Should I trim or dust?

[VixenWolfMare]

Ok so let me start out by saying my hair hates this time of year and every year I find myself getting overzealous with the scissors in some kind of attempt to fix how my hair feels. like clock work every October my hair stats to have a dry almost damaged feel and becomes pron to breakage so to fight the breakage I start trimming. witch in past years was just fine as my hair really was badly damaged. this time I know for sure its just acting up lol.

on Monday night I oiled my hair in coconut oil's and washed it out the next day. my hair really hates to be washed and usually takes a day and a haft to forgive me. My hair also responds to coconut oil by getting very thick and strong but also wire like so i combat that with Alvicado oils witch helps.

also over the last few months i have been switching form combing to brushing and i really am still trying to figure out what works for me and i have encountered more breakage then i would like to talk about. i think i have it figured out at this point i hope :rolleyes:.


So i usually dust my ends every 6 weeks and trim every 6 months and December i am do to trim. The ends of my hair are pristine! and blunt! so part of me is like i can just dust the ends and i should be ok! another part of me sees the breakage and overall heath of my hair and wants to hack a inch or two off.

im going to share some photos but my hair is not at its best so try and judge it based on that.http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/DSCN7540_zps6b1abb9b.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/DSCN7546_zpsf8d0dfcf.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/midnightspike/DSCN7543_zpsd65332fd.jpg

[martyna_22]

I'd say that dusting would be enough! You have gorgeous hair and the ends are pretty nice as well!

[HintOfMint]

If your ends are pristine, I would hold off on a full blown trim. I do know what you mean about cold dry weather making hair feel damaged. Your breakage could be from dryness. I combat this by upping my moisture. Instead of my regular conditioner, I'll do a modified SMT (conditioner with honey and a capful of apple cider vinegar) and I've found that makes my hair very soft even in such cold weather. Of course, I'll use an oil as a leave-in after my wash.

I wouldn't do an SMT outside of the shower in dry weather since the humectants (honey) will suck the moisture out of your hair instead of pulling moisture in. That's why I advise using it in the shower as a regular conditioner so that the steam can do its job.

[VixenWolfMare]

If your ends are pristine, I would hold off on a full blown trim. I do know what you mean about cold dry weather making hair feel damaged. Your breakage could be from dryness. I combat this by upping my moisture. Instead of my regular conditioner, I'll do a modified SMT (conditioner with honey and a capful of apple cider vinegar) and I've found that makes my hair very soft even in such cold weather. Of course, I'll use an oil as a leave-in after my wash.

I wouldn't do an SMT outside of the shower in dry weather since the humectants (honey) will suck the moisture out of your hair instead of pulling moisture in. That's why I advise using it in the shower as a regular conditioner so that the steam can do its job.

I usually wash my hair in cold water so there is no steam :/. would it be ok to use honey with cold water?

[HintOfMint]

What about the rest of your shower, is that also with cold water? I usually wash my hair with shampoo, condition, and then I twist it up on top of my head and I do other shower things like body wash and shaving my legs. Then I rinse out the conditioner. So when I'm letting the SMT soak in, it's also pulling in the moisture from the air which the warm/hot shower contributes to with the steam.

I'm just thinking about the part where you're letting the SMT soak in. When you're just hanging out in the house with dry air outside and the heat going, the SMT is going to be counterproductive because of the humectants. In a steamy bathroom, the SMT would be just fine. I don't know how a cold shower running would affect the humidity of the room enough to make an SMT work.

[VixenWolfMare]

Im def going to have to give this a try! i usually pin my hair up onces it conditioned and put on a pastic cap to make sure i don't get other products in in by mistake. i could just leave it out and be really careful. thanks again! this really helps. also thanks martyna_22 that makes me feel better! i think i might just try a dust and if i just can stand it i can always cut more off down the road.

[meteor]

If your ends are pristine, I would hold off on a full blown trim. I do know what you mean about cold dry weather making hair feel damaged. Your breakage could be from dryness. I combat this by upping my moisture. Instead of my regular conditioner, I'll do a modified SMT (conditioner with honey and a capful of apple cider vinegar) and I've found that makes my hair very soft even in such cold weather. Of course, I'll use an oil as a leave-in after my wash.

