Why does such a small trim make such a big difference?

[Curlsgirl]

Okay after I washed my hair today, I trimmed about 1.5 inches from my hair using Feye's trimming method (U-shape). I can't believe how much difference it made. Is it just my imagination or have others experienced this? It just FEELS bouncier and looks so much better in my opinion. I think perhaps I need to do a trim like this as it continues to grow to keep my ends neater. I think I'll be happier with it.

[Rivanariko]

I did my first Feye trim at the beginning of the month. I wouldn't say my hair got bouncier (I would be worried if my straight hair suddenly started curling up in ringlets after taking off an inch!) it certainly felt healthier, happier, and I thought it looked a lot better. It's easier to detangle and maintain like this as well.

I'm glad to hear that you're happy with it again!

[Curlsgirl]

I did my first Feye trim at the beginning of the month. I wouldn't say my hair got bouncier (I would be worried if my straight hair suddenly started curling up in ringlets after taking off an inch!) it certainly felt healthier, happier, and I thought it looked a lot better. It's easier to detangle and maintain like this as well.

I'm glad to hear that you're happy with it again!
Thanks! :flower:

[spidermom]

1.5 inches isn't such a small trim, although that's the amount that was trimmed from my hair last stylist visit. I've found a surprising difference even when trimming the bottom 1/4 inch. I have no idea why.

[holomi]

I believe it is probably similar to trimming the end of a frayed ribbon or rope. It gets rid of the scraggly bits and leaves a smooth end to the tips.

That is just a guess though. :)

[Curlsgirl]

Well I think the reason it SEEMED small was because the ends were thinner than I thought they were so it was a smaller amount. Also when I used to get trims I would always get a lot more than that in the old pre LHC days! I think I had some very old old layers that made it even thinner than it would have been from just not trimming for a while. Anyway, it's a mystery I am happy with!

[Curlsgirl]

I believe it is probably similar to trimming the end of a frayed ribbon or rope. It gets rid of the scraggly bits and leaves a smooth end to the tips.

That is just a guess though. :)

Well that certainly makes sense!

[misstwist]

I'm so glad to hear you are pleased with it! :flowers:

[mwedzi]

1.5" is a not that tiny of a trim. When I hear "tiny trim", I think less than 1/2". When I've cut more than an inch off, I've also noticed a big difference. Most of my single strand knots are on the oldest parts of my hair, and so most of my tangling is there. I have very very few split ends (few enough where I can go months without seeing one), but for people who have them, a good chunk of those are on the oldest parts, too.

Also, the ends will look thicker because you've cut off the oldest parts where only a small percentage of your strands (the oldest) have reached. You cut back to a length that more strands have reached, so you get a thicker appearance, too.

[DMARTINEZ]

Yay! Yes it does make a difference! :)

[Snowflakey]

Yes, that happens to my hair too. Everytime I do a long dusting/S&D session, my hair feels A LOT softer and more smooth/shiny. It doesn't even knot as easily for a few weeks after. It's pretty amazing.

[Quixii]

I'm really glad to here it! I was worried when you made your thread sounding all depressed and wanting to cut your hair. :(
I've been trying the "no trim" thing because I realized everytime I grew to start getting past tailbone I would "trim" it back to hip or tailbone, and repeat the process. I'll never get to classic if I keep trimming it because it drips down my, ah, "vertical smile."

[Ravenwaves 88]

How do you trim like that by yourself?

[Toadstool]

I had 1/2 an inch trimmed off my bottom layer yesterday, and it looked like a tiny amount to me. But my hair is really bouncy now and I feel it's made a huge difference.
Glad you're happy.:)

[juliaxena]

I'm really, really, really happy for you. You have one of the best hair here in my opinion. So yay. Can we see?

[kdaniels8811]

Ravenswave - look for Feye's self trim method, a lot of us swear by it! You can cut off exactly how much you want to, instead of having a hairdresser hack off inches. Search the articles section for it.

[Carolyn]

I think it just freshens up the old tired ends and makes them behave. I'm always amazed at how much thicker my hair feels after a trim. Of course my hair isn't really thicker. My ends are just more blunt.

[jivete]

I don't know, but I'm glad it does. I've only done very small trims since coming to LHC (<1/2"), but they make me and my hair feel better. I have to watch how often I do them though because even if they're tiny, if I trim every few weeks, my hair will never gain length.

[JamieLeigh]

Like someone else said, maybe it's like trimming the frayed end of a rope. Or maybe it's just the newness that we like so much. Mine always feels like a different head of hair after just a 1/4" trim, which is amazing because I'm sure it's barely even visible that I've trimmed. Also I like to try to maintain thickness as I grow (which means I grow slower, but I don't end up trimming large chunks all at once at the end of the year to thicken things out).

I'm so happy that you're excited about your hair again! :flower: Sometimes a small change is all you need.

