Biting the bullet....

[PossibleMermaid]

So I've been growing out a pixie for about two years now. I'm just about at collarbone length, and I've been thinking I need a trim. The bottom of my hair is just dry and crinkly and sad, it gets tangled and gross constantly. It's taken me so long to get here though, I don't want to lose two inches of length!! That's nearly four months of growth for me! I know it's probably what's best but if anyone knows an alternative, please let me know. I just went back to CO washing to see if that helps, I try to deep condition with coconut oil at the very least every other week. Can it be saved or do I need to bite the bullet and cut it??

[Anje]

I'd start with the standard "clarify and deep condition" before you start cutting, if you don't want to cut off length. For me, crinkly stiff ends are often a sign of dry or over-proteined hair, and cutting doesn't fix those things. But clarifying by sudsing all the way to the tips of the hair and then SMTing with a protein-free conditioner does wonders. It may or may not be the magic bullet in your case, but it seems worth trying.

[PossibleMermaid]

Thanks so much!

[holothuroidea]

I don't think your hair is long enough for damaged ends to be the cause of your problems unless you've had a lot of chemical treatments and heat styling.

I agree with Anje. Try clarifying and conditioning first, and avoid using products with protein.

[Seventy7]

Seconding this. I've had dry and helpless ends when I started growing out around CL. They basically felt like hay and behaved like velcro.
Now I'm APL with healthy ends and I haven't had a mayor trim. I have done a few microtrims or dustings, with months in between. This has made my ends feel slightly better, but most change was due to routine (basically clarifying and conditioning well).

I hope it works for you!

[truepeacenik]

Chiming in. Plus, coconut can go crunchy for some. Try olive, after you clarify, to check that it isn't your coconut.

[ExpectoPatronum]

Thirding the clarify and deep condition! Even though I do color my hair, a lot of the time that's all I need to get my hair looking and feeling back to normal!

Also want to second switching to a different oil. Though coconut oil has never made my ends dry, it did for my cousin so it would be worth switching to something different for a little while.

[hennalonghair]

Ditto!.............
Thirding the clarify and deep condition! Even though I do color my hair, a lot of the time that's all I need to get my hair looking and feeling back to normal!

Also want to second switching to a different oil. Though coconut oil has never made my ends dry, it did for my cousin so it would be worth switching to something different for a little while.

[lapushka]

Yep, also on the clarifying bandwagon here! It's too short to be causing such problems, unless as said, you heat styled and dye and do such things to your hair. But then you can always still microtrim!

Clarify first, see what happens!

[chen bao jun]

You know, clarifying is best to try first. But oddly enough if that doesn't work, protein can makes ends feel way better, also.

[Deborah]

Coconut oil did not work nicely on my hair. For dry ends I found that stroking a teeny bit of shea nut butter on the ends before washing my hair made the dryness disappear, and the ends were soft and nice again. Just another idea.

[cat11]

I don't think there's any reason to wait so long and then cut off a big chunk at once. I think even if you cut a small portion like 1/2 an inch or inch it'll make a difference, and if you do that a couple times a year you won't even notice a differencr in length, but your ends will feel nicer and it'll keep the damage at bay.

[Kome]

Sometimes even half an inch can make a HUGE difference in how your hair feels and looks and makes it more manegeable. So I'd just start with a little bit and see how you feel. :)

[Belle Paix]

Don't do it!!! I'm a year into growing from a pixie. My hair is now long enough to use my clips, sticks, and ponytail holders. I toughed it out through the mullet stage, and I'm SO glad I did!!

[spidermom]

Yup, turn it off (clarify), then turn it back on again (deep condition). Tiny trims can work wonders, also.

[AutobotsAttack]

I would suggest that you not use an oil as a deep conditioning agent simply because oils do not moisturize. But definitely try upping your deep conditions and co washes more. Hope this helps because I too struggle with rather dry ends no matter how many times I trim or cut them, and I'm at BSL length now and I REFUSE to cut my hair anymore so I'm just babying them and finding more ways for them to retain moisture better.

[spidermom]

I would suggest that you not use an oil as a deep conditioning agent simply because oils do not moisturize. But definitely try upping your deep conditions and co washes more. Hope this helps because I too struggle with rather dry ends no matter how many times I trim or cut them, and I'm at BSL length now and I REFUSE to cut my hair anymore so I'm just babying them and finding more ways for them to retain moisture better.

I beg to differ. From dictionary.com:

verb (used with object), moisturized, moisturizing.
1.
to add or restore moisture to (something):
to moisturize one's skin with lotion; to moisturize air.
verb (used without object), moisturized, moisturizing.
2.
to make something moist; counteract a dry condition with moisture :
a skin cream that moisturizes while you sleep.

Notice how the definition talks about lotions and creams? Guess what lotions and creams have. Essential fatty acids. Guess what oils have. Essential fatty acids. They most certainly do moisturize, especially the penetrating oils like olive and coconut (to name only 2).

[Anje]

What we need is better terminology, I think. There's water/humectant moisturizing, and there's emollient/oil moisturizing. Many things like lotion contain both (eg. glycerin). My own hair tends to want lots of the humectant variety, while others find their hair mainly wants oils. Add proteins for strength and you pretty much have the holy trio of things you can apply to improve hair. But the term moisturize is loaded with multiple implications... I tend to use it for the humectant side of things and refer to oils/emollients/essential fatty acids separately.

[lapushka]

I tend to think of "moisture" & "moisturizing" only with conditoner-type things. Oils is for locking in moisture, keeping it sealed in better. In my case anyway. Maybe that's why ROO is so great for me (when I use it), best of both worlds.

[lines-wine]

I'm another one that says "don't cut, but clarify/condition first". If that doesn't work, by all means trim - but try 1/2" first.