WANTED: YOUR TWO CENTS! Should I Have Most of My Hair Cut Off?

[GrowingGlory]

The more that I look at my hair, the more I can't stand the sight of graduated damage caused by my expensive BBB. Now I have a hair-friendly routine, so there are about seven inches of healthy hair on my head. I could baby the damaged length until it grows out or have my hair cut to chin length and grow it out to term again. It would take approximately two years to reach term. What would you do?

[leslissocool]

It depends on how you feel If you can part with 7 inches, if it's split end damage I'd cut it (I recently cut 6 inches myself) but putting it up and babying if you don't have the heart to cut is good too. I previously baby it.

[GrowingGlory]

It has about seven healthy inches starting from the scalp, then graduated breakage with some splitting near the hem. I like the idea of just losing the damage, but it has been at term for almost a year and it's hard to just give it all up without some forethought.

[leslissocool]

Do you do hot oil treatments? I'd do hot oil treatments every week, soaking it with heat (like a heat pad on low on my head or a heated hood) for at least an hour.

[Nymph]

I think it depends on how much you stare yourself silly at the damage. If it's always there somewhere on the back of your mind and you can't stop pestering about it, you'll have a calmer mind when it is cut off. However, if you think you might regret going for a large chop, I wouldn't do it. I'd go for a "larger" chop, and then see if that sits okay with you or if you miss the lengths too much.

[ravenreed]

Do a small chop. When I cut off 2 or 3 inches, my hair looks and feels amazing. That may be all it takes to make you happier with your hair.

[lmfbs]

I'd cut. Get rid of the damage. If it's bugging you, get rid of it. Life is too short to be unhappy about your hair.

[kaydana]

Hair friendly routine or not, if you cut it all off then by the time it grows back out it'll be damaged again. The damage will grow out faster if you don't chop because you won't have healthy ends getting damaged and needing to be cut off. I'd take off an inch or two if you really can't stand it, and then just forget about it and let it grow.

[EtherealDoll]

I'd trim it out gradually. Often it only takes to cut off 2 inches for your hair to suddenly feel amazing.

[cathair]

You already did a pretty big chop once at the beginning of this month didn't you? I'm sorry to hear you are still not happy. Have you got any pictures? Perhaps it feels worse than it looks? I think everyone probably has some splits, no matter how much they trim.

If it was me I would baby it and see how I feel in a few weeks. But this is coming from someone who has spent the last 3 months trying to work up to a 1 inch trim and failed so far!

[GrowingGlory]

Thanks, everyone. So far, I'm pendulating between just having the damage removed and contenting myself with perpetually imperfect hair. It never will be perfect, and I am not looking forward to chin-length hair very much. But I'd love to be free of the graduated breakage. Since it is mostly healthy with some split ends (but not THAT many), I may choose to grow it out. Two week rule prevails, in any case.

[Latte Lady]

You could baby the ends but split ends will always stay split ends and spread upwards, no matter how much it's babied. If it was my hair I would cut two or three inches off and do a major S&D. I'd then baby it for a week or two and see if I need or want another trim. The damaged needs to come off since you can't repair them but a huge chop is traumatic. If you're really good at protecting the length then you might (after the first cut of two or three inches) be able to cut half an inch each month till the damage is gone. You won't gain length that way but you won't have to give yourself a bob. Make S&D a hair ritual every three weeks to remove minor damage before it become major damage.

I know that many people here hate them but if your hair likes it you might use a silicone serum on the ends to seal them and hide the damage. Will make brushing your hair easier if you have tangles. You just might be ones of those that your hair needs them.

At least you know what has caused your damage and can stop using the brush. I've thought about getting one but just before I shell out the money for one I see a post like this and bulk.

[jacqueline101]

You could try to trim it a little at a time.

[GrowingGlory]

Well, I just had most of the split ends removed early this month, a corrective cut of about 9" of hair. I don't mind the loss of length nearly as much as I expected. I had braced myself (so to speak) needlessly. I think that "Cultivating HEALTHY hair" has superseded "at terminal length" in my hair goal now.

I've been oiling it daily as needed and combing between oilings. I am stretching washes to twice monthly.

The MP Large Extra BBB was too stiff for my fragile hair. I didn't realize this for over two years. It is an excellent hair tool for so many other people, and my hair and scalp did benefit from daily brushing, but it simply is not suitable for my hair at this time in my life.

I have MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) symptoms and do my best to avoid possible triggers. Once I used shampoo that contains silicone and could taste it in my mouth! Ewww! I have a good shampoo and oils now and a wide-toothed horn comb. I wash with bottled spring water now. But I still greatly appreciate and welcome suggestions regarding my hair care routine.

I truly appreciate each response to my cry for help!

[Naiadryade]

My two cents: considering the damage you say your hair has been suffering, I seriously doubt you were at your real terminal length anyway. It probably just didn't get any longer because it was breaking off. You're learning what damages your hair, and changing your routine--that's good. If you proceed with healthy hair that you protect from damage, someday you may have hair longer than you've ever had before.