[Tess2319]

Here is a link to Feye's Self Trim instructions. Wow was this hard to find. Maybe we could get it added to the VIT list?

http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim/

[akevita2002]

Could someone give me the link of the famous self trimming method? I would like to try it. I've searched for it in the articles section, but didn't find it...Probably I was searching in the wrong place or didn't see it. I apologize, but I looked several times and getting frustrated lol.. Thank you in advance :)

[akevita2002]

oh....i was typing while you gave the link :D

[Presto]

After a good S&D session I always think my hair feels longer. :D
I should reallydo a real trim of my ends, they're growing all funny. It's been more than a year, probably aproaching two years. I don't think the center back grows as fast as the sides of my head.

[Deborah]

A couple of inches off the bottom always makes my hair feel fresh and renewed, and I scarcely notice the difference in length. It's always well worth it to me.

Perhaps the difference in attitude to this has to do with whether long hair is a long term comfortable part of our lives, or whether it is new, and our attitude is maybe a little obsessive. I'm a lifer, so a cut seems fine and normal to me. For someone to whom this is newer, every inch may seem terribly important and hard won, and to such a person losing a couple of inches might seem traumatic.

It's all in your perspective.

Anyway, CG, I am so glad that you are happy with your freshened hair, and able to enjoy it. :flower:

[Tess2319]

oh....i was typing while you gave the link :D
You wish for it and it appears... :magic:

[teela1978]

I've never understood it. The tiniest trim, 1/8 to 1/4 inch and my hair just all feels better. Can't imagine why.

[mhiap]

I agree that it makes a huge difference! I did a Feye self trim this week and cut off about an inch of dry damaged ends and it's like I have a whole new head of hair. The ends must have been really thin because it feels a lot thicker now :)
I worried for weeks about trimming, I didn't really want to lose any length but I'm glad I did.
Glad trimming has made you happy too!

[Lamb]

I'm very glad you could solve your hair problem so easily, 1.5" isn't that much to sacrifice for hair-happiness! :cheese:

[Ponytale]

I just said this to myself last week after a trim. Also--even though I my hair is pretty much straight, the very ends seem to wave up for a few days.

[Ravenwaves 88]

OMG this is just what my hair needed to tame the ends a bit. I just cut 2.5 inches and it looks great. I'm at 28.5 inches now. Thank you for the link to the cut. It was easier than I thought it would be.

[BeatlesFanGirl]

My friend trimmed 0,5 inch off my hair this week, and even this half inch made my hair feel different, thicker and better.

[Curlsgirl]

Thanks again for all the well-wishes and compliments and encouragement! I am wearing my hair in a half-up today and very happy with the way it looks again!!! I had no idea that a trim could do that for me! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!:cheese::cheese::cheese:

[JamieLeigh]

Here is a link to Feye's Self Trim instructions. Wow was this hard to find. Maybe we could get it added to the VIT list?

http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim/


I second this. I tried to find it the other day to give someone the link in another message on the board, and I gave up after awhile. :(

[Melisande]

Inspired by this thread, I trimmed off a tiny bit from my ends today. And oho, it looks so much better!

[DarkChocolate]

I noticed small trims make a huge difference for me. I did one last year and I swore that it was an optical illusion because my hair looked alot thicker:) Especially if there are a few ends that are a few inches longer than most of the hair it creates kind of an optical illusion of the hair as a whole being thinner than it is. A small trim can make a huge difference.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15687

[curlylocks85]

Personally, I think trims make a difference for me because my ends tangle and a small trim seems to make my ends breath again. I think my hair always feels good but the ends hide the truth from me until I trim them.

[GoddesJourney]

Yeah, I just trimmed about 1.25 inches yesterday and I'm sooo happy with it myself. It's worth it to lose length. I guess it's that you get rid of the very worst part (most straggly and damaged) so your hair is that much happier.

[ravenreed]

When I don't trim, it seems that I lose almost as much length to tangling and breakage as when I do trim. When I trim, my ends are so well behaved! I get compliments on my ends all the time too. I do a micro trim every two months or so and my friends are saying nice things about how it looks. So I am not hitting my goal as fast as if I didn't trim. I love my hair now and I will love it even more when it hits my goal.

[Little_Bird]

It makes me very happy to know it went so well for you! It makes me feel good about my new thickenning journey to come...

Thank you for sharing :flower:

[jojo]

1.5 inches isn't such a small trim, although that's the amount that was trimmed from my hair last stylist visit. I've found a surprising difference even when trimming the bottom 1/4 inch. I have no idea why.
I find this too, it must be we have baby splits on the very ends which ? snag when combing, whatever it is I notice a huge difference in the tangles on even a teeny dust

[Tangles]

Same here. I feel like figuring out how much to trim given your hairtype and growth rate is really important. It seems like the more your hair tends to tangle and get brittle, the more heavily trims will weigh on the benefit vs. cost side.

[GlennaGirl]

Yes. In fact, I just trimmed about 3/4" tonight. I can't believe what a difference it has made. And yes, my hair seems bouncier. :)

[RocketDog]

I did a trim tonight as well, using the 'compact' method instead of Feye's - even though I didn't do much more than a dusting (maybe a 'tinseling' at best, ha!) my ends feel so much smoother. I don't trim on any sort of schedule, just whenever my ends bug me enough to actually make me want to grab my shears, but it really does help improve not only the texture of my ends, but the way I feel about my hair's appearance. And hey, any little bit of self-esteem boosting I can get is a good thing!