Is there any way to keep growing without a huge trim now?

[Of the Fae]

Hi all,

A while ago I posted a thread about my split end related issues, and though my hair texture has improved by all the good advice that was given to me, and even though my hair overall and was already very smooth, I keep struggling with so many split ends from between 2cm to 10 cms up my length... My hair breaks easily and is very soft and silky, even with gentle detangling with only a comb and my fingers I will sometimes snap a hair.
the splits too high up for a dusting or microtrim, and it seems that with every one I S&D them away I get more back :( It's making me desperate, since I am so close to hip, and feel as if nothing I do will fix this problem. I already use professional scissors. I have had them for about 5 years, maybe they are blunt?
I added some pictures so that you can see my hair up close with the hemline and overall texture. There are some braid waves and the shine is more coppery than IRL, but I hope it still gives a good image of what it looks like. Everyone I know says my hair looks good, but I am still afraid that it will be completely ruined if I don't do anything to fix this.

My question is, can I somehow just keep growing whilst protecting my ends better? Do any of you have experience with this? Or do I need to take a whole lot off? As I said that would mean cutting back to well above waist, setting me back 10 months, and I was so proud of reaching this length for the first time in my life.
I'm also afraid that if I cut a large part off, it will only grow back with splits once I reach this length again. Also, I'd rather not lose any length if possible, but I don't want the damage to travel up and ruin my entire hair. I would really love to reach Classic, but I also want my hair to look good and be healthy.

Thanks so much in advance <3

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i467/faelady2/20170111_124626_HDR.jpg (http://s1095.photobucket.com/user/faelady2/media/20170111_124626_HDR.jpg.html)

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i467/faelady2/20170111_124532_HDR.jpg (http://s1095.photobucket.com/user/faelady2/media/20170111_124532_HDR.jpg.html)


http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i467/faelady2/20170111_124410_HDR.jpg (http://s1095.photobucket.com/user/faelady2/media/20170111_124410_HDR.jpg.html)

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i467/faelady2/20170111_124259_HDR.jpg (http://s1095.photobucket.com/user/faelady2/media/20170111_124259_HDR.jpg.html)

[Aphra]

I have similar issues (although without the gorgeous copper waterfall!) - my hair is a similar type to yours, prone to breaking and spitting ends even with good care, and I want to balance gaining length with keeping a full, undamaged hem.

My chosen compromise is to trim 1-2 inches every six months (I assume more regular microtrimming would have the same effect). I still get plenty of growth that way, and I suspect that it may even help me retain length by avoiding breakage (I grew the same amount in 2016 from a chop and with a trim as I did in 15 months with no trims in 2014/15 - although of course it is possible that's just coincidence with my growth rate increasing for some other reason). Either way, that amount and frequency is enough to keep my hem full and minimise the damage build-up, while allowing most of my growth to be retained.

Of course that compromise might not be right for you, but I honestly don't think you need a big chop. I had one at the start of last year back to APL when I decided I wanted to keep growing beyond BSL, but my ends were faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar more ragged and broken than yours. Yours look much more like the type of thing I had trimmed today (1.5 inches, took out the worst of the splits, but not all of them) - i.e. a maintenance thing, not a crisis. I would either:

- have a small trim (an inch or two) to take out the worst of the splits round the very tips, and then baby the ends until you get nearer where you want to maintain
- baby the ends, and microtrim regularly, but not so much you lose most of your growth

[Wildcat Diva]

Same advice as above. Keep growing. Bun often. Frequent moisture treatments to ends. Satin pillowcase or sleep cap. Reassess in six months. Probably trim 1 ish inch.

[Annalouise]

I asked you in your other thread what products you used and you didn't answer. You have fine hair. A lot of people here with fine hair end up cutting it back when they get to hip because its damaged. Their hair is full of split ends. So my advice to you would be to understand how split ends are caused. They are caused primarily by chemical and heat damage. If you are not heat styling then its caused by chemical damage.

Once your hair strand is dried out and damaged, it will split. There is no integrity left in the strand to hold it together.
Brushes and combs do not cause split ends. They simply break the hair off because the hair was already in a weakened state. And, Boar's bristle brushes do not cause split ends. I have fine hair and I was using a bbb for the past few years and I have no split ends.

