To trim to one length, or not?

[Rosamaria]

I am growing out a very short, pixie-like hair cut. I've been growing it for a year now and it is roughly shoulder length - 19/20 inches - but with some front bits still too short to go in a ponytail and needing to be tucked behind my ears. Last time when I was growing it out from short (will I ever learn?) I grew it without any trimming until it was about 21 inches and then began to get my husband to trim it bit by bit over the next year or so, until it was all the same length, in a blunt cut. This time I am thinking of just leaving it to grow naturally in what will be a u-shaped hem line with layers. The advantage will be that it will get long much quicker (no trimming) but I wonder whether it will look very messy and thin at the ends. It is healthy, natural, dark brown hair with God-given silver highlights that is not very thick and almost totally straight.

What have your experiences been? Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

[UpNorth]

I think I would microtrim at shoulder actually. What I think is a problem with layers is that the ends at the shorter layers are so much harder to trim, and when they start to get damaged it is usually a little too late to leave them while you microtrim for a year to get rid of them. It is easier to just cut the whole length when damage appears. But if you are willing to S&D a lot in the future I would say go ahead! If it start to look thin you could microtrim then!

[jacqueline101]

I'm growing longer layers and I just learned to ignore mine there isn't any damage so benign neglect. Let them grow out as I'm doing my thing.

[skyblue]

When my hair came back after chemo, I just let it all grow, I never trimmed it til it was around bs length, at the time I was getting long layers and that worked out really well til I let it go for a year or so I ended up with a very v shaped hem, thats around the time I joined here, after that I micro trimmed blunt until it was all one length, roughly a years worth, now I just try to trim 4 times a year, if your hair is healthy I wouldn't worry so much about trimming it until its long enough to blunt it all at once

[leslissocool]

By the time your hair is long and starting to look thin in the bottom you are going to be able to put it up in a peacock twist and forget about it.

I say wait until its a bit longer.

[lapushka]

There's no right way or wrong way to go about this, which is what makes the decision difficult. If you're comfortable letting it grow out like you have been (obviously you have as you've made it to shoulder already), then keep doing so. It's going to grow longer quicker that way. If you keep trimming to shoulder or to bob length until it's all even, it's going to take a while, at least 6 months, and no progress with regards to length.

[Rosamaria]

Thanks to all of you who replied to my question

My general impression from your answers is that I should wait until it is a lot longer before I do any trimming. I am very happy to follow this advice because the most important thing at this moment is LENGTH!

Upnorth - I love your hair and I hope that one day mine will be as long as that!
Leslissocool - I looked up the peocock twist and I will definitely be trying it one day. I also loved the gibson tuck and the scrunchie bun which I used a lot last time when my hair was SL to BSL
Skyblue - it's impressive to see what you've achieved after chemo. Hope all is well with you now
Jacqueline - good to know someone else is also growing out layers. Thanks for your input.
Lapushka - 3 inches to TBL is really impressive! As you say, trimming would effectively mean no growth for 6-12 months. I shall follow your advice!

[spidermom]

I've always gotten my growing-out hair trimmed a lot. I would hate it when it completely lost shape. My hair stylist was great about taking me from short layers to longer layers to no layers. It was almost painless.

[SerinaDaith]

I chopped the last of my pixi layers right before I joined here. I have a nice hemline but after two years of growing my hair is just past shoulder. I wish I had just let it grow rather then fretting about all the layers.

[Chromis]

I grew mine from scalp and trimmed it only enough to keep from having an unintentional mullet. Once the ends in front were long enough to tie back, I evened it all to one length. I lost a couple of inches, but it made it much easier to deal with and regained that bit pretty quickly.A little taper is nice for updos, but too many layers makes everything stick out like a porcupine, especially braids.