Can A Girl With Fine Hair go 6 Months Without A Dusting?

[NikNak]

Hi there! I'm a bit fed up with my hairdresser. I adore her as a person. But she insists that my fine, thin hair is too fragile to go any longer than 8 weeks without a trim (or a dusting, which is really what I'm wanting). My hair grows so slowly, that I feel that everytime I go in she cuts off what I just grew!

I talked to my husband and he said he'd apply color to my hair when I need it (for some reason I cant do it myself. I always get a funky spot because I miss that part with the color. It's the same spot on my hair everytime too! LOL). And I'm thinking I just want a dusting every 6 months. Am I crazy or will this actually be good for my hair?

[PrairieRose]

Fine hair can be grown long. I think that individual routines come into play. Do you use heat, SLS? It seems that you do use some chemical processing. Fine hair is more delicate and all these things can come affect it. Just keep an eye on it. If you don't think you need a trim or dusting than hold off and see how your hair is.

[spidermom]

Give it a try, see how it does. I was so used to getting it trimmed every 6-8 weeks when I first joined that I feared something awful would happen if I didn't trim so often. I've found that once every 3 months is just about perfect.

[Rosethorn]

I've got fine hair and I haven't trimmed in........ about 2 years (?). Roughly. I've actually decided that I'm never going to cut it again. That being said, I always wear it up and I'm not prone to split ends. I almost think you've got to try it and see how your hair does? The condition of your ends will depend upon your particular head of hair and your routine, climate, etc.. For example, it's really cold/windy/dry where I live and I've modified my hair care to reflect that. Hope that wasn't too incoherent...

[Kiwiwi]

Of course she tells you you need frequent trims; she needs to make money!

I have fine to medium hair and I can go months without a dusting. It's all in how you take care of it. The less it gets damaged, the less trims you need. Plus it's all very individual. Some people get split ends like crazy while taking great care of their hair while other never get split ends while they might even take less great care.

The only way to find out is to try it out. Keep an eye on your hair and trim when you feel your hair needs it.
Also, sometimes ends can get crunchy and dry and you might think you need a trim; clarify first and see if that helps. Almost always helps me :)

I also think (frequent) colouring your hair would be more damaging than infrequent trimming.
But everyone is different.

Just try it out :)
Good luck!

[ravenheather]

I have fine hair and haven't trimmed in a year. I've found a couple of splits, but nothing major. I also do not color or use heat on my hair though.

[NikNak]

Fine hair can be grown long. I think that individual routines come into play. Do you use heat, SLS? It seems that you do use some chemical processing. Fine hair is more delicate and all these things can come affect it. Just keep an eye on it. If you don't think you need a trim or dusting than hold off and see how your hair is.

The most heat I use on my hair is the hair dryer and curling iron my hairdresser uses everytime I'm in her chair. At home I always wear my hair up or in a side braid (it's a REALLY small loose braid. But I don't care how small in diameter my braid is). I use bobby pins and no hair spray.

I sleep on a satin pillow case and run humidifyer at night because my hair craves moisture. I wash my hair every 3 days. I do get my hair colored, though, because I'm only 42 and I'm not ready to let my dark locks go gray. There's no highlighting going on, though. It's just brown or auburn color.

[NikNak]

Give it a try, see how it does. I was so used to getting it trimmed every 6-8 weeks when I first joined that I feared something awful would happen if I didn't trim so often. I've found that once every 3 months is just about perfect.

Last summer I went 3 months without a trim. It started looking rather straggely and limp. But I'm wondering if it was just going through an awkward phase? I know when your growing your hair out from short to long there is always an awkward phase. Now, I past short hair a LONG time ago. LOL But can hair have awkward phases at any other lengths?

[biogirl87]

I would say if your hair doesn't gets splits often you would be able to go 6 months without a dusting. While most of my hair is medium texture, the very ends of some of my hairs are more fine and as of today it's been over 6 months since I've had a trim and I've only seen two split ends in that time (both of those splits were taken care of with smallish trim).

[NikNak]

Of course she tells you you need frequent trims; she needs to make money!

I have fine to medium hair and I can go months without a dusting. It's all in how you take care of it. The less it gets damaged, the less trims you need. Plus it's all very individual. Some people get split ends like crazy while taking great care of their hair while other never get split ends while they might even take less great care.

The only way to find out is to try it out. Keep an eye on your hair and trim when you feel your hair needs it.
Also, sometimes ends can get crunchy and dry and you might think you need a trim; clarify first and see if that helps. Almost always helps me :)

I also think (frequent) colouring your hair would be more damaging than infrequent trimming.
But everyone is different.

