Do you hold on to your split ends?

[ericthegreat]

I have several splits all over. I haven't had an official trim since Feb 02 of this year, and actually with how hectic my life has been I haven't even had the patience to do S&D. Anyway my hair has still continued to grow, and I cherish each and every centimeter that makes its way down. Truthfully, I don't mind have split ends or knotted strands( I have several fairy knots as well), the overall condition of my hair is still very healthy.

I'm definitely not cutting my split ends, but what do you guys do when you get them? Do you also hold on to them or do you go trim crazy?

[Arctic]

I don't hold on to them, or any damaged hair strands. I'm a very liberal S&Der and I also trim regularly (about every 3-4 months).

[jera]

I do S&D or micro trims. That works best for me. What about oiling just those spilt ends? :confused: It might help if you're dead set against trimming.

[ericthegreat]

Oh I've been using both coconut and avocado oils(not together, I do one or the other at one particular time) for over two years now. Sorry, my first post might have given the false impression that I was having a problem with having split ends. I certainly don't, in fact I love them in a sense because they add to that natural, untamed charm of how hair naturally behaves.

[Amara]

I occassionally S&D, but I don't mind holding onto them, either. I snip the crazy ones, and ignore the little ones, generally.

[Speckla]

I snip them off. Splitends = frazzled ends = funky/bad looking curls.

[Coriander]

I S&D on a regular basis and always have little scissors on hand to take care of a split that I may miss.

I don't like the way they feel and I don't like the way they make my ends look, so snip, away they go. :D

[Fillette]

... I love them in a sense because they add to that natural, untamed charm of how hair naturally behaves. :D That's kinda cool...

Anyway, I S&D whenever I have too much time on my hands or when I feel like doing something extra for my hair. For instance when I have a terrible urge to cut my hair, I'll just do an S&D instead and it calms me down. I have given up the goal of having perfect, split-free hair. It is simply impossible. So I try not to sweat over it. I feel that it is okay to have a few splits here and there :)

[sweet*things]

Honestly, I almost never S&D (especially now that I've misplaced my scissors, lol). I do sometimes get splits, but if I ignore them for a few weeks they seem to go away. I don't think they're continuing to split up the shaft, because I never see any damage like that. But, my hair does thin out considerably after shoulder length, so maybe I'm just in denial. :)

[longhairedfairy]

I hold onto them to snip them off.:D

[Quixii]

I try to S&D, but once I realized I was using the wrong scissors and would have to go off and get my mother's scissors every time I wanted to S&D, I've been letting them sit there. I don't really like them, though.

[AuntyClaus]

I snip 'em. I figure otherwise they'll split all the way up the shaft and destroy the entire hair.

[Buddaphlyy]

Yes I do. I'm not getting a trim until January 2010 and even then, I probably won't take a lot off since I wear my hair in a way that makes it really easy to hide the split ends.

[danacc]

I S&D sporadically. When I do, any splits and "white dots" are snipped. Apart from S&D, I do not trim. I have taper and fairytale ends as a result, but at my current length, that's what my hair does, anyway.

[joyellen]

I snip the splits. If I see one and don't do anything about it, it will drive me nuts.

[RancheroTheBee]

I don't usually get a lot of splits; I find one or two in a month. I used to trim my hair all the time, but now I really could care less. I've just accepted that hair sometimes breaks off or splits, and that my ends are always a little bit dry. Mrs. Hair and I have stopped squabbling, really.

[RavennaNight]

I gave up on S&D, my eyes get strained looking for all those hairs. It's like splitting hairs. (baaaaad joke). So I trim every 6-8 months when the farmers almanac/morocco method says so. I have old moderate dye & flatiron damage on the ends so I don't think I can stave off trimming altogether just yet. I don't trim very often though.

[thankyousir74]

I snip the splits. If I see one and don't do anything about it, it will drive me nuts.

