Is S&D Good or Bad?

[kikikhaleesi]

Hi Everyone!
I'm genuinely concerned about s&d on my hair and I'll tell you why...
I tend to s&d often (more than 2x a week) and I'm worried it's doing more harm than good. I feel justified because I'm getting rid of split ends and/or preventing them from traveling further, but is this too much? Could this drastically affect my hemline and make it uneven (I prefer an even hemline)?

I just got a big chop and am still s&ding the split ends that are further up away from my hemline that were missed from the chop. I'm just confused about the whole thing and almost want someone to give me reasons why to stop because in my gut I feel like what I'm doing isn't good. It would be either NO s&d at ALL or keep doing what I'm doing - no in between. I almost like it which scares me. Please help! Thank you!!

[LittleOgre]

Cut off your split ends or use oils to try to keep them together. There should be alternatives.

[ursaV]

The only case I can think of in which S&D would do more harm than good is if you're using a dull pair of scissors, which may cause the hair to keep splitting where you cut it. I don't get many splits so I only S&D every few months. 2x a week seems like a whole lot, but I'm not totally sure what others do either. Maybe try microtrimming instead? Or just stop the S&D and stay away from the scissors for a month or so and see what happens, then make a decision.

[Ylva]

Is there anything you can do to try and prevent getting split ends? I started getting a lot less of them when I significantly reduced the time my hair was in a braid, even though that meant wearing it loose more. Try to wear your hair up more, if you aren't doing that already. I used to S&D as often as you, but now I just don't need to. But when I did, I didn't notice any drastic difference in my hemline other than what might occur naturally when not trimming.

Do you use a satin or silk pillowcase or some kind of protective style for sleep?


Cut off your split ends or use oils to try to keep them together. There should be alternatives.

I don't really see the point of anything other than cutting them off. Yes, oils can be used to temporarily seal them back together, but it's not so secure that it would totally prevent them from splitting more, resulting in a bigger split.

[Ylva]

Also, when talking about S&D, it might vary greatly what people define as an "S&D session", or what they mean when they say they S&D. When I say I S&D, that likely means I'm sitting on the toilet for a few minutes going through my hair and snipping off a split end or two and a couple of white dots. That's vastly different from someone going through their entire head of hair for two hours, which they might also refer to as S&D'ing just the same!

[LittleOgre]

Make sure you use sharp scissors made for hair and possibly try to make sure you ends stay oiled or mositurized to try to avoid splits. And keeping your ends tuct away rather than letting them down. When you wash you hair. Try to avoid any of the soap from going on ur ends since theyre the most fragile

[Xu]

As long as you find them i'd snip them, just not too generously on the end each strand, only enough to take the split off. I usually go 2mm above.

[kikikhaleesi]

The only case I can think of in which S&D would do more harm than good is if you're using a dull pair of scissors, which may cause the hair to keep splitting where you cut it. I don't get many splits so I only S&D every few months. 2x a week seems like a whole lot, but I'm not totally sure what others do either. Maybe try microtrimming instead? Or just stop the S&D and stay away from the scissors for a month or so and see what happens, then make a decision.

Thank you for your response! I use sharp scissors only for haircutting so I'm not too worried about causing more splits. I might do that and stay not s&d for a month...


Is there anything you can do to try and prevent getting split ends? I started getting a lot less of them when I significantly reduced the time my hair was in a braid, even though that meant wearing it loose more. Try to wear your hair up more, if you aren't doing that already. I used to S&D as often as you, but now I just don't need to. But when I did, I didn't notice any drastic difference in my hemline other than what might occur naturally when not trimming.

Do you use a satin or silk pillowcase or some kind of protective style for sleep?



I don't really see the point of anything other than cutting them off. Yes, oils can be used to temporarily seal them back together, but it's not so secure that it would totally prevent them from splitting more, resulting in a bigger split.

Thank you for responding! I'm sorry I wasn't more descriptive of my hair! :o So I would say I have some splits on the last 4 inches of my hair from using heat ALL the time over a year ago. I've been growing the damage out. There honestly isn't a ridiculous amount of splits, but when I find them I always cut them. I have been protecting my ends and try to keep my hair up for over a year now which I do believe is preventing more splits from forming. And yes, I sleep on a satin pillow case. I'm glad you didn't notice a difference in your hemline, that makes me feel better. I think it's more of a habit now..

