An inch trim - a big deal?

[Amara]

That should be "big" deal...

Am I weird for freaking out about an inch trim? I'd like to thicken up my hemline a bit before I continue on to classic (I'm about 5.5 inches away from classic - a year or so) I've also been S&Ding but a nice fresh cut on the longest bits would help a lot with smoother combing (I've found in the past). But I keep hesisting - a WHOLE INCH!? I think. THAT WILL SET ME BACK 2 MONTHS! Which is nothing in the grand scheme... am I just being silly? Anybody else react that way to a (relatively) small amount of hair?

I'm planning on going to Sally's beauty supply for hair scissors (lost mine) and a new comb (also lost... it's been a bad summer :p) and trimming, then doing a nice treatment.

[Quixii]

Yes, I think it's kinda silly. :p Still, different people freak out about different things. Someone may have huge panic attacks about standing in front of class and speaking a couple sentences, where as I've done things like perform monologues. It's not wrong to be worried about it. :)
That being said, one time I asked my mom to trim my hair, and she cut off about 3 inches! Then I freaked out, until I realized that in the grand scheme of things, compared to how much hair I already have, three inches really isn't that much. It surprised me, actually. (I mean, the fact that I freaked out surprised me.) But still, now I always trim my own hair, just in case. xD

[spidermom]

Could you be stretching 1 inch in your mind? It really isn't much. Look.

Before trim:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/2009.jpg

After trim:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/2009trim.jpg

That was 1.5 inches.

[Fractalsofhair]

Well, think of the breakage and splits that are going on right now? How much is that setting you back?

[AJoifulNoise]

Well, if you're silly I'm silly, too. I do trim a whole inch every 6 months. Than I drop the scissors and run about, indulging in a full-out freak-out. It takes me at least 24-48 hours to get over the initial reaction.

But, I am always pleased with the results.

[Ndnlady]

Well, I would not have reacted that way before but I would now. I can't stand having blunt ends, I want my taper back, my hair is so much easier to deal with (strangely enough) when I have a taper.
But if you are getting rid of damage it might just be a good thing and in a couple of months you will have nice smooth ends.:)

[heidihug]

Well, if you're silly I'm silly, too. I do trim a whole inch every 6 months. Than I drop the scissors and run about, indulging in a full-out freak-out. It takes me at least 24-48 hours to get over the initial reaction.
Hee, I have the same trim cycle and reaction as AJoifulNoise. When it takes at least two months to recover that inch, I don't blame anyone for having a bad reaction to cutting, or even the thought of cutting.

[embee]

I don't think 1 inch is so bad, it's just the danger of 1 inch suddenly being 3 or 5 inches lying on the salon floor. That's what would keep me away. Of course if you have someone you can trust.... really... ;)

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

I don't think its silly.. if you can't stomach a whole inch at once why not do 1/2" and then a few months down the line another 1/2?

[redwoman]

an inch trim is a big deal in my book. But it is worth it. I go about five months and trim an inch. Then I go six months and trim another inch. I am anal about that inch and demonstrate to the hairdresser dujour what an inch is. I am always pleased with the texture of my hemline and the resulting thickness. But I only go twice a year and only an inch....I am anal....

[jivete]

I can barely stomach 1/2". I think in the past I over-trimmed and never got anywhere. I'm afraid I'll get addicted to it and won't be able to put away the scissors.

[ericthegreat]

Amara, you could just do a dusting of say 1/4 inch at first.

I agree with your own assessment. An inch may not be a lot in terms of length, but it does take on average two months to make it all up. If you simply don't want to unnecessarily cut off more than you desire to, then yeah just do a little dusting all around. I haven't dusted in ages because I personally am shooting for both terminal and fairytale ends, but in the past when I have dusted all I need was 1/4 to 1/2 an inch taken off and immediately the rest of my mane came alive with bounce!

[Oberon88]

You aren't silly. I just cut off three inches and freaked. But now I feel way better about the condition of my hair. You will be too! :flowers:

[sana junaid]

half inch gud for me

[Heidi_234]

If your hair needs it, then an inch is ever too much. I have cut 2" (!!) and only felt better after doing so, because it was a very thinning and very long layer that messed up my hemline.
When you cut it, 1" is not a big deal. So if you feel your hair needs it, just get to the scissors - it won't look like alot.

[Loreley]

I cut half an inch in every two months. It's because the end of my hair was very thin and I want it to be thicker. It's getting better now but this way obviously it won't be any longer. I'm at classic length now, my goal is middle thigh. I hope my hair will be much thicker by the time I'll reach my goal.

