S&D...Too much damage?

[ladyluck]

Hi,

I'm after some advice. My hair is really damaged, the length seems ok but the ends are dry and broken/split.

I had a trim last week a good half inch off the ends and I've really started looking after my hair, SMT's, oiling, gentle handling etc.

So my question is, do I keep doing S&D's which means trimming virtually every single hair? I guess the length will get even thinner as the hair keeps breaking. Or should I leave the damaged ends alone for a while? I really don't want to do another overall trim as the damage is in the layers as well.

Any help would be appreciate. Thank you :flower:

[Pierre]

Keep it up. Eventually you won't need to do it as much. I just need to do S&D once every few months and find a tangle or two in the shower.

[jojo]

I have too only really started doing proper s & d's I did them before but got so bored raking through my hair. Now my hair is getting longer, I am seeing more and more I spend 2 hours a month trimming them off, sure I will never get them all. I could look now and probably find a good 20 but over time you will find less. Split ends are not the end of the world, all long hairs have them it just goes with the territory.

[Meli]

My ends got thinner initially, when I was S&D-ing all the splits that had accumulated before LHC (think splits on every single hair below shoulders :blueeek:). Once I had removed those, and only have new ones to S&D now, the thickness has remained more or less the same. The ends are getting thicker again as the taper moves down, but because I still have some inches left of dry, damaged ends that keep breaking, it seems to move down extremely slow right now.

I have natural layers caused by breakage, and those layers also have damaged ends. But they are clearly moving down, slow, but faster than the ends, as they are not as exposed to new damage as the very ends are. Right now, it's very hard for me to gain length, as I either trim or if I don't, the ends break instead. And the natural layers I can't do anything about except keep S&D-ing. But, I have much less damage left than I had earlier this year, and I think I would start to notice more growth once the dry, rough parts are gone.

My current problem is not so much splits as broken bends, where the hair breaks with a white dot about a centimeter above the end of the hair. Moisture and protective updos are what reduces my breakage most, but I still need to do frequent S&D to avoid knots and tangles caused by broken hairs. Each knot causes some more hairs to break, which causes more knots, so being lazy about S&D-ing is not a good idea for me. It takes lots of time and patience, but one day I will be cutting into healthier hair, unless the damaged hairs shed before that. Either way, the damage will disappear.

[Honey39]

I don't S & D at all - I guess it's a good idea, but I just think I would go too scissor happy and end up with inadvertent layers!

[ktani]

Hi,

I'm after some advice. My hair is really damaged, the length seems ok but the ends are dry and broken/split.

I had a trim last week a good half inch off the ends and I've really started looking after my hair, SMT's, oiling, gentle handling etc.

So my question is, do I keep doing S&D's which means trimming virtually every single hair? I guess the length will get even thinner as the hair keeps breaking. Or should I leave the damaged ends alone for a while? I really don't want to do another overall trim as the damage is in the layers as well.

Any help would be appreciate. Thank you :flower:

Continue with the s&d's but concentrate on eliminating the causes of the damage, IMO.

I do not think that doing s&d's to the point of thinning your hair out too much is necessary. Do what you can within limits.

As you eliminate the offending causes/treat your hair better, the s&d's will be less of a challege, from my experience.

[ladyluck]

Thank you all. :)

I will carry on, like I say it seems that every single hair is broken or split!

Alot of the damage was caused by extensions and twists, my hair was backcombed into oblivion. It has chemical dye in it which I'm not planning to use again. To be honest, I didn't think I'd be able to keep as much length as I have done so it could be worse.

It is half as thick though, unfortunatly. Hopefully with lots of good treatment it will stop breaking off.

Thanks again :)

[Teacherbear]

You've already received some great advice. Just :twocents: worth is that you are only trimming off a mm or so so the hair won't be THAT much thinner or shorter.

Be forewarned that it will seem like the splits are increasing. That isn't really true. What IS true is that you are hyper aware of the splits. Stick with it. The splits will eventually lessen.

When I do a thorough S&D my hair improves dramatically. I'm always glad that some time snipping splits means I don't have to get more overall length cut off.

Be sure you have a good set of scissors, though. Only use those scissors for your hair.

Take care! :)

[jojo]

that is so true TB!

[ladyluck]

Thank you Teacherbear that makes sense.

