shorter IS BETTER when it's thinning - we'll swear to that. possibly waiting to join the sly is the right choice for you, only you know that answer, but listen to us when we say buzz it down to a crewcut and it will look immenely better IMMEDIATELY. When you keep it long the thinning is very apparent even if you fuss at it constantly. When it's buzzed it does it's own thing and stands up proud...the thinning is significantly obvious since the basic ideaof a buzz is to show some scalp through it.