fine hair - long?
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Category: Long Hair Happenings
Forum Name: Long Hair Support
Forum Description: Growing it long takes commitment and support.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=948
Printed Date: August 04 2025 at 12:29am
Topic: fine hair - long?
Posted By: windymws
Subject: fine hair - long?
Date Posted: April 13 2004 at 8:28pm
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i am very new to this and i have just really started wanting my hair to grow longer. right now it is past my bra line, by a few inches. i'd like to make it to waist lenght. i haven't blow dryed my hair in a good ten years and it is very healthy, but i have been reading that fine, thin hair may not be able to grow longer. i took my "ponytail measurement" around and it is just at 2 inches or so. can anyone offer any experience with sort of thin, fine hair getting longer than my lenghth? thanks! windy |
Replies:
Posted By: thepals
Date Posted: April 14 2004 at 10:39am
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My hair is waist-length, my ponytail is about the size of a quarter. My hair in not fine, but I don't have a lot of strands! I used to think I couldn't grow long hair, but I think it's more an issue of how straggly it looks when growing out (most people cut it when it starts to look unruly, so it never gets very long) and how easily it breaks. I never tried to grow my hair out; I had it longer than normal my senior year, and one day just noticed how long it was. Same thing after my second child was born, I just hadn't cut it in awhile and it was really long! So my theory that it was impossible to grow my thin, brittle, fuzzy hair was proven false! It's actually really pretty now, one of my best features (when down, looks awful in the mommy-knot!) Keep at it, eat healthy, take vitamins, treat it kindly, light trimming, and it'll get there. FWIW, everyone with long thinks it's shorter than it really is! I'm continually amazed when I realize how long it really is! Emma in Austin ------------- |
Posted By: Grace912
Date Posted: April 14 2004 at 12:29pm
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I agree that sometimes it just takes you by surprise how long it is. My hair's a combination of wavy and curly, so when I air-dry it, it looks about BSL. But whenever I straighten it, it's almost at my waist, and that's always a bit of a (cool) shock. It shocks other people, too, and that's always fun; so many of my friends are used to seeing my hair either curly or up, that on the rare occasion that I straighten it, they're like, "How did I never notice this?" ------------- Monica: Isn't there any way that you could look at this as flattering? I mean, she's doing this to be more like you. Rachel: Well, then, couldn't she have just copied my haircut? |
Posted By: windymws
Date Posted: April 14 2004 at 7:02pm
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thanks guys, i think you are right - my hair is definitely longer that i realized and i now want to start treating it better! thanks again! ------------- |
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: April 14 2004 at 7:25pm
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It's not really a matter of how thick but how good it looks. Mine is thinning but still shiny and the color is great! I have mine trimmed just at the ends by my husband. He loves it long and wouldn't get scissor happy on me. It may not be as gorgeous as 20 years ago but short would look horrendous on me. I don't exactly have the greatest figure, (forget even thinking about the beach), so being my hair is my best feature, I will not screw that up. A "friend" told me about Oprah yesterday. I taped it being I work full time and wanted to see about the germs and home care being I am concerned about my family's health. Well I got past the first couple minutes, saw the beautiful long haired women talking about cutting off their hair and when they showed them back to audience getting their hair tied in ponytails for the big cut I just shut it off. I didn't like the insinuation tht long har is unclean or a problem that requires cutting off to remedy. I erased the rest of the tape while I was still shaking. I felt scared for those women. I felt like I was about to see a violent act against these women and I couldn't watch. These 6 women were really pretty and I just couldn't bear to see them used. I understand they cried afterwards. How can a fellow woman use six other woman so carelessly? I thought Oprah was really a together woman with her top notch guests and insughts, but now I feel that she was just being manipulative to get ratings and advertising dollars from the scissor happy hairctting industry. When my husband got home later I just hugged him a nd cried. OK, I am a big baby, but I felt the pain these women must have been feeling. A friend who watched the whole show told me the women just stood there and cried. Afterwards they went back on stage without their hair and looked like zombies. Hasn't always been those close to you who have hurt you? I told my husband if he ever thought he was going to cut off all my hair like that we would be through. I couldn't live with such humiliation. He told me he never would because he loves my long hair. But there are no guarantees in life. Sorry I am so livid, but it really bothers me. |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: April 15 2004 at 6:00am
