Im not sure what to do with my hair.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I feel like I really need to get the last 3-4" cut off,
My see through ends have stuck with me for the last year.
Here is last year:
https://s22.postimg.cc/exs9uu169/june_2_2017.jpg
Then now:
https://s22.postimg.cc/iu5lr0wi9/IMG_9763.png

my hair is a bit dry here because i started using silicones again, and its day 3 post wash and my hair goes dry as the week goes on.
I cant even tell if i am hip though, because my ends are so stringy and thin lately.
i know ive been thinking about trimming a lot more lately, idk

Im also sort of bored with my hair too. I really dont like the color right now.
I love black but i am so bored with it. I dont know. :confused:

Here is a post wash photo:
https://s22.postimg.cc/4m31zp375/IMG_9783.png

[Robi-Bird]

You could certainly trim if you don't like the more fairy tale ends, I won't make any comment on colour, I'm a bit bored of mine too and planning on a balayage... maybe. What I would recommend is asking yourself what would that trim mean for you. Would it mean not being able to put it up how you like to, etc, and then wait. Just think about it and wait for a couple of weeks, no rash decisions.

[Stray_mind]

I think you could microtrim and maintain at this length for a while :)

Let the thickness travel down.

[Alissalocks]

If there's damage or layers, I'd recommend a few inches. I recently did, and it was good although tougher than it used to be (pre LHC when I wasn't as obsessed).

But if it's just thickness you'd like to move down, just microtrim, as recommended.

[zanelle]

Hi there,
Your hair texture reminds me of my own.
I grew to love my fairytale ends.
Did you try curly girl method for waves? Did you try playing with flaxseed gel?
I recently did and love the way it moistures my hair and the way my waves behave. Take a look:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=145966&page=2&p=3567586#post3567586

[Joules]

First of all, your ends do look better now than they did a year ago. You've definitely made progress. It's not perfect yet, but hey, hair doesn't grow overnight! :) I would suggest microtrimming and benign neglect. Take off your monthly growth each month and see what happens. There's not much you can do but be patient. Of course you could just chop everything off, but if your hair is like mine, it will grow back tapered, and you'll have to start the whole cycle again.

In terms of color: to me it looks great. I understand being bored with your natural color, I was bored, too, but my color is a lot more boring than yours :D you could try henna or henndigo to give it some nice undertones. I wouldn't do any chemical dyes, cause they will set you back. But in the end of the day it's up to you and only you. Like I said, your natural color is great.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Hi there,
Your hair texture reminds me of my own.
I grew to love my fairytale ends.
Did you try curly girl method for waves? Did you try playing with flaxseed gel?
I recently did and love the way it moistures my hair and the way my waves behave. Take a look:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=145966&page=2&p=3567586#post3567586

My hair gets build up very quickly so I don’t like the CG method.
I don’t like co washing. I do LOC most of the time but I’ve been using a silicone serum instead of my usual gel, which is why my hair looks so incredibly dry and not as wavy as it is in my sig.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

First of all, your ends do look better now than they did a year ago. You've definitely made progress. It's not perfect yet, but hey, hair doesn't grow overnight! :) I would suggest microtrimming and benign neglect. Take off your monthly growth each month and see what happens. There's not much you can do but be patient. Of course you could just chop everything off, but if your hair is like mine, it will grow back tapered, and you'll have to start the whole cycle again.

In terms of color: to me it looks great. I understand being bored with your natural color, I was bored, too, but my color is a lot more boring than yours :D you could try henna or henndigo to give it some nice undertones. I wouldn't do any chemical dyes, cause they will set you back. But in the end of the day it's up to you and only you. Like I said, your natural color is great.

I’m a henna an indigo head already.
I want to go back to chemical dye when it’s all grown out.
But my issue is I’m bored now. I want change.
I have this itch to color and cut my hair.. It’s been a long time since I felt my hair was fun.

[MidnightMoon]

1. Your ends look normal to me. A bit dry as you mentioned, but mine also get dryer as week goes by and can look the same. I blame having fine hair. I don't see the point in trimming much if you're going for longer hair. They will come back the same I think. Maybe when you get to your goal you can maintain.
2. I'd call your length waist.
3. You could try some deposit dyes, no? They would show up even if just a bit, I think. Alternatively, you could try to focus on making something else on you interesting. I feel bored with my natural colour sometimes, but experimenting with my makeup, clothes, and jewelry seems to help, so the hair isn't a priority but just another accessory.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

1. Your ends look normal to me. A bit dry as you mentioned, but mine also get dryer as week goes by and can look the same. I blame having fine hair. I don't see the point in trimming much if you're going for longer hair. They will come back the same I think. Maybe when you get to your goal you can maintain.
2. I'd call your length waist.
3. You could try some deposit dyes, no? They would show up even if just a bit, I think. Alternatively, you could try to focus on making something else on you interesting. I feel bored with my natural colour sometimes, but experimenting with my makeup, clothes, and jewelry seems to help, so the hair isn't a priority but just another accessory.


