Tricksy Scissors

[Silver & Gold]

Inspired by Spidermom's "I hate it today" thread I'm starting a thread for all those people who are being pulled by the seductive promises made by those tricksy, tricksy scissors.

I'm one of those people who in the past would solve a bad hair day by heading to the bathroom with my scissors and not leaving until my scissors were sated and at least an inch or two of my length was laying all dejected and rejected in the sink. Often I felt good about what I had done for at least a little while, but very shortly after I realized that I still had the same hair, only now it was shorter and if I still wanted longer hair I was going to have to go through the awful stage that gave me the bad hair day all over again.

Scissors are seductive, they make all kinds of tempting promises and sometimes they even are our friends. But for any of you tempted to violate the 2 week rule (rash impulses to cut are never good to give into, it takes a moment to cut and years or at least months to re-grow a serious cut) I offer a thread of positive affirmations to those who know deep down that they don't really want to give in to the scissors but just don't know what to say when the tricksy scissors start to whisper sweet nothings in their ear.

So, the tricksy scissors say how cute and sassy a short style would be and I say . . .

Yes, that may be true but short hair sticks up all over the place when I wake up in the morning and I absolutely HAVE to wash it and style it every day to make it look like anything at all. My long hair might look a little mussed in the morning but it's also kinda sexy and I don't have to wash it every day, often it looks even better when it's not freshly washed.

When my hair is long I have so many more choices in how to wear it. With all the different ways to braid or put my hair up, my hair looks nice even when it's dirty.

When my hair is long it can be a bit like a comfy blanket. I can lift it to my face and smell the wonderful scent of the shampoo bar I've used. Now that I've learned ways to care for it and make it sooooo soft it is a joy to touch it and brush it and sometimes, secretly stroke it for the pure pleasure of feeling the silky softness of it.

When I'm feeling shy or if I'm simply having a 'bad face day' I can hide behind the wonderful curtain nature provided me. And if I wish to be provocative having that veil of hair is quite mysterious.

In this day and age when so few people know how to care for long hair and therefore don't grow it, it gives me a distinctive look.

It somehow makes me feel closer to nature, closer to my natural self.

And believe it or not, my short hair is always hotter in the summer. Because when my hair is long I can put it up and get it off my neck and face. When it is short the bangs and layers seem to stick to my face and neck and annoy the $h!t out of me. And yet, long hair is so much warmer in the winter. I can let it down at home and it feels so warm and cozy, my own natural headscarf.

Healthy long hair gives an outward signal to others that says, "I am healthy and vibrant and here's the proof, my long mane of healthy hair."

And last but certainly not least. What would become of my wonderful collection of hairtoys?

So, how about the rest of you? What will you say to the tricksy scissors when they start to whisper in your ear? "Come on baby, you know you want to cut it . . . I promise, it won't hurt a bit . . . I'll still respect you in the morning . . . All the other women are doing it . . . "

[jojo]

oh im with you on this! I did get out of the habit of cutting for the sake of it and lately im getting itchy snippy snippy fingers. Although i am happy with my last cut, i keep finding longer bits which i keep getting tempted to cut.

Its going to be hard but i have to stop this compulsion or my hair will never grow, we will have to post on here when we get the urge!

I am sure there are a lot more like us!

[spidermom]

Does long hair have to equal split ends? That's why the scissors are calling my name; they say they can fix that.

[Carina]

I just love to get a trim.Those fresh ends and the old dry ones are gone.But I'm fighting the urge to cut so bad right now.I always want to do something new with my hair when spring is around the corner.It's good to know that I'm not alone:cheese:.

[rubyredslippers]

That's exactly the reason why I've always booked hair appointments--make them in advance, let the professional do it so it only gets done once every three or four months. But mow the stylist I had since age five is on maternity leave, indefinitely, and other reliable one that came recommended has moved back to Italy . . . all in all it seems like a good time to start self-trimming.