I have the same feeling, which is why my hair scissors tend to travel all over the house and into my purse when I go out (why yes, it *is* that much of a habit now)

[BlackfootHair]

I don't really look for them, but if I happen to see them, I might S&D. It's like breaking a nail and not smoothing the edge with a file, to me.

[ericthegreat]

I don't really look for them, but if I happen to see them, I might S&D. It's like breaking a nail and not smoothing the edge with a file, to me.

Really now? See a broken nail I can understand because if you don't cut it, it could end up getting ripped off causing serious pain and damage to the nail bed. Plus, you could develop an infection if it bleeds.

The way I see things, hair is dead protein, it has no nerves or pain receptors. Since your hair only grows from the follicles and at a steady constant rate regardless of whether or not you trim it, it would stand to reason that the fastest way to grow your hair out as long as it can is to simply leave it alone and not trim it at all.

[danacc]

I think the answer to whether cutting will result in faster gain in length is "it depends". Clearly, if you're cutting as fast as the hair is growing, you won't gain length. But then if it's breaking as fast as the hair is growing, you won't gain length then, either.

I know that my ends will tangle much more if I don't S&D from time to time. The damaged hair bends in funky ways that promotes tangling. And tangling leads to more strands becoming damaged and breaking.

The "white dots" are very weak, and break with very little pressure. Cutting the strand right above the "dot" just means there's an ever-so-slightly shorter strand with a nice cut end now. If I don't cut, there will be a broken-off damaged end in the next week or 2.

I don't have that much damage, and S&D works for me. I know others who got more gain in length with small, frequent trims to reduce damaged ends. Others don't cut at all. I think which will work best for gaining length really depends on your hair.


I agree with you that the follicle doesn't care, though. To me, it's all about what's happening (or not) at the ends. The strand is going to continue to grow at the same pace regardless of whether or not you cut the hair, and regardless of whether or not the strand breaks.

[windinherhair]

I S&D anytime I get a chance. I thought that if I didnt get the splits that they can get worse and split further over time? So I dont want that.

[aksown]

Death to all split ends!!!!!! I can't stand it if I know there's a split. I've spent three hours standing in front of a window snipping splits. (But that was when I first started S&Ding) I don't have nearly so many splits now and I'm developing really nice fairytale ends! :cool:

[Arctic_Mama]

I chop the few I find, just because it makes caring for the rest of my hair
easier and more enjoyable.

[janeytilllie]

ericthegreat. I love them in a sense because they add to that natural, untamed charm of how hair naturally behaves.

My DF hasn't trimmed his hair for 5 years or do any S+D. He has split ends but
his hair still looks so healthy and his ends have a lovely natural fairytale texture :inlove:

He keeps his split ends due to his hair grows pretty slow. He said he wants to reach his goal of waist and if he keeps trimming he will never get to his goal :)

Im kinda the same too. My hair APL is wavy and has alot of curls on the ends.

My hair is too short for S+D because I can't see a thing. My hair dressers here quite bad and most of my family members struggle to cut my hair even. So I will be keeping my split ends until my hair is long enougth to S+D again :)

After that I will trim the little devils off! :D

[Carina]

I cut split ends when I find them.If my hair tangles very much in one place I make sure to check out the ends.It might be a split end who is messing with me;).But when my ends are dry I make sure that they get moisture and oil to get back in shape again.

[Nera]

I hold onto them because if I cut them off, they return within a week.

[Zindell]

I don't have many at all... if I see one I usually just let it be. It will go away with the next trim. :D

[Sukidoll]

I like to snip the split ends off, annoys me to no end if I spot one. I also like to line up the snipped off split ends and count them :oops:

[Ryanne]

Off they go! There's always a pair of scissors residing on my desk for the purpose of snipping the splits off.

[RoseRedDead]

I prefer to get them trimmed off. Splits and breakage make my ends hard to deal with, and I can feel when I need a trim. I'm gonna need one here soon...

I occasionally S&D, but it's very tedious, and sometimes it seems impossible to really help with all the hair I have, but every little bit helps, you know?