Already it seems like they are increasing, I have a look the day after I chop 100 off and think...wow how did I not see these yesterday?!

But I did invest in a good pair of hairdressing scissors, now I need to try and find a way to stop myself going cross eyed!

[Fantak]

I've been S&Ding for a week or so (not consistently just 15-30mins a day :p) and am surprised with how soft my ends now are :D It really works ^.^

[Ursula]

Some of it depends on how you deal with S&D, mentally.

For some people, it is an amusing pastime, a sort of hide-and-seek game with the splits. They work on it when they're in the mood, and don't stress about "finishing."

If you handle S&D this way, I'd say go for it.

A few people here, however, have reported becoming frustrated by S&D. It is more of a chore for them, and they want to get it over with, and they become distressed that new splits continue to appear.

If you find yourself distressed in this way, then I'd say to skip the S&D, and just trim the ends now and then, and put your hair up and forget it. Hair isn't worth being distressed over.

[Pierre]

But I did invest in a good pair of hairdressing scissors, now I need to try and find a way to stop myself going cross eyed!
Keep the scissors in the bag of shells, then they'll go crosseyed and you won't! :silly:

[Fantak]

Keep the scissors in the bag of shells, then they'll go crosseyed and you won't! :silly:

K that one went right over my head.. cross-eyed shells?

[deRosa]

Hi there - I'm new here but might as well jump in :waving:

I started healing my damaged hair almost two years ago and I'm amazed how much healthier it is. It has taken lots of hard work and experimenting but in the end I can tell that I do NOT have to cut it all off - that was my biggest fear. Lots of heavy oiling with coconut and jojoba oil and DTs with oils and honey has helped. What helped the most was light protein treatments with Aubrey Organics GBP conditioner (I only bought it ten days ago) and of course not washing with any kind of hard detergents.

I did S&D but found it too frustrating exactly like Ursula said but a had a couple of trims at my hairdresser. I think the need for S&D/trims will lessen as you figure out other ways to help your damaged hair.

[ladyluck]

Some of it depends on how you deal with S&D, mentally.

For some people, it is an amusing pastime, a sort of hide-and-seek game with the splits. They work on it when they're in the mood, and don't stress about "finishing."

If you handle S&D this way, I'd say go for it.

A few people here, however, have reported becoming frustrated by S&D. It is more of a chore for them, and they want to get it over with, and they become distressed that new splits continue to appear.

If you find yourself distressed in this way, then I'd say to skip the S&D, and just trim the ends now and then, and put your hair up and forget it. Hair isn't worth being distressed over.

I think I'm somewhere in the middle really. I don't get frustrated or distressed I just get fed up and put the scissors down for a while. I can imagine how with a large amount of split ends it gets frustrating though. Especially if someone is a perfectionist.

[Pierre]

K that one went right over my head.. cross-eyed shells?
See this thread, post 200.

[Fantak]

See this thread, post 200.

LOL K I get it now :D The thread's hilarious!

[pdy2kn6]

HEY, i have a question on SD. when you are cutting away the ends do you guys cut the splits and those ends which curve inwards, or look a bit frayed in the light, despite not being split or have white dots OR do you guys only cut the splits and white dots?
i never know whether to cut those curved in/ slightly sometimes wavy (last cm of some hairs)...

[Teacherbear]

pdy2kn6, I started by only snipping the frayed ends (or mid-length), fairy knots (a knot on one strand of hair), and white dots. Over time, I've learned what to snip on my hair and what not to. Sometimes I cut other things, but usually I only snip the 3 things I mentioned at first.

[spidermom]

When you have a lot of damage, I think it makes more sense to either "bite the bullet" and get all the damage trimmed away at once, or trim half your growth every month or two, or at least get trims on a regular schedule - for example trim 1/2" every three months. You can S&D, too, if you like, although I found it too discouraging to spend an hour cutting away hundreds of splits and still seeing more. I kept my hair at hip length for nearly a year (fall 2007 - July 2008 ) because I had so many split ends from pre-LHC hair abuse. Now I only spend 10 minutes or less every day or two or three to keep damage under control. I can spend the entire 10 minutes looking now and only find 2 splits. Of course sometimes I can look down at my hair and see 2 splits sticking out their tongues and waggling their hineys at me. I'm usually nowhere near scissors when that happens.