Maybe the best way to combat the lure of the scissors is to "make an appointment with myself" . . . this is something that I'm still learning, anyways.:D

[lynnala]

Oh yeah! I'm one who will make little snips on any given day, just to make it work for that moment! Around my face, maybe a snippet of fringe...then the next time it needs a little snip on the other side.....this is why my hair has very uneven layers, all those snips.....

[Silver & Gold]

Does long hair have to equal split ends? That's why the scissors are calling my name; they say they can fix that.

Spidermom, are you still walking close to the edge? Unless my memory is off - and at my age, I'll admit this is a distinct possibility - didn't you say you very recently had 2 inches cut from your hair? Four months worth of growth? If this is true, and you are still finding splits, wouldn't a bit of light dusting do the trick?

Since, I've learned about dusting I've done a bit of that on my hair. Very different than a trim. But I've discovered that I have to be very careful about even this. One thing I've begun to notice because of my aging eyes is that sometimes I'll see something that appears to be a split but on closer inspection I find it's really two very fine hairs that are clinging together until the very end and as soon as I try to isolate that split hair it separates from it's twin and - *POOF* - no more split!

Another reason I have to be careful about dusting is because once my scissors have the confidence of resting in my hands they begins to tempt me and tell me that I might just want a bit more than a dusting . . . the hair on this side is just a teensy bit longer . . . wait, no, I think the hair on the other side is perhaps a bit longer over here . . . wait, no, it's the angle, yes, if you cut the angle just a bit differently . . . you know, perhaps growing out the bangs is a mistake, are you sure you don't want to cut them back in again?

As far as long hair and splits. I believe that splits are going to be there on long hair just by virtue of the longer life it has led. Short hair simply hasn't had the time to develop any splits and even if it does, they are harder to detect in all the shorter layers. I think light dusting to take care of the worst splits and pampering your hair to avoid future splits is the best one can do,

Dust if you must but be very careful that you don't do something you might regret, Spidermom. I'm not against shorter hair at all, I've worn it for much of my life. What I'm against is having short hair because of temporary frustration with your long hair. I can't tell you how many hasty decisions to cut have led me to regret. I'm telling you, those scissor are TRICKSY!

[jojo]

my dustings are more like chunkins, the amount i cut off, it does feel better though, but i pledge to not touch the scissors until Aug and only then if i need it. S&Ding sends me cross eyed and I get totally carried away, before i know it, my trims a crop ooooopps!!

[Neon Gloss]

Ah... I remember when I had hair at about 25-27". It was the longest my hair has been for a while. I was cutting my fringe and then I thoughtlessly grabbed a handful of my length and held the scissors there for literally 6 minutes! I was totally blank-minded, but I knew that I had a lot of split ends--split to about my neck. So without warning, it's like the scissors just moved by themselves. I felt a rush of regret and excitement. I had no choice after that, so I cut the rest of my hair to 17". Sigh.

I haven't had a pair of scissors in my hand since a while after that.

[Silver & Gold]

I just love to get a trim.Those fresh ends and the old dry ones are gone.But I'm fighting the urge to cut so bad right now.I always want to do something new with my hair when spring is around the corner.It's good to know that I'm not alone:cheese:.

I'm fighting this urge right now. I could use a nice trim to even up my ends and to rid myself of some dry, processed ends. But I simply can't afford the trim lengthwise right now. I just have to wait for at least 6 more months for a heavy trim. M U S T resist urge to cut . . .


That's exactly the reason why I've always booked hair appointments--make them in advance, let the professional do it so it only gets done once every three or four months. But mow the stylist I had since age five is on maternity leave, indefinitely, and other reliable one that came recommended has moved back to Italy . . . all in all it seems like a good time to start self-trimming.

Maybe the best way to combat the lure of the scissors is to "make an appointment with myself" . . . this is something that I'm still learning, anyways.:D

This happened to me too. I've cut my hair for most of my adult life but there was one blessed time that I had found a woman who would listen to me and do exactly what I wanted. She would look at my hair and the way I wore it and she totally understood what I needed without me even telling her. That woman was magic! But she became so popular that one had to book her very, very far in advance and eventually I couldn't book with her at all because she moved.
I think some of my problem stems from my confidence in being able to produce a good cut on myself. So I can impulsively decide to suddenly get up and cut my hair. Not good! I've found that I'm an emotional cutter. If I'm getting depressed my hair is in great danger.


