Stalling/getting shorter

[NightingaleLHC]

The longest my hair has been is 27", and that was in the summer. I got a trim at that time (July) because my ends were very straggly, and I do generally like a thicker hemline (plus I need to grow out these layers). I didn't measure at that time, though, because I knew it would make me sad and I wanted to focus on how nice the thicker ends felt.

I went home for fall break about 2 weeks ago and got another trim. Before I went in, my hair, stretched, was at waist (though I still hadn't measured) and now its around BSL again! Now mind you, the salon is George Michael's, a long hair salon, and I told her please only cut off as much as you need to, as little as possible.

Now that I measured I'm back at 26".

I feel like the problem is that my hair is very fine, so my hair breaks rather easily and the ends get straggly and tangly. I know some people on LHC are anti-trim, and I can see why.

Is there a way to get trims, maintain my hemline, and continue to grow? I feel like I'm growing backwards here!

[GlennaGirl]

All I can say is that measuring is a VERY VERY inexact science. I no longer measure. I doubt your hair is getting shorter. If every bit of your hair were so badly damaged that it was breaking off, it surely wouldn't look like it does in your profile picture.

Have you watched how much is being trimmed off? Even if it's a GM salon, you're mentioning that you're trying to even up your layers, right? So they may be taking off more than you think.

[jojo]

micro trims would help keep your hemline more blunt. I am going through the same thing, my hair isn't/hasn't now for 4 months, i just feel like throwing the towel in, my ends are thin and my length still 24.5", i am fed up!

hopefully our luck will change soon. Ive just started on ginseng and magnesium supplements, don't know if they will make a scrap of difference but id eat sweaty socks dipped in mustard if i thought it worked!!

[girlcat36]

I have the same kind of hair, and I will NEVER go back to get trims at a salon. Any length I gained over the last 17 years either broke off, or was cut off by stylists. I could only get to nearly-BSL while growing for 17 years!
I finally decided to trim my own hair. I do micro trims every few months. And I mean MICRO. Taking the tiniest bit off can really make a difference. My hair has improved so much since trimming it myself.
Since your hair is wavy/curly the trims do not need to be exact. Sometimes I just blunt the tips of my curls when they are damp, taking off maybe a millimeter.

[spidermom]

Before I went in, my hair, stretched, was at waist (though I still hadn't measured) and now its around BSL again! Now mind you, the salon is George Michael's, a long hair salon, and I told her please only cut off as much as you need to, as little as possible.

Even at a George Michael salon, I think "only cut off as much as you need to," is a little open ended. If you go to a salon again, be very specific, as in "only trim 1/4 of an inch off the very bottom." Or like girlcat, trim it yourself. Curly hair is very forgiving of a little unevenness, so it should be all right.

[NightingaleLHC]

I'd like to try trimming myself.

I remember reading a method on here about how to cut your hair that involved tying it with an elastic and sliding the elastic down. I tried it at the time (about 2 years ago) and had a hard time with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to different ways to self-trim?

[Sighridh]

I think the best way is as Spidermom suggested, doing micro-trims yourself. I gave up on going to salons years ago when I realized that even the layered, short cut I was getting was very easily duplicated by me taking a little time standing in front of the mirror. With a little good technique and going slow trimming the ends yourself really isn't a big deal and saves you time and money going to a salon.

[Sighridh]

Very good hemline trimming instructions- http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim/