Hair Thinning After Cut: What Went Wrong & What to Do

Question

One month prior to cut  

2 weeks after cut   Hi Dana,
I  am 24 and have always had fine, slightly wavy hair  with a lot of it on my head. Three weeks ago I got my hair cut at a barber shop and at the end of the session the stylist took the thinning shears about 6/7 times around the entirety of the top of my head, pretty close to the scalp. Since then I have noticed that I can see My scalp through my hair when under bright over head lighting. Before the cut, I could always see it slightly but since then it seems much more prominent. I don't think I'm losing hair as this has just come to my attention since the cut and all the men in my family have hair into their old age.  I want to ask if this is normal after a butchered hair cut and if so, will it grow back to the way it used to be. It has caused me an immense amount of anxiety for the past two weeks and I'd like to know what I should do next if this isn't normal.

Answer
Hi Jimmy,

I think it is safe to assume that  you got a haircut that either is working against the growth patterns of your hair or the thinning shears were used too much or, again, ignoring the direction of the growth and cut. Hair cutting is all geometry. It stands to reason that if you didn't notice thinning before the hair cut, that the design of the cut is to blame. The good news is, what we do to the outside has no affect on what's happening on the inside. Since hair growth occurs under the skin, and cutting happens afterward, your hair will grow back as normal.

In the future, it wouldn't be unreasonable to request forgoing the thinning shears on your fine hair. Keep in mind also, it may not have been he thinning shears. It could have been the angle it was cut with the regular shears. If you haven't already, this is a good argument for finding a regular designer, and in particular one who takes the time to do a consultation each visit.