[kikikhaleesi]

Also, when talking about S&D, it might vary greatly what people define as an "S&D session", or what they mean when they say they S&D. When I say I S&D, that likely means I'm sitting on the toilet for a few minutes going through my hair and snipping off a split end or two and a couple of white dots. That's vastly different from someone going through their entire head of hair for two hours, which they might also refer to as S&D'ing just the same!

Yes, I do what you do and just snip a few here and there. But I'll do this often.

[kikikhaleesi]

Make sure you use sharp scissors made for hair and possibly try to make sure you ends stay oiled or mositurized to try to avoid splits. And keeping your ends tuct away rather than letting them down. When you wash you hair. Try to avoid any of the soap from going on ur ends since theyre the most fragile

Thank you, that is great advice! I try to do all of that! :)

[Ylva]

Thank you for responding! I'm sorry I wasn't more descriptive of my hair! :o So I would say I have some splits on the last 4 inches of my hair from using heat ALL the time over a year ago. I've been growing the damage out. There honestly isn't a ridiculous amount of splits, but when I find them I always cut them. I have been protecting my ends and try to keep my hair up for over a year now which I do believe is preventing more splits from forming. And yes, I sleep on a satin pillow case. I'm glad you didn't notice a difference in your hemline, that makes me feel better. I think it's more of a habit now..

Your hair sounds a lot like mine in a way. I also have damage from about halfway down, not from heat but unnecessary bleaching instead. My ends have been bleached a whopping four times! :shocked: It's pretty hard to get some of the splits as they are too high up for me to see properly, in which case I just ignore them. It goes how it goes. It's not guaranteed that they will all split so far, anyway. :) But I definitely think it's better to S&D than not, no matter how often you do it.

[Ylva]

Yes, I do what you do and just snip a few here and there. But I'll do this often.

In that case I don't think it's that bad at all. There is no way one would find all the split ends in one go with this technique. So the split ends you're seeing might not even be new, but rather something that popped up from their hidey holes that day. I wouldn't be worried at all. :)

[kikikhaleesi]

Your hair sounds a lot like mine in a way. I also have damage from about halfway down, not from heat but unnecessary bleaching instead. My ends have been bleached a whopping four times! :shocked: It's pretty hard to get some of the splits as they are too high up for me to see properly, in which case I just ignore them. It goes how it goes. It's not guaranteed that they will all split so far, anyway. :) But I definitely think it's better to S&D than not, no matter how often you do it.

Oh wow! Yes i have some bleach but it's not as light as your avatar pic. I feel like for me heat caused a lot of those white dots while bleach just would make my hair dry for a couple weeks. I rarely use heat now because I'm scared!!!


In that case I don't think it's that bad at all. There is no way one would find all the split ends in one go with this technique. So the split ends you're seeing might not even be new, but rather something that popped up from their hidey holes that day. I wouldn't be worried at all. :)

That's good to hear :) Yes I do believe they are the older split ends that formed from back when I used heat a lot and back then I never s&d'd either because I didn't even think to do that until LHC! So maybe I'm just finding old ones and catching up...

[Dark40]

I with the S&Ding you're doing more harm than good. You're doing it too much. If you have a lot of split ends try doing microtrimming until you get it under control, and you can trim off a little at a time like 1cm every 3 or 4 month so until all of the split ends are gone.

[Julescarm]

In my routine personally, S&D is a one thing that I do when ever. When I let my toddler out to play, sitting watching a movie, long car rides, (the best!) I find my splits. I usually can spend hours, but not often, a few days in a row then maybe not look for a week or two. I have very fine hair so I really feel when I get alot of splits. Or I cut splits for a couple minutes over the course of a week. I find it helps me.

[squirrrel]

I go through phases with S&D. Right now m after not doing much over the summer, and a two week complete break while I was away from my scissors, I end up doing 1-2 ten minute sessions per week day. The number of splits I find varies, but for me, it is important I do it. (Splits = tangles, and more damage).

The lights at work show me the splits clearly, and then I find I have to go sit in my car and cut out what I can see at that time. I don’t smoke, and those who do get to take a break as and when m so I go with it, I find that the process is relaxing.

I have taken to micro trimming some,to keep the hemline as thick as I can, with how far up my length some of these split ends are, it would take years to cut them out by micro trimming alone even if that didn’t make the situation worse.