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Chrissy, ive seen those Oprahs a couple times where they make over the "long haired freaks". Although I dont know if ive seen the one in particular youve seen the other ones I have seen ended up with happy people. The girls cried when it was cut but after it got styled the majority of them were really happy. of course Oprah also gives them a full make over too. Anyways, i feel that if these girls are up there on a show to get thier hair cut than they must want to cut it. Its thier choice. Some of them honestly do look better with shorter hair...some of them will regret it. But if its thier own choice let them make it. Usualy, at least from what Ive seen on these shows, these girls have super long hair way past their waist and all they ever do with it is ponytail it. If youve got long hair and you never wear it down whats the point? (no offence to anyone here who always wears ponys). But the eternal pony tail look on any lenght of hair isnt the most flattering. maybe it would be nice if oprah had a show for long hair options so that these women didnt look like frumps. Someone could braid part of their hair, or curl it some and make it very flattering. Or if it has to be cut why not just cut it waist lenght or at the shortest bsl. Takeing long long hair and chopping ALL of it off is a shock to anyones system and really changes the look of your face so you dont recognise yourself. Keeping some lenght to it instead wont be such a shock and they would be more likely to be happy with the change. the girls I had seen got typical "businesswoman" styled shoulderlenght hair. thats a drastic change and a drastic style that changes to look of your face. If they just let the woman keep thier hair long but maybe not so long the results would be more consistantly positive and the women whom want to grow thier hair out again wouldnt have akward stages to deal with. Bra lenght hair is not unmanageable nor is it akward to grow out. those shorter styles are. If the woman really wants a short style then givie it to them, but cut the shock value down (no pun intended) and let the rest of the gals just shorten their long locks but keep it still technicly long. Anyways, my point was that the gals in the Oprah hair cuts Ive seen ended up upset at first then happy at the end except for about one or two whom couldnt deal. But it was their choice. Oh, and my other point was that if you have long hair dont wear it in a ponytail all the time unless you want people to think long hair has no style. Its not that long hair has no style, its that ponytails are not generaly a flattering style...especialy low setted ponys and with long hair its hard to have a high set pony with out it being uncomfortable or falling down lower. tee hee. |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: April 15 2004 at 6:04am
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Oh, and dont get so upset please chrissy. It might be a shame but they made their choice. Its not worth getting yourself all unhappy about. Not everyone thinks the way Oprah producers do... lol, just a thought, maybe Oprah is jealous of them becasue she herself can not have long hair like thye can. |
Posted By: Viktoria
Date Posted: April 15 2004 at 10:09am
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I think Emma in Austin has just the right attitude about how to grow long hair. And yes, why do I never really feel like a long haired woman, although my hair is about 30 inches already? How many years will that take? ErinLynn, why not post that idea to the Oprah show? I have never seen a long haired person being "made over" without a cut. Iīd, for one, be very interested in getting some new ideas about what to do with my hair, to jazz it up a little. Maybe this is a european thing, but personally my biggest reason for growing it out long is that I want to wear it up, in elegant, full buns. I think that is a most flattering look for middle aged women, which I guess is what I am, already. I wear it down when I want to be a bit more rockīnīroll! And Windywms, donīt worry about the inches and the "rules", just trust the way your hair looks. If itīs healthy and you love it, itīs probably beautiful!  ------------- The more you complain, the longer God lets you live. |
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: April 15 2004 at 7:27pm
| ErinLynn, I wear my hair in all different styles. Sometimes up in a bun, braided wrapped up, french braid, two braids, wrapped with a clip, ad many others aside from a ponytail. I love my long hair. I never plan to cut it. The people who ask when I will cut get a reply that it is a part of me. Are you cutting off your arm, leg or gouging out an eye soon? No, they why must I cut off my hair that is part of me? The Oprah show was Tuesday and it was the search for Rapunzel. Rapunzel was known for her beautiful long hair that a jealous witch cut off. Gee I guess maybe it was appropriate. I mean you have the Westminster Kennel show, but they don't slaughter the winning dog and serve it to the other breeders do they? The six women all looked georgeous. It was a shock alright. And yes I believe they knew what was coming, but it was still a look at the freak, she has to get a drastic haircut in front of all you people here on stage because she hasn't been responsible enough to do it herself. I do not like the message. I feel insulted. It calls me a freak for keeping my long hair. |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: April 18 2004 at 9:20pm
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Hi windymws, and welcome to the group! Emma and Grace have offered great advice and perspective. Quoting Chrissy on the subject of Tuesday's "Oprah"...
I didn't see or record the show but I heard about it, and that aspect of it, too. Apparently the women were the runners-up in the Rapunzel contest staged by a certain hair products company. So Oprah proved (as if there were ever any doubt) to be the nasty witch per the story.
Indeed, that's what it was. Did they respectfully carry out the wishes of the donors? Let's see... accusing long hair of being a problem and associating it with lack of cleanliness... gang rape of the locks in a sensationalist format... I'd have to conclude the answer to my question is a big fat NO.