Just try it out :)
Good luck!

My hair is actually changing. It's gone from really fine and thin to really fine and a teensy bit thicker (trust me, I notice! LOL). I castor oil it once a week and deep condition (my hair LOVES this!). I went 3 months last summer without a trim and even though my hair looked straggely and limp, my hair dresser said my ends actually didn't look that bad.

Looking back, I probably shouldn't have cancelled that appointment!

[Tota]

You should try and see how long can you go without dusting by yourself. You may be surprised - fine hair can be amazing when cared for the right way. She may be a great person but she has no right to tell you how often you should cut your hair. Some hairdressers tell you that just because they're afraid to lose your bussiness. The last time I went to a hairdresser she told me that I should come back in two months. I laughed at her and told her: Yeah, yeah, see you in two years. Maybe :P My hair is fine, too :)

[NikNak]

I've got fine hair and I haven't trimmed in........ about 2 years (?). Roughly. I've actually decided that I'm never going to cut it again. That being said, I always wear it up and I'm not prone to split ends. I almost think you've got to try it and see how your hair does? The condition of your ends will depend upon your particular head of hair and your routine, climate, etc.. For example, it's really cold/windy/dry where I live and I've modified my hair care to reflect that. Hope that wasn't too incoherent...

I live in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It is dry and windy as all get out! I have found since i started wearing it up, it does a LOT better! Today we had no wind, so I could braid it and wear it down. I wish I could commit to never cutting it again! I think I want to try 6 months and then see what it's like and then perhaps go longer and longer in between trims.

I had hair down to my waist when I was 4 years old (of course it was VERY stringy!). By the time I was 5 I had shoulder length hair (I guess my Grandma cut it because of the tangles). By age 6 my hair was short. And then the 80's happened and my hair was litterally put through the ringer! Bad perms, bad cuts, bad EVERYTHING! LOL

[NikNak]

You should try and see how long can you go without dusting by yourself. You may be surprised - fine hair can be amazing when cared for the right way. She may be a great person but she has no right to tell you how often you should cut your hair. Some hairdressers tell you that just because they're afraid to lose your bussiness. The last time I went to a hairdresser she told me that I should come back in two months. I laughed at her and told her: Yeah, yeah, see you in two years. Maybe :P My hair is fine, too :)

I'm going to try this and see what happens. I read a blog last night and a lady who had Swedish fine hair (I'm Irish, but I think Irish fine hair is probably the same as Swedish fine hair. Fine hair is fine hair), said that some fine hair grows only 2 cm a month, so getting it trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks is defeating the purpose of growing it because they are going to cut off what you just grew! That's what got me thinking about it.

[furnival]

I read a blog last night and a lady who had Swedish fine hair (I'm Irish, but I think Irish fine hair is probably the same as Swedish fine hair. Fine hair is fine hair), said that some fine hair grows only 2 cm a month, so getting it trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks is defeating the purpose of growing it because they are going to cut off what you just grew!
Only 2cm a month?! 2cm a month is more than double the average rate of hair growth, which is 1/2 inch per month.

Apart from that, fine hair most definitely can thrive without trims. My mum has thigh-length, super-fine hair which she trims once a year, a trim of about 1/2 inch, and it's in lovely condition.

I'd always be tempted to question someone's motives when they're insisting that the thing you need to do is the very thing that makes them money.

[lapushka]

My hair's F and I haven't had it trimmed since September 2011, so... you can go longer without trimming as a person with F hair. Definitely. Don't let your hairdresser fool you into thinking you need to trim that often, that's just not true, and it goes for people with all kinds of textures. It pretty much depends on how you treat your hair (do you heatstyle, bleach, color, etc.).

[MsBubbles]

Fine-hair checking in here. I always dust off half my length gains each month. I have grown my hair from shoulder to hip in 3 years by cutting off half the length gains. I hope this helps.

[NikNak]

Only 2cm a month?! 2cm a month is more than double the average rate of hair growth, which is 1/2 inch per month.

Apart from that, fine hair most definitely can thrive without trims. My mum has thigh-length, super-fine hair which she trims once a year, a trim of about 1/2 inch, and it's in lovely condition.

I'd always be tempted to question someone's motives when they're insisting that the thing you need to do is the very thing that makes them money.

