2 years of virgin growth - need advice

[thirstylocks]

http://i45.tinypic.com/2nvs86d.jpg

Hey all. This is what my hair looks like - straightened for a special occasion. I have been growing bleach out for 2 years exactly and I had to cut off a LOT of hair - I have a few inches left at the bottom. My hair is REALLY dry so I use natural, non sulfate, cone free products and I use heat very rarely.

Even so, my hair needs a haircut. As you can see, there is a strip of hair that is shorter from when I lost my temper and almost hacked off my hair. I have APL hair (at its best) and I think the virgin hair is up to my shoulders. I want to get rid of these layers, but how can I do it without cutting off hair ?? Should I add even more layers? Should I hack it off to my shoulders (I really do not want to) or should I not cut it and risk the damage spreading up the hair?

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I would suggest maintaining at APL with trims until the layers even up. It takes longer than one big cut but you wont get discouraged about your growth progress as much as if you just cut it all off at once. That is just one of many options.

ETA: I would not suggest adding more layers if you do not currently like layers in your hair.

[thirstylocks]

When I get the trims, do I also trim the short layer?

[Deborah]

When I get the trims, do I also trim the short layer?

No. Or your problem will just continue. Let that shortest part catch up with the rest. If it were me I'd trim one or two inches off the bottom only, then trim just the bottom regularly until the rest catches up, and it's all one length. From there you can grow to your heart's content.

Good luck! :)

[vanillabones]

I am in the exact same boat, I guess I should just cut the rest off... but I want to keep growing! I figure I'll maintain APL :( and get a good trim towards winter.

[principesse]

I agree with everyone that maintaining is the best approach, and I really say this out of experience. Generally, if you want to get rid of layers, you have two options: either you chop off to the shortest layer (which most of us find very difficult to do) or keep maintaining at the length of the longest layer, trimming only the longest layers to maintain the length. The short layers will catch up and with time, you will maintain until your hair is one length. I really prefer this approach, especially if you want to grow your hair long, as you don't really need to sacrifice your current length at all. You will have very healthy ends by the end of the process, due to the regular trims and you can continue growing from that length when you're down. In contrast, if you do a big chop, by the time your hair reaches APL again, your ends might have some damage from the wear and tear.

[Ambystoma]

If you do small trims but still let it grow, the layers become less noticeable over time. A difference of a few inches is a lot on APL hair, but not so much at BSL and beyond. I still kind of have a fringe of sorts since when I was growing out my bleach damage and dye at chin/SL I would trim by just holding sections straight up and cutting a little of the yucky hair off the end rather than trimming in a straight line at the bottom since if I didn't keep it long enough to go in a modified french roll I would have gone nuts :laugh:

I'm nearly waist now and I've only trimmed about an inch off the longest part since then but it looks fine. Yeah I'd like about 3 inches off the bottom to make it *perfect* but that will happen through tiny trims anyway.

I suggest just doing tiny trims as you go, unless the damage is starting to move upwards. From your picture the ends don't look too bad at all though :blossom:

Edit: Try out sock or rag curls on it while it grows - big bouncy curls hide a multitude of hemline sins!

[RubySlippers]

I am in the exact same boat, I guess I should just cut the rest off... but I want to keep growing! I figure I'll maintain APL :( and get a good trim towards winter.

Hey me too!

I even have just the same amount of blondy highlights still showing at my ends as I seem to see in your pic, though my hair is now henna red, so they're bright copper!

And I have loads of layers too. I'm going with the maintaining and trimming plan.

Although I feel like all the layers are very hard to S&D and they can't be gaining as much length as the rest of my hair is if the ends of the layers keep breaking. I'd LOVE to be able to trim just a half a cm off every hair on my head... But I guess that's impossible!

[thirstylocks]

So what about the damaged parts on the layers :( I think my most yucky hair is unfortunately at the ends of my layers, rather than at the ends of my longest hair. Do I just keep the yuckiness anyway ?

[jacqueline101]

I'd maintain and let the layers grow out. As the hair grows they are less noticeable.

[jacqueline101]

I'd maintain and grow out your layers.

[juliaxena]

So what about the damaged parts on the layers :( I think my most yucky hair is unfortunately at the ends of my layers, rather than at the ends of my longest hair. Do I just keep the yuckiness anyway ?


I noticed that too when I still had layers. That's why I evened them out. I trim a lot so I am not the best to give advice to people who don't want to trim, but I hope you find a solution. Perhaps plenty of deep treatments and oiling etc.