Yeah. I just am indecisive. I can’t decide if I want to go red or go over with purple.
With how dark my hair is those are the only colors that would work.

[MidnightMoon]

Yeah. I just am indecisive. I can’t decide if I want to go red or go over with purple.
With how dark my hair is those are the only colors that would work.

I think both would look good on you from pics I've seen. I'd go with purple just because it's more interesting and less common.

[VersLaLumière]

It looks to me like the thickness is traveling down - from APL before to MBL now which is good progress. You've worked hard to get your hair this long so if you do trim, maybe just a modest trim of .5" to 1" or micro trimming will help, as others have suggested.

[lapushka]

I have see-through ends too, due to on purpose layering. I would leave it as is and just continue growing, all while S&Ding and taking care of it that way.

If you want to get rid of the see-through ends, you are going to have to cut it very short, and I just... wouldn't.

[Wendyp]

Have you tried on salon olaplex? That helps me with the see through ends. I’m growing out damage and it’s reallt helping me get through it.

[Jas]

I second the idea of growing to your goal length first then maintaining - yeah the ends look a bit dry but that's normal three days post wash, and hair will eventually fairytail. It's not like you've got very dramatic fairytailing yet either, you've got quite a few strands at the end lengths :)

I can't comment on the dye though - I'm growing mine out. Maybe a deposit only dye for a bit of a change? Least damaging option if you are that bored.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Have you tried on salon olaplex? That helps me with the see through ends. I’m growing out damage and it’s reallt helping me get through it.

I think I want to try that as some wavies and curlies see improvement.
But I only really want to try that if I intend to go to the salon and have a stylist color my hair.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I’ll update the OP with a post wash photo.
Just so you guys can see the difference.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I second the idea of growing to your goal length first then maintaining - yeah the ends look a bit dry but that's normal three days post wash, and hair will eventually fairytail. It's not like you've got very dramatic fairytailing yet either, you've got quite a few strands at the end lengths :)

I can't comment on the dye though - I'm growing mine out. Maybe a deposit only dye for a bit of a change? Least damaging option if you are that bored.

The problem was, I grew to hip, it barely looked hip.
I trimmed 1" off, and now it looks waist again..
I guess I might as well stay at waist for awhile.

[Obsidian]

I think purple would look good on you. It goes with the black and your natural color.

[spidermom]

Maybe some clip-in colored hair extensions?

[Mademoiselle]

I would personally cut 1.5 'or 2', and wait until after summer for microtrim, little by little it will get better. Or you can directly cut it to bsl + and grow from there, hydrating it a lot, at Christmas you could have a good growth again =)
Playing with color with hendigo is exasperating, years ago I tried it (my natural hair grew a year and a half and I used dyes to clarify the rest) and I had to cut by damage and green =( go from WL + to APL +, if you can wait to your natural color grow, then you can put the colors you want, the better ( I know this is dificult when you are boring whit your hair color).
Good luck!:blossom::blossom:

[MidnightMoon]

Hmm, looking at the post wash picture, I don't know what to suggest either. Any colour you put will show up much brighter near your roots and leave the ends with a light tint, like an inverted ombre. If you're up for that look, that's an option, but I'm not very convinced...

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Hmm, looking at the post wash picture, I don't know what to suggest either. Any colour you put will show up much brighter near your roots and leave the ends with a light tint, like an inverted ombre. If you're up for that look, that's an option, but I'm not very convinced...

Yeah that’s the exact reason why I haven’t done it.
I was thinking about going over it with a semi permanent black dye.
Ion makes one, but the girl says she uses it and it fades green.
So if I put it over my hair it’ll make the ends dark but I’ll end up with a green halo after a few washes.

[lapushka]

I think your post wash picture looks very nice! I would not cut it, and if you must, microtrim. The thickness (if you are that worried about it) will catch up if you can maintain, slowly grow past a certain point for a while.

