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View Full Version : Trimming Questions? :blossom:



TheBoldLife
June 27th, 2017, 11:26 AM
I want to prevent more breakage, but I need some advice. Right now I've just been going through strand by strand and trimming off split ends.

What is the best way to do this though? Is there a certain angle that you should cut at?

What is the benefit of "hair cutting scissors" vs. regular desk scissors?

Thanks so much!! :blossom:

Dendra
June 27th, 2017, 12:10 PM
You should cut straight across the hair horizontally, if you cut at a slant it weakens your strands and makes them more prone to splits. As do desk scissors!! Never use these to cut your hair, only sharp scissors that are dedicated for use on hair only. Blunter, everyday scissors will give you more splits so there will be no point in trimming in the first place if you use these!

Good luck :)

Anje
June 27th, 2017, 12:22 PM
Things like paper really blunt scissors fast, which means desk scissors don't stay sharp long if they ever were sharp. They then don't make such clean cuts through hair, and the ragged edge of the poorly cut hair is a place for the strand to fray further and form a new split. You definitely want hair scissors, ideally very sharp ones, and don't use them for anything but hair. That will result in your trimmed hairs staying whole for longer and fewer splits, which in turn means you don't need to trim as frequently or as much, and you get to keep more of your hair growth.

Going strand by strand is A-OK, so long as it doesn't make your head hurt or indulge one of those overly-picky places in your brain (which it can do for me if I do it too much). We tend to term it "Search and Destroy" or just S&D around here.

TheBoldLife
June 27th, 2017, 12:48 PM
Good tip! :agree: I figured there was a reason, but I didn't know for sure. Thank you!

TheBoldLife
June 27th, 2017, 12:49 PM
Hah! That makes sense. Do you tend to just trim across the bottom in a straight line then?

TheBoldLife
June 27th, 2017, 12:49 PM
Things like paper really blunt scissors fast, which means desk scissors don't stay sharp long if they ever were sharp. They then don't make such clean cuts through hair, and the ragged edge of the poorly cut hair is a place for the strand to fray further and form a new split. You definitely want hair scissors, ideally very sharp ones, and don't use them for anything but hair. That will result in your trimmed hairs staying whole for longer and fewer splits, which in turn means you don't need to trim as frequently or as much, and you get to keep more of your hair growth.

Going strand by strand is A-OK, so long as it doesn't make your head hurt or indulge one of those overly-picky places in your brain (which it can do for me if I do it too much). We tend to term it "Search and Destroy" or just S&D around here.

Hah! That makes sense. Do you tend to just trim across the bottom in a straight line then?

Anje
June 27th, 2017, 01:22 PM
Hah! That makes sense. Do you tend to just trim across the bottom in a straight line then?
Well, at the moment I'm doing a hiatus from long hair, for the first time in my life. So not at the moment. :)

But my usual trimming method for getting ends even and thicker has been to gather hair in a low ponytail, put another pony holder near the ends, and make sure that everything's hanging straight. Then I pull it forward and trim the tip off the ends. If you do this in back, it gives you a pretty straight blunt cut. If you ponytail it in front instead, it makes a soft U shape. Feye's directions for a straight-across blunt cut (http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/) explain the version done down your back very nicely. I don't care for her U-cut method and prefer to part my hair down the back and ponytail near my chin instead.

Edit: I recommend not getting too obsessive about making sure trims are perfectly straight and even. Slight unevenness is pretty much inevitable with hair with any wave to it, and it will change with the weather, when you last washed, etc. Every so often someone keeps "fixing" their hair til it's way shorter than they wanted, which clearly isn't a good idea.

Dendra
June 27th, 2017, 01:53 PM
Edit: I recommend not getting too obsessive about making sure trims are perfectly straight and even. Slight unevenness is pretty much inevitable with hair with any wave to it, and it will change with the weather, when you last washed, etc. Every so often someone keeps "fixing" their hair til it's way shorter than they wanted, which clearly isn't a good idea.

Great tip Anje! Sounds like something I would accidentally do, probably because I have in the past.

Having said that I can't wait to get my hair scissors back so I can do a much needed trim.

TheBoldLife
June 27th, 2017, 02:43 PM
Great tip Anje! Sounds like something I would accidentally do, probably because I have in the past.

Having said that I can't wait to get my hair scissors back so I can do a much needed trim.

Thanks for the help! :) I think I'll definitely try to cut a bit more off than I usually do, but sounds like with better scissors that'll be a good thing!

A little off topic, do either of you know why I'm not getting notified regarding new posts on this thread? I have notifications on. :shrug:

Dendra
June 27th, 2017, 03:05 PM
Thanks for the help! :) I think I'll definitely try to cut a bit more off than I usually do, but sounds like with better scissors that'll be a good thing!

A little off topic, do either of you know why I'm not getting notified regarding new posts on this thread? I have notifications on. :shrug:

No problem, happy to help :)

Did you subscribe to the thread? I guess your notifications must be on, just go to 'settings' (top right, next to 'my profile') and then 'view all subscribed threads' and then remove the subscription. I think it gives you the choice of deleting the subscription altogether or just removing notifications.

gthlvrmx
June 27th, 2017, 04:29 PM
I am actually S&Ding right now with my new Mane Choice scissors. They are great! They give a very clean cut and I don't hear that cutting sound like I used to with my old hair scissors, which were from Sallys. They were good too but I think they went dull and needed to be sharpened.

So I would advise not to use regular paper cutting scissors. Get the kind hair dressers use on their customers if you can.

DarklingAndy
June 27th, 2017, 04:50 PM
Yes, definitely use sharp hair scissors. As for going strand by strand to S&D… some people section their hair off and braid it, and then all the little ends of the strands stick out from the braid and you can snip them that way. Or you can twist the sections. Goes faster but might not be as thorough, it just depends on how much you need to snip.

TheBoldLife
June 28th, 2017, 12:57 PM
Generally what is considered better- to leave the hair as long as possible and have different lengths on your ends or have a swooping arc or straight across?

TheBoldLife
June 28th, 2017, 12:58 PM
I am actually S&Ding right now with my new Mane Choice scissors. They are great! They give a very clean cut and I don't hear that cutting sound like I used to with my old hair scissors, which were from Sallys. They were good too but I think they went dull and needed to be sharpened.

So I would advise not to use regular paper cutting scissors. Get the kind hair dressers use on their customers if you can.

Where did you buy these scissors? I'm not finding any good options at a typical drug store. :scissors:

Dendra
June 28th, 2017, 01:07 PM
Generally what is considered better- to leave the hair as long as possible and have different lengths on your ends or have a swooping arc or straight across?

Your choice of hemline is down to personal preference, but most people agree that a blunt 'straight across' hemline makes your ends look the thickest and may also prevent splits (safety in numbers!)

TheBoldLife
June 28th, 2017, 01:21 PM
Good to know! Thank you! :blossom:

gthlvrmx
June 28th, 2017, 02:16 PM
Where did you buy these scissors? I'm not finding any good options at a typical drug store. :scissors:
I got them here: https://themanechoice.com/products/shear-surgical-precision-professional-cut-split-end-eliminator