Love Your Hair: The Thin Hair Chronicles (A Long Story)

Thin hair cannot be long hair. The longer it is the thinner it looks. And the weight, oh the weight will pull your precious few strands out right at the roots! Keep it short, the shorter the better. Growing those thin locks any longer than chin length is a terrible idea.

At least that is what I always believed.

So, I had short hair. Forever and ever, amen. I did it all. Good bad and in between, any trendy short cut from 1993- 2008 made an appearance on my head. I put in my time and got intimate with the classics- Jean, Louise, Mia, Audrey: I paid homage to them all. I had the best time with the short, I ran the gamut and then I did it again.

But I always wanted a blow out and a ponytail, or braids, or a top knot, or hair just to let hang down and hide me from the world if I chose to do so. I mean, come on, short hair is great but some days this face needs some follicular camouflage.

So about a year into working at HeaD AreA, I mustered up the courage to ask the hair gurus that surrounded me if perhaps, maybe (pretty please) long hair was something I could have one day. (Please keep in mind my last two hair stylists had given me the old "you suddenly have three heads" face at this query).

Knock me over with a feather, they said YES. It would in no way be simple and would take a great deal of patience, but my flimsy locks could and would be long.

Mugshot: The first cut on the journey to long hair (Hair by Lee, April 2009)

First things first: long hair, short hair, thick hair, or thin hair; it is all about the right cut. For my hair, that cut needs movement achieved through deftly placed layers. Left to its own devices, my locks will strictly adhere to the laws of gravity and hang as close and flat to my head as they possibly can. To counterbalance the tendency, Lee sliced delicate layers into my chin length cut, letting the shape of my head dictate the length of the hair. This method plumped up my meager locks and banished any flattening weightiness. The result was a sleek polished style with the versatility necessary to keep me from chopping it all back off.

Shoulder grazing happiness (Hair by Lee, August 2009)

Versatility was the name of the game as my hair slowly gained length, Lee made sure to add movement and life with subtle layers and his legendary precision cutting.

I cannot emphasize enough how important a cut is when your hair is fine and limp, no matter what end result you are trying to achieve. Talk to your stylist about your problem areas, ask them about your texture, your hair's natural movement. Each appointment you have with them is a chance for you to get to know your own hair better, so make the most of this.

Oh yeah, that sure is a ponytail (February 2010)

These cuts alone could have been all that I needed to get the long lengths I craved, but my coworkers had more in store for me and my longing for length. Products. Bumble and Bumble products of all shapes and formulations that allowed me to achieve unheard of feats with the tendrils I was cultivating. I relied heavily (and still do) on the possibly magical Bb Thickening Serum.

This little gem was introduced right around the same time I became determined to have long locks. Needless to say, we became fast friends. Massaged into roots once or twice a day, the serum will plump each and every hair shaft adding more heft to overall hair. I started seeing results after just a few weeks. My ponytails got a little bulkier and my hair lifted higher at the crown without having to defy to laws of physics and the upkeep couldn't be easier.

Full fledged plumping addict (April 2010)

Since it penetrates the scalp, you can throw the serum in clean or dirty hair, with or without other products and either in the morning, at night or with high tea if you're so inclined. Here's the thing; I get a failing grade in sticking to any sort of "good for you habit". I am a lazy lady who cannot be bothered to exercise or dust or clean my darn make-up brushes if it even marginally interferes with my doing nothing. So when I say this is an easy thing to do for your hair, be assured that it is a baby step above breathing on the simplicity scale. Seriously.

The fringe effect (August 2010)

Armed with my new best friend, Thickening Serum and the rest of Bb family, I made the most of the next two year. Road testing the entire line on my ever changing hair. I can honestly say that this line has at least one (usually several) product for every head of hair, not matter the length, width or bend. Your stylist is more than happy to walk you through whatever product catches your eye, and to recommend what they most love with your hair. Ask away, you will be glad you did.

Houston, we have long hair (May, 2011)

So here we are are two year later and I have hair that cascades down past my shoulder blades, can be whipped up into all sorts of fantastical styles and can pull attention away from that giant pimple dead in the center of my face. I have achieved my long hair goal and I had little to nothing to do without it. It is all about the cut and the care. Finding the best stylist and the best product is the most effort we novices need to make. Turns out, not only can us thin haired folk have long hair, we can have really beautiful long hair.