My hair grows so slowly, though, that I tempted to beleive my hair only grows 2 cm a month. In any event, I saw her "dust" my hair and it was no dusting! I swear she took off at least 1/2 an inch! My son, who likes to tell me how long my hair looks, told me she took off WAYYYY too much! When I got home, I could see that my hair did indeed look shorter. She also used an Instyler on me and I swear I could feel some hair breaking when she used it on me!

[NikNak]

Fine-hair checking in here. I always dust off half my length gains each month. I have grown my hair from shoulder to hip in 3 years by cutting off half the length gains. I hope this helps.

I don't think my hair grows as fast as yours. I have gone chin length to armpit length in 4 years. My hair grows slow and I think she takes off what I just grew.

BTW, your hair is BEAUTIFUL!

[jacqueline101]

I think you would have to keep an eye on your hair. If it your hair if its in need then do it.

[furnival]

My hair grows so slowly, though, that I tempted to beleive my hair only grows 2 cm a month.
If your hair grows 2cm a month, it is growing twice as fast as the average person's hair. That's not slow! :)

[NikNak]

If your hair grows 2cm a month, it is growing twice as fast as the average person's hair. That's not slow! :)

Oh dear God! I just looked at a metric ruler and my hair most certainly does NOT grow that fast! Yikes! My hair grows at a rate of MUCH less than 1/2 an inch per month. I think when I read 2 cm I was probably thinking mm, which are, I think are MUCH smaller incriments.

[furnival]

Oh dear God! I just looked at a metric ruler and my hair most certainly does NOT grow that fast! Yikes! My hair grows at a rate of MUCH less than 1/2 an inch per month. I think when I read 2 cm I was probably thinking mm, which are, I think are MUCH smaller incriments.

Aha! I thought it sounded a bit odd ;)

[vanillabones]

I only trim about every 4 months and I have layers and bleach damage on the very ends still. When my hair is all virgin I don't plan to trim until every 6 months or possibly yearly since I know my hair will be much more resilient by being dye free, all one length, handled with care and the way it will hang longer I feel my hair will be less vulnerable to mechanical damage than shorter lengths and limited updos.

[Immera]

I have fine hair just past waist length. That's my terminal length. I microtrim every few months myself using Feye's self trim method. i probably take off less than a centimeter at a time.
I haven't paid anybody to do anything to my hair in years. I don't trust them and if I can do it for myself, it seems like a waste of money.

[MsBubbles]

I don't think my hair grows as fast as yours. I have gone chin length to armpit length in 4 years. My hair grows slow and I think she takes off what I just grew.

BTW, your hair is BEAUTIFUL!

Aw thanks! :blushing:

On what are you basing how fast your hair grows? It might be difficult for you to determine that if you have to keep going to a salon. I remember thinking my hair never grew, back in my salon-going days - turns out the stylist was just chopping it all off. But I was surprised how quickly it grew once I found this place and learned Feye's Self Trim method. I average 5/8" a month. I have dead straight hair so it's easy for me to measure it.

[LaurelSpring]

I have fine hair. Last year I went about 8 months without trimming. I got a good deal of splits but there were other factors involved also so I dont know exactly what to blame it on. I would say to study up on Feye's self trim guide and do it yourself. I went to doing monthly microtrim dustings myself and that has kept my ends nice and still allowed for growth. I am getting somewhat impatient though and I think Im going to let it go until March and see what happens. You can monitor it yourself and take a nip at it if it starts looking weird.

Just a note on Feyes. I found it much easier for me to pony band it down the length to be able to get a good grasp on it. My hair is so fine and slippery that trying to use a scruncii and slide it down was just about impossible.

[NikNak]

Aw thanks! :blushing:

On what are you basing how fast your hair grows? It might be difficult for you to determine that if you have to keep going to a salon. I remember thinking my hair never grew, back in my salon-going days - turns out the stylist was just chopping it all off. But I was surprised how quickly it grew once I found this place and learned Feye's Self Trim method. I average 5/8" a month. I have dead straight hair so it's easy for me to measure it.

Ok, you'll probably think this is weird, but I have a few freckles on my back and if my hair reaches them, I know my hair has grown. Also, I wear some cami's and I always have my husband or my son pull my hair down (because it doesn't have a lot of weight and has a funky wave in it, so it doesn't hang completely straight) to see if it touches the top of the back, which would be bra strap lenghth. My hair has come close to bra strap length. But, it seems everytime I get close, it's time for me to go back to the hairdresser. Last summer I didn't go to her for 3 months. The day before I went to the beauty shop, my hair was about 1/4 of an inch away from bra strap length. Then I went in and got a "dusting" and the next day I was 3 INCHES away from bra strap length!

