Reader Mail: Does Longer Hair = Thinner Ends?

Sept 2008. Thin ends caused by rough stylist

A reader posed the following question: Why is it as relaxed hair gets longer it gets thin at the ends?


Here are three reasons that hair sometimes start to get thinner as it gets longer.


The first explanation is that since the ends of your hair are the oldest, they are more prone to breakage.  Assuming your hair grows at the average rate of 6" per year, if your hair is 12" long, then the ends are 2 years old.  If your hair grows less than 6" per year, then at 12" long, your ends will be older.  So for 2 or more years, your ends have been washed, flat ironed, sunburned, twirled between your fingers, and if you choose "whipped" back and forth.

The second factor could be excessive shedding.  Let's say for argument sake that you have 100 strands on your head.  If you shed 50 of those strands, then your hair will look markedly thinner.  Excessive shedding can be caused by product reactions, medications, or even stress.  So while you notice a correlation between your hair getting longer and your ends getting thinner, the length is not the cause of the thinning.


Finally, you may have suffered a setback.  The picture above was taken after I visited a new stylist when I moved to NC in 2008.  She overlapped my relaxer, tangled my hair while rinsing, and then ripped through my hair while she attempted to roller set my hair.  I voiced my concern at each step during the visit but she assured me that my hair was fine.  She was wrong.  After this I went back to my usual stylist in DC and she gave me a hair cut.


Your hair can remain thick at the ends as it gets longer.  I've been able to maintain thick ends as my hair got longer at different times during my hair journey.  The key to avoiding getting thinner ends is a consistent regimen.  If you started out with a blunt hair cut and noticed that your ends got thinner over time, reevaluate your regimen.  Naturally if your hair is cut in layers, your ends will look thinner since all your hair is not the same length.