Thinning out thick hair

anne

My DD9 has thick straight long blonde hair. It looks gorgeous and is much admired but she finds she has to work hard keeping it untangled and we have been wondering about getting it thinned. I don't have any experience of this and wondered if anyone who does could weigh in on whether it is a good idea?

12 years ago

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13 replies

Latest reply was from Diana

Suz

(website)

Veteran

My hair is super thick so I've had it thinned (or layered, depending on length) pretty much all my life.

I wouldn't recommend taking thinning shears to long hair; in that case it would be better to cut layers in to ensure it has some shape and body. It's possible a really good stylist could use the thinners to get the right effect, but it's not just a question of hacking away.

My hairdresser sometimes thins out my short hair with the thinning shears. I find it takes a while for my hair to settle afterwards, particularly now that it has some grey in it.

12 years ago

anne

Veteran

Thanks Suz

12 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

I have really thick hair but the strands are baby fine. It snarls like no ones business. A couple of things I do:

1. When I get it cut, the stylist puts in long layers. This gives it shape, and movement. It also thins it a bit.
2. I use two bottles of conditioner for every bottle of shampoo. I only condition the length not by the scalp as I have oily hair.
3. I experimented with several brushes until I found one that works in my hair. It was not the most expensive one I tried by far. It was something from the drugstore, actually.
4. I found a dry oil that acts as a detangler. I also have several leave in conditioners and "shine" agents i cycle through. Yes, they add shine, but what they really do is let me get a comb through it!

12 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I do the same thing that Suz does - and it really makes a bit difference! My hair gives me a headache sometimes (boo urns!)

12 years ago

Jules

Veteran

I notice a thing from the 90s coming back - I think it's called nape undercut - basically the top layer is left long but the hair is thinned out underneath, so you have a shaved nape of the neck that only shows when the hair is worn up or back. I know the current undercut look is rather extreme but this was more practical, athletic girls who wanted long hair would do it for example.

12 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, Lyn - I almost forgot that!! When my hair was long, I would get a terrible headache from wearing it in a ponytail. Even if the pony was loose. And once, I wore it "up" for an event. It needed 47 hairpins plus a lot of product to keep it more or less in place.

12 years ago

Scarlet

Veteran

My hair is layered and thinned out to tame the amount/volume, but I don't have problems with tangles, I think because my hair is too coarse to tangle. I also get a headache from putting my hair up/back unless I can find the sweet spot.

12 years ago

Hil

(website)

Veteran

I have thick hair - and wore it long (bum length!) as a kid. The best thing I ever did was lop it off into a short bob when I was about 11! Thick heavy long hair was literally a headache.

My daughter is now 7 and I think she is heading the same way. Her hair hangs down to the middle of her back and also pretty thick. Our best solution is lots of conditioner, and to plait it at night. She has to have it tied up for school, so if we brush it out to tie a pony in the morning, it is so much easier after being plaited for the night. And to find the right brush!

12 years ago

anne

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Doulahil - yes we too do the plaiting at night and DD lavishes on the conditioner. She really works hard at her hair and it usually looks great. At the moment she is doing swimming lessons every day and that really plays havoc with it.

12 years ago

Raisin

Veteran

My hair is not actually "thick", the strands themselves are pretty normal, but I have a TON of hair. More then anyone I know. So it appears to be very thick. It takes eons to dry. My hairdresser always comments that there's just so much hair!! Anyway, putting in lots of layers can help, or maybe just cut it to shoulder length? I find when mine is about that length it's much more manageable. I've had it down to my lower back when I was a teen and it was definitely a lot of work just to dry!

12 years ago

Hil

(website)

Veteran

Anne - I totally understand - the swimming wreaks havoc on their hair - I have the same problem with Claire! And we have lots of tears!

12 years ago

anne

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It seems like layers might be the way to go. I don't think she'd like the overall length to be much shorter. It is not that long now; about armpit length.

I am very grateful that she combs her own hair, even if she does sit for ages with the shower on while she is doing it! Perhaps I should buy her a leave in conditioner, as Thistle mentioned

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

When my hair was shorter, my stylist did a sort of modified undercut on it. It's similar to what Jules describes, but not as extreme (so not shaved at the nape, but shorter and thinned out). In addition to lightening the weight, it also prevented my hair from forming a triangle shape (because it's very straight and heavy, the top would get weighed down while the bottom would pouf out). Now that it's longer, she doesn't do it any more, because it prevents you from being able to put up your hair nicely. So I'd recommend this type of undercut for shorter (mine was around shoulder length) but not necessarily longer hair.

I do get headaches from ponytails (and even the twist I normally put it up in starts to ache by the end of the day) but it's so straight I don't get many tangles so I can't help you there.

12 years ago

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