Cutting off pony tip

[MadHatter]

So you put your hair in a ponytail on top of your head, pull the elastic (scrunchy, whatever you use) down to the very end, and cut off the tip. What is the final effect of this? Is it a layering, of sorts? Like a series of layers that don't end abruptly, but blend in together? I hope that made sense.

[Quixii]

While I haven't done this, visualizing doing that makes me think it would give you a gentle U. I think.

[girloctopus]

I think it may give you the gentle layers. It sounds similar to the layering technique hairstylists use, but with all your hair at once rather than sections one-at-a-time. I think it would form an inverted U shape though, since the ponytail would be in the middle of the head. :shrug: I may be visualizing it wrong though.

[Vrushali]

Gentle layers is my vote. I think I saw a youtube video where the lady did this to get layers but I am not 100% sure.

[HairColoredHair]

Layers, I think, but if it's on the back of your head you'll get in inverted U shape, is my guess.

[GoddesJourney]

Inverted U, with interesting layers. If your hair is short enough, you get a mullet look. Yours is not, but I'm pretty sure this is not a technique that will give you something you want.

[Raederle]

I cut my daughter's hair this way, and she loved it. You need to be sure to perch that pony way up high on the head. It makes for a pretty natural looking U hemline, with nice layering effects. Her hair was about hip length at longest when I cut it that way. She's had me cut it that way at varying lengths up to about shoulder length.

To give her an idea how it would look the first time, I put her hair up dry, then dipped about the last 2 inches in water, took the elastic down, and she could tell that the wet parts would be the cut parts --KWIM??

[AngelInDisguise]

So you put your hair in a ponytail on top of your head, pull the elastic (scrunchy, whatever you use) down to the very end, and cut off the tip. What is the final effect of this? Is it a layering, of sorts? Like a series of layers that don't end abruptly, but blend in together? I hope that made sense.

Don't pull the elastic. You just take the ponytail into your hands and then snip the tip of.

Usually you would not make the ponytail on top of the head but at the front, exactly in the middle.

This will give you blending in layers, shorter in front, getting gradually longer in the back.

But this means REALLY HEAVY layering.

I did this when growing out a short cut and needed some layers to make the hair a tad bit 'lighter'. But I never used all of the hair, only parted the hair horizontically above the ears.

You can use this technique for a layered face frame also, then you part the hair vertically from ear to ear.

EDIT: Raerderle is a much faster typer than I am! ;)

[Bluebell]

You don't have curly hair, neither have I so you might have a similar result as I when you try it. You can start with a little snip to see how it looks and cut a bigger part off when you like it. You could have a look at my album to see what it looks like with me. Maybe you can see the layering and v shape on the photo in my signature? I hope this is helpfull. :)

[embee]

I did this and it was a catastrophe for me. It made any updo end with a blunt bunch of hair like a paint brush and I could not get the ends tucked in right for many months until things started to fairytale again.

So think carefully before you *do* it. I agree that it should give layers, but whatever it gave didn't work for me.... and since I don't (and didn't) wear my hair down or loose, the hemline was not the big point - I was just "trying for a change" - this was right before I found LHC. Accck. I chopped off 8 inches of the ponytail, all the way back to the main length - maybe I was trying to get rid of the fairytale ends, I don't know. I was so shocked by the result that I'm not quite sure what I did to start with, but I still have the end tied off with a ribbon in my handkerchief drawer, just to remind me not to do this again. Those ends were so pretty and soft. :(

Maybe you have to make the pony where you do NOT make any updo.... ??

[Heidi_234]

On the TOP of your head? Massive inverted layer :scared:
Put those scissors down. :?

[AngelInDisguise]

Massiv - yes, inverted - no.

In principle the pony is the easy-homemade variation of this technique: How to layer long hair (http://www.hairfinder.com/hair/howtolayerlonghair.htm).

[Heidi_234]

Massiv - yes, inverted - no.

In principle the pony is the easy-homemade variation of this technique: How to layer long hair (http://www.hairfinder.com/hair/howtolayerlonghair.htm).
Yes, you're right. I had the wrong picture in my mind :o

[AngelInDisguise]

No problem :blossom: - I did quite a lot of research to the topic.

I only wanted to clarify in case someone is on the lookout for inverted layering! (Light inverted layering was done quite a lot in the 80s - at least in Germany. It should make the hair to create an inroll at the hemline)

[Arctic]

There are lot of tutorial of this all over the net. I think if you comb your hair well and do every step carefully, make sure the pony is at the middle, etc and cut only little bit at the time, it will be looking great and subtle (if that's what you are after)! I have read that the placement of the ponytail, the angle the ponytail is hold from the head and how much you cut at a time can make some difference on the final results. Always cut a little bit and check how the hair looks down.

PS. Spidermom just used this method!

ETA: I think using two scrunchies would be better if you want slide the scrunchie down the ponytail, leaving the other one at the base of the pony.

[Exodus]

I did this (last year). Ponytail on top of my head. Snip - heavy layering. And I mean really heavy. And V-shaped. Did it to get rid of some of the hennaed parts of my hair. And it took more than one cut to get a good result. If you do it, try a small cut first...

