Fairytail ends/taper Vs blunt cut in updos question

[Bagginslover]

I am in the process of growing and cutting out layers, but I'm finding updos surprisingly MORE difficult to do with blunt ends. Braids look better without layers poking out all over, but I kind of miss my teeny tassle now I have a chunky one. Tucking blunt ends into buns is also more difficult than I envisioned.

So, how do updos behave with thinner ends that aren't layered?

I'm not suggesting I thin my hair, just that I let it taper naturally, with some S&D to encourage it and keep it healthy as it grows, maybe a small dusting once a year on all the longest ends for freshness. Is this more of a 'try it and see' thing, or does anyone have any insight?

[Yozhik]

In my experience, blunt-cut ends that are slightly tapered (not trimmed more than once a year, and thus somewhat fairytailed) are the best with updos.

I cut layers into my hair and despaired of my braid taper and the way my freshly cut ends stuck out of braids and didn't like to be tucked into updos. Now that they've grown out, things are better, though, so maybe it's mostly a question of finding that sweet spot where you trim often enough not to develop splits, but rarely enough that fresh ends don't want to stick out of everything. :p

[neko_kawaii]

When I had my last hair cut I mentioned this to my hairdresser who conveniently also has long hair and understood what I meant about blunt ends being hard to tuck into updos. She had a term for it, which I've sadly forgotten, but she thinned the last inch ever so slightly so that it was not as dramatically blunt right at the end. So that is an option to consider.

I see fairytaled ends this way: my hair naturally has layers created by the different lengths of new growth. There is nothing I can do about that. Each follicle has it's own cycle. Which is good, because if they all shed their hairs at the same time I'd be bald every 7 years*. Bald is fun in its own right as are all the lengths in between, but I particularly like my hair long. So, I loose between 20 and 100 hairs a day and 20-100 hairs start growing at an average rate of 1/2 inch per month (or 1 inch in 60 days). If I go with 50 hairs lost a day and my braid "bumps" are 1 inch long that gives me 50x60=300 potential hairs that could be sticking out of each braid bump. Thank goodness it appears that most of them are encapsulated by their longer neighbors in each braid section!

With artificial layers you are more likely to have many many more hairs end at the same length and so you have a higher potential for chunks of ends sticking out of your braid bumps.

The main difference between fairytaled ends and blunt ends is that you have a thinner tassel and thinner sections of hair go farther. So, the thin tassel wrapped behind a bun once or twice is going to be more secure than a bunt tassel that can't wrap even once. Ends are less likely to pop out during the day. Thinner ends might mean need for fewer pins, or no pins for some updos and hair types.

I hope that makes sense!



*generic average - I'm hoping mine is longer.

[MidnightMoon]

I have never achieved a blunt hemline, probably because Ive never grown out my natural hair that long, it is really fine and wavy, and I had bangs, but I do prefer the look of a blunt hemline, although I guess since not all hairs grow the same length and at the same speed if you're aiming for terminal you'd end up with taper inevitably

[ravenreed]

Layers were a pain in updos when my hair was at waist, but as my hair has gotten longer this has been less of a problem.

[nobeltonya]

Have you tried a french twist/slide? Lazy wrap or nautilus? I'd experiment.. go on youtube and there are all kinds of nifty updos to try! :) :disco:

[jacqueline101]

I have a v hemline and layers I'm in the same boat growing out layers. They're a pain the cutting them out.

[Bagginslover]

When I had my last hair cut I mentioned this to my hairdresser who conveniently also has long hair and understood what I meant about blunt ends being hard to tuck into updos. She had a term for it, which I've sadly forgotten, but she thinned the last inch ever so slightly so that it was not as dramatically blunt right at the end. So that is an option to consider.

I see fairytaled ends this way: my hair naturally has layers created by the different lengths of new growth. There is nothing I can do about that. Each follicle has it's own cycle. Which is good, because if they all shed their hairs at the same time I'd be bald every 7 years*. Bald is fun in its own right as are all the lengths in between, but I particularly like my hair long. So, I loose between 20 and 100 hairs a day and 20-100 hairs start growing at an average rate of 1/2 inch per month (or 1 inch in 60 days). If I go with 50 hairs lost a day and my braid "bumps" are 1 inch long that gives me 50x60=300 potential hairs that could be sticking out of each braid bump. Thank goodness it appears that most of them are encapsulated by their longer neighbors in each braid section!

With artificial layers you are more likely to have many many more hairs end at the same length and so you have a higher potential for chunks of ends sticking out of your braid bumps.

The main difference between fairytaled ends and blunt ends is that you have a thinner tassel and thinner sections of hair go farther. So, the thin tassel wrapped behind a bun once or twice is going to be more secure than a bunt tassel that can't wrap even once. Ends are less likely to pop out during the day. Thinner ends might mean need for fewer pins, or no pins for some updos and hair types.

I hope that makes sense!