[LittleOrca]

To me an inch is a big deal, just as a pound is a big deal. It's not as though I am obsessively measuring (or weighing myself) but every little inch will get me closer to my goal, just as every little pound lost is still one that is lost. They add up quickly. I did some counting and I have cut off an estimated 11 inches of hair during my time I was attempting to grow it out. Imagine if my hair was 11 inches longer and how nice it would be! Alright, perhaps it would only be about 6 inches longer since I would trim off the really bad ends, but you get the point. ;)

[Quahatundightu]

Since I seem to be only growing about 1/4 inch a month, for me cutting one inch means 4 more months of growing! So for me it is a big deal!

[lorig713]

I'm not saying this is normal but in June we trimmed 1" and my hair grew 3" since then so I'm glad we trimmed. :)

[Kiraela]

I have trimmed 3" off, three times since last september (and still gained about an inch!). I had to take valerian root and meditate both before and after to keep myself from panicking! At the same time, the thought of trimming a single inch freaks me out!

[Amraann]

I think it is a big deal if it upsets you.

If your hair has a lot of split ends then your not gaining any length so trimming is a good idea.
You may actually find more length faster afterwards.
If its pretty healthy why not try just a 1/4 inch maybe every couple of months until you get the ends you desire?

Then you are only "losing" two weeks of growth.

[Curlsgirl]

Since I seem to be only growing about 1/4 inch a month, for me cutting one inch means 4 more months of growing! So for me it is a big deal!

Yeah me too and with the curls even way more! I understand totally why you would freak out! That's totally why I have put it off so long!

[Chromis]

It wouldn't be too big a deal to me, but I grow about an inch a month. If you have slower growing hair, I can see it being a much larger deal though. It would also be a bigger deal were I not trimming my own hair! I know exactly how much I am trimming and certainly don't try to pressure myself into getting any silly layers or whatnot like a stylist would :D

[annuscka]

I hear you - I had to get about 2 cm off in July and was angsting about it for weeks before I did it. V. happy with it but since it was a bit less than I probably should have taken, I know I'll have to go back for about 2 cm soon... and it worries me ;)
Mainly it's finding a stylist who GETS IT that worries me - have had the 2 cm became 10 experience.

[incogneeto]

I am so nervous of trims. I would never do one myself, but also get nervous when I got to the salon. I usually entrust my family with my hair, due to the fact they know how obsessed I am about it.

I know how you feel.

[naselflee]

I gave myself an inch trim 1 week ago. I felt so panicky about it afterward. But I know I have to do it, just because I'v got about 6 inches of damage left. So another 2 years left of trimming an inch every 2 months, then i'm set to grow it classic.:cheer:

[Carolyn]

I think it depends on where you are in your growing journey and if you've reached some of your goals. When I was just past shoulders, with layers and just starting out, an inch trim was a huge big deal. I would agonize over it for a couple of months before doing it. I mourned the loss of said inch after the trim and patiently waited for it to grow back. Now that I've reached my goal and surpassed the original goal of waist, I'm working on gaining quality and not just length. So an inch isn't the big deal it once was. I know need to trim to get the straight blunt hemline I want.

[halo_tightens]

I can totally understand an inch being a big deal, when we're trying so hard to get to a certain length or maintain a length we like. I get so excited over every little bit of growth-- I don't know how I'm going to do yet when I get my first trim (since deciding to grow).

I guess we have to look at the big picture, and think of how we're improving our end results by trimming when necessary!

[Spring]

Sometimes I don't feel like I've thickened my ends unless I cut at least 2 inches off ( I know, I'm cutting into my progress, part of the reason why I've been @ bsl), so 1 inch is really easy for me.

[Rivanariko]

I had to trim an inch at the beginning of this month to take care of some damage in my ends. I probably needed more than that, really, but an inch was all I could stomach. I loved the cleaner look of the result, but I was still really sad about it.

[Camee]

I've been gearing myself up for a trim for the last three months. I haven't even has the guts to go buy the scissors yet either.

[JamieLeigh]

I never worry about a trim like that, because in the long run, I know how I'd like my hair to look and sometimes trims are necessary. Now that I'm this long, an inch really isn't much to worry about anymore anyway.

I haven't read all the way through the thread yet (sorry! :flower: I'm kind of getting pressed for time this morning.) but if it's just that you're wanting to thicken up your hemline, maybe you could just maintain where you are and trim off just the new growth until you're happy with how it looks, rather than trim off an inch. Especially if you're viewing a trim as "losing progress", instead of viewing it as helping you with your hair goals. And having a thick hemline on the way to classic is a very good goal to have, it's one that I've had and the only way I've achieved it was by not being afraid of the scissors. :)

Good luck with whatever you decide. Your hair already looks gorgeous! :D

[spidermom]

You could always try a 1/4-inch trim once a month or something like that.