Layers Lament (Tell me it gets better!)

[TimeForMe]

I'm in the process of growing out a pixie, and had gotten to roughly chin length in front. But last time I went to my hairdresser around 3 weeks ago to get "evened out", I let her layer me as well. And not only layers, but razor cut layering. "It will fall better," she said. "It will give movement," she said.

Feh. Looking at these pics, I look like a split end factory. Guess what? I really don't have a lot of split ends. It's the darn razor layers! Granted, I had blow-dried today to try to do something with this mess, and had also been running around in the wind all day. But it annoys me that razor layers on my fine hair always look horrible, like I have wild splits all over, and I know this. I guess some cones might help, but I really hate them.

How tough was growing out layers for some of you, and did you trim as you went, or just let them grow?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/MartiP/hair/20131114_160311_resized.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/MartiP/hair/20131114_160204_resized.jpg

[AnqeIicDemise]

I micro trimmed for a few years alike getting rid of my layers. They were just horribly done. Thinnef poor, overly texturized, razored. It was frustrating, but manageable.

[goldenlady]

It gets better. Lovely alliteration by the way :). I stupidly had some rather short layers cut in a year and a bit ago.. thankfully they're nearly grown out! I self-trim and have just been trimming the very bottom. Look after your hair and it will soon be how you would like!

[lapushka]

You either trim the back as you go and keep that short length for quite some time, or you just continue to grow and keep the layers. Fastest way to gain length. I guess those are your two options. ;)

[jacqueline101]

I never grew out a pixie but I did grow out layers. I trimmed as my hair grew trim a little as you go. I used the feye self trim method.

[schnibbles]

Razor cutting has messed up my hair in the past too, I feel your pain. My stylist talked me into it one time, next time I went back to her, I said no more using the razor, ever!
My hair recovered fairly quickly though... I don't know if it actually caused splits or just had that appearance or what, but it will be ok. My advice would be to baby it with some oils that it likes, I think as it starts to grow out a little more it will probably calm down.

[spidermom]

It's not that bad. Grow on.

I never allowed my stylist to use a razor. I went from a pixie to short layers to longer layers and finally no layers by the time my hair grew to the bottom of my shoulder blades. The stylist would trim just a tiny bit less off the layers than she did the length. It was a very graceful way to grow out a pixie, relatively speaking.

[Crumpet]

Actually, I think your hair looks lovely! I've never had a pixie, but I do have layers. I adore moaning about them, although I'm going to start microtrimming soon to get rid of them.

[wrh452]

It doesn't look bad, but I feel your pain. I have fine hair too and it just doesn't like razor cuts so I go with point cutting my layers. I would continue to trim everything and when your layers get more solid, then grow them out. Razor cuts do cause more split ends in my experience so I wouldn't ignore them completely.

[HintOfMint]

I love layers, but razor-made ones tend to be the worst for me. I wouldn't trim unless you have actual splits, but I've found that razors cause splits for me. If that's not the case for you, grow on! I've found that layers also make the awkward chin to shoulder phase far more bearable.

[niky45]

... It looks OK to me. Mine does quite the same thing (I'm also growing out a pixie, and I did to myself some kind of "razor-like" cut with scissors... ), and I know it can be annoying, but hey, it's healthy hair...

But If you want healthier-looking ends, perhaps you could do some kind of S&D? I mean, you can just cut (yourself) the razored ends? like, less than 0.5 cm (0.2 inch), so the ends are scissor-cut, and they don't feel like splits.

Or tell your stylist to just scissor-cut the ends (but be sure she doesn't cut too much!! this is only about the last 0.2 inch...), if you are not sure you can do it for yourself (It's hard to work with one's short hair, I know well.)

[chen bao jun]

Oh, just chiming in to say that I hate layers, too.
I had the worst kind, back in the eighties, that hair cut that looked like a mullet (they used to call it the shag). I cut all my hair off to get rid of them--but it did take 3 years to get it back to bra strap, so I don't recommend this method, do the slow thing they recommending.
I don't have fine hair, I have coarse hair. But hairdressers can be interesting. when you have fine hair, they say layers will make it look fuller and have movement. When you have coarse thick hair, they say you need layers to make it manageable and give it movement. I think they just love cutting layers on everybody. What the razor thing is about, I don't know. Mine were done with a scissors, which was bad enough.

[chen bao jun]

By the way, your hair does look good. But I remember when I got my layered cut and everyone kept telling me it looked good, it made me so angry, I hadn't wanted it done and didn't like it, so hated the compliments, so am hesitant to tell you it looks good, incase that makes you angrier (as it did me).

[TimeForMe]

Thanks all, for the encouragement. It helps, a LOT. Yeah, I'm a little more rational-feeling today, and realize it doesn't look so bad. I'm glad that though my hair is fine, there's a relative lot of it, at least in the back. I'm just frustrated and impatient.


I've found that layers also make the awkward chin to shoulder phase far more bearable.

