Questions about microtrimming to achieve an even hemline.

[christib13]

I've been trying to grow out my hair for several years, but kept getting stuck around BSL because different sections of my hair grow so unevenly. I held off of trimming for a longgg time and now the longest section is brushing WL (my first goal!), but my hemline is becoming increasingly V-shaped. The front sections are much curlier and grow slowly/break off more often (and I still haven't found the culprit - I wear it down 3-4 days a week, but use several different protective styles on the other 3-4 days; I use a silk scarf for sleeping; I don't brush when wet, etc.), while the back third of my hair grows quickly and is straighter and smoother - which makes it look even longer.
Here's a photo for reference:
https://s13.postimg.org/d9z6f0pon/IMG_1834e.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

And now my questions:
- When you microtrim, do you just do it straight across the longest layer of your hair (this is what I've been doing)? And if so, what about the shorter sections/layers of hair - don't they end up splitting or breaking more often because they're never subjected to the microtrim? I also do S&D about once a month, but I don't see much improvement in the front sections.
- Would I be better off just trimming an inch or so off of the back/longest section so that my hemline is more even, or should I stay the course and even it out when more of it is closer to WL? For years I made the mistake of cutting all of the faster growing hair because it looked uneven, but that just kept setting me back from my goal and I'm scared to lose so much length again.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Caraid♫]

honestly the V shape is SO pretty in your hair!

When I microtrim, I just do the very bottom, so yes I guess only the fast growing hair are getting regularly trimmed, but I've never really thought of it and hasn't seemed to cause a problem! I only s&d very rarely now that I'm rid of heat damaged hair that needed it badly. I guess my main goal in microtrimming is to keep the ends thick, so I definitely don't try to trim shorter layers other than sparingly s&d ing

That's a toughie on what to suggest.. I think if I were you I'd keep micro trimming a couple millimetres every month because it definitely makes a difference, try growing an inch past waist, cut back an inch to waist and see where that leaves you :D your hair is beautiful, no matter what you do I'm sure it'll look great!!

[leayellena]

Oops!
I do microtrims every month or every 2 months. Microtrims means few mm.
I don't do:
Point cutting
Thinning with shear scissors
Layers on u-shape or v-shape
Trim when wet or frizzy
In a hurry
Or trust someone else to do it
Use enhancing creams and co.

[MusicalSpoons]

I can't help with the microtrimming situation as I very rarely trim at all, but just wanted to stop by to say your hair is stunning! I'm not a fan of V hemlines generally, and I can understand your frustration with it, but wow! It looks gorgeous on your hair! :thud:

[Ligeia Noire]

Microtrim the longest layer and s&d the shortest so they can catch up. Your v line and your hair are stunning!

[spidermom]

I love the V shape of your hair, too, but yes - the idea is to trim just a bit from the longest area on a regular basis.

When I was first growing out my hair (I grew out to classic length, then cut back), I went to a stylist about every 6-8 weeks. What she would do is trim just the very tips of my layers, say 1/8 to 1/4 inch, then a little more off the length, maybe 1/2 inch. I wanted to slowly grow out the layers without them getting raggedy and damaged, so this was her solution. It worked very well but took more than a year to even everything out. That was all right with me.

[lapushka]

Maybe check out the microtrimming thread; I'm sure it is full of tips & tricks, and it's there where you learn. :flower:

I think the shape is pretty. If there's no splits or white dots, I'd just continue to grow it, TBH. :)

[tangocurl]

Microtrim the longest layer and s&d the shortest so they can catch up. Your v line and your hair are stunning!

Wholeheartedly agree! My hair is a similar texture and the back grows faster than the front on my head too. It is frustrating and I have to be extremely careful with the front so that it can hang on and grow.