Oh yeah! I'm one who will make little snips on any given day, just to make it work for that moment! Around my face, maybe a snippet of fringe...then the next time it needs a little snip on the other side.....this is why my hair has very uneven layers, all those snips.....

I don't generally have too much trouble with uneven layers. My problem is that I always end up cutting hair that didn't need cutting in the first place. I have low tolerance for hair that is acting up and cutting has been my answer. Now I just put it up with a hairstick and forget it.
BTW, your hair is the most lovely color of silver! I must say I have some serious hair envy going on here!

[lora410]

My problem is trims!! I get one trim and then I immediately want another because my hair feels so much healthier, and I stop obessing for a little while about slightly dry ends. I have to stop myself from to frequent trims and dusting's. I wonder how much extra hair id have if I didn't trim it:(

[jojo]

the exact same as me lora and we are the same length too!!

[spidermom]

Today I'm going in to have my stylist even up my mess of a self-trim (it's longer on one side). Don't worry; she isn't scissor happy. She's trimmed my hair before, and it measured the same before and after, probably because my daughter doesn't measure to the end of the longest little sprigs. I was really happy with my hair the year I had it trimmed every 3 months. This year I've gone every 4 months, and it's too long. The splits got away from me, probably helped along by snorkeling in Belize and Mexico last summer, plus swimming in chlorinated pools without a swim cap. I did condition/oil and braid, but it looks like that wasn't enough.

[Silver & Gold]

Today I'm going in to have my stylist even up my mess of a self-trim (it's longer on one side). Don't worry; she isn't scissor happy. She's trimmed my hair before, and it measured the same before and after, probably because my daughter doesn't measure to the end of the longest little sprigs. I was really happy with my hair the year I had it trimmed every 3 months. This year I've gone every 4 months, and it's too long. The splits got away from me, probably helped along by snorkeling in Belize and Mexico last summer, plus swimming in chlorinated pools without a swim cap. I did condition/oil and braid, but it looks like that wasn't enough.

Good luck with your trim. I hope it solves some of your hair woes and prevents you from wanting to go to that short bob. You are fortunate that you can afford a good, healthy trim with the length you already have. I've got a lot more growing to do before that day arrives for me. This of course requires a lot of patience and much conditioning to keep me as happy as possible with my hair.
Post pictures of your hair after the trim if you can. I would love to see how it all turns out!

[Silver & Gold]

Ah... I remember when I had hair at about 25-27". It was the longest my hair has been for a while. I was cutting my fringe and then I thoughtlessly grabbed a handful of my length and held the scissors there for literally 6 minutes! I was totally blank-minded, but I knew that I had a lot of split ends--split to about my neck. So without warning, it's like the scissors just moved by themselves. I felt a rush of regret and excitement. I had no choice after that, so I cut the rest of my hair to 17". Sigh.

I haven't had a pair of scissors in my hand since a while after that.

Wow, I had such a flash back as I was reading this. I did the same exact thing AND more than once. I swear it's like being temporarily possessed. Oh and every time how I was filled with remorse which was quickly covered up by my excellent ability to go into denial to make myself happy with a situation that is far from happy. I'm fairly gifted with styling shorter hair so I can convince myself that I did a good thing even while my gut is churning.

I'm glad I've found this board. I think it is my only hope for finally getting the longer hair I've always wanted to have. It's a bit strange though, my son asked me the other day if I was going to be one of 'those' women. I asked him what he meant and he said, "One of those women who have hair down to their butt." I wasn't sure what the subtext was to this question and I didn't ask. But now that he raised the question . . . I wonder what my terminal length would be?

If I can just stay away from those scissors I just may find that out.

[spidermom]

Wow, I had such a flash back as I was reading this. I did the same exact thing AND more than once. I swear it's like being temporarily possessed. Oh and every time how I was filled with remorse which was quickly covered up by my excellent ability to go into denial to make myself happy with a situation that is far from happy. I'm fairly gifted with styling shorter hair so I can convince myself that I did a good thing even while my gut is churning.