I'd like to get a tape measure and measure my hair, but nobody knows exactly how to do that.

[AineMuirne]

My goodness! Don't let her trim your hair! My hair is very fine and I get it trimmed -maybe- once a year. I hardly get any end damage even if I wear my hair down all the time. I've moved to self-trims now (at least, I will when I need a cut again in 10 months, haha... maybe I'll microtrim somewhere between). You could always find a hair dresser who knows what a dusting is. They're rare, but not impossible to find! I used to have one until she moved away.

To measure hair you just start the tape measure at the hairline in the middle of your forehead and measure straight back to the ends.

[luckyshot]

I have very fine and thin hair, and I can easily go six months without a trim. I had my hair cut to chin length last December. I didn't have a single trim until August when my Mom cut off an inch for me. My hair was starting to look a bit raggedy by then, but I also have a lot of bleach damage that I'm growing out, and I wear my hair down and blow dry it occasionally. I gave myself a trim again in October, but it was mainly my layers that I trimmed, and about 1/2" of length. I probably won't trim it again for six months or more. I would not trust a hairdresser who cuts off 3" and calls it a dusting! Your hair probably grows a lot faster than you think, but she's cutting off all your progress and more if you're getting that done every eight weeks.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I have fine hair and use dye. I haven't touched my hair with scissors since early 2011. I still have no split ends, but I do "baby" my hair as much as I can.I intend to keep growing for now anyway without trimming or dusting for as long as I can.

[Louise148]

I have very fine hair and with age it has got a little thinner also. :( I decided to grow out my pixie in May and haven't had a trim since and it's doing fine (no pun intended ;) )

I can't help but think that some hairdressers give the 6-8 week trim advice as it's good for business to have guaranteed appointments plus their training has probably just drummed this into their heads so they do not question it. I trained as a hairdresser 20 years ago and that was the advice we were taught to give everyone and it's still in all the magazines and hairdressing websites and blogs so I guess not much has changed. I think it's good advive it you colour and style your hair on a regular basis. But if you are not doing these things my advice would be, be gentle with your hair, try not to blow dry or hot iron it (I blow dry mine about once a week on a low setting and it's doing OK). Give it lots of deep conditioning traetments and I'm sure it will not suffer any ill effects. Good luck!

[jojo]

I have fine but thick hair and by 3 months i need a little trim, id say fine thinner hairs need little and often trims but i dont know the volume of your hair. The only thing you can do is suck it and see!

[jojo]

I have very fine hair and with age it has got a little thinner also. :( I decided to grow out my pixie in May and haven't had a trim since and it's doing fine (no pun intended ;) )

I can't help but think that some hairdressers give the 6-8 week trim advice as it's good for business to have guaranteed appointments plus their training has probably just drummed this into their heads so they do not question it. I trained as a hairdresser 20 years ago and that was the advice we were taught to give everyone and it's still in all the magazines and hairdressing websites and blogs so I guess not much has changed. I think it's good advive it you colour and style your hair on a regular basis. But if you are not doing these things my advice would be, be gentle with your hair, try not to blow dry or hot iron it (I blow dry mine about once a week on a low setting and it's doing OK). Give it lots of deep conditioning traetments and I'm sure it will not suffer any ill effects. Good luck!
For short hair this is a great plan, it changes once your hair is long though, those ends are old and more prone to damage! So more trims are needed to help retain growth, the frequency of the trim depends on how far inbetween trims you can manage

[Louise148]

For short hair this is a great plan, it changes once your hair is long though, those ends are old and more prone to damage! So more trims are needed to help retain growth, the frequency of the trim depends on how far inbetween trims you can manage

When I was in my twenties I had APL hair and hardly ever trimmed it. But I am in my forties now and it is a bit thinner than it used to be (not scalp visible thin but I can feel it has thinned a bit) so you may be right and I may have to play it by ear and see how it goes as it gets longer.

[torrilin]

If I'm growing my hair full tilt, I shoot for trims every 6-9 months. I mostly by accident went a year with no trims when I joined (got to the 9 month mark and toughed out the remaining 3), and it was doable. Not fantastic since I loathe tangles and split ends with a passion, and things got really rather splitty towards the end. I did not go straight from trims every 6 weeks to going a year with no trims either. As a kid, I'd get trims every 6-8 weeks. In college, I gradually shifted towards no heat and trims every 3-6 months. As I've grown older, the time I can go between trims has stretched longer and longer, and at this point a lot of hairdressers grump that I'm far too fussy about split ends. The more old school the stylist, the more they grump, so at this point if I'm paying someone else to trim me, it's a huge deal. Mostly I trim my hair myself.