[maegalcarwen]

I've been trying to grow out my hair for several years, but kept getting stuck around BSL because different sections of my hair grow so unevenly. I held off of trimming for a longgg time and now the longest section is brushing WL (my first goal!), but my hemline is becoming increasingly V-shaped. The front sections are much curlier and grow slowly/break off more often (and I still haven't found the culprit - I wear it down 3-4 days a week, but use several different protective styles on the other 3-4 days; I use a silk scarf for sleeping; I don't brush when wet, etc.), while the back third of my hair grows quickly and is straighter and smoother - which makes it look even longer.
Here's a photo for reference:
https://s13.postimg.org/d9z6f0pon/IMG_1834e.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

And now my questions:
- When you microtrim, do you just do it straight across the longest layer of your hair (this is what I've been doing)? And if so, what about the shorter sections/layers of hair - don't they end up splitting or breaking more often because they're never subjected to the microtrim? I also do S&D about once a month, but I don't see much improvement in the front sections.
- Would I be better off just trimming an inch or so off of the back/longest section so that my hemline is more even, or should I stay the course and even it out when more of it is closer to WL? For years I made the mistake of cutting all of the faster growing hair because it looked uneven, but that just kept setting me back from my goal and I'm scared to lose so much length again.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

I do think that it looks pretty, but here it is. I have the exact opposite - my sides are longer and more straight, and my back curls up.

- I do both; I do a general microtrim, and then if needed, I do some s&d. I usually try to cut more from parts that are longer, because I would like to even it out as much as possible.
- What worked really well for me was this - trim everything to the length you want. Meaning - I wanted it to be BSL, so I kept trimming everything under BSL. So I would say Leave your longest layer as long as waist, and keep trimming it back to waist when it grows over it. Did I make any sense?

[Cg]

When I microtrim I cut evenly all across the entire hem and have done for at least two years. But my straight hair choices might not suit you.

[Jo Ann]

Christib13, from my experience, when one lets their hair grow (no/minimal trims), that V-shape is natural. I'm in agreement with everyone else--it DOES look good on you! To get a blunt, straight hemline would mean losing so much length at this stage--unless you're wanting to take a while to achieve that, holding where you are now lengthwise and trimming until the "shorter" layers catch up. :flower:

[melikai]

To me, it is as you said - the shorter portions of your hair, are actually just more curly or retaining more curl. That center section might just be more straight because it needs moisture. Maybe if you tried paying special care to that area, and giving it deep conditioning treatments, you may notice that your hair is of a more similar length all over?

As for microtrims, I just do it everywhere, a tiny amount. I try not to S&D too often, because it can become addicting in a sense, and can result in very uneven hair!

[christib13]

Thank you everyone for all of the replies! And for the compliments - part of my hang-up with the shape was that most people on LHC seem to be striving for blunt or U-shaped hemlines, so I thought maybe the V was indicative of damaged or problematic hair. I'm glad to hear that it suits my hair, especially since it seems like the only way to change it is to be very patient.


honestly the V shape is SO pretty in your hair!

When I microtrim, I just do the very bottom, so yes I guess only the fast growing hair are getting regularly trimmed, but I've never really thought of it and hasn't seemed to cause a problem! I only s&d very rarely now that I'm rid of heat damaged hair that needed it badly. I guess my main goal in microtrimming is to keep the ends thick, so I definitely don't try to trim shorter layers other than sparingly s&d ing

That's a toughie on what to suggest.. I think if I were you I'd keep micro trimming a couple millimetres every month because it definitely makes a difference, try growing an inch past waist, cut back an inch to waist and see where that leaves you :D your hair is beautiful, no matter what you do I'm sure it'll look great!!


I do think that it looks pretty, but here it is. I have the exact opposite - my sides are longer and more straight, and my back curls up.

- I do both; I do a general microtrim, and then if needed, I do some s&d. I usually try to cut more from parts that are longer, because I would like to even it out as much as possible.
- What worked really well for me was this - trim everything to the length you want. Meaning - I wanted it to be BSL, so I kept trimming everything under BSL. So I would say Leave your longest layer as long as waist, and keep trimming it back to waist when it grows over it. Did I make any sense?


Christib13, from my experience, when one lets their hair grow (no/minimal trims), that V-shape is natural. I'm in agreement with everyone else--it DOES look good on you! To get a blunt, straight hemline would mean losing so much length at this stage--unless you're wanting to take a while to achieve that, holding where you are now lengthwise and trimming until the "shorter" layers catch up. :flower:

I think that's what I'll do - continue microtrimming the longest layers in the back to waist, occassional S&D, and then just settle in and wait for the shorties to catch up. (Honestly I'm pretty relieved that the consensus wasn't "this looks bad, you should cut it all to one length." Waiting a few months or even years for the other hairs to grow sounds a lot less traumatic, haha.)

