Thinking about cutting. I'm so torn! Help!

[JadeTigress]

I'm so happy to have the length that I have. I'm just past BSL and in 3-4 inches I'll finally hit waist. But I have two big chunks on the sides where my bangs were, and they're at APL. They're so huge and thick and obvious, and it really takes away from the thickness of my length. Plus they don't get trimmed like the rest of my hair does, so they're getting full of splits. The whole thing just looks terrible. I went to the hairdresser to see if he could possibly blend them in better so they wouldn't be quite so obvious, and the opposite happened. Now they're even worse. So I'm considering cutting back to APL to solve the problem and return to hair that's all one length. But it's taken me so long to get where I am (the gap from APL to BSL on me is pretty big), so I don't know what to do. I could really use some advice.

[Liz_park]

I have a similar problem -- my length is almost APL and I still have a few layers and grown out bangs that are at shoulder length.

To avoid losing length, what I've been doing is growing out for 4 months, and then trimming 1 inch off my length and doing a dusting of my grown out bangs (just to remove splits and keep it looking clean). Slowly my hair has been growing longer and at the same time it's been becoming more and more all-one-length. I calculate that a year from now it should be almost BSL and all one length.

Could you do that? Trim one inch off your length, and then grow for 4 months? Trim, then grow, trim then grow until it's caught up? That way you're getting closer to waist and eliminating your two layers and gradually making them one.

I think if you do a big chop, you may regret it as it will feel so much shorter.

[goldenlady]

I've had the same problem for the last couple of years. I used to have shoulder length hair with thick bangs - not a good look on my baby-fine hair. My hair is now at waist and my bangs are shoulder-ish.. It means I have a layered look which I'd prefer not to have.. but for me the length is a priority. When my bangs were a little shorter I used to flick them out so they blended with my length. It's irritating but it does get better!

[Lilybeany]

I to have this.I would just micro trim longer length as you may regret it.I'm doing this and its help.Plus I'm babying the bangs that are shorter, and keeping them as split free as possible.I think I'm winning as my hair definitely feels better.

[spidermom]

Sounds like you need a better stylist. In the past, my stylist blended growing out bangs into some face-framing layers, and it worked beautifully so that I kept my length.

Or maybe we had different bangs; I don't know.

[wrh452]

I agree on a better stylist. They should be able to thin the bangs a little and help it blend better.

[Ambystoma]

I remember growing out a fringe, it was awful :grouphug: I just kept trimming the length and S&D'ing the short bits, every trim closes the gap a little! I also really liked curlier/bouncier styles since the shorter bits seem to blend in a lot better that way, especially if you part to one side a little and do a kind of "Victorias Secret Angel" type 'do, it can look like an intentional face framing cut that way.

[KellieMai]

I'd S&D the shorter layers. I'm currently growing out my fringe, it's only at chin length now and my length is almost hip so it doent look too bad, I trim my own hair and I've been point cutting my fringe area to soften it and help it blend better once it gets a bit longer, maybe this is something you could Try? Other than that I agree with the micro trimming :)

[restless]

We are always our own worst critics and I honestly dont believe it looks so bad as you make it seem :) If I were you, Id keep growing and only microtrimming/ S&D away the splits since you dont seem all that eager on going back to APL anyway. You can also make pretty half ups with the bangs to make them less obvious when having the hair loose. Another option is french braiding them with a side part. Its really pretty and it hides the lenght-difference.

[Lyv]

I have kind of the same thing but I have two different length bangs growing out lol. One is from really thick bangs and those are about shoulder maybe cbl and the most recent are a little longer than cheekbone. I just trim the ends and s&d the bangs, they'll catch up eventually.