Like I said, if your hair is dried out and damaged then anything will cause it to snap off. If you want to achieve the lengths you desire then you have to get serious about your hair. And fine hair is not as easy to grow to extreme lengths as medium or coarse hair because it doesn't have the same structural integrity. (It has no medula). So therefore you'll have to start to understand how to keep your fine hair in tact while you grow it.

Damaging the hair, and then putting damaged hair into a "protective updo" makes no sense. It is simply illogical.

[spidermom]

All I can do is empathize. I had the same problem, and nothing I was willing to do could change it.

[Nique1202]

Once your hair strand is dried out and damaged, it will split. There is no integrity left in the strand to hold it together.
Brushes and combs do not cause split ends. They simply break the hair off because the hair was already in a weakened state. And, Boar's bristle brushes do not cause split ends. I have fine hair and I was using a bbb for the past few years and I have no split ends.

(snip)
Damaging the hair, and then putting damaged hair into a "protective updo" makes no sense. It is simply illogical.

Bolded parts are not strictly true. Boar bristle brushes can cause a LOT of friction damage to some hair types, and plastic brushes or combs can have seams which do the same thing to any hair they touch. That's a significant source of mechanical damage if the user isn't careful, and it can absolutely cause split ends down the line.

As for your last paragraph, it makes perfect sense to protect the hair from additional sources of damage even if you choose to cause damage one way. By your logic, if you're using bleach on the hair you might as well heat style it. All sources of damage add up and can cause problems down the line, whether that's split ends, white dots, or plain old breakage. Even if you want to, for example, blow-dry your hair quickly on the hot setting, that doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't protect it from friction as you go about your day.

Of the Fae, a lot of people grow and don't bother to trim out split ends ever. Your ends look fine to me, in those pictures. Split ends can't hurt you. They can travel further up the hair shaft but it doesn't necessarily ruin the appearance of the length, so if you want to gain length and not trim at all that's entirely your choice. Some folks around here have had great success with microtrims of 1/4 inch or less every month, or you can look at how much your hair gains every 3 or 6 months and trim a portion of what you've grown in that time.

It's also possible that if you chopped the couple of inches that are badly split now, and you protect your hair better (with updos, proper moisture/protein balance, and maybe a little extra silicone-product use on the ends) that you might not get the same kinds of split ends as before, because your hair will be better cared for and less damaged. I know that was the case for me when I had damage from ponytail holders: once I stopped using them and got the worst of it trimmed out, I saw almost no new split ends until my hair had grown an extra few inches.

[Of the Fae]

Thanks for all your replies <3

Annalouise, I am sorry I somehow missed that question :3 I use a sulphate free shampoo and have now switched from a conditioner with only oils and cones to a protein rich conditioner. This seems to have improved my ends somewhat, because they seemed a little dry before.
Thank you for your advice about combs and brushes, that does make sense. I used a BBB for a long time and it never used to do this to my hair, so that would explain the snapping and snagging all over the place. I also have a lot of white dots a few cms up my ends which then snap and turn into splits when I am brushing or combing. Some of my strands are more coarse then others, but overall it is very delicate, but densely planted hair.
I use no heat or chemical products, but i did use Sun In a great many months ago, and a long time ago used a more harsh shampoo. I haven't used either in at least 4 months.

Edit: I do have to add that the Neemwood comb I use now is less snagging than some of my other combs and brushes

[Of the Fae]

I have similar issues (although without the gorgeous copper waterfall!) - my hair is a similar type to yours, prone to breaking and spitting ends even with good care, and I want to balance gaining length with keeping a full, undamaged hem.

My chosen compromise is to trim 1-2 inches every six months (I assume more regular microtrimming would have the same effect). I still get plenty of growth that way, and I suspect that it may even help me retain length by avoiding breakage (I grew the same amount in 2016 from a chop and with a trim as I did in 15 months with no trims in 2014/15 - although of course it is possible that's just coincidence with my growth rate increasing for some other reason). Either way, that amount and frequency is enough to keep my hem full and minimise the damage build-up, while allowing most of my growth to be retained.