The "scraggly" you mention at the end of a 3 months with no trims break is normal. Your hemline won't be razor sharp if you wait a long time between trims. Every hair on our head grows at a slightly different rate. On average tho, your hemline will stay pretty even, and over the very long haul for wavy hair a more fairy tale hemline can be super pretty. Also, the longer your hair gets, the more comfortable it will be to wear it up somehow, so the only people who would see your hemline are family anyway.

If a razor sharp hemline is important to you, then you'd want to trim more often than I do. But dropping down to an every 3 months routine should be doable for almost anyone.

Mostly, it's a matter of taste :). I'm getting close to my goal length, so I'm gradually re-adjusting to more frequent trimming.

[MsBubbles]

...But, it seems everytime I get close, it's time for me to go back to the hairdresser.


Don't do that next time, and see what happens! It's entirely up to you when you should go back to the hairdresser, not them. I actually never went back :laugh:. Saved a ton of money, and grew my hair way beyond what any of them ever told me was possible.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'nobody knows how to do that' regarding measuring your length with a tape measure. Here, so that everybody is on the same page, we place the tape measure at the hairline at the top of the forehead, and let it fall over the top and back of the head, and either by grabbing the end of the tape measure where our hair ends, or looking at our backs in the mirror with another mirror, we can see what length it is. I think for APL, mine was about 21". BSL was about 26" for me. Shoulder was something like 19".

[NikNak]

Don't do that next time, and see what happens! It's entirely up to you when you should go back to the hairdresser, not them. I actually never went back :laugh:. Saved a ton of money, and grew my hair way beyond what any of them ever told me was possible.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'nobody knows how to do that' regarding measuring your length with a tape measure. Here, so that everybody is on the same page, we place the tape measure at the hairline at the top of the forehead, and let it fall over the top and back of the head, and either by grabbing the end of the tape measure where our hair ends, or looking at our backs in the mirror with another mirror, we can see what length it is. I think for APL, mine was about 21". BSL was about 26" for me. Shoulder was something like 19".

I meant that nobody in my house knows how to do that.

[NikNak]

If I'm growing my hair full tilt, I shoot for trims every 6-9 months. I mostly by accident went a year with no trims when I joined (got to the 9 month mark and toughed out the remaining 3), and it was doable. Not fantastic since I loathe tangles and split ends with a passion, and things got really rather splitty towards the end. I did not go straight from trims every 6 weeks to going a year with no trims either. As a kid, I'd get trims every 6-8 weeks. In college, I gradually shifted towards no heat and trims every 3-6 months. As I've grown older, the time I can go between trims has stretched longer and longer, and at this point a lot of hairdressers grump that I'm far too fussy about split ends. The more old school the stylist, the more they grump, so at this point if I'm paying someone else to trim me, it's a huge deal. Mostly I trim my hair myself.

The "scraggly" you mention at the end of a 3 months with no trims break is normal. Your hemline won't be razor sharp if you wait a long time between trims. Every hair on our head grows at a slightly different rate. On average tho, your hemline will stay pretty even, and over the very long haul for wavy hair a more fairy tale hemline can be super pretty. Also, the longer your hair gets, the more comfortable it will be to wear it up somehow, so the only people who would see your hemline are family anyway.

If a razor sharp hemline is important to you, then you'd want to trim more often than I do. But dropping down to an every 3 months routine should be doable for almost anyone.

Mostly, it's a matter of taste :). I'm getting close to my goal length, so I'm gradually re-adjusting to more frequent trimming.

A razor like hemline isn't really very important to me. I have 2 layers cut into my hair for movement (I guess) and after 3 months it didn't look as great. But I realise now that if I would have just let it grow I would be a lot happier now.

I wear my hair up most of the time, so I think my ends will be ok.

[zombi]

It's definitely possible. I have thin & fine hair and I don't trim more than 6 months apart. This last time I waited a whole year. Still grew, no problems.

[Iolanthe13]

Before I discovered heat and dye (sigh) I trimmed my fine, virgin hair once every 6-9 months at most. Never saw any splits, probably because I wore it braided or bunned all the time. My hair really took a beating a few years ago when I started using box dyes and a hair dryer, so I find I have to trim an inch every 3-4 months to avoid splits. It really depends on the condition of your hair and whether you wear it down a lot. But I can't think why you would need to trim as much as three inches, unless you've been doing something really dire to it!

