S & D methods

[Persiangirl01]

Hi guys! I was wondering what methods you use during your S & D sessions? I've just started doing this and I find it quite tedious. I was thinking that maybe I need some help finding a more effective method that doesn't strain my neck for hours :)

[Moonfall]

Good question, I'm curious about the answers :) I don't really have a specific method I guess. I once divided my hair into many sections and then searched each section for splits. It was a lot of work and I saw splits again the next day. Very annoying!

[Arctic]

First of all think of S&D as a marathon rather than a sprint :) Slow and steady will make progress over time. When you get the situation under control, the upkeep will be very easy.

I like a "twist and snip" or "ribbon and snip" method (invented the names myself, ha ha). I take a small strand and either twist it or run it between my fingers like a ribbon, so that the strand curves agains my finger. Then I snip at the hairs that pop up. then repeat with another small strand.

I have trichotillomania and because of that I can't allow myself to examine my ends in detail, it is triggering for me. So this general snipping occasionally (usually after a trim) is what suits me. I never sit down to do this, this also helps me to keep the session short and avoid trichotillomania triggering.

I don't even have split ends (just few weeks ago I saw the first one, since I started to re-grow my hair). So basically I snip at healthy, undamaged ends mostly, which many LHCers think is a cardinal sin. :D I am pro-trimmed and believe a little snip of the shorter stands only does my hair as a whole good. Sometimes I get fairy knots, which I cut individually, and I also get some bent ends sometimes, which I also cut.

Most people seem to prefere the method, where you fan a small section of hair and examine each individual strand carefully, and only snip the damaged hairs.

[Wusel]

S&D is like meditation. Chill, relax, study every single hair one after another, listen to relaxing music... Take it as a meditation session, not as a "want-no-split-ends-ASAP" work day. :)

[Arctic]

S&D is like meditation. Chill, relax, study every single hair one after another, listen to relaxing music... Take it as a meditation session, not as a "want-no-split-ends-ASAP" work day. :)

Yeah, unless one is addicted to it, obssessed with it, has trichotillomania or otherwise a OCD scissor happiness :D I used to do it like you describe, and unfortunately I started to obssess with it to a point it had negative effect on my mental well being (obsessing, trichotillomania, time it took...). Not all are in such danger zone as I was/am, of course, but it's very common for people to get carried away, which is something to remember and avoid for certain types of personalities.

But agreed, at best S&D can be very relaxing (I just can't allow it myself anymore).

[school of fish]

Some good advice above! I kind of find S&D relaxing and annoying at the same time if that's possible :p , but have definitely seen marked improvement in my damaged ends since I started making a better effort to do it regularly this new year.

I personally use the 'ribbon & snip' method that Arctic described above - that makes the affected ends show themselves more effectively for me than twisting or fanning, but I do believe each person's unique hair texture will dictate what works best for them.

Shorter sessions more frequently have been way more effective for me over occasional lengthy ones. I carry a set of small hair scissors in my purse and do some S&D in the car when we're out on family trips and I'm in the passenger seat. The light coming in through the windows from all sides is the best I've found for splits and white dots to reveal themselves, and once the car ride's over the scissors get packed up, so there's an automatic time limit on length of sessions :) I personally have an added bonus built in to this setup - my older son has autism and for years had a fear of haircuts that he appears to have conquered recently - I think allowing him to see me snipping my own hair regularly and happily has helped him come around on his own haircuts :) But I digress...

The other thing that I've found helpful is to braid my hair and leave a very long tassel, and focus the S&D on the tassel - that's where most of my damaged ends are. For some reason I seem to be able to access split and damaged ends in a braid tassel that don't show themselves so much when it's loose.

As usual, it's very much a YMMV kind of thing, so the more people who weigh in here with their methods the more options you'll have to try out for yourself :)

[trolleypup]

I don't get to be passenger in a car very often, so it is usually a bright side light against a dark background. Fanning, or shaking a loose ribbon then snipping damaged ends, in long in frequent sessions.

[Hairkay]

I've got tight curls that I mostly wear in some plaits/braids. I just check the end of each plait, when I see a split end of ssk sticking out, I cut that's it.

[Nique1202]

I am really lazy about my S&D because I don't usually find a lot of splits anyway, but lately I've been sectioning it as if doing a half-up, from the ears up over the crown, then splitting each half in half again in the same direction. I twist each section into its own little knot and take them down one at a time, pulling them over the top of my head and down in front of my eyes to look for splits, except the nape section which I pull over one shoulder then over the other to make sure that no end gets missed (unless it's shorter than the rest by more than 2-3 inches).

Now and then if it's loose or in a braid I'll grab a random section or the tail and have a look but I rarely find much that way.

[browneyedsusan]

I have a sunny spot by the kitchen sink, and usually think about S & D ing when I'm tidying up the kitchen or making supper. :p I just grab the kitchen shears--don't judge me--fan out the ends and have at it. If I find several, I curl the strands over my fingers (Arctics ribbon method), and go at it that way.

[Sarahm]

First of all think of S&D as a marathon rather than a sprint :) Slow and steady will make progress over time. When you get the situation under control, the upkeep will be very easy.

I like a "twist and snip" or "ribbon and snip" method (invented the names myself, ha ha). I take a small strand and either twist it or run it between my fingers like a ribbon, so that the strand curves agains my finger. Then I snip at the hairs that pop up. then repeat with another small strand.

