Seeking advise - should I cut/trim my ends and other questions I've been pondering...

[Radiant]

I'm looking for some advise here please, and know this is the best place to get that. :) I'm attaching 2 photos. One is a side by side of when I went blonde (August 2013), and then Red (June 2014). The second photo was taken just a few minutes ago.

As you can see my hair has grown quite a bit in the last year and a half, but my hemline is much less blunt that I've ever kept it in the past as it's now been exactly one year since my last trim.

My questions are - are my ends getting more fairytaled due to lack of trims, or is this more an issue of natural taper as my hair has gotten longer?

How much would you think I'd need to cut to get back to the blunt hemline I had in the first photos?

A year ago (my last trim) I went for a more U shaped hemline, but am unsure whether this looks good at my length and thickness... do you think it looks like an intentional U-shaped hemline, or just hair that has grown out without much intentional thought?

What would you recommend.... just continue to leave it alone to grow? Trim it, but just slightly since it's been a full year now? Trim enough to get back to blunt ends, and if so should I go for a straight or U-shaped hemline?

Thanks so much for any input! :)


http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/sendmesomeemail/sig_zps093df8be.jpg

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/sendmesomeemail/my.hair.dec.8.2015_zpsyz6pryfw.jpg

[Deborah]

Maybe you could trim about two inches off. I think that would thicken the ends up pretty nicely. Then you could decide whether you need more off or whether you are happy with the result.

[Nique1202]

I think your ends are slightly fairytaled because your hair's growing at different rates in the middle and down the sides, but also because your hair is a LOT wavier than in that first pic with the blunt hemline. Wavy hair shrinks at different proportions in every curl clump, making it look a lot thinner at the ends even if you'd cut it blunt just the day before when it was straighter.

I don't see a single thing wrong with your hemline as it is in that last pic, it's just the curl clumps making it look thinner than it really is. I wouldn't touch it myself unless you're getting problems with splits and breakage at the last couple of inches, and then I'd only trim the bare minimum. It looks gorgeous and exactly how wavy and curly hair starts to look when it gets to do its natural thing.

[Agnes Hannah]

Your ends are lovely! Whats wrong???

[MsPharaohMoan]

Depends, how did you go blonde and red? If you used damaging techniques then the thinning could be due to this. I think you have a pretty hemline :)

[Radiant]

Deborah - that's a good thought about maybe trimming just a bit initially if I decide to go that route. Thank you.

Nique1202 - I think you have a good point about the waves. Now that I no longer blow dry my hair straight I suppose it's somewhat inevitable that my hemline won't be as blunt with my natural texture. Thanks for the reassurance. :)

Agnes Hannah - Thank you! :) Guess nothing's necessarily wrong, just used to having more blunt/thick ends and since I've gone a year now without even the slightest trim I was contemplating whether I should trim or even cut back slightly to thicken up my ends. Wasn't sure if it was just a fairytaled type thing going on, which I actually find quite pretty from photos I've seen here, or looked more un-groomed and needed addressing or not. Was just seeking some input. :)

[spidermom]

The U hem is my favorite. If that were my hair, I think I'd keep the U shape and just have it evened out a little. The left side appears to have grown a more than the right. Of course, as Nique1202 said, that might just be the wave pattern.

[Anje]

Lack of trims could entirely explain your current hem, but I know my hair has some taper at that length and no amount of cutting prevents it. (Then again, my hair seems determined to fairytale at any length past about waist, yet it keeps growing and the thickness moves down, so long as it's allowed to keep being fairytaled at the ends. Go figure!)

If you want it thicker, I think 2 inches off in a U would do it. It might need more to be brought back to a straight hem, but some of that would be because the sides are shorter because of the previous U cut. But I don't think it needs to be cut back, if you don't feel like losing the length. A little taper doesn't hurt, and your hair is pretty either way. :D

[DaveDecker]

The ends don't look bad at all! I might suggest an inch off to give a more-defined hemline. Very pretty hair!

[Radiant]

Thank you all so much for the input. Think I probably will do a little trim just to help thicken up the hemline. Been reading up on the self trimming methods and considering whether I'm brave enough to try this at home or will chance a hair salon.

spidermom - I think you're actually right about the sides being uneven, and actually I felt this was from day one last December when I last had my hair trimmed into the U-shaped cut. Felt like the woman cutting my hair didn't do the best job, which perhaps tells me I should go ahead and try the self trim as even professionals aren't perfect.