Of course that compromise might not be right for you, but I honestly don't think you need a big chop. I had one at the start of last year back to APL when I decided I wanted to keep growing beyond BSL, but my ends were faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar more ragged and broken than yours. Yours look much more like the type of thing I had trimmed today (1.5 inches, took out the worst of the splits, but not all of them) - i.e. a maintenance thing, not a crisis. I would either:

- have a small trim (an inch or two) to take out the worst of the splits round the very tips, and then baby the ends until you get nearer where you want to maintain
- baby the ends, and microtrim regularly, but not so much you lose most of your growth


Same advice as above. Keep growing. Bun often. Frequent moisture treatments to ends. Satin pillowcase or sleep cap. Reassess in six months. Probably trim 1 ish inch.

Thanks guys, I might trim an inch or so today and then see how it is in about 5 months.. might even out the hemline a little bit as well. Also Aphra, your compliment makes me feel so much better about my hair right now. I really appreciate it.


All I can do is empathize. I had the same problem, and nothing I was willing to do could change it.
Thanks anyway <3 I do hope I can reach the length you have had!



Bolded parts are not strictly true. Boar bristle brushes can cause a LOT of friction damage to some hair types, and plastic brushes or combs can have seams which do the same thing to any hair they touch. That's a significant source of mechanical damage if the user isn't careful, and it can absolutely cause split ends down the line.

As for your last paragraph, it makes perfect sense to protect the hair from additional sources of damage even if you choose to cause damage one way. By your logic, if you're using bleach on the hair you might as well heat style it. All sources of damage add up and can cause problems down the line, whether that's split ends, white dots, or plain old breakage. Even if you want to, for example, blow-dry your hair quickly on the hot setting, that doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't protect it from friction as you go about your day.

Of the Fae, a lot of people grow and don't bother to trim out split ends ever. Your ends look fine to me, in those pictures. Split ends can't hurt you. They can travel further up the hair shaft but it doesn't necessarily ruin the appearance of the length, so if you want to gain length and not trim at all that's entirely your choice. Some folks around here have had great success with microtrims of 1/4 inch or less every month, or you can look at how much your hair gains every 3 or 6 months and trim a portion of what you've grown in that time.

It's also possible that if you chopped the couple of inches that are badly split now, and you protect your hair better (with updos, proper moisture/protein balance, and maybe a little extra silicone-product use on the ends) that you might not get the same kinds of split ends as before, because your hair will be better cared for and less damaged. I know that was the case for me when I had damage from ponytail holders: once I stopped using them and got the worst of it trimmed out, I saw almost no new split ends until my hair had grown an extra few inches.

That gives me hope <3 !! As I said a little further up I might just trim an inch and see how it goes from there :) I hope that the antique lace treatment will help me to keep new splits at bay


I do have to say, when I was still around BSL length I wore it down quite a lot, and also was sometimes too quick with brushing out. Maybe the time of doing that is what I am paying the price for now :/ as I didn't realize how easily my ends get frazzled. I always thought my hair was very strong, but then again I never grew beyond BSL before, so I never had the change to experience this amount of cumulative damage.

[samanthaa]

I have a similar hair type, only I'm an i/ii rather than ii/iii. I recognize my own hair in your pictures!

My hair gets a lot of split ends even though I treat it delicately (I gave up S&D'ing, because I'd only keep finding more and it'd eventually mess up my hemline), and I've just had to accept it for what it is. I don't mind the splits anymore, and they don't seem to travel up the shaft. With my fineness, they're actually not that noticeable overall. Last year I trimmed only once, about 1" to 1.5", and this year I'm microtrimming each month. I can't speak to the success or failure of microtrimming yet, but going a year and a half with only one trim (to fix my uneven hemline, not to combat splits) was a good decision for me because it gave me a lot of length.

I follow a lot of the advice that Wildcat Diva posted. I can't use a BBB for regular brushing; I do find it damaging. I use it only to distribute oil (when I do bother to oil the length, which isn't very often). I miss my sandalwood comb. I have a horn comb now that I don't love nearly as much as my sandalwood, because I feel it does cause snags and snapping.