[paulownia]

I read on a hair blog that this method is actually doing more harm than good to the hair. Especially if there is a lot of split ends. Its much better to trim all hair.
I'm not sure how it works... but I can imagine that doing S&D leaves you with hair that is uneven as heck:D you need to cut at different lengths depending on where the damage is. And its time consuming:p i can imagine... Anyway I never do it, because I don't need to. I didn't see a split in my hair for ages:cool:

[MusicalSpoons]

I read on a hair blog that this method is actually doing more harm than good to the hair. Especially if there is a lot of split ends. Its much better to trim all hair.
I'm not sure how it works... but I can imagine that doing S&D leaves you with hair that is uneven as heck:D you need to cut at different lengths depending on where the damage is. And its time consuming:p i can imagine... Anyway I never do it, because I don't need to. I didn't see a split in my hair for ages:cool:

For me to trim all my split ends off would take me up to about shoulder-length, or to ~APL/BSL if I just wanted *most* of them off (mostly thanks to old face-framing layers). I'm almost at knee ... that's not gonna happen! :grin:

I too have heard that S&D can really cause an uneven hemline, but I'm not entirely sure why. All of our hairs are at different lengths due to being at different stages in their growth cycle, so if an end that is several inches shorter than the hemline is split and cut a few mm higher up, how does that affect the hemline? If it's cutting off damage in the middle of hairs, then yes I see how - or if the splits are all concentrated within a couple inches of the hemline - but if it's snipping off splits at the ends of hairs at all different lengths then I don't really see what difference it would make.

To the OP, it should be fine if you're fine with it mentally, and not obsessed. If you find yourself feeling compelled to do it and/or anxious, that's a warning to stop (been there). If you just don't want to do it, there's no rule to say you have to! :) You could try not doing it for a few weeks and see how your hair feels without; you'll either find it's worse and clearly needs S&D, in which case you might find yourself wanting to do it because you know it's beneficial, or you'll find that it's absolutely fine without.

My S&D-ing sounds similar to yours - snipping a few as and when I see them and can be bothered :lol: sometimes it's every day / multiple times a day, other times it'll just be a couple of times a week or even less often. It really does depend on what I'm doing in daily life at the time :)

[Blondie Locks]

I’m new here and I don’t even know what S&D stands for! :shake: There seems to be a lot of abbreviated slang terms here but I’m not exactly sure what they mean yet.

[lakhesis]

I’m new here and I don’t even know what S&D stands for! :shake: There seems to be a lot of abbreviated slang terms here but I’m not exactly sure what they mean yet.

This should help :) https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=54874

I agree with what was already said above, just make sure you have sharp scissors and if you don't see any improvements, start to look into what may be causing the split ends.

[Blondie Locks]

Very helpful link...thanks, lakhesis! :)

Ok yes, I trim my own random splits using sharp and good quality hair scissors. Works wonderfully for me and I never have to stress about how much a hair stylist will remove. Like when I ask for an inch trimmed and they remove 4! Done with all that. ❌

Every now and then, I do a straight line trim of about 1/2 to 1 inch. No stress and it’s free. :redgrin:

[lapushka]

OP, if you have a lot of damage, then S&D is not the way to go, you need trims in that case. Otherwise you might end up halving your hemline and that is not the purpose of S&D (it's for splits and white dots "here and there"). Maybe you are better off joining the microtrimming thread.

[yamsha23]

I've stopped S&D for a year and my hemline looks much much better than before. I don't care about split ends anymore, they're gonna happen anyway and it's normal, & I don't want to be obsessed about them. Just take care of your hair and wear it in protective hairstyles, do a S&D every 2 or 3 months I would say, but more than that is not necessary (or else trim an inch if your hair obviously needs it)

[Vacurlylady]

I’m new here and I don’t even know what S&D stands for! :shake: There seems to be a lot of abbreviated slang terms here but I’m not exactly sure what they mean yet.

It seems there is so much to learn Blondie Locks in this forum! But hey, we aren’t spending a lot of time at the Beauty Shops so we may have the time to learn! 🤣🤣🤣

[Natalia_A00]

Is there anything you can do to try and prevent getting split ends? I started getting a lot less of them when I significantly reduced the time my hair was in a braid, even though that meant wearing it loose more. Try to wear your hair up more, if you aren't doing that already. I used to S&D as often as you, but now I just don't need to. But when I did, I didn't notice any drastic difference in my hemline other than what might occur naturally when not trimming.

Do you use a satin or silk pillowcase or some kind of protective style for sleep?



I don't really see the point of anything other than cutting them off. Yes, oils can be used to temporarily seal them back together, but it's not so secure that it would totally prevent them from splitting more, resulting in a bigger split.