[MidnightMoon]

Yeah that’s the exact reason why I haven’t done it.
I was thinking about going over it with a semi permanent black dye.
Ion makes one, but the girl says she uses it and it fades green.
So if I put it over my hair it’ll make the ends dark but I’ll end up with a green halo after a few washes.

:/ yeah, the ends will always be darker, even if they also get a bit green
though, if you want to go lighter eventually, it seems like it's the only option until your roots get longer
then let it fade, keep maintaining until the dark ends are gone, and end up with your natural colour only
but that will take years :(
are there any ways to lighten indigo even if just a bit? I think I read somewhere here it fades for some people

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

:/ yeah, the ends will always be darker, even if they also get a bit green
though, if you want to go lighter eventually, it seems like it's the only option until your roots get longer
then let it fade, keep maintaining until the dark ends are gone, and end up with your natural colour only
but that will take years :(
are there any ways to lighten indigo even if just a bit? I think I read somewhere here it fades for some people

It has faded a bit since I started 2 years ago, I could try vitamin c or maybe color oops?
I don’t know if any of those work on indigo or henna at all.

[hennalove]

I like your ends but can understand being bored. I'm currently bored with mine so every time I get the urge to cut, I oil and put up in a bun. My ends aren't as thin as yours though but they could use a trimming. I'm determined to wait it out. I see you are using henna and indigo; so am I. The biggest thing is to be happy with your hair. Length is nice but if it would make you feel better about your hair, get a trim. Even a slight trim might make a huge difference so you aren't cutting off so much at one time. Microtrims might make a difference too.

[cathair]

I second the idea of growing to your goal length first then maintaining - yeah the ends look a bit dry but that's normal three days post wash, and hair will eventually fairytail. It's not like you've got very dramatic fairytailing yet either, you've got quite a few strands at the end lengths :)

I can't comment on the dye though - I'm growing mine out. Maybe a deposit only dye for a bit of a change? Least damaging option if you are that bored.

That's where I'm at. Two weeks till a take my year later picture and I can tell you if it was a good idea or not!

I don't really think a reverse ombre would look any more strange than an ombre. If you want to try it with a despoit dye, I vote go for it. They're nice and conditioning, it will relive the boredom and on hair that dark it's likely to fade very quickly if you don't like it.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

That's where I'm at. Two weeks till a take my year later picture and I can tell you if it was a good idea or not!

I don't really think a reverse ombre would look any more strange than an ombre. If you want to try it with a despoit dye, I vote go for it. They're nice and conditioning, it will relive the boredom and on hair that dark it's likely to fade very quickly if you don't like it.

Im just very indecisive, I dont know if I want to do red or purple.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I like your ends but can understand being bored. I'm currently bored with mine so every time I get the urge to cut, I oil and put up in a bun. My ends aren't as thin as yours though but they could use a trimming. I'm determined to wait it out. I see you are using henna and indigo; so am I. The biggest thing is to be happy with your hair. Length is nice but if it would make you feel better about your hair, get a trim. Even a slight trim might make a huge difference so you aren't cutting off so much at one time. Microtrims might make a difference too.

My thing is, my ends look so much worse when I take typical LHC length photos.
From the front my hair doesnt look bad, I actually kind of like it.
https://s22.postimg.cc/46fu7b3u9/Photo_on_7-2-18_at_1.41_PM.jpg
https://s22.postimg.cc/cbxw5gzsx/Photo_on_7-2-18_at_1.42_PM_2.jpg

But my hemline doesnt look bad at all, thicker even.
But from behind its like, not that great.
I notice it looks way better since I stopped using silicones again.

[lapushka]

I made a thread about this once, Rebeccalaurenxx, about hair not always laying the way you want it to or it being different one minute to the next, titled "your hair is never the same":
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=145752

I would not base a big decision on just one picture. Take multiple, over a number of days. Like you did with your post wash picture. It's the best way to come to grips with how it is!

[*Wednesday*]

My thing is, my ends look so much worse when I take typical LHC length photos.
From the front my hair doesnt look bad, I actually kind of like it.
https://s22.postimg.cc/46fu7b3u9/Photo_on_7-2-18_at_1.41_PM.jpg
https://s22.postimg.cc/cbxw5gzsx/Photo_on_7-2-18_at_1.42_PM_2.jpg

But my hemline doesnt look bad at all, thicker even.
But from behind its like, not that great.
I notice it looks way better since I stopped using silicones again.