[Sylvanas]

This is my favourite self trim method! I've been doing this since I was 13. It gives me a very subtle u-shaped hemline. Not at all inverted. Depending on where you place the ponytail, you get longer or shorter layers. I usually place mine as a high pony almost at the top of my head, make sure it's really tight, then attach another elastic at the tip before cutting. You gotta make sure it's all even before you start cutting. That's the trick :)

If you position the ponytail close to your forehead, you will only be cutting the top layer of your hair (unless you choose to cut off several inches), and the layers might be too dramatic for your taste. I always opt to trim all of the hair, so with my positioning I can take off 1 inch of the top layer and half an inch of the bottom layer at the same time (numbers may not be accurate as I haven't measured, just trying to describe the process). My hair is wavy, but I often comb it straight. This method works well either way, and it creates subtle layers that blend in.

If anyone is interested in trying it, I'd definitely recommend starting out with a rather low ponytail. You can always move it up and cut more, but you can't get back what you've cut off. Once you get used to it, it's a super fast and easy way to trim hair.

[spidermom]

I recently did this and only cut off about 3 scraggly, dried out inches. This is the result (with braid waves):
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/posttrim.jpg

[MadHatter]

I can't imagine how it would be inverted. And I'm not thinking of cutting off a substantial portion, just the veeeeery tip. Of course, I've not made up my mind about doing this, it's just something I'm considering. I feel that my completely blunt hemline is inhibiting the movement of my hair. I can't wear my hair loose without big sections getting twisted together, and as a consequence, forming tangles. I could be wrong about the cause, of course. Am I way off to think that some very mild layering would allow more free movement? I'm not talking about (what I consider) true layers here, where you can clearly see where the different layers end, but something blended, like what you see on someone who hasn't trimmed in a long time (but doesn't yet have fairytales). KWIM? Thanks everyone who provided or directed me to pictures! And Raederle, that's a great idea with wetting the tip! I'll give that a try!

[spidermom]

Just a little more info. I started with my hair wet and full of conditioner, bent forward, combed my hair very smooth to make a ponytail in the middle of the top of my head, then combed the tail very smooth and slid my fingers (not the hair tie) down the length toward the end, then cut off the 3-inch (or so) tip. It didn't amount to very much hair, but it definitely helped reverse the knotting-up that I was experiencing from dried-out ends.

[Sylvanas]

Am I way off to think that some very mild layering would allow more free movement? I'm not talking about (what I consider) true layers here, where you can clearly see where the different layers end, but something blended, like what you see on someone who hasn't trimmed in a long time (but doesn't yet have fairytales).

I think your current hemline is beautiful, but you are spot on with the description of not yet fairytale ends.

[Amara]

I have done this before but I brushed all my hair toward my face and made a pony right in front of my nose, and pulled the pony straight out from my face. That give me a U with soft layering and shorter layers in front. :)

[Raederle]

And Raederle, that's a great idea with wetting the tip! I'll give that a try!

You're welcome; it was the easiest way I could think of to let me see how it would look. She, of course, had no difficulty, but I'm spatially impaired :o.

[darkwaves]

I've done this to trim the ends of my never-ending layers -- the result? Softer ends... I guess I cut so little there was no obvious difference in length.

spidermom -- I love your cut! and Bluebell, yours is lovely, too. Interesting -- one is fairly blunt, the other very much a V-shape. Can anyone explain to me why? how to get one shape vs another this way, I mean.

Thanks!

[JamieLeigh]

I do this, exactly, and it gives me a VERY mild U. Almost imperceptible from the straight hemline, actually, unless you look really close. :)

[Bluebell]

I've done this to trim the ends of my never-ending layers -- the result? Softer ends... I guess I cut so little there was no obvious difference in length.

spidermom -- I love your cut! and Bluebell, yours is lovely, too. Interesting -- one is fairly blunt, the other very much a V-shape. Can anyone explain to me why? how to get one shape vs another this way, I mean.

Thanks!

:)Thanks! Maybe the different hemlines are because I could have snipped off a bigger part?

[ZenBird07]

Are we talkin about Fayes self trim methods? This seems a lot like her instruction. Am I wrong? Still currently debating about whether to have a trim. I think I'm slowly changing my mind about trims. My hair has just been really healthy since coming here and finding solutions that I might not need it... Shall I just retire my shears?

[Arctic]

Are we talkin about Fayes self trim methods? This seems a lot like her instruction. Am I wrong? Still currently debating about whether to have a trim. I think I'm slowly changing my mind about trims. My hair has just been really healthy since coming here and finding solutions that I might not need it... Shall I just retire my shears?

ZENBird07: this is not Feye's method, hers also has a ponytail but it is done at the nape, here the pony is done at the top of the head. Feye's method gives blunt hemline (straight, V or U shaped) and this method gives layers (and apparently gently shapes the hemline too) and depending of the positioning of the ponytail the layers can be more subtle or dramatic.

[jivete]

I have done this before but I brushed all my hair toward my face and made a pony right in front of my nose, and pulled the pony straight out from my face. That give me a U with soft layering and shorter layers in front. :)

Did you get layers at the back with your method, or just the sides? I like layers on the sides of my hair but not the back and would love to find an easy way to maintain/create it.

[sherigayle]

This is how I cut my layers. A blunt hemline is just way too heavy for me. I don't remember how much I cut off, but it made my shortest layer shoulder length. I have a pic in my album with my hair down not long after the cut. It's the longer one where I'm wearing black.