Thank you again for the advice! It's so good to have input from people who know where I'm coming from =]

[school of fish]

Just echoing my support for your V-hemline :) I'm one of those people who normally don't care for V hems except when I do, and I really love yours - it looks just beautiful!!

I myself have been microtrimming monthly for years now, have grown length and evened layers with great success but as a straightey I suspect the strategy that works best for me might be different than what works best for you. I think you've gotten some great trim advice and looks like you have a good way forward :)

[hayheadsbird]

Then hemline looks amazing on you. I think a deep V like that shows off curls like yours really well.

[christib13]

To me, it is as you said - the shorter portions of your hair, are actually just more curly or retaining more curl. That center section might just be more straight because it needs moisture. Maybe if you tried paying special care to that area, and giving it deep conditioning treatments, you may notice that your hair is of a more similar length all over?

As for microtrims, I just do it everywhere, a tiny amount. I try not to S&D too often, because it can become addicting in a sense, and can result in very uneven hair!

See, that would make a lot of sense (I know damage can cause loosening of curl pattern), but the long hairs at the back seem to actually be the healthiest and strongest part of my hair - they never break off and are all always the same length, plus they're super smooth and shiny. The curliest hairs in front are somewhat coarser and more brittle, more prone to frizz, and end up tapering a lot (each "chunk" of curls loses about 1/2 of its width 1/2 of the way down its length, and by the end of the curl there are only a few hairs left). But you're absolutely right that the front looks a lot shorter because it's naturally curlier; I wish there was a way to get the back to hold curls more easily.


Just echoing my support for your V-hemline :) I'm one of those people who normally don't care for V hems except when I do, and I really love yours - it looks just beautiful!!

I myself have been microtrimming monthly for years now, have grown length and evened layers with great success but as a straightey I suspect the strategy that works best for me might be different than what works best for you. I think you've gotten some great trim advice and looks like you have a good way forward :)


Then hemline looks amazing on you. I think a deep V like that shows off curls like yours really well.

Thank you so much! I'm definitely feeling more comfortable with it now, thanks to everyone's comments and advice (and I have a solid plan!).

[CrowningGlory]

Then hemline looks amazing on you. I think a deep V like that shows off curls like yours really well.

I have to agree. I am a fan of V hemlines with curls as it does so often showcase the curls and, I think, can make them more manageable in that they sit better and avoid the 'big hair' that can happen. My sides thin so are shorter than the rest and when I googled V hemlines a year or so ago I discovered some stunning styles with curls (sadly, with the thinning I don't think I can pull off any of those styles - thicker hair is needed, which you have).

TBH, if I had your hair, I wouldn't even microtrim the longer bits unless they were damaged. I really think the V is stunning and I would grow it out to my desired length without trying for a different hemline. But that's just me and you will have your own reasons for wanting to change hemlines. I just think it looks gorgeous and there are many who would envy hair that looked like that.

[christib13]

I have to agree. I am a fan of V hemlines with curls as it does so often showcase the curls and, I think, can make them more manageable in that they sit better and avoid the 'big hair' that can happen. My sides thin so are shorter than the rest and when I googled V hemlines a year or so ago I discovered some stunning styles with curls (sadly, with the thinning I don't think I can pull off any of those styles - thicker hair is needed, which you have).

TBH, if I had your hair, I wouldn't even microtrim the longer bits unless they were damaged. I really think the V is stunning and I would grow it out to my desired length without trying for a different hemline. But that's just me and you will have your own reasons for wanting to change hemlines. I just think it looks gorgeous and there are many who would envy hair that looked like that.

I hadn't even considered how the shape helps to prevent "big hair," but that's totally true. When my hair was around APL I had a very blunt/straight hemline and I used to get the dreaded pyramid-of-hair effect when it was humid out.
Thank you for the input! If there's one thing I'm learning in particular from LHC, it's to appreciate and embrace the hair I have instead of worrying so much about it.