I thought braids were more or less protective... Do they cause split ends? Maybe they are better than wearing your hair down all the time

[Ylva]

I thought braids were more or less protective... Do they cause split ends? Maybe they are better than wearing your hair down all the time

They were protective for me at shorter lengths, but not anymore. The reason why they cause split ends (for me at least) is because of the friction against my clothes, seats etc. So I get less friction wearing my hair down, and thus less split ends. My hair is fine and lightweight, so it just "floats about" loose. Braids are good at preventing tangling, though. But all in all, the best thing for me is to wear my hair up.

[kikikhaleesi]

For me to trim all my split ends off would take me up to about shoulder-length, or to ~APL/BSL if I just wanted *most* of them off (mostly thanks to old face-framing layers). I'm almost at knee ... that's not gonna happen! :grin:

I too have heard that S&D can really cause an uneven hemline, but I'm not entirely sure why. All of our hairs are at different lengths due to being at different stages in their growth cycle, so if an end that is several inches shorter than the hemline is split and cut a few mm higher up, how does that affect the hemline? If it's cutting off damage in the middle of hairs, then yes I see how - or if the splits are all concentrated within a couple inches of the hemline - but if it's snipping off splits at the ends of hairs at all different lengths then I don't really see what difference it would make.

To the OP, it should be fine if you're fine with it mentally, and not obsessed. If you find yourself feeling compelled to do it and/or anxious, that's a warning to stop (been there). If you just don't want to do it, there's no rule to say you have to! :) You could try not doing it for a few weeks and see how your hair feels without; you'll either find it's worse and clearly needs S&D, in which case you might find yourself wanting to do it because you know it's beneficial, or you'll find that it's absolutely fine without.

My S&D-ing sounds similar to yours - snipping a few as and when I see them and can be bothered :lol: sometimes it's every day / multiple times a day, other times it'll just be a couple of times a week or even less often. It really does depend on what I'm doing in daily life at the time :)

I was thinking the exact same thing! How would trimming a split that is already on a shorter hair be bad?? I feel like it's better than not trimming and letting the split go up the hair shaft even more.
Sadly I do find myself sort of obsessing with getting rid of my splits (damage from heat a while back that I'm growing out). I do have very fine hair, although a lot of it, so it does split easily and I've taken action by protecting my ends and keeping my hair up. I'm just not ready to chop all the waay to shoulder length in order to get my splits. They are definitely getting less and less because I just had a 1 inch chop and my hemline evened up. I think I do need to cut back on the s&d for a month and see what happens. It will be a nice experiment :) THank you!

[spidermom]

When I grew my hair out before, I became obsessed with S&D. Every time I was idle, I was looking at my ends, snipping away the splits or agonizing over them if I didn't have scissors. If I was idle long enough, I'd search for splits until I couldn't focus anymore. NOT GOOD! I've gotten out of the habit of looking at my ends after nearly 2 years of shoulder length hair, and my goal is to never pick up that nasty habit again. My ends will never be perfect but I'm going to pretend they are.

[lapushka]

I honestly never look. My hair is not heat styled (just blowdried/diffused for 5 min. each week on cool/warm), not chemically altered, and fine. I don't have to look. I know for sure that there aren't any or many splits. And I just look once in a while (like every 2/3 months) and it's fine.

OTOH, if you have a lot of damage from heat styling (white dots up the strand), and splits, then I would consider the microtrimming. S&D is just for your average split or white dot, not for massive damage!

[Ylva]

I don't know if the damage on my ends counts as "massive", but my plan is to S&D until I reach my goal length (which will hopefully be next year), then move over to microtrimming. But maybe if the OP has a longer way to go until her goal length, if she has any, microtrimming might indeed be the better option.

[kikikhaleesi]

I honestly never look. My hair is not heat styled (just blowdried/diffused for 5 min. each week on cool/warm), not chemically altered, and fine. I don't have to look. I know for sure that there aren't any or many splits. And I just look once in a while (like every 2/3 months) and it's fine.

OTOH, if you have a lot of damage from heat styling (white dots up the strand), and splits, then I would consider the microtrimming. S&D is just for your average split or white dot, not for massive damage!

That actually clears a lot up for me. I wouldn't say I have an insane amount of damage, I think it's just that it feels like I do. But, you're right, if I'm s&ding as often as I am and snipping often, I should probably just stick to microtrimming.


I don't know if the damage on my ends counts as "massive", but my plan is to S&D until I reach my goal length (which will hopefully be next year), then move over to microtrimming. But maybe if the OP has a longer way to go until her goal length, if she has any, microtrimming might indeed be the better option.