Uh, exactly. Oprah's fans ardently believe she is honorable in word and deed. I say, wake up people. The woman was purposefully disrespectful to these guests strictly becasue she perceived doing so was to her own benefit. I say, in so doing, she engenders tremendous ill will on the part of the objective viewer. Oh, and FWIW, the cookie-cutter choppy/flippy whack jobs the victims, er, guests received demonstrate absolutely no stylistic creativity... Q to stylist: "How can you style waist-length hair?" A by stylist: "I can't. I don't know how. I have no sense of creativity, but I have learned how to transform long healthy hair into a crappy shaggy mess... I call it 'stylish' and 'up-to-date' and people actually buy it! LOL" ------------- |
Chrissy M wrote:Posted By: Nyght
Date Posted: April 19 2004 at 9:30am
How come every makeover show I've ever seen either chooses the "Rachel" cut or the shaggy, Meg Ryan look? Both seem very time consuming, not to mention they look LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! People might laugh at my braids (at the decrepit age of 38 ) but at least I have some STYLE!------------- 1b/n/ii 4/27/36+ |
Posted By: Sweet Violet
Date Posted: June 05 2004 at 6:53pm
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I understand and can relate with your concerns about; "how long will still look good" with the ponytail measurement you have. I have a 2 1/4" ponytail measurement and I am just about waist now. I'm hoping someone out there (with this hair thickness) has some good pictures to offer us :-) of waist length and longer... Would be extremely encouraging~ ------------- With a Glad Heart, Sweet Violet |
Posted By: Bob S
Date Posted: June 10 2004 at 4:31pm
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I'm glad I just read this post. Oprah is indeed the witch of the story!(lol) It sickens me when women are brought to these shows with awesome long hair and are treated like quirky freaks. At the end, even though some of them look only a fraction as beautiful as they did before their cuts, and they sport ordinary, difficult layer cuts like millions of others, all of a sudden they are "trendy, modern and liberated". Frankly, I think either Oprah is jealous, or she cares more about dramatic makeover ratings than those women who have spent so many years attaining such marvelous tresses. It really is a shame, esp. for those who are ambivalent about cutting. Bob ------------- |
Posted By: Viktoria
Date Posted: June 10 2004 at 6:44pm
Right Bob, itīs just like when youīre a teenager: "I want to be different and special, *just* like all my friends"! ------------- The more you complain, the longer God lets you live. |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: June 13 2004 at 1:10pm
It's all about the ratings. The beauty wasted is, to her, immaterial -- so long as ratings are not low, this sort of low-brow material will continue to be aired. Some might say, "the change is dramatic," and that that is what draws the viewer's attention. Perhaps, but the possibility of drama -- without whack jobs -- exists, but is not tapped. And why not? Because stylists' training programs are not well-rounded. How much time do they spend learning how to care for or style really long hair? Well, there you go. The gruesome explanation. ------------- |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: June 13 2004 at 1:17pm
Sweet Violet, It seems to me your own signature picture ought to be encouragement enough! You are obviously doing something (actually, many things) right. My hair texture is between medium and fine and it's even longer than yours, so it can be done. Hang in there! ------------- |
Posted By: JerkyFlea
Date Posted: June 14 2004 at 12:16pm
Tiny bit of clarification here...
The before you trash Oprah (or Matrix who held the contest), you should know that the http://www.matrix.com/locks_of_love/rapunzel.aspx - Search for Rapunzel contest was intended to find a woman with the longest hair (or some similar criteria) willing to donate it to "Locks of Love", get a makeover, trip to NYC, etc. So, the women on Oprah's show were entrants into the contest and thus had already determined they wanted to cut and donate their hair and get a new style.
Again, before we saddle up the posse and hand out the pitchforks and torches to the villagers, re-read what i wrote above.
Um, and just for good measure, read it again. And after doing a bit of research, I have yet to find evidence of the classic "and they cried afterwards". Even watched a bit of "Oprah After The Show" where they hung around afterward and didn't see it. Again, not defending the concept of TV makeover shows where drama = ratings, just telling you that these women were MORE than willing participants. If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and walks like a duck, sometimes it's just a duck and not a cleverly disguised chicken with an agenda. JF ------------- 3 pm is simultaneously too late and too early to start anything. |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: June 16 2004 at 5:10pm
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Hi JF, Oh sure, I was well aware of the stated purpose of the "contest," that being to find their one (so-called) "winner" for the big chop. The official description of the thing did not (as far as I can tell) even mention that runners-up would also be chopped. Okay, so they were willing to do so. But I don't have to respect Oprah's (or her producers') decision to feature the chopping on her show. And BTW, in actuality, I believe that the primary purpose of the "contest" was for the sponsor company to get free or reduced-cost publicity. Although I didn't see the show, many reports by those who did (several of whom I know personally, and trust) indicated that the show did present long hair in an unflattering light, drawing associations to lack of cleanliness. Do you think the show's producers did not intend for the chopping to be a sensationalist happening? I think that that is (part of) the intent. However, I personally I find these types of presentations coming to be routine, predictable -- and dull. Oh, and regarding the excerpted segments in which you saw nary a teary eye, don't fool yourself into thinking that the show wasn't carefully edited in an attempt to paint their activity in the most flattering way. ------------- |