I understand wanting to keep them for length, and the fact that it's your *hair*. I don't have a violent hatred towards splits (I don't really have a lot), and let's face it, the average person's hair will never be 100% split-end-free. These things just happen.

[neon-dream]

I have several splits all over. I haven't had an official trim since Feb 02 of this year, and actually with how hectic my life has been I haven't even had the patience to do S&D. Anyway my hair has still continued to grow, and I cherish each and every centimeter that makes its way down. Truthfully, I don't mind have split ends or knotted strands( I have several fairy knots as well), the overall condition of my hair is still very healthy.

I'm definitely not cutting my split ends, but what do you guys do when you get them? Do you also hold on to them or do you go trim crazy?

I just trim them off with my 3 monthly trims. I sometimes do an S & D if I have the time and/or patience, but I wouldn't freak out about them I just let them be for a while :).
My splits make it harder to detangle my hair, too so I benefit by having them removed.

[Elly]

at the moment i don't trim my hair because i want to gain some length but i try to do S&D every 2 weeks to keep the split ends at bay

[Marika]

I used to S&D all the time, I practically had scissors in my hands 24/7...:D Now I just S&D occasionally and my hair is just fine (and grows faster). I get split ends very easily and I've come to terms with that. There's no point in spending hours of cutting split ends just to see them return within couple of days.

[Tressie]

I do S&D when I can, but it does seem that they are right back again as Marika said! However, it's still.........off with their heads....I mean "ends"! (o:

[fishwich]

I leave 'em be. I'm always going to have them, so I might as well chill out about it.

[Tangles]

No, I don't have any attachment to them whatsoever. I cut them as soon as I see them.

[HeatherJenae]

I agree with everybody else, I have no attachment to my split end's frazzled fugly little butts and cut them willingly! As far as I'm aware, when I'm done with an S & D session, one of my favorite past times, I'm happier because I think my hair looks better and because you can't see a difference in the length at all. I only snip the one's that actually need it, not perfectly innocent bystander hairs! :)

[BlackfootHair]

Really now? See a broken nail I can understand because if you don't cut it, it could end up getting ripped off causing serious pain and damage to the nail bed. Plus, you could develop an infection if it bleeds.

The way I see things, hair is dead protein, it has no nerves or pain receptors. Since your hair only grows from the follicles and at a steady constant rate regardless of whether or not you trim it, it would stand to reason that the fastest way to grow your hair out as long as it can is to simply leave it alone and not trim it at all.

I'm a nail tech, so yes, all the things you say about a broken nail is true for me as well, but also, an unfiled, broken nail to me is just unkempt and the rough edge would drive me absolutely insane! And split ends would drive me insane as well. a split end can break off at varying lengths or travel up the hair shaft. And that's just something I don't like the thought of. On my head.

[ericthegreat]

For those of you said that they do trim, I completely understand. You guys don't want to see any signs of fraying or tapering at your ends, you want your hair strands to be thick from the roots all the way down.

But see for me personally, I simply want to keep ALL of my hair and have it keep growing longer all the way to terminal, and taking even say 1/100th of an inch off is too much for me!

[free_hug]

A (maybe just partly) relevant question:

In the case of very long hair (waist or longer), is it the split ends, or broken off ones, that make the fairy tale end?

One of my friends had that for a looong time, and though from one point of view it's unhealthy, not very full etc., it was actually beautiful. When it looks really ratty, i guess i agree with trimming, but in her case it looked just amazing, even though it obviously wasn't well kept. Maybe this too depends on the person? So i'm not sure at all on the issue of just letting it grow on or cutting them carefully off.

[ericthegreat]

Free hug(love the name BTW!),

I would say that it depends on the overall condition of your hair. If, like me, you have healthy, shiny, hair that only has split ends say around the last 1/2 inch or so then you are good to go without any further trims. Fairy ends come from at least I'd say over a year or more of NO TRIMS whatsoever, they are the natural tapering that happens to your ends when you leave them uncut.