I'm a little over BSL and my goal is waist. Not sure how many inches that is (maybe 4?).. :confused: But I think you're right, I'll try to avoid s&d for a while and just microtrim.

Is there an easy way to get out of the habit? When I'm bored I always look for splits because it makes the time go by faster. And then if I don't cut the split I feel guilty. I try putting my hair up (5 days a week), but I like having it down sometimes and that's where the trouble starts. Is there any encouragement you can tell me to not s&d my splits?

Thank you!!

[Ylva]

Tell someone to hide your hair scissors. :D And only give them to you for microtrimming.

[kikikhaleesi]

Tell someone to hide your hair scissors. :D And only give them to you for microtrimming.

Haha yes I should get rid of my scissors so I'm not tempted. I'm going to do that right now :magic:

[Arciela]

I think S&D is fine as long as the scissors are sharp :) I used to do it all the time when I had a ton of splits and it really helped transform my hair :flower:

[Corvana]

I only S&D when my ends feel really rough and oiling them and then a quick gentle combing with a fine toothed comb (the last three inches at MOST) doesn't make them feel better. I do that first, though, because I want to know if the roughness is damage or just because my hair never lays together! If it's damage then I can feel it still after I've oiled and combed the ends to be neat.

I don't do it super often, though, because I have a hard time seeing my splits anyway. I plan to trim at the end of the year and figure they'll probably make it until then just fine.

[LittleHealthy]

I must say S and D really helped me. I had a lot of split ends in my dyed section of hair. When I first started reading on the LHC boards about trimming individual splits, I had A LOT of damage. I worked on it for a while, just trimming splits if/when I saw them, and maybe sitting down once a week for 10-15 minutes trimming splits, and that took my hair from feeling completely destroyed and in need of another trim, to feeling softer, less tangly and looking much nicer.

S and D can totally be for mass amounts of damage - it really sorted my own hair out! And I didn’t lose any length or alter my already slightly-off hemline :lol:

I wouldn’t resist trimming a split if I saw one! But at the same time, it’s a natural occurrence, and not a huge deal if you do have some splits. It’s just the way hair is, I suppose!

[lapushka]

S and D can totally be for mass amounts of damage - it really sorted my own hair out! And I didn’t lose any length or alter my already slightly-off hemline :lol:

I had mass amounts of damage after heat styling & 2 perms. Half my hair was riddled in white dots. It was hip length. When my mom did a major S&D on it and was through, I had half my hemline and thickness left up to BSL, so we cut it up to BSL, it is all fine and dandy if you don't have major damage, IMMHO. But in case of major damage, like half the hair, trims are usually better. I could not go around with hair that was half thinned out from BSL to hip. That just didn't look OK.

[Dark40]

I honestly never look. My hair is not heat styled (just blowdried/diffused for 5 min. each week on cool/warm), not chemically altered, and fine. I don't have to look. I know for sure that there aren't any or many splits. And I just look once in a while (like every 2/3 months) and it's fine.

OTOH, if you have a lot of damage from heat styling (white dots up the strand), and splits, then I would consider the microtrimming. S&D is just for your average split or white dot, not for massive damage!

That's the same with me too. My hair is only just blowdried for only 5 minutes. The majority of the time I always let my hair air-dry. My hair is chemically altered, but it is still fine and healthy. It always has been for many years.

[squirrrel]

I had mass amounts of damage after heat styling & 2 perms. Half my hair was riddled in white dots. It was hip length. When my mom did a major S&D on it and was through, I had half my hemline and thickness left up to BSL, so we cut it up to BSL, it is all fine and dandy if you don't have major damage, IMMHO. But in case of major damage, like half the hair, trims are usually better. I could not go around with hair that was half thinned out from BSL to hip. That just didn't look OK.

I think that’s the issue here (not taking offence at what you have written Lapushka, just that what you have written here reflects what I have been thinking for a while on this thread).

People’s perception of ‘a lot’ of damage will be different. I trim splits regularly, because it’s good for my hair. I don’t believe it’s anywhere near as bad as half the hair being split though. I don’t deny that some people might decide that my hair thins out too much at the ends, but again, perception of what is and is not okay that way differs. I think that I’m probably cutting out a rate of up to ten real splits (splits part way down the length, which is my real bugbear) each day. I shed far more than that. If only I could choose to shed the split hairs, that would make things much easier!

Yesterday I got rid of three single strand knots too. I’m hoping that as long as I don’t make another mistake in my washing routine (thinking the latest crop came from trying to brush out hair that had far too much oil on it, which subsequently tangled beautifully), I should get down to spotting no more than one or two splits in a day.