[MsBubbles]

I meant that nobody in my house knows how to do that.

Mine either! I have always just done it myself :shrug:. There is an article here somewhere but I think since the site is still under construction, the articles are currently inaccessible.

[Lissandria]

I have fine hair that is very thin. I personally find I need very regular micro trims/dustings every month but they are so small (literally millimetres- I have done a couple of bigger trims occasionally 1/2-1")and I DIY. By doing it myself I am in control and I know exactly how much is being trimmed off. If I don't trim regularly, my hair doesnt seem to gain any length at all. I guess it's about finding the right balance for you. You may well benefit from regular trims- but you're not going to gain any length if you are getting three inches chopped in one sitting.

ETA: I also have some residual damage from pre LHC days. If my hair was all LHC grown I'm not sure I would need to trim so often.

[NikNak]

I have fine hair that is very thin. I personally find I need very regular micro trims/dustings every month but they are so small (literally millimetres- I have done a couple of bigger trims occasionally 1/2-1")and I DIY. By doing it myself I am in control and I know exactly how much is being trimmed off. If I don't trim regularly, my hair doesnt seem to gain any length at all. I guess it's about finding the right balance for you. You may well benefit from regular trims- but you're not going to gain any length if you are getting three inches chopped in one sitting.

ETA: I also have some residual damage from pre LHC days. If my hair was all LHC grown I'm not sure I would need to trim so often.

And what has upset me is she kept calling it a "dusting" and I'm thinking that it most certainly was NOT a dusting! And then 2 days later I took my son for a hair cut (he prefers his hair a bit long. But he goes to Catholic school so he has to keep his hair short. We let it grow during the summer, though) and I had my hair in a side braid. It was a loose but very small in diameter braid. I made the comment, "Look, I braided it! It would look a LOT better if it were LONGER, though!" So she gave me a whole box of volumizing shampoo and conditioning samples. I didn't say I wanted volume. I want length! I think she just doesn't understand me.

And then, as we were leaving, the lady who does my nails was cutting 12 inches off of a lady, who still had hair down to her butt! I said, "Wow! I LOVE your hair!" The lady said she just has wayyyy too much of it (yes, I think I hate her. LOL). And the lady who does my nails says, "Nicole thinks she can grow her hair down to her waist. She's a dreamer." I then said, "Dreams do come true, you know!" Everybody laughed but I was really offended!

[cheetahfast]

I have fine hair and haven't cut in almost 2 years :shrug:.

[MsBubbles]

And the lady who does my nails says, "Nicole thinks she can grow her hair down to her waist. She's a dreamer." I then said, "Dreams do come true, you know!" Everybody laughed but I was really offended!

Whoo boy. I would take that as a challenge! :demon: Keep tabs on that stylist so you can go back in about 24 months and show her (assuming you're about at APL). If your hair grows at half an inch per month and you trim off half of that each month or every 3 months, say, that'll put you at waist by then I would've thought.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you show her. :lol:

I just had another thought...some people's hair doesn't do too well with conventional hair dye products, even if they don't contain peroxide or other hair-shaft stripping ingredients. So perhaps there's a more natural product you could use that'd also give your ends a better chance of surviving, than with the conventional dyes. There's a lot of info on that here if you are interested.

[NikNak]

Whoo boy. I would take that as a challenge! :demon: Keep tabs on that stylist so you can go back in about 24 months and show her (assuming you're about at APL). If your hair grows at half an inch per month and you trim off half of that each month or every 3 months, say, that'll put you at waist by then I would've thought.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you show her. :lol:

I just had another thought...some people's hair doesn't do too well with conventional hair dye products, even if they don't contain peroxide or other hair-shaft stripping ingredients. So perhaps there's a more natural product you could use that'd also give your ends a better chance of surviving, than with the conventional dyes. There's a lot of info on that here if you are interested.

Right now I'm not sure how fast my hair grows each month. I don't think it's even 1/2 an inch. I'm right at APL right now. I have been for about 6 months. When I went in to get a dusting in September, my hair was about a 1/2 inch away from BSL. After I got my dusting I was right back at APL. :(

I am very interested in finding a more natural product. And I think I need to find a new hair dresser who actually knows what a dusting is!