*generic average - I'm hoping mine is longer.

I'd never thought of it that way before, thank you for enlightening me!!

My new ends from my 'accidental' 3 inch trim (only meant to take 1!) are so thick, I think I'm going to have to let my remaining layers be, and let my hem thin down a little. I'll still trim my hem every so often of it looks untidy, but not as often as I have been, I'll concentrate on S&Ding just the splits instead to keep it smooth, and encorage the taper a little. I'm a bit scared to have the ends cut by someone else as Neko did, I can deal with cutting off too much myself, its my fault, but if someone else did it I'd be livid, and probably inconsolable!

Thank you all for your input, I appreciate it :)

[embee]

I'm glad you figured out what to do next. Some years ago I did a "trim" and ended up with a bulky blunt tassel. And no updo worked right for months and months until individual hairs had grown/fallen and thinned the tassel. I always wear my hair up, so no more blunt ends for me. If I wore my hair down I might feel differently.

[cathair]

So, how do updos behave with thinner ends that aren't layered?

I haven't been able to manage/can't/won't do blunt ends so I can't make much of a comparison. However, I do have very fairytaled ends they are very easy to tuck in. I am also finding that if I put my hair up with a stick or a spin pin, sometimes when I take the stick or pin out it will stay put. Probably not all day, but certainly for a good hour or so.

On the down side, sometimes I wonder, because the ends are so thin and they still get twisted and wrapped around, if they take much more stress than the rest of the hair. By the time I get to tucking the ends in sometimes there is only a couple of hairs. If I can in a hurry I can actually snap an inch off the ends by accident.

[Wildcat Diva]

I did a trim this spring and had difficulty with my blunt ends not bunning easily, but it only seemed a struggle for about a month, and then it settled down a bit. It's not hard anymore, just a couple of months later.

[shawty]

This is a cool thread! I never thought about it before, but now that I am thinking about it... yeah, seems fairytale causes less sticking-out than blunt for me as well. And I'm on my way to fairytale right now, and this post just made me feel excited about it all over again! ^_^

[juliaxena]

I can imagine fairytale ends are easier in updos. But blunt ends are not that difficult to make me give up on them. With enough length they should not be difficult at all. Even with regular trims there is bound to be some taper, it is how hair grows, so I would not actively try to thin them out. Of course, everyone has their preferences.

[Loreley]

I trimmed 5" about a month ago and my ends got a lot thicker and blunter and bunning got definitely more difficult. At first it was very strange but I got used to it so I can bun it easily now. Right after the trim I used only plastic clips intead of sticks, they hold better when you can't tuck your hair in properly.

[chen bao jun]

French braid. Because of the way French braiding works, even if you have very blunt ends, the end of the braid gets a taper. Then you can do an updo with the braid.

[Jenny31557]

Thank you for the tip, Chen bao jun! I think I want a blunt hemline in the future but I was worried about the messy look they give updos, so a French braid to start will fix that and I can have a nice thick hem and beautiful updos! Thanks again!

[Bagginslover]

French braid. Because of the way French braiding works, even if you have very blunt ends, the end of the braid gets a taper. Then you can do an updo with the braid.

I am french braiding a lot more recently :)

[truepeacenik]

When I had my last hair cut I mentioned this to my hairdresser who conveniently also has long hair and understood what I meant about blunt ends being hard to tuck into updos. She had a term for it, which I've sadly forgotten, but she thinned the last inch ever so slightly so that it was not as dramatically blunt right at the end. So that is an option to consider.

I see fairytaled ends this way: my hair naturally has layers created by the different lengths of new growth. There is nothing I can do about that. Each follicle has it's own cycle. Which is good, because if they all shed their hairs at the same time I'd be bald every 7 years*. Bald is fun in its own right as are all the lengths in between, but I particularly like my hair long. So, I loose between 20 and 100 hairs a day and 20-100 hairs start growing at an average rate of 1/2 inch per month (or 1 inch in 60 days). If I go with 50 hairs lost a day and my braid "bumps" are 1 inch long that gives me 50x60=300 potential hairs that could be sticking out of each braid bump. Thank goodness it appears that most of them are encapsulated by their longer neighbors in each braid section!

With artificial layers you are more likely to have many many more hairs end at the same length and so you have a higher potential for chunks of ends sticking out of your braid bumps.

The main difference between fairytaled ends and blunt ends is that you have a thinner tassel and thinner sections of hair go farther. So, the thin tassel wrapped behind a bun once or twice is going to be more secure than a bunt tassel that can't wrap even once. Ends are less likely to pop out during the day. Thinner ends might mean need for fewer pins, or no pins for some updos and hair types.

I hope that makes sense!



*generic average - I'm hoping mine is longer.

I want you to know that you just made me infinitely happy and settled with my fairytale ends. No more micro trimming to blunt the ends.
Because I want updos to be as simple as possible, using the fewest toys/accessories.