A damage question.

[toodramatik]

Hey all.

Around 2 months ago I cut my hair into a pixie-thing. Not quite a pixie. Basically, it was like this haircut:

http://hollywoodandvine.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/rihanna.jpg

The back was shaved with mens' clippers into a #5. My boyfriend @ the time felt it and said "No way, that's a 3.5-4, that's not a #5". I don't know anything about mens' clippers, but I do know that my pretty wavy hair stuck up really straight. Like electricity straight, and it felt like carpet.

It's growing out now. The back is about an 1.5-2 inches long per strand, the bangs and top layers haven't grown that much though, atleast, I don't think.

I've re-evaluated my long hair goals after going to a wig shop yesterday for fun. So now I'm not really interested in growing my hair past APL, but I do want to maintain it at that length and keep it healthy.

I'm really tempted to cut it again though because it looks ridiculous right now so I've been using a flat iron on the bangs and top layers.

I don't really care if they grow, I guess, I want the stupid back to grow! Does this 'selective' growth work? Like if I don't damage the back, but I damage the front, will the back grow or will it.. idk.. protest? Cause a backlash, maybe? (okay sorry I couldn't resist that one -.-) I don't MIND length in the front at all, I could just do without it.

Any help would be appreciated.

[tangocurl]

toodramatik,

I certainly understand your frustration, since I had that same haircut in '00. Try to resist any more cutting--wait two weeks, and tell people here you're tempted--and you will get support for waiting two weeks or longer.

One thing about growing out these short styles is that the back seems to grow faster. It is partly an optical illusion, partly the fact that the front tends to suffer more damage and breakage due to the fact that the front gets the brunt of heat styling tools and abusive products to maintain the shape of the cut.

There was one point, summer of 2003, that my hair was such a weird shape that I just wore it in a low slicked back ponytail for about 3 months in a row. Even though this was very, very pre-LHC for me, I had the sense to realize that there was no sense in blowdrying it because I was in a humid climate. I think that summer was the beginning of the salvation of my hair.

I betcha the whole thing will look very different in 2-3 months because the shape of the style will change with just an inch of growth.

It is probably worth reading (or re-reading) Nightshade's article about hair damage. I've committed almost every sin described in the article and lived to tell about it. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79

Take good care of your hair and be patient....:agree:

[pradabacon]

I'm really tempted to cut it again though because it looks ridiculous right now so I've been using a flat iron on the bangs and top layers.

I don't really care if they grow, I guess, I want the stupid back to grow! Does this 'selective' growth work? Like if I don't damage the back, but I damage the front, will the back grow or will it.. idk.. protest? Cause a backlash, maybe? (okay sorry I couldn't resist that one -.-) I don't MIND length in the front at all, I could just do without it.

Any help would be appreciated.

The only thing I would worry about would be the 'top layers'...is that part of what will be the length of your hair when it gets to APL?

As long as you are avoiding damaging the areas that you want to grow and you don't mind if the rest stays shorter, it should be fine. Just be as gentle as possible with the other parts, since you don't want to end up with two very different hair textures. :shrug:

[toodramatik]

The only thing I would worry about would be the 'top layers'...is that part of what will be the length of your hair when it gets to APL?

As long as you are avoiding damaging the areas that you want to grow and you don't mind if the rest stays shorter, it should be fine. Just be as gentle as possible with the other parts, since you don't want to end up with two very different hair textures. :shrug:

The top layers are the ones on my crown. Currently each strand is around 2.5 inches long. They're growing too because I can no longer "spike" them unless I want to look really silly.

My hair is relatively sturdy, at one point I was flat-ironing it every day for about 5 months and I baby'd it back to health, and managed to get it from a bob to BSL in just over a year.

I've never dyed it so there's no chemical damage.

[pradabacon]

Well, I personally don't see a big problem with it then. I would rather do what I could to style it in a way I could tolerate while it grows out than keep being tempted to cut it. You aren't going to hurt the back if you aren't doing anything to it. You also might mix it up a little by finding a couple of cute half-ups or headbands or something, just so you aren't ironing it every day.

Otherwise, I say have at it and happy growing. :D

[ktani]

Hey all.

Around 2 months ago I cut my hair into a pixie-thing. Not quite a pixie. Basically, it was like this haircut:

http://hollywoodandvine.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/rihanna.jpg

The back was shaved with mens' clippers into a #5. My boyfriend @ the time felt it and said "No way, that's a 3.5-4, that's not a #5". I don't know anything about mens' clippers, but I do know that my pretty wavy hair stuck up really straight. Like electricity straight, and it felt like carpet.

It's growing out now. The back is about an 1.5-2 inches long per strand, the bangs and top layers haven't grown that much though, atleast, I don't think.

I've re-evaluated my long hair goals after going to a wig shop yesterday for fun. So now I'm not really interested in growing my hair past APL, but I do want to maintain it at that length and keep it healthy.

I'm really tempted to cut it again though because it looks ridiculous right now so I've been using a flat iron on the bangs and top layers.

I don't really care if they grow, I guess, I want the stupid back to grow! Does this 'selective' growth work? Like if I don't damage the back, but I damage the front, will the back grow or will it.. idk.. protest? Cause a backlash, maybe? (okay sorry I couldn't resist that one -.-) I don't MIND length in the front at all, I could just do without it.

Any help would be appreciated.

It will all grow. No backlash, lol. What you do not damage will just appear to grow longer because of less to no breakage.