[biogirl87]

NikNak, I agree that it is time for you to find a new hair dresser. She seems to be cutting your hair every time you go in, not dusting. While it is possible to find a hair stylist that will acutally trim off a little bit (who actually knows what dusting is), it's becoming rare now. Going to lower-range salons (like Super Cuts or Great Clips instead of actual hair salon) is a good idea as for some reason the stylists working there seem to listen to your desires more (at that's how it was in my experience at Great Clips). Quite a few members on here have commented about barbers in barber doing a good job of listening to what you want and while they may not be able to give you a stylish cut, they're less likely to cut off more than you want.

[MsBubbles]

One more thought, then I will go away. Promise :).

Another way to track how fast your hair actually grows, is to measure the root-regrowth from coloring. That is, if you have some greys that you are covering, you can let them go for a month and see how much root-regrowth you get.

In this way, not only is it easier to measure, but it also will show you your actual monthly hair-growth rate, rather than guestimating by looking at your ends, which may have also broken off from mechanical damage.

[sakuraemily]

I haven't got the patience to go thorough the entire thread but sounds to me like you don't like what your hairdresser does. You can trim yourself , in that case.
You can go without cutting as long as you like but beware splits.

[NikNak]

One more thought, then I will go away. Promise :).

Another way to track how fast your hair actually grows, is to measure the root-regrowth from coloring. That is, if you have some greys that you are covering, you can let them go for a month and see how much root-regrowth you get.

In this way, not only is it easier to measure, but it also will show you your actual monthly hair-growth rate, rather than guestimating by looking at your ends, which may have also broken off from mechanical damage.

I have about 5 grey hairs (people really don't notice them because they just make my dark hair look shiny. LOL). I will start measuring them. That's a very good idea. One more question, With a tape measure, do I measure the lenghth of my hair when it is wet or dry?

[sakuraemily]

I have about 5 grey hairs (people really don't notice them because they just make my dark hair look shiny. LOL). I will start measuring them. That's a very good idea. One more question, With a tape measure, do I measure the lenghth of my hair when it is wet or dry?

If you don't have straight hair then measuring when wet will give the most accurate result.

[NikNak]

If you don't have straight hair then measuring when wet will give the most accurate result.

Thank you! My hair is pretty straight, but is has a funky wave in it so it never lays completely straight. I will measure when it is wet.

[hetschepetsch]

Hmmm i have Ultra fine Hair and When i was still Dependance on my Parents the hairdresser alias said the Same Thing. Your Hair is to Fine to grow Long. Then i found a Friend who offered to Trimm ist for me. The First to e i went there she put my ends under the microskope, she said there was no damage to be seen so she Sent me away. My Hair ends past my hipps now, i Trimm ist oncetme or twice a Year for a few cm.

Hairdresser dont make Money with Long Hair, its so much better for themsfelves youd Trimm everybody few Weeks instand of everybody 6 Months. Hairdresser today seem to learn a Lot about haircutting, but once i Fletcher my mum from the hairdresser. She asked me to Show her how to use a hairstickand admitted that she cant Even do a french braid. Part of their Classics in hairdresser School are about how to sell Produkts.

[erialc]

I could, but then I'd have to trim off 1-2 inches instead of trimming .25 inch every 2-3 months. So I prefer the latter seeing I lose less length that wat ;)

[NikNak]

Hmmm i have Ultra fine Hair and When i was still Dependance on my Parents the hairdresser alias said the Same Thing. Your Hair is to Fine to grow Long. Then i found a Friend who offered to Trimm ist for me. The First to e i went there she put my ends under the microskope, she said there was no damage to be seen so she Sent me away. My Hair ends past my hipps now, i Trimm ist oncetme or twice a Year for a few cm.

Hairdresser dont make Money with Long Hair, its so much better for themsfelves youd Trimm everybody few Weeks instand of everybody 6 Months. Hairdresser today seem to learn a Lot about haircutting, but once i Fletcher my mum from the hairdresser. She asked me to Show her how to use a hairstickand admitted that she cant Even do a french braid. Part of their Classics in hairdresser School are about how to sell Produkts.

Oh tell me about it! I try to not use heat on my hair, so I asked my hairdresser once to just bun my hair. I even brought my own bobbie pins! The bun she did looked worse than anything I could do on my own! It was pathetic! And she makes money doing hair? Hair is more than cutting!

You have ultra fine hair and I do too, how do you use a hairstick? I have never used one (I didn't think I had enough hair).

[embee]

Your hairdresser is making her living cutting your hair. ;)

I have not trimmed since 2005 - when I did an 8 inch chop, right before I found LHC. Every now and then I'll do S&D.