[Of the Fae]

But a BBB is never meant for regular brushing, right? At least, I always learned that a BBB was only for oil distribution and for your scalp to stimulate growth.

It's nice to hear that I am not alone :) I love your bun in your avatar pic btw

[Entangled]

But a BBB is never meant for regular brushing, right? At least, I always learned that a BBB was only for oil distribution and for your scalp to stimulate growth.

It's nice to hear that I am not alone :) I love your bun in your avatar pic btw

It's not meant for detangling, if that's what you mean. Use a comb, a tangle teezer, or your fingers (or some similar method) for that.

[MsPharaohMoan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't snagging and snapping while combing caused by your combing technique, and not the comb (assuming it's seamless)? I started combing my f/m hair more gently and less often and the snagging and snapping is significantly reduced. What do you guys think?

[Of the Fae]

Hm it would be great if that were the case! I am already very gentle though. I start at the bottom, working up with small sections of hair at a time and remove the actual tangles mostly with my fingers before combing through. What's your technique?

[Nique1202]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't snagging and snapping while combing caused by your combing technique, and not the comb (assuming it's seamless)? I started combing my f/m hair more gently and less often and the snagging and snapping is significantly reduced. What do you guys think?

Definitely. Whatever you use to detangle, it's your technique that's pulling on the tangle so hard that it breaks the hair. To minimize damage to its absolute smallest potential, you've got to slow down and be gentle. When I use a comb, I like to hold it at an angle, so the tips of the tines are higher than the part I'm holding. That way if I find a tangle that doesn't come loose easily on its own, it slides out of the hair instead of snapping its way through. Tangle Teezer bristles are bendy for this reason also: so they can slide out of a tangle before they snap the hair, and see if the next offset row can pull it apart better.

[Annalouise]

Thanks for all your replies <3

Annalouise, I am sorry I somehow missed that question :3 I use a sulphate free shampoo and have now switched from a conditioner with only oils and cones to a protein rich conditioner. This seems to have improved my ends somewhat, because they seemed a little dry before.
Thank you for your advice about combs and brushes, that does make sense. I used a BBB for a long time and it never used to do this to my hair, so that would explain the snapping and snagging all over the place. I also have a lot of white dots a few cms up my ends which then snap and turn into splits when I am brushing or combing. Some of my strands are more coarse then others, but overall it is very delicate, but densely planted hair.
I use no heat or chemical products, but i did use Sun In a great many months ago, and a long time ago used a more harsh shampoo. I haven't used either in at least 4 months.

Edit: I do have to add that the Neemwood comb I use now is less snagging than some of my other combs and brushes


But a BBB is never meant for regular brushing, right? At least, I always learned that a BBB was only for oil distribution and for your scalp to stimulate growth.

It's nice to hear that I am not alone :) I love your bun in your avatar pic btw

What you just told me, if I'm not mistaken, is that you have been using a sulphate free shampoo, and a coney conditioner?
If this is true this is problematic because you need sulphates to remove silicone build up.

Yes, a boars bristle brush is used after detangling to distribute the oils off your scalp and down to the very ends of the hair. It's a form
of manual conditioning. But make sure you are using a good quality brush.:) And make sure you move the brush down the length very slowly.

[samanthaa]

But a BBB is never meant for regular brushing, right? At least, I always learned that a BBB was only for oil distribution and for your scalp to stimulate growth.

It's nice to hear that I am not alone :) I love your bun in your avatar pic btw

Ah, yes, I meant that more in a "with regularity" type of way. My BBB gets used maybe a handful of times each year. I would never try to brush or detangle with it, as I'm assuming most wouldn't, but I do know some people use it for smoothing the hair after they've detangled--this I can't do.

Thank you! :blossom:

[Annalouise]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't snagging and snapping while combing caused by your combing technique, and not the comb (assuming it's seamless)? I started combing my f/m hair more gently and less often and the snagging and snapping is significantly reduced. What do you guys think?