As far as OP is concerned, the split end hunting regularly due to boredom is probably something worth curbing, but it is interesting knowing that one person could talk about ten minutes of S&D and cut 50 hairs, while another might do half an hour and find 3.

[LittleHealthy]

I had mass amounts of damage after heat styling & 2 perms. Half my hair was riddled in white dots. It was hip length. When my mom did a major S&D on it and was through, I had half my hemline and thickness left up to BSL, so we cut it up to BSL, it is all fine and dandy if you don't have major damage, IMMHO. But in case of major damage, like half the hair, trims are usually better. I could not go around with hair that was half thinned out from BSL to hip. That just didn't look OK.

Perception is the key there, I suppose. My hair was destroyed, from my current length (approximately), right up to where the bleached section was growing out. S and D stopped me from feeling the need to cut that entire section off at once.
S and D can absolutely work for mass amounts of damage. It just depends on what sort of damage we are looking at.

[lapushka]

Perception is the key there, I suppose. My hair was destroyed, from my current length (approximately), right up to where the bleached section was growing out. S and D stopped me from feeling the need to cut that entire section off at once.
S and D can absolutely work for mass amounts of damage. It just depends on what sort of damage we are looking at.

If S&D makes you feel better, by all means: go for it! Nobody is stopping you, least of all me. I love it when people feel better about themselves and their hair; whatever makes you feel happy. :flower:

For me it was better to trim in the end, but it's different for everyone. YMMV, as it always is. :) :thumbsup:

[kikikhaleesi]

Thank you all for your honest and helpful opinions and advice! :o I agree that it is hard to explain on here just HOW much damage I have, but since having a thick and even hemline is a priority for me (since I have fine hair), I'm going to lay off the scissors for a while. I think I'm ok with cutting off a split end here and there, but I really need to work on not over-analyzing and seeking out splits every day.. that takes a lot of self-discipline but I think I can do it! :)

[Joules]

When I S&D, I do it thoroughly, no sitting in a car for 10 minutes :bluebiggr it takes me 4 hours to go through my entire head, I do it about once every 3 months and I always follow up with an overall microtrim. This way I don't get uneven hemline. S&D makes a world of difference for me, I would need to cut off a year's worth of progress in order to get rid of all the splits, why would I want to do it?

[kikikhaleesi]

When I S&D, I do it thoroughly, no sitting in a car for 10 minutes :bluebiggr it takes me 4 hours to go through my entire head, I do it about once every 3 months and I always follow up with an overall microtrim. This way I don't get uneven hemline. S&D makes a world of difference for me, I would need to cut off a year's worth of progress in order to get rid of all the splits, why would I want to do it?

That is such a great idea. That way you can get it all at once and even your hemline. I'm going to do a big S&D session before my next trim. THANK YOU!!! :)

[Ylva]

When I S&D, I do it thoroughly, no sitting in a car for 10 minutes :bluebiggr it takes me 4 hours to go through my entire head, I do it about once every 3 months and I always follow up with an overall microtrim. This way I don't get uneven hemline. S&D makes a world of difference for me, I would need to cut off a year's worth of progress in order to get rid of all the splits, why would I want to do it?

To follow up S&D with a microtrim is a great idea. I think I'll be doing it like that too when I start to maintain.

[kikikhaleesi]

To follow up S&D with a microtrim is a great idea. I think I'll be doing it like that too when I start to maintain.

Yes isn't it a great idea!? Idk how i didn't think of that before! Makes me want to wait to s&d as well and not get to crazy with it.

[Ylva]

Yes isn't it a great idea!? Idk how i didn't think of that before! Makes me want to wait to s&d as well and not get to crazy with it.

For sure. For once, something makes complete sense to me and I'm just like "of course, that's precisely how it should be!". :lol: If all goes according to plan, I will reach my goal length sometime next year, so for these last remaining months I will keep S&D'ing irregularly like I have done so far, but from then on I will stick to a proper schedule and follow up with a microtrim. Thank you, Joules, for that idea. It's always nice to notice your hair plans get clearer and clearer.

[Joules]

Ylva, kikikhaleesi, you are welcome! :D

[kikikhaleesi]

For sure. For once, something makes complete sense to me and I'm just like "of course, that's precisely how it should be!". :lol: If all goes according to plan, I will reach my goal length sometime next year, so for these last remaining months I will keep S&D'ing irregularly like I have done so far, but from then on I will stick to a proper schedule and follow up with a microtrim. Thank you, Joules, for that idea. It's always nice to notice your hair plans get clearer and clearer.

