"the very hairs of your head are numbered"

And the number of the very hairs of my head is a lot less than it was two days ago. If you have thick hair and haven't had your hair thinned before, it can be amazingly beneficial. It not only takes less times to dry and is easier to wash, but it can give you a much more attractive 'do' and contributes to making your locks more manageable. I used to be afraid to give Cousin Joy the 'go ahead' because my thick blond hair was like a trademark of sorts. I had gotten so many compliments over the years not only for the nice natural "blondness", but also for the thickness of my hair. My old hairdresser said I had the best hair ever. I mean, he was the best in town, and he never thinned my hair. But, Joy likes trying new things on my hair without telling me until after the fact, so several months ago, she went ahead and thinned it. The result was fabulous! I could actually "toss" my hair! I could run my fingers through it! I could blow dry it in under an hour (yes, that's an overexaggeration). It just lay on my shoulders so much more nicely. So, after several months of letting my hair grow even longer, it was time to thin again. This time, the change feels so much more dramatic than before and I'm kinda freaking out about it. I really liked having a nice thick ponytail. But I'm looking forward to perhaps styling it more often, which translates into at all, since I can't remember the last time I did anything but let it air-dry wavy or pull it up. So, all that to say, I'm a big fan of thinning shears (when used by a professional) - just remember to thin within reason to avoid shock.