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View Full Version : Do I need a trim?



abribun
June 28th, 2017, 05:23 AM
So I've been thinking a lot about my hair growth journey. Would I rather have long not so healthy hair or shorter healthy hair? So the end about inch or so feels a little dead. I have a few splits here and there but overall it's just a bit tangly there and feels/looks a little dry and dead. This only really shows when I brush it after wearing it in a braid or brushing my wavy/curly hair. I don't have any photos, but what do you guys think? I'm going to do a ACV rinse today in an attempt to clarify a bit but if it keeps feeling like this I don't know what to do. Should I wait until the end of August?

Obsidian
June 28th, 2017, 05:36 AM
Personally, I would trim. A inch isn't that much length to loose but can a make a big difference is how your hair feels.

lapushka
June 28th, 2017, 06:09 AM
So I've been thinking a lot about my hair growth journey. Would I rather have long not so healthy hair or shorter healthy hair? So the end about inch or so feels a little dead. I have a few splits here and there but overall it's just a bit tangly there and feels/looks a little dry and dead. This only really shows when I brush it after wearing it in a braid or brushing my wavy/curly hair. I don't have any photos, but what do you guys think? I'm going to do a ACV rinse today in an attempt to clarify a bit but if it keeps feeling like this I don't know what to do. Should I wait until the end of August?

Looking "dead" may just be a lack of moisture. What's your routine like after washing/conditioning? Do you put a leave-in in your hair, at all?

A few splits are good enough to S&D, you don't need an entire trim for that.

I would clarify-wash! With a sulfate shampoo, and do wash the lengths with it. Then condition, then see how your ends feel. There is no need to unnecessarily trim, if you haven't done these steps.

Deborah
June 28th, 2017, 11:39 AM
I would trim off an inch. Your hair won't actually look any shorter, but it will feel a lot better.

Cherriezzzzz
June 28th, 2017, 11:44 AM
I say step away from the sissors. Buy some panthenol spray and drench those ends, oil them in your preferred oil and let dry overnight then wash in sls shampoo like suggested above :) the panthenol spray will make ur ends crunchy while it's doing it's thing; getting those oils deep as possible into your hair shaft, but will rinse utterly clean in one wash! Scissors aren't your only hope to fix dry or damaged ends!

DarklingAndy
June 28th, 2017, 12:47 PM
No need to dive into trimming just yet! I'd start with a good S&D session, a deep condition, then see how it feels after that.

TheBoldLife
June 28th, 2017, 01:30 PM
Just trim strand by strand while enjoying Netflix. :D That's what I do!

Corvana
June 28th, 2017, 04:04 PM
I agree with the others! Make sure you've done all you can before you trim. Clarify, deep condition, oil!

My ends used to be very similar, "velcro"y and extra tangly, and they just didn't feel nice. That was a big reason I got a pixie cut! I thought "oh my hair is just too tangle prone to ever have it long" (I did love my pixie, btw, I don't regret a second of it!), but ever since I've been here, I've been putting oil on my ends at least once a week, but more often daily! And it's made a ton of difference. Just a tiny bit of oil on the ends and they're so soft, and sure I still get tangles, but nothing like before!

Anyway, worth a shot first, right?

mousehouse
June 28th, 2017, 04:15 PM
I struggle with this same question all the time. I naturally have tonnes of splits, more than I could ever S&D and more than I could ever trim off (they start around my ears and my hair is past BSL). The whole situation seems particularly bad when I haven't washed in a couple days and my ends get dry... I always figure this is probably the true texture of my ends and that the oils and silicones (which my hair likes) just hide the natural condition post-wash. Nonetheless, I have refrained from trimming - I sort of know that there is no way to eradicate the dry-ends completely. They're too far from your scalp! I agree with those advising not to cut. In my opinion, an inch is quite noticeable and I cherish every inch I gain (I grow about 1/8-1/4 of an inch each month which is pretty damn slow), so that's my opinion.

abribun
June 28th, 2017, 05:19 PM
After I wash and condition I almost never use a leave in because I've never found one that leaves my hair feeling soft and looking moisturized. Maybe I should consider looking into that more?

abribun
June 28th, 2017, 05:20 PM
Yeah an inch isn't all that much! My hair grows almost that much in a month so maybe I should just do it.