But if say you are a color fanatic or constantly heat style your hair, not only will your ends split faster the overall condition of you hair will get damaged. These people will indeed need to trim much more often, but no matter what it won't improve the condition of their hair as they are constantly torturing it.

[adiapalic]

I chop off my little splits and knots with scissors, s&d. I figure if I do this, the hair will less likely snag and tangle when I'm brushing, keeping the rest of the hair in place for growing longer.

[nowxisxforever]

I do S&D or micro trims. That works best for me. What about oiling just those spilt ends? :confused: It might help if you're dead set against trimming.

I do S&D and microtrims also.

I don't do "real" trims, haha. Maybe when my hair gets longer! (No, Classic isn't long enough! It's my precious goal milestone...)

[earthdancer]

Death to all split ends!!!!!! I can't stand it if I know there's a split. I've spent three hours standing in front of a window snipping splits. :cool:

Absolutely! I'm ruthless about getting rid of split ends, and I can S&D for hours. Since I started using shampoo bars, I have very few split ends now, thank goodness. My OCD sister thought I was a nutjob about split ends!

[gmdiaz]

I hate hate hate having any split ends.

And the only ones I actually have came from using the wrong scissors! There is no point in cutting your hair at all, if you're not going to use really good scissors. I found this out the hard way.

I just bought a pair of good Arius Eickert scissors on Ebay for just $26. They cut soooo smoothly. The blades are super super sharp but the ends are nice and blunt. I bought a small pair 5.75. . .they're perfect for S&D and for those twice yearly hair trims.

I trim split ends on the way to and from work. My husband drives and I snip. I have an hour to search and destroy. The lighting is perfect and it's bizarrely relaxing.

I am mostly finding itty bitty ones but did find a couple of real hum dingers!

I am happy and can relax now that I know I don't have very many. lol

[SimplyViki]

Eh... I am actually in the middle of a rare S&D session myself. :D I can appreciate both untamed and pristine hair. For myself, I think I'm good with a healthy balance somewhere in the middle. I don't go crazy S&Ding, but I trim about a half inch every six months or so, and I'm looking at a two inch trim sometime before the year's out. I'm trying to get rid of some previously dyed hair, not because it's super damaged or anything, but I just... well? I just don't want the dyed part anymore!:silly:

Also, for some reason, the dyed, thinned sections of each hair seem to have some sort of strange glimmer to them, so splits really stand out. So, when I see them, I go ahead and cut them (I have a pair of hair scissors in a pocket of my purse for random splits, not really S&D, just hairs I notice).

[82exoticbeauty]

Naaaah. . . It bothers me, like when I am with my boyfriend in the apartment while watching tv or going shopping, sometimes I go and investigate my hair looking for some and found them, but I only do the S&D when I am at the apartment and parents home. Only I trim the split ends, not the rest of my hair without splits!

The more I hold on to them, the more they travel up the hair shaft and end up trimming the whole strand or half of it! Split ends do end up traveling up the hair shaft since it did happen to me on the year of 2008, only one strand I found it did!

[krn2891]

I'm really bad about holding on to them. I only do SD like once every 6 months and I dust my hair about once a year.

[Nyghtingale]

I seriously need to do a good S & D. Little white dots....all...over..:eye:

[Sif]

I just myself a pair of hair cutting scissors and have been going a little crazy trimming every split end I can find.

[eshta]

When I see them I snip them off but I don't S&D regularly. I just micro trim esp. when my ends get tangly and I can't comb easily anymore.

[walkinglady]

I keep mine. I tried S&D but it drove my eyes nuts so I gave it up. I rarely trim, maybe once a year. I do have splits but I've come to the conclusion that I'm a little on the untamed side so I let my hair do the same. All in all my hair is in pretty healthy condition despite the lack of trims.

I do admit that I love looking at someones hair that is split free. I don't see really long hair in that condition very often and when I do it is usually straight fine hair. Gosh it's gorgeous!