I wouldn't do an SMT outside of the shower in dry weather since the humectants (honey) will suck the moisture out of your hair instead of pulling moisture in. That's why I advise using it in the shower as a regular conditioner so that the steam can do its job.

That's great advice! And I completely concur.

You have absolutely gorgeous hair and your ends look great. I would definitely not bother with a dusting until your upcoming regular trim.
The feeling you are describing is the bane of dry winters. I am experiencing the same and what I do is use more moisturizing, heavier conditioners, less clarifying shampoos, I stretch washes and oil more with oils that don't go solid in winter (argan, avocado, olive, etc).

Another thing: did you notice a correlation between introducing a brush and more breakage? Brushes are not good for all hair types, and not all brushes are created equal either. If you see more breakage and tearing from that brush, just go back to combing and finger-combing.
Good luck! :)

[VixenWolfMare]

Another thing: did you notice a correlation between introducing a brush and more breakage? Brushes are not good for all hair types, and not all brushes are created equal either. If you see more breakage and tearing from that brush, just go back to combing and finger-combing.
Good luck!

I WAS useing a red padded ion brush that i had used for years! but it has seams and really the only reason i like is so much is because i have gotten very good with it and not because it was really a good brush. I tryed back in july to go to full combing and i just have so much hair its really hard for my to get comfortable with just combing my hair. i was using a hair sense witch i really liked but i found its really great for when my hair is wet and not dry if that makes any scene so that got downgraded to my shower comb. I was using a mebco shower comb but i like this one better! I do have a Madora white comb that i love! and i usually use it in the morning to get out stobbon tangles. (i have no idea how my hair tangles as i sleep with it braided.) I also finger comb first. then i have a widu wood brush that i do like a lot <3 but im still not as good with it as i was my ion brush hopefully that will come with time. I also have a white boar kent and a mason person. i use the mason person when i need to get the oils moving around and the kent as a softer brush to finish my hair. I dont use them all the time but they are both really nice. i have found that the mason person make it so i can suspend washes longer and i have nearly no dandruff! witch are both awesome! but all this is still very new to me thought and i find myself liking combing, then going back to brushing and liking that better sometimes.

[lapushka]

You don't even need a dusting, IMO. Your ends look just fine to me. I'd hold off on both the dusting and the trimming. Maybe join the no trimming thread?

[0xalis]

Your hair, and ends, are lovely! I'd do a light dusting, cause that never really hurts. I grow almost exactly half an inch a month, and my monthly dusting doesn't effect that at all. You could definitely just leave it though, like lapushka said. I'd keep your ends tucked away in buns until the weather gets better ♥

[allycat]

I'm having the exact same problem, VixenWolfMare, and I live in the northeast as well. It's so cold and dry right now, and my ends have suddenly gotten very bad. I was almost going to trim, but decided to switch to CWC washing and that has made a startling improvement! No need for trimming now. I also oil the damp ends right after with camellia oil.

I'll have to remember that next fall/winter, to switch to CWC.

[VixenWolfMare]

ok so i tried an SMT treatment! i had to use raw honey as i was out of my organic honey. :/
i used:
ion repair solutions treatment
raw honey
organic apple cider vinegar
avocado oil

it really worked wonders!!!

[ErinLeigh]

If your ends are pristine, I would hold off on a full blown trim. I do know what you mean about cold dry weather making hair feel damaged. Your breakage could be from dryness. I combat this by upping my moisture. Instead of my regular conditioner, I'll do a modified SMT (conditioner with honey and a capful of apple cider vinegar) and I've found that makes my hair very soft even in such cold weather. Of course, I'll use an oil as a leave-in after my wash.

I wouldn't do an SMT outside of the shower in dry weather since the humectants (honey) will suck the moisture out of your hair instead of pulling moisture in. That's why I advise using it in the shower as a regular conditioner so that the steam can do its job.

i do the honey/conditioner often. what does adding acv do in the mix? I am excited to try that

[VixenWolfMare]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1462820_10202084337242861_2107415764_o.jpg

I dusted it and it looks so good now ;)