Yes, definitely! It's such a relief to have it planned out. If I may ask, what is your goal length? Waist?

[Ylva]

Yes, definitely! It's such a relief to have it planned out. If I may ask, what is your goal length? Waist?

Of course you may. My goal length is classic. I'm currently at buttcrack. :) What's your goal, if you have any?

[kikikhaleesi]

Yes, definitely! It's such a relief to have it planned out. If I may ask, what is your goal length? Waist?

Ylva, oops! I thought I was on the BSL to Waist thread for a minute, so i didn't mean to offend if you're already past waist!

[Ylva]

Ylva, oops! I thought I was on the BSL to Waist thread for a minute, so i didn't mean to offend if you're already past waist!

Heh, no worries, it happens! My goal length is classic and I'm currently at buttcrack. What's your goal, if you have any? :)

[kikikhaleesi]

Of course you may. My goal length is classic. I'm currently at buttcrack. :) What's your goal, if you have any?

Haha nice! I WISH that was me! :) My goal is waist because I'm about an inch past BSL.. I've gotten into this tradition where I cut my hair way too much and wonder why it doesn't grow. I probably have never gone more than 4 months without a cut for as long as I remember! So my goal is to go 6 months without a trim, and then hopefully i'll be near waist! Do you have any advice?

[Ylva]

Haha nice! I WISH that was me! :) My goal is waist because I'm about an inch past BSL.. I've gotten into this tradition where I cut my hair way too much and wonder why it doesn't grow. I probably have never gone more than 4 months without a cut for as long as I remember! So my goal is to go 6 months without a trim, and then hopefully i'll be near waist! Do you have any advice?

You're so close! :) If you like to have regular cuts then microtrimming is definitely a good plan for you! It'll still allow for that "fresh ends" feeling while gaining length. But it's good to have a somewhat strict schedule for that, so you don't get too excited. There are some nice no-trimming challenges running here, for 6 and 12 months. Maybe joining one of those could work as additional motivation, if you haven't already joined.

My advice would be to keep doing what you know works well for your hair and not stray from that for the sake of trying to find something that might work even better. I find myself doing that constantly and just ending up having bouts of "my hair feels and looks terrible, I want to have a big chop!" even though it's just due to wrong products or practices. Of course, being on the lookout for useful small improvements is always a good idea. Just don't stress about it too much if everything is going just fine.

What's your haircare routine like, if I may ask? :)

[kikikhaleesi]

You're so close! :) If you like to have regular cuts then microtrimming is definitely a good plan for you! It'll still allow for that "fresh ends" feeling while gaining length. But it's good to have a somewhat strict schedule for that, so you don't get too excited. There are some nice no-trimming challenges running here, for 6 and 12 months. Maybe joining one of those could work as additional motivation, if you haven't already joined.

My advice would be to keep doing what you know works well for your hair and not stray from that for the sake of trying to find something that might work even better. I find myself doing that constantly and just ending up having bouts of "my hair feels and looks terrible, I want to have a big chop!" even though it's just due to wrong products or practices. Of course, being on the lookout for useful small improvements is always a good idea. Just don't stress about it too much if everything is going just fine.

What's your haircare routine like, if I may ask? :)

That is good advice, thank you! I've been thinking of joining a no-trimming challenge so I might do that. My last trim was Sept. 8, and I promised myself that that would be the last one for a while (I cut about an inch and a half off to get rid of my layers and make my hemline thick since I have very fine hair, but a lot of it).

Sure! I've been trying to stretch my washes for a while now. At the moment, I shampoo about 2-3 times per week, depending on my activities and if i'm touching my hair a lot, because that really gets it oily fast. I have always had an oily scalp so this is a tough subject to begin with. Interestingly, I find rubbing a couple drops of rosemary EO on my scalp/roots, it helps my hair grow a tiny bit faster and also helps control the oil. I have to get more though because I ran out :p. Anyway, when I wash my hair, I use SheaMoisture shampoo (sulfate free) but about once a week I will use purple shampoo to upkeep my blondeness - this has 1 type of sulfate in it I believe, but it doesn't affect me in a bad way. I use lots of my conditioner or a mask everytime I shampoo as well. After, I always let it air-dry, and will put some oils on the ends. I try to keep my hair up in a bun (used with 2 claw clips) during the day and especially at work or else it gets easily tangled. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to sleep with it, though. I've tried braids, buns, but sleeping with it down feels most comfy, and i know that's not healthy because I wake up with it in tangles. I do sleep on a satin pillowcase, however. So, yeah that's about all I can think of, i'm sorry it's such a long message! :)

[Ylva]

That is good advice, thank you! I've been thinking of joining a no-trimming challenge so I might do that. My last trim was Sept. 8, and I promised myself that that would be the last one for a while (I cut about an inch and a half off to get rid of my layers and make my hemline thick since I have very fine hair, but a lot of it).