I use a hairstick every day. You can grow your hair too. :D

[torrilin]

And what has upset me is she kept calling it a "dusting" and I'm thinking that it most certainly was NOT a dusting!

To me, a micro-trim or dusting just isn't worth doing normally. That's when you're taking off just split ends so you're doing stuff like examining each individual hair, or doing a very small trim of "racer" hairs. No regular stylist will do such a thing, tho some long hair specialized salons will. If a salon does such specialized things, I'd expect it to cost a fair amount for the time taken. Most people with long hair who want these kinds of specialized trims will do them at home, because paying $60 for someone else to take an hour fussing over just getting the splits off feels unreasonable.

When I go to a regular stylist, I show them how I identify split ends, and the amount of hair I expect to need cut off. I don't say I want X inches off. I physically show them where the hair stops being in good enough condition in my opinion. Then I have them check and show me what they think should come off. Generally I will be more aggressive than the stylist about trimming, tho the more fashionable and trendy the salon, the more they'll stick with what I say. A department store's hair salon, or my partner's barber or a beauty school salon are all places I've found where it's easy to get long hair friendly care. Or obviously a salon where many of the stylists have long hair themselves. Since I'm really focused on my hair's condition moreso than gaining length, this works well for me.

I don't mind if the stylist and I disagree about how much should come off. It's usually pretty easy to work out a reasonable compromise. I do mind if the stylist tells me stuff that's not true. I've had some claim crazy things like I don't need conditioner, or that layers will give my hair more volume, or that just one use of a blow dryer won't cause damage. I've lived with my hair for 35 years, and I have a pretty good notion of what it can and can't do. Telling me crazy things and then denying the evidence in front of their face is a good way to ensure I won't be back. On the other hand my partner's barber is great, and I happily tip him 3-4 times what he charges me because he just does what I ask for. (he charges me like $5 because what I want is so easy and fast, and it seems wrong to stick with that $5 when I could just leave a twenty)

[Fantak]

Hi I'm sorry I wasn't able to read through the whole thread but I agree with everyone who says you don't need to trim fine hair any more often then any other hair type IMHO.

I have TB length thin fine hair and have gone as long as two years without trimming to no ill effect.

As hair gets longer it fall differently which is why it may have looked limp, it may also have needed clarifying. I find fine hair needs clarifying more often but as with everything YMMV.

I also bleach and dye my hair and it doesn't seem to have changed too much so I doubt dying grey hairs a dark colour would do too much damage :)

Best of luck!

[MsBubbles]

You have ultra fine hair and I do too, how do you use a hairstick? I have never used one (I didn't think I had enough hair).

Once my hair got to mid-back length (30" ish) I tried some quattro flex sticks. This kind of thing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/117245804/quattro-accessories-flexstix-pandora

I only ever need 1 of them. And I don't need a very long one either because my hair squashes down into tiny buns. The sticks are very lightweight.

I don't really need any thick wooden forks, or even chop-stick like sticks. The thin metal ones work great. They don't slip out either. You just have to play around with the technique, check out Shell's article on how to insert a hair stick, and you'll get it.

There are lots of fine haired ladies here who do use thicker wooden sticks, though.

[UP Lisa]

May I ask how your Mom cares for her hair? Is it straight?



Only 2cm a month?! 2cm a month is more than double the average rate of hair growth, which is 1/2 inch per month.

Apart from that, fine hair most definitely can thrive without trims. My mum has thigh-length, super-fine hair which she trims once a year, a trim of about 1/2 inch, and it's in lovely condition.

I'd always be tempted to question someone's motives when they're insisting that the thing you need to do is the very thing that makes them money.

[UP Lisa]

I have always done trims. Usually every 2 or 3 months, I guess. Mostly I end up dong them because I get so much damage from just trying to get the tangles out of my hair. I do everything I can to keep it from tangling, but it still happens. I don't get many split ends, just hairs getting broken off or having to be cut out.

One reason I trim is because I like blunt ends.

[dancingrain91]

I have very fine hair that's rather prone to split ends and I go six to eight months without trims. But I almost always wear my hair up and treat it as nicely as I know how. I don't get a dusting though, I bite the bullet and let them cut half my growth.

[dulce]

I now go at least 6 months without a trim,I use a creaclip ,and in the past hairdressers always commented on my fine,fragile hair saying going long would not be good for it.I am hip length now and might go longer,I also wear it in half ups or loose mainly and it's doing well.Just keep an eye on your hair,it'll show you what it likes.I do no heat or chemicals on my hair at all,so that probably helps.