Rebeccalaurenxx
June 28th, 2017, 05:59 PM
Just so you're aware, ACV is not clarifying. I don't know why people think it is, but that's not how it works. You'll need an actual clarifying or chelating shampoo :)

However ACV does help my hair when it comes to tangles. I do a very diluted rinse with every wash.

Cherriezzzzz
June 29th, 2017, 07:45 AM
Just so you're aware, ACV is not clarifying. I don't know why people think it is, but that's not how it works. You'll need an actual clarifying or chelating shampoo :)

However ACV does help my hair when it comes to tangles. I do a very diluted rinse with every wash.

I whole heartedly agree with this. If anything ACV has a conditioning effect!

abribun
June 29th, 2017, 07:47 AM
Just so you're aware, ACV is not clarifying. I don't know why people think it is, but that's not how it works. You'll need an actual clarifying or chelating shampoo :)

However ACV does help my hair when it comes to tangles. I do a very diluted rinse with every wash.

I did not know this! Thank you so much. I do the rinse after I wash with baking soda, is this clarifying?

Corvana
June 29th, 2017, 02:54 PM
I did not know this! Thank you so much. I do the rinse after I wash with baking soda, is this clarifying?

I have found your problem! Baking soda destroys hair. It is soooo alkaline, you'd need to dilute 1 tablespoon in 20 cups of water, and then take 1 teaspoon of THAT and dilute it into a cup of water before it would be diluted enough. There was a link posted on the forums here about it somewhere... I'll go find it!

Dark40
June 29th, 2017, 02:57 PM
After I wash and condition I almost never use a leave in because I've never found one that leaves my hair feeling soft and looking moisturized. Maybe I should consider looking into that more?

I know an excellent leave-in conditioner that you can use after every wash that would leave your hair feeling soft and looking moisturized. It is excellent for all hair types. It is called, "Isoplus Wrap Lotion." It's also a blow-drying lotion as well. I use it after every wash, and I have chemically-treated hair.

Corvana
June 29th, 2017, 03:04 PM
Here you go! Found the link: http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2014/01/baking-soda-destroyed-my-hair.html?m=1

From this thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=143156

And found this youtube video in another thread about baking soda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccIRPuvJWc8

Corvana
June 29th, 2017, 03:09 PM
Oh! (sorry for the bit of spam) I'm not sure if you regularly wash with baking soda, or if it's an occasional thing, but either way that's likely the problem. If it's regular, you're lucky it's just your ends. If it's occasional, then it's likely your ends because they're oldest and therefore have been washed most with the baking soda.

For leave ins: if you use a regular conditioner, just use a teeny bit of that as a leave in. That's what I do because it means I don't have to bother with buying another product I may or may not like LOL. I just get maybe a half-pea amount (my hair is still quite short, mind you), rub it in my hands, and apply it to my hair after I've gotten the main bulk of the water out but it's still pretty wet (just not dripping too much anymore). Now I just use oil, though, and get even better results.

lapushka
June 29th, 2017, 03:13 PM
I did not know this! Thank you so much. I do the rinse after I wash with baking soda, is this clarifying?

I agree on the BS too. Don't do it. It's likely that you are struggling with your ends now because of using BS. I would wash with a regular sulfate shampoo (even a few washes), to see if it gets better.

Baking soda is a no-no for so many of us. It is very alkaline and not meant to go on hair.

Rebeccalaurenxx
June 29th, 2017, 03:19 PM
I did not know this! Thank you so much. I do the rinse after I wash with baking soda, is this clarifying?

Stop using baking soda!!! Please. There is an entire forum here about how BAD it is for your hair. No wonder your ends feel tangled.

You need a clarifying or chelating SHAMPOO!! No baking soda, no dish soap or any other kitchen substitute. Afterward, use a conditioner of your choice and then do the ACV rinse to balance the pH.