Sure! I've been trying to stretch my washes for a while now. At the moment, I shampoo about 2-3 times per week, depending on my activities and if i'm touching my hair a lot, because that really gets it oily fast. I have always had an oily scalp so this is a tough subject to begin with. Interestingly, I find rubbing a couple drops of rosemary EO on my scalp/roots, it helps my hair grow a tiny bit faster and also helps control the oil. I have to get more though because I ran out :p. Anyway, when I wash my hair, I use SheaMoisture shampoo (sulfate free) but about once a week I will use purple shampoo to upkeep my blondeness - this has 1 type of sulfate in it I believe, but it doesn't affect me in a bad way. I use lots of my conditioner or a mask everytime I shampoo as well. After, I always let it air-dry, and will put some oils on the ends. I try to keep my hair up in a bun (used with 2 claw clips) during the day and especially at work or else it gets easily tangled. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to sleep with it, though. I've tried braids, buns, but sleeping with it down feels most comfy, and i know that's not healthy because I wake up with it in tangles. I do sleep on a satin pillowcase, however. So, yeah that's about all I can think of, i'm sorry it's such a long message! :)

That sounds like a good haircare routine! Rosemary essential oil is excellent for hair growth, I've used it myself too in oil massages, but these days I prefer peppermint for the scent and fresh feeling it gives. However, I think rosemary is slightly more effective, according to some articles I've read. I sleep with my hair loose, too. It might get easier and less tangly when your hair gets longer. Then you can just lay it somewhere where you won't be rolling on it, like over the pillow. Your hair will stay out of the way more then. But as long as you're gentle with detangling, I don't see a big problem with your current sleeping situation either. :)

[kikikhaleesi]

That sounds like a good haircare routine! Rosemary essential oil is excellent for hair growth, I've used it myself too in oil massages, but these days I prefer peppermint for the scent and fresh feeling it gives. However, I think rosemary is slightly more effective, according to some articles I've read. I sleep with my hair loose, too. It might get easier and less tangly when your hair gets longer. Then you can just lay it somewhere where you won't be rolling on it, like over the pillow. Your hair will stay out of the way more then. But as long as you're gentle with detangling, I don't see a big problem with your current sleeping situation either. :)

Awesome! Haha yes I wish I could be like you and just throw my hair over my pillow, i've heard others around the forum doing that as well. I have tried it, but yes it doesn't stay darn it! Usually I'm super gentle with detangling but there will be times i'm in a rush and should slow it down. I think the main thing I need to work on is not obsessing over the split ends / white dots that I have. I have this mindset that I need to get rid of them, hence the start of this thread, and sometimes I'll pick at them. But I'm definitely improving so I'm happy about that.

[Ylva]

Awesome! Haha yes I wish I could be like you and just throw my hair over my pillow, i've heard others around the forum doing that as well. I have tried it, but yes it doesn't stay darn it! Usually I'm super gentle with detangling but there will be times i'm in a rush and should slow it down. I think the main thing I need to work on is not obsessing over the split ends / white dots that I have. I have this mindset that I need to get rid of them, hence the start of this thread, and sometimes I'll pick at them. But I'm definitely improving so I'm happy about that.

I find it helpful to put my hair up out of my reach so I can just forget about it and the split ends. It's not as tempting to do anything about them, because I sort of feel at peace knowing they aren't really getting worse anyway since my hair is up and experiencing minimal friction. But I could tell that your mindset improved in this thread, which is fantastic! :)

[kikikhaleesi]

I find it helpful to put my hair up out of my reach so I can just forget about it and the split ends. It's not as tempting to do anything about them, because I sort of feel at peace knowing they aren't really getting worse anyway since my hair is up and experiencing minimal friction. But I could tell that your mindset improved in this thread, which is fantastic! :)

That's a good idea. I really need to do that more! Thank you for all of your help you're so sweet :) Have a great day!

[Ylva]

That's a good idea. I really need to do that more! Thank you for all of your help you're so sweet :) Have a great day!

My pleasure, and aww, thank you! :) I wish you a great day as well, and happy growing!