Yes, true. It took me a long time to learn patience because my mother was not patient with hair and I had a tendency to want to do it fast like everything else in my life. (I shop in the grocery store like its a race).:D
You can't treat your hair like the rest of your life, like a race. You have to learn how to comb or brush as if you have ALL the TIME in the WORLD. :) Which is seriously hard for people like me. But it taught me to slow down and take a breath once in awhile.:D

[Of the Fae]

What you just told me, if I'm not mistaken, is that you have been using a sulphate free shampoo, and a coney conditioner?
If this is true this is problematic because you need sulphates to remove silicone build up.

Yes, a boars bristle brush is used after detangling to distribute the oils off your scalp and down to the very ends of the hair. It's a form
of manual conditioning. But make sure you are using a good quality brush.:) And make sure you move the brush down the length very slowly.

Okay so I just used Feye's self trimming method and took off a little under an inch. Since I had a V shape with long whispies this didn't affect my bulk length all too much, and the ends look more even now, even though a lot of of my splits are way higher up.

Hm yes perhaps I should clarify.. How often should I do that? Shampoos that are heavy on the sulfates tend to dry out my hair and scalp a little, but I need the cones to be able to detangle at all :P How do you do it?

[lapushka]

I would continue microtrimming, and maybe taking all your growth off for a few months, just to be sure; then continue with the S&D meanwhile. That's what I would do. :flower:

[mizukitty]

Your hair is quite beautiful and I don't think you need a massive trim at all! Microtrimming and a bit of patience as well as some oiling sessions (put some in before and after washing) will pretty up the ends in no time. It's not chemical damage that's ALL over your length, just really the ends.

Super gorgeous color by the way :love:

ETA: You don't need sulfates to remove cones. You can use something with cocamidopropyl betaine and it'll work just fine. If your length isn't stringy, rough, waxy, or greasy you will find clarifying it to do more harm than good, as repeated dryness due to stripping and mechanical damage, as well as friction and chipping away of protein are likely what causes the most splits.

[Annalouise]

Okay so I just used Feye's self trimming method and took off a little under an inch. Since I had a V shape with long whispies this didn't affect my bulk length all too much, and the ends look more even now, even though a lot of of my splits are way higher up.

Hm yes perhaps I should clarify.. How often should I do that? Shampoos that are heavy on the sulfates tend to dry out my hair and scalp a little, but I need the cones to be able to detangle at all :P How do you do it?

Non water soluble silicones and sulphates go hand in hand. They need each other. I avoid the situation by using neither.:) If you can't go without silicone conditioners then you'll have to shampoo the length periodically. So you have to weigh the benefits/risks for yourself and decide if the silicone advantages outweigh the disadvantage of using harsh detergents on the length.
However, if you've been using silicones all along and you have split ends then you might want to ask yourself - what are they really doing for your hair? They are obviously not preventing split ends or you wouldn't have them. :cool::p

[mizukitty]

Just gonna leave this here.

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/detergents-which-remove-silicones.html

[lapushka]

Just gonna leave this here.

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/detergents-which-remove-silicones.html

Thank you. Facts; like it!

[vampyyri]

I beg to differ with the brushing/combing thing not being able to give you split ends... because holy moley did it give me split ends. My hair is neither chemically or heat damaged, all my old splits were due to mechanical damage... which is why I switched to finger-combing since I had a tendency to cross the line of brushing to over-brushing. When I did my very first S&D session when I joined here, it took me 3 hours to get all of those buggers out :lol:

[Annalouise]

Vampyri ~ I'm not familiar with your hair routine... since you don't use any chemicals do you use soapnuts or yucca? What do you use as conditioner?

[Johannah]

I can give you one fact: what's broken can't be fixed, it can only get worse. So you should cut the damage. If that means cutting some inches now or maintaining for some months, I'd highly suggest doing it. I didn't, and it backfired in the end.