That's exactly why I had it done. Blunt cut at this length on me would have looked worse. I just wish I'd told her no razor - she's a good stylist, and listens, so she'd have done what I wanted. I have a problem with lots of cones and product making my hair go limp and losing all volume, but am going to try today doing a coconut oil soak only on the ends before I wash. I also have some soluble coney argan oil serum that I'll try rubbing on my hands and just lightly smoothing over the top, see if it makes the sticking-out razored bits lie down a little more without the whole shebang going dead flat. There's a fine line for me with stuff like that, between "it helps" and "oops, too much".

My plan right now is to keep the layers until I get some good length, only microtrimming along the way. I'll likely want to start getting rid of them entirely at some point, but not until I get below shoulders at least.

[Liz_park]

I'm in the process of growing out a pixie, and had gotten to roughly chin length in front. But last time I went to my hairdresser around 3 weeks ago to get "evened out", I let her layer me as well. And not only layers, but razor cut layering. "It will fall better," she said. "It will give movement," she said.

Feh. Looking at these pics, I look like a split end factory. Guess what? I really don't have a lot of split ends. It's the darn razor layers! Granted, I had blow-dried today to try to do something with this mess, and had also been running around in the wind all day. But it annoys me that razor layers on my fine hair always look horrible, like I have wild splits all over, and I know this. I guess some cones might help, but I really hate them.

How tough was growing out layers for some of you, and did you trim as you went, or just let them grow?


@TimeForMe: My heart definitely goes out to you...looking at your photos, I had a similar cut in April! The stylist added tons of layers for me too, even though I actually explicitly said "No layers". Hahah when I complained at the end that she had added layers and I didn't want them, she ALSO said things like "It will fall better," and "It will give movement,". LOL. I swear all they teach in hair stylist school is how to cover up a bad haircut with pleasing sounding language so that the client will pay them.

The good news: After about 2 or 3 months I started to see a really positive difference in my hair. And now, 8 months later, I'm almost at APL. I've been growing for about 3-4 months and trimming about an inch at each trim. Slowly the layers are being trimmed away. It does get better, I promise!!

Also, I think your hair looks cute from the photos...it should grow out nicely.

My suggestion: Don't go to a stylist again. Ever. They will always trim too much, using damaging techniques like razoring and blow-frying, and you will be continuously stuck with short wispy hair. If you want long hair, learn to self trim. The best haircut I ever got was one I gave myself. Get a sharp pair of scissors and follow Feye's self-trim method.

[bunzfan]

Been there and still there, my hair was thinned out too and what i did was maintain for a year to get rid of the thin bits and now i'm going a year between trims by then the final wispy thin bits will be gone they are a nightmare growing out , i found out the thinned bits split more so be warned.

[JessicaAnn]

The good news: After about 2 or 3 months I started to see a really positive difference in my hair. And now, 8 months later, I'm almost at APL. I've been growing for about 3-4 months and trimming about an inch at each trim. Slowly the layers are being trimmed away. It does get better, I promise!!



How short was the cut when you started growing 8 months ago?

[Liz_park]

How short was the cut when you started growing 8 months ago?

It was above shoulder...maybe neck length? It was so choppy that some layers were above chin, so it's hard to tell the exact length. I remember I was so sad, but honestly, 4 months later in August things were really starting to look up. Just give it a bit of time and things will improve :)

[Ambystoma]

Don't worry - they get easier to deal with as they grow! I've been there pre LHC (twice ugh) and both times I just kept trimming the bottom until they were gone and they definitely started looking better once I'd got rid of say, half of them. Knowing what I know now though, I'd grow while I trimmed by cutting around half the growth since layers can be made to look pretty good with heat free curls while you wait it out, especially since the hairdresser did a nice job on yours, even if you don't like them :grouphug:

[BlazingHeart]

I still have kind of de-facto layers. I grew out from a cheekbone length cut and never trimmed up the bottom. They periodically annoy me, and I tend to have to leave longish tassels on my braids. I guess at this point the shortest bits are around tailbone and the longest bits are just past classic. I'm planning to get 4" or so whacked off, because I haven't been taking care of my ends at all and they're getting a lot of mechanical damage from yours truly sitting on them. Not to mention it would take out about half of the layer-y stuff.

I've had the same experience that chen bao jun has had with stylists - you have really thick hair and they tell you layers will make it behave better! Ha. Ha ha ha. Oh no they don't. All I end up with is POOF everywhere, and the whole thing has to be blowdried and brushed within an inch of its life to behave. I haven't cut layers in for years at this point because I know all they'll do is piss me off. I have the very ends of my hair (like, the last inch or so) cut with inverted layers to help it curl under nicely when I have a short cut, but only when I can see my trusted stylist who lives near my parents (on the other side of the country). Otherwise, I just don't trust anyone with scissors who says That Word. No layers for me, thank you, no.

[martyna_22]

I used to have layers from the time of chin length with really short layers.. I finally got rid of them about 3 years after the horrible cut, so I know what you're going through. I'd say micro-trimming is the most likely to help you. It'll get better :heart: