Question:
Is it better to have long hair or short hair when experiencing hair loss?

I am pre-op and I wanted to know if longer hair would cover up hair loss or does so much hair come out that it doesn't matter.    — Leanne S. (posted on May 10, 2002)

May 10, 2002
Hi Leanne, I had hair to my butt, when it started to fall out(about three months out) I went and cut about 6-8 inches off. It personally made a difference for me. No one else could tell I was losing hair but the longer it was, it looked like more was falling out then what really was. I now have hair around my shoulder blades. :o) Best of luck Tish
   — Tisha W.

May 10, 2002
Pre-op here but I lost a lot of hair when I became ill - uncontrolled diabetes. Basically my long hair made me look a lot like a cancer victim. Not good. It took two cuts before I finally had it cut very short. I looked 100% better and had many compliments. I'm not saying you should cut it short now. But if your hair loss does turn out to be significant to the point of it becoming noticable, I really would recommend shorter hair then.
   — Shelly S.

May 10, 2002
I have always had long hair, but I chopped it all of when it started falling out after WLS. I'm talking 2 inches long, all over my head. It looked really bad for a few months (bald spots), but now, as my hair has returned to normal, it looks great. It's filling out and looks better than it has in years!
   — Terissa R.

May 10, 2002
I *started* with fine, thin hair. I ended up cutting mine back shorter, then even shorter in hopes of giving it some body and life. Mine ended up 2 inches all over also, but being that short you could see straight thru to my scalp! Yikes! I was paranoid about it, but others said you couldn't tell. Either they were just being nice, or I worried too much about it. After a month of growth, I started getting a lot of compliments on it. In the beginning, at the rate it was falling out, I thought that I would be completely bald though. That didn't happen, and the loss has slowed dramatically. It is just a short period of time of hair loss that you think will never end, but it does, and you get through it, and you still have hair. Good luck.
   — Cheri M.

May 11, 2002
Well, I suppose I am in the minority here. I started with long (below my shoulders)and very thick hair. I lost about 50-75% of my hair. I only cut it once-to just shoulder length. I wear my hair one length and pulled back in a head band most of the time. I am so glad I did not cut my hair any shorter or into a layered style. Now that my hair is sprouting- I have thousands and thousands of 3 inch sprouts all over-the style that I wear hides these. Really, I am the only one that knows that they are there. The ends of my hair are thinnner, but with pulling it back, it sort of "doubles-up" the thickness. (make sense?) I am really tired of my hair style and am soooooo ready for a change. However, it looks like I am stuck with this style for about 6 more months while these sprouts get longer. I would love to get a perm, but I think it would be a hairdressers nightmare!! ( also, what would happen to those 3 inch curly sprouts??) I have a big fear of the unknown, and right now my hair is acceptable. Again, I am so glad that I did not cut my hair short-I was very tempted but am now glad I stuck with it. Shelley
   — Shelley.