I'm glad I've found this board. I think it is my only hope for finally getting the longer hair I've always wanted to have. It's a bit strange though, my son asked me the other day if I was going to be one of 'those' women. I asked him what he meant and he said, "One of those women who have hair down to their butt." I wasn't sure what the subtext was to this question and I didn't ask. But now that he raised the question . . . I wonder what my terminal length would be?

If I can just stay away from those scissors I just may find that out.

My DD had nearly the same reaction when I first told her that my goal (wish?) is classic length. She said "that's too long!" So I asked her what length she liked, and she said that waist length should be long enough "for anybody."

[wintersun99]

gosh, this is the thread for me.

[ReadingRenee]

I struggle with this too. I last trimmed in January or late December but I think I missed some spots or something even though I lost length because I still have sections with splits. However I have promised myself that I will not trim any more until July. I am sticking to that promise so far.

Thats really the only thing that works for me. I have to set myself a time when its ok to trim and make it far enough away to see progress but close enough where I don't get discouraged by how long I have to wait and do a wild rash trim.

So yeah its not the two week rule for me, its more like the six month rule! But this is coming from someone who once cut their hair in the ladies room in college! LOL

The good thing is that summer is coming up here and it will be too hot to even want to wear my hair down pretty much ever and it will be up and out of the way almost all the time so I can keep it protected AND not look at the splits. :D

I think this thread is great. Im totally going to bookmark it so I can come back and look when I am feeling the pull of those tricksy tricksy scissors!

[Islandgrrl]

she said that waist length should be long enough "for anybody."

Anybody? Who is she??? My hair is currently at 24.5 inches and is woefully short. Personally, I won't even start considering my hair to be long until it hits waist. I'm headed much further south than that (going terminal this time, which is south of the knees).

Clearly, I'm not Anybody!! :D

[spidermom]

Anybody? Who is she??? My hair is currently at 24.5 inches and is woefully short. Personally, I won't even start considering my hair to be long until it hits waist. I'm headed much further south than that (going terminal this time, which is south of the knees).

Clearly, I'm not Anybody!! :D

Haha; neither am I! Actually, DD has come around, too. A month ago or so, when I first noticed that my ends touched my hiney, I asked her how much she thought I should have trimmed off. I wondered what she would say because of her former "waist should be long enough" remark. However, she surprised me and said "None!"

[AquaViolet1973]

So, how about the rest of you? What will you say to the tricksy scissors when they start to whisper in your ear? "Come on baby, you know you want to cut it . . . I promise, it won't hurt a bit . . . I'll still respect you in the morning . . . All the other women are doing it . . . "

I would say no, no tricksy sissors. Never again will I cut my hair short. Six years ago I cut my waist length hair to just above my shoulders. I then regretted it so much. My hair has since grown long again, and I will never again cut it short.

[Silver & Gold]

I have to agree with those who have to set a trim date rather than a two week rule. My hair is so short right now that I originally set a trim date that forced me to wait 6 months. That date would have been up in April but . . . I ended up fudging and doing a micro-trim about a month ago. So now I've reset for a trim evaluation in August. If I deem my hair trim worthy I may do another micro trim then. But I suspect if I hold out until then, some of the things I'm unhappy with now (mostly bangs and layer issues) may work themselves out to the point that I may decide to wait a few months more.

It's so hard to keep away from the scissors at this stage. I think/hope that a year from now I won't have such a huge struggle with the trimming issues. Until then I think I may have to hand the scissors over to my husband and tell him to hide them from me.

[lynnala]

I don't generally have too much trouble with uneven layers. My problem is that I always end up cutting hair that didn't need cutting in the first place. I have low tolerance for hair that is acting up and cutting has been my answer. Now I just put it up with a hairstick and forget it.
BTW, your hair is the most lovely color of silver! I must say I have some serious hair envy going on here!:DGee, thanks! I have genetics to thank, that good old Welsh snow white hair!