And just to be sure, invest in a new pair of scissors :blossom:

[Ellethwyn]

Hey, Of the Fae! I have the same issue. I'm taking a break from S&Ding and just working on keeping my ends moisturized and protected. I quit sleeping with my hair in a braid and switched to bunning it on the top of my head for sleeping. I use a silk pillowcase, as well. I used to blow fry a couple times a week, but quit that a few months ago. My plan is to get to my goal length and then maintain and hopefully with regular trims and protecting the ends, things will get better. Your hair is very beautiful!

[Of the Fae]

Non water soluble silicones and sulphates go hand in hand. They need each other. I avoid the situation by using neither.:) If you can't go without silicone conditioners then you'll have to shampoo the length periodically. So you have to weigh the benefits/risks for yourself and decide if the silicone advantages outweigh the disadvantage of using harsh detergents on the length.
However, if you've been using silicones all along and you have split ends then you might want to ask yourself - what are they really doing for your hair? They are obviously not preventing split ends or you wouldn't have them. :cool::p

Well, actually my old and again new conditioner (I stopped using it for a while for a more natural one which has not helped my hair at all) has helped me reduce new mechanical damage greatly by providing slippage, so it has prevented split ends. I would have had tons more breakage had I not gotten back on this one a few weeks ago. It also contains protein.


Just gonna leave this here.

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/detergents-which-remove-silicones.html

Thank you :D Actually I believe my sulfate free shampoo contains Coco betaine. That would explain why I had no sign of build up happening- and I have had build up of protein and cones happen, so I know what it feels like. I think I was more lacking it actually! Just to be on the safe side, I did clarify with a sulfate shampoo just now. There was little difference (though a slight bit!), because my ends already were feeling so smooth and hydrated, not really crunchy, and now they feel even a little softer.


Hey, Of the Fae! I have the same issue. I'm taking a break from S&Ding and just working on keeping my ends moisturized and protected. I quit sleeping with my hair in a braid and switched to bunning it on the top of my head for sleeping. I use a silk pillowcase, as well. I used to blow fry a couple times a week, but quit that a few months ago. My plan is to get to my goal length and then maintain and hopefully with regular trims and protecting the ends, things will get better. Your hair is very beautiful!

Oh thanks Ellethwyn <3 I have vowed to stop braiding at night also, as a lot of my splits are at the tie off point of my braid I now realize.. maybe it's a bigger factor than I wanted to admit as an avid braider. How do you do your bun? I fail each time because of pulling on my scalp.
I also still hope to grow when at the same time microtrimming from here on out. How is your hair now?

[Ellethwyn]

Oh thanks Ellethwyn <3 I have vowed to stop braiding at night also, as a lot of my splits are at the tie off point of my braid I now realize.. maybe it's a bigger factor than I wanted to admit as an avid braider. How do you do your bun? I fail each time because of pulling on my scalp.
I also still hope to grow when at the same time microtrimming from here on out. How is your hair now?

I loosely put it in a lazy wrap bun on the very top on my head and i secure it with a small wood stick. My hair tends to pull, too, so i just do the bun very loosely and it stays throughout the night just fine. My hair is much, much happier since I've been cwc, oiling before washing, and putting a little conditioner on my ends while they are damp & leaving it on. I didn't realize how dry my ends were, because they were always very soft, but i was having a lot of breaking occur. Since keeping my ends moisturized way more, they are not breaking anymore :D i just still have splits. I think i will make it to classic just fine in the next 9-12 months and then i will start microtrimming monthly to maintain and to get rid of damage.

[vampyyri]

Vampyri ~ I'm not familiar with your hair routine... since you don't use any chemicals do you use soapnuts or yucca? What do you use as conditioner?

Nope. It's basically this:

Pre-poo with Nightblooming oil blend on the last 12" of my hair 8-12 hours before a full wash (Sunflower, Avocado, Rose Hip, Hemp, Jojoba)
Suave Daily Clarifying for full washes (once a week) and scalp only washes (every other day) I have very oily skin, and a very oily scalp as a result (genetic, tried everything in the book to stretch washes but cannot)
V05 Strawberry Conditioner to finger comb/detangle (sometimes add Tresemme's Perfectly Undone to help it along if I'm tangly)
Suave Green Apple to squish to condish
Squeeze out excess water with microfiber towel
Scrunch in Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie (very small amount)
Smooth over with Garnier's Sleek and Shine Serum
Put up in turbie twist for 1 hour, then down to air dry

My old routine was a wreck. Sulfate free and cones.... Lots of buildup. No clarifying. Brushing hair while it's wet, brushing hair all the time once it's dry... completely killing my wave pattern and using an ungodly amount of serum to tame the frizz. :lol: Nopenopenope... Haven't done this since I joined.