Rebecca, you are so pretty. Your hair is like mine with bangs.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Aw thank you

[Arciela]

Whenever I am unhappy with my ends I just do some micro trimming for a little bit, or I'll just go for a chop and cut off and inch or two! It grow back in a few months for me and it doesn't bother me :) I usually wait before I chop it too...I try to wait at least a couple weeks..in the end I usually end up trimming it when they get really bad (but thats rare) and I never have regretted it.

Personally though I think your hair looks beautiful, it really suits you, color and all :flower: I like the ends too! Very fantasy like :)

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Whenever I am unhappy with my ends I just do some micro trimming for a little bit, or I'll just go for a chop and cut off and inch or two! It grow back in a few months for me and it doesn't bother me :) I usually wait before I chop it too...I try to wait at least a couple weeks..in the end I usually end up trimming it when they get really bad (but thats rare) and I never have regretted it.

Personally though I think your hair looks beautiful, it really suits you, color and all :flower: I like the ends too! Very fantasy like :)

Yeah I haven’t micro trimmed for July just yet.
I feel like the thinnest parts will never thicken up.

[Deborah]

I agree with your original assessment. I think your hair would look and feel a lot better if you did trim off 3 or 4 inches.

I hope you can find some way to handle it that will make you happier. Best of luck! :flower:

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Well, trimmed off 1/2" today.
my ends feel blunt-er but length wise i cant tell the difference.
i wanted to cut off more, but honestly i just cant bring myself to do it...
as much as i want to get rid of the damage, i have been growing for so long, if i cut now i feel like it will be a huge set back.

[Serimel]

I think your post wash picture looks like mesmerizing mermaid hair. I wouldn't want you to regret losing too much length so in your case I would continue microtrimming bit by bit until your satisfied. I did a 7 inch chop just a few days ago but before I was nearly classic so I ended up with waist+ hair which still feels long and I don't mind about it. But when I started lhc with hip length hair I just couldn't bring myself to chop to armpit length where the breakage/fairytailing started. For me that would have been too devastating. So I grew hair 1 year 9 months until I felt thickness had raveled down enough to make that drastic chop without feeling it's too short. I have no regrets.

[lapushka]

I think your post wash picture looks like mesmerizing mermaid hair. I wouldn't want you to regret losing too much length so in your case I would continue microtrimming bit by bit until your satisfied. I did a 7 inch chop just a few days ago but before I was nearly classic so I ended up with waist+ hair which still feels long and I don't mind about it. But when I started lhc with hip length hair I just couldn't bring myself to chop to armpit length where the breakage/fairytailing started. For me that would have been too devastating. So I grew hair 1 year 9 months until I felt thickness had raveled down enough to make that drastic chop without feeling it's too short. I have no regrets.

That's about what I did with my heat damage that started at around 1/2 inches off of the root. Grew the length (that was shoulder) out to hip, then had a massive S&D thanks to my mom, that thinned out so much of my hair it needed to come off, so back to BSL I went from hip. That was hard to take.

So if you can do it one small step at a time, that would be awesome!

[clandestine]

If it was me I would go ahead with the trim and maybe bleach a small section to put some fun color in. (A little damage to prevent an emotional chop). I'm going to have to settle for a trim myself since I can't have fun colors anymore due to my occupation.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

You are so pretty and your hair looks beautiful in your frontal photos. You have done a great job and invested a lot of time growing. I would ignore the images represented in your rear photos and continue growing till you reach your milestone. Thereafter you can re-evaluate.

One of the reasons I have not posted any pictures in a long while is I have not been happy with them.

Good luck and hang in there
Also your frontal photos is a true reflection of you and your hair. A rear photo is just another hair story separate from who you are.

[iforgotmylogin]

Go blue again

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

You are so pretty and your hair looks beautiful in your frontal photos. You have done a great job and invested a lot of time growing. I would ignore the images represented in your rear photos and continue growing till you reach your milestone. Thereafter you can re-evaluate.

One of the reasons I have not posted any pictures in a long while is I have not been happy with them.

Good luck and hang in there
Also your frontal photos is a true reflection of you and your hair. A rear photo is just another hair story separate from who you are.

Aw thank you...

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Go blue again

Don’t troll me, please.

[iforgotmylogin]

Don't assume, please. I thought your blue hair was rad

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Don't assume, please. I thought your blue hair was rad

Haha god no it was awful. Cool color but my hair was really horribly fried.
Not to mention my hair cut was super emo/scene and horrible to look at.
I was 20 and still going through my awkward scene phase that you’re supposed to grow out of.
It’s a cool color, but not realistic.

[iforgotmylogin]

Ah, fair enough