage
What to do? Wait it out, keep the ends and just wear it up for the next couple of years? Cut the ends off, be back to above BSL and have it look more even in thickness?

[Slinks]

yep, I agree too micro trimming every 3 months .. I'm actually doing this myself to make sure I don't get fairy tails on my way to hip .. if you're not a salon visitor and not a self trimmer maybe you might want to get one of these, I bought one last week after I decided no more salons .. http://www.creaclip.com/ .. it's on it's way to me :-) my next trim is scheduled for September ..