I have trichotillomania and because of that I can't allow myself to examine my ends in detail, it is triggering for me. So this general snipping occasionally (usually after a trim) is what suits me. I never sit down to do this, this also helps me to keep the session short and avoid trichotillomania triggering.

I don't even have split ends (just few weeks ago I saw the first one, since I started to re-grow my hair). So basically I snip at healthy, undamaged ends mostly, which many LHCers think is a cardinal sin. :D I am pro-trimmed and believe a little snip of the shorter stands only does my hair as a whole good. Sometimes I get fairy knots, which I cut individually, and I also get some bent ends sometimes, which I also cut.

Most people seem to prefere the method, where you fan a small section of hair and examine each individual strand carefully, and only snip the damaged hairs.

Hi Arctic, I just read that you have trichotillomania. I'm sorry if I'm getting too personal, but is it hard to combine with being on LHC? Because obviously this forum is abut hair, and I was just wondering if reading and talking about hair doesn't trigger you?

[Arctic]

Hi Arctic, I just read that you have trichotillomania. I'm sorry if I'm getting too personal, but is it hard to combine with being on LHC? Because obviously this forum is abut hair, and I was just wondering if reading and talking about hair doesn't trigger you?

No it's not too personal, I have been very open about my trichotillomania. I was so reliefed when I learned it is a known condition and has a name, that I know there might be others who might experience the same feeling through my posts. I found about the name and symptoms of trich, ironically, thanks to LHC, and was immediately able to connect the dots, that this is what I have, too. We have surprisingly lot of members with trich.

Yes it can be triggering. This is one of the main reasons why I have been taking long hiatuses from LHC every now and then. Meanwhile I have learned a lot about myself, my hair, my triggers, my personal "hair boundaries" - and this all has helped me to resist trichotillomania much better. It is mostly in control now, only in very stressful times I find myself relapsing a bit - which I take as my body's cue for me to relax and calm down.

[Sarahm]

No it's not too personal, I have been very open about my trichotillomania. I was so reliefed when I learned it is a known condition and has a name, that I know there might be others who might experience the same feeling through my posts. I found about the name and symptoms of trich, ironically, thanks to LHC, and was immediately able to connect the dots, that this is what I have, too. We have surprisingly lot of members with trich.

Yes it can be triggering. This is one of the main reasons why I have been taking long hiatuses from LHC every now and then. Meanwhile I have learned a lot about myself, my hair, my triggers, my personal "hair boundaries" - and this all has helped me to resist trichotillomania much better. It is mostly in control now, only in very stressful times I find myself relapsing a bit - which I take as my body's cue for me to relax and calm down.

I really admire you for being able to be open about it. From my own experience, I know that it can be quite hard to talk about things like that. Yes, I agree that being able to discuss your issues with others that are going through the same thing can be very liberating.

Yes, I understand. I'm happy to hear that you're doing well :).

[Zesty]

I usually do the "ribbon" thing as well, bending a lock of hair over a finger and snipping splits that pop up as I go down to the ends. I do this mostly randomly, though occasionally I'll section and be more methodical. I have very little damage, so I'm lazy about it because it gets boring if you don't find anything. I mostly find white dots very close to the end of a hair. After discussing with the lovely meteor I suspect that it's from the few heat styling sessions that have occurred since my last trim.

As far as lighting/timing/location goes, I've found that sitting on the floor next to a window in the afternoon shows them best. Our windows face west so that's when the sun is coming in. I do this semi randomly because, like I said, my hair doesn't need it too too much. If it did I would probably do it several times a week until I made a dent, but as it is I don't have a schedule.

And I don't snip any hairs that don't have splits or white dots (so no bumpy hairs or bent hairs).

[Anje]

I've caught myself getting unhealthily obsessed with S&D too, but usually it's OK. What trichotillomania I have tends to get taken out on my eyebrows when I'm stressed out, not on my head hair.

I actually really like S&Ding a braid, especially one that's been in for a couple hours and is just getting a bit fuzzy. I can scan for ends that stick out that are split, but it keeps the job relatively short and limited. Going through my loose hair looking for splits scattered through the length is something that I could indulge in for hours, and that's the sort of thing that rattles my screws loose.

I'm known to trim the bumpy, frizzled hairs I find sometimes, but I really need to stop. Usually smearing some conditioner on them and rinsing them out, then letting them dry correctly is enough to fix things.

[Arctic]

I really admire you for being able to be open about it. From my own experience, I know that it can be quite hard to talk about things like that. Yes, I agree that being able to discuss your issues with others that are going through the same thing can be very liberating.

Yes, I understand. I'm happy to hear that you're doing well :).

Thank you!

[Cg]

Almost every morning after I brush, I twist the hair using a dark towel for background. Any splits that leap out get snipped. I also cut white dots and anything that looks like an evil split pre-born. Generally I snip 4-5 damaged hairs per week. Looking almost daily means splits are tiny and just beginning so I needn't cut much off.

I have lots of damage due to a lifetime of hair abuse (but no more, thanks LHC), so I did find more splits when I first started S&D.

[Persiangirl01]

Thanks everyone! I myself have been using what was described as the Ribbon method. A great suggestion from a few of you that I will try is to section off my hair or concentrate on my braid tassle. I did not have a method to my Ribbon madness before :doh:

Also, thank you for reminding me that I cannot eliminate all split ends in 1 S&D session! I know that deep down I know this to be true, but I tend to get carried away! I think Setting a time limit for myself will also be a good idea! I spent 2 hours S&Ding last time. :hmm: Will definitely be making S&D a more frequent thing in my hair care routine!