If it means anything, when I got my hair analysis back from Goosefootprints on etsy, she said my hair was in good condition... despite the abuse I put it through prior, my strands are apparently really strong. xD

[Dark40]

Do lots and lots of moisturizing treatments weekly. Do deep conditioning treatments weekly. Or, however often you feel that there is a need. I don't ever have any problems or issues with split ends! That's because I deep condition twice a week.

[mizukitty]

Nope. It's basically this:

Pre-poo with Nightblooming oil blend on the last 12" of my hair 8-12 hours before a full wash (Sunflower, Avocado, Rose Hip, Hemp, Jojoba)
Suave Daily Clarifying for full washes (once a week) and scalp only washes (every other day) I have very oily skin, and a very oily scalp as a result (genetic, tried everything in the book to stretch washes but cannot)
V05 Strawberry Conditioner to finger comb/detangle (sometimes add Tresemme's Perfectly Undone to help it along if I'm tangly)
Suave Green Apple to squish to condish
Squeeze out excess water with microfiber towel
Scrunch in Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie (very small amount)
Smooth over with Garnier's Sleek and Shine Serum
Put up in turbie twist for 1 hour, then down to air dry

My old routine was a wreck. Sulfate free and cones.... Lots of buildup. No clarifying. Brushing hair while it's wet, brushing hair all the time once it's dry... completely killing my wave pattern and using an ungodly amount of serum to tame the frizz. :lol: Nopenopenope... Haven't done this since I joined.

If it means anything, when I got my hair analysis back from Goosefootprints on etsy, she said my hair was in good condition... despite the abuse I put it through prior, my strands are apparently really strong. xD

*quickly takes notes because your hair is incredible*

[LadyCelestina]

Oooh wait so you do squish to condish ? Can you write a bit more about how you do it and how it's working for you? I tried it but my hair never stopped dripping and felt a bit coated after it tried, but the curls were great!

[hanne jensen]

Be very gentle with your hair and gently put it up. Split repair serum. I use Joico from a salon. Phyto also has a split repair serum that can be used in dry hair. This is triage before surgery. It will glue the splits together so they don't split further up the hairshaft. However, the repaired split is clear. I have splits at eye level and at jaw level. No way am I going to chop! The best thing to do is avoid splits altogether. I've started finger combing only and greasing my hair down with coconut oil 12 hours before hairwash. I use coconut oil because that's what I have. This has made my hair much easier to de-tangle. De-tangling is where most of my splits happened.

[vampyyri]

Oooh wait so you do squish to condish ? Can you write a bit more about how you do it and how it's working for you? I tried it but my hair never stopped dripping and felt a bit coated after it tried, but the curls were great!

I basically have my hair flipped over one shoulder, glob the conditioner in, squish it up, put my head under the water for a second, squish again... repeat until the water runs just about clear, but not quite. I've made the mistake of leaving too much conditioner in myself, what works for me is rinsing about about 90% of it and leaving the rest as a light coating, all squished up in there.

[lapushka]

That is one thing I never mastered, that "squish to condish" thing. I think it's wasting good product. :lol: Nope, not my cup of tea, it's probably a YMMV thing.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I basically have my hair flipped over one shoulder, glob the conditioner in, squish it up, put my head under the water for a second, squish again... repeat until the water runs just about clear, but not quite. I've made the mistake of leaving too much conditioner in myself, what works for me is rinsing about about 90% of it and leaving the rest as a light coating, all squished up in there.

What exactly is the benefit of doing this?
I would be afraid of leaving too much product in. Then again, I WCCC (yes you heard that right, I condition 3 times!) so I might not need to squish.

Squish to condish... heh.. idk why it makes me giggle.