AND, that doesn't mean you should chop to chin-length. Most likely it's not like the entirety of every hair below that point is unsaveable. It's just that the ends are split. (Pictures could help us see if this is really true! :popcorn:) I agree with the folks who have said maybe trim a little (with SHARP HAIR SCISSORS!), but focus on making S&D a part of your routine to remove split ends before they travel up the hair shaft. This and babying your hair and treating it with moisture and good things will hopefully leave you with much healthier hair that will grow longer!

[chen bao jun]

Personally, it would make me crazier to have short hair again and have to add two years to the journey.

I have about four inches that really need to go (basically my ends are velcro for the last four inches) but I baby them and wear my hair up 99% of the time. I don't know if this is the right thing or the wrong thing--if I am slowing my growth by doing this. I do trim every 3-4--or rather, I dust. I s & d a lot. I actually don't have a lot of split ends up to this point (though I notice that as I get longer, I am getting SOME. In spite of wearing it up.) But I am very prone to single strand knots and also the ends just stay dry, dry, dry even when there aren't knots or ssks. The ends on my bangs are wonderful (though I haven't cut them at all for about two years).
I always put extra moisture on the ends and also I do protein treatments on just the ends. they seem to need treating differently from the rest of my hair--my hair is in general, non-porous but I think the ends may be porous. They were treated as badly as hair can be before I knew LHC methods--as badly as hair can be treated without heat or chemicals. I shampooed in hot, hot water, not just with sulphate but with extra harsh dandruff shampoo, washed four or five times each time I washed my hair and thought that leaving a little conditioner on it for 2 minutes after shampooing (and washing it out with hot water) was going to fix it. I did not know how to moisturize and used actual petroleum jelly to grease my dry hair. I used to rip at it with a comb. Literally. and also, I used to go to sleep with it loose, get mats and dreads and rip them out, and I do mean r--i--i--p, and would drive around in my car on the way to work, ripping the ssks off the ends of my hair with my fingers.
I actually had hair below my shoulders with this horrible treatment, because it is coarse and strong but of course the ends were always fried. And now, after about 10 months LHC, the ends are still fried, about four inches of them. But now that I've decided I care about long hair, I can't stand to cut them all off with one snip.

[chen bao jun]

double post

[GrowingGlory]

I think that I will get a chin-length blunt cut early this week.

[MiaBeth]

I chopped off a good portion of my hair after high school to get rid of splits/previous dyes, etc. It felt good to have a head full of hair that was healthy and shiny. The length will come back,and in the meantime you can enjoy having a different style!

[GrowingGlory]

I rough-cut my hair (long chin length in the front, long collarbone in the back). Very happy with it. More details in my blog!

[Naiadryade]

Wow, that was fast! Congratulations, and do enjoy every length as you grow it out! I had SO much fun with the lengths between earlobe (my shortest) and shoulder/collarbone. I always cut it myself, too--you don't need a stylist! I think choppy, almost messy cuts look really good at short lengths, and that's what I had, and it's not hard to do yourself! But do make sure you use sharp, hair-only scissors--I didn't know about that part back then.

I'm also still dealing with the layers I cut during this phase to achieve the choppy, messy look, and I don't like them so much now that I'm at BSL. So of course, it's your call.

Either way have fun with it! Good luck on your renewed journey!

Also: PICS! PICS! PICS PLEASE! :cheer:
:popcorn:

[ravenreed]

My approach has always been to be as happy with my hair as possible, even if growing took longer. I am the sort that if I hate my hair, I will chop it. I am glad you are happy with it.


I rough-cut my hair (long chin length in the front, long collarbone in the back). Very happy with it. More details in my blog!

[GrowingGlory]

Thanks, guys! I washed it and it really looks good, for now. In two weeks I'll go and have it properly cut. Whee! I feel free!

[kaydana]

I second the demand for pictures!

I'm glad you're happy with it and hope you enjoy growing out your hair without the damage.

[lapushka]

Oops, I wanted to chime in with my thoughts, and then... you'd already cut your hair. Oh well, it'll grow back, right. :shrug:

[GrowingGlory]

Thanks, guys! I'm camera shy but might consider an upload if my "real" haircut looks good enough to me.

[Medievalmaniac]

Pictures or it didn't happen! :eyebrows:

[Luminaria]

My hair is damaged around 3"+ from the ends. I'm planning to do a big chop because it's very hard to detangle. So, I think if your damaged ends are causing problems, you should cut it. If it isn't bothering you much, you could let it grow out and trim it gradually. Good luck!

[leslissocool]

Glad it turned out alright!

I'd love to see pictures after you get it properly cut :).

[GrowingGlory]

Thanks! Maybe in a few weeks, after my salon visit, I'll upload some pictures.

[GrowingGlory]

I've got a perfect blunt shoulder length bob that takes advantage of my natural wave. It was cut with NEW SHEARS! And it is in mint condition from my scalp to the ends of my hair. Best of all, I'm not enduring a chin-length bob all Spring! I'm so satisfied. APL by Christmas!