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View Full Version : When do you know you are ready for a real cut/trim?



Pear Martini
January 31st, 2010, 04:30 PM
I know a lot of us S&D between going to the salon/barber shop. I am wondering at what point you realize that your hair needs to see a professional or is just due for an inch more or less to be chopped?

Do you wait til the whole bottem part is frayed? Or do you have a set date, maybe once every three months?

Merewen
January 31st, 2010, 04:54 PM
Right now I'm playing it by ear. I have a trim scheduled for the middle of April ("Yes, mother, I am going to trim my hair before my wedding."), but if I start to not like my hemline, I'll go ahead and trim it.

camirra555
January 31st, 2010, 05:21 PM
I'm trying to stretch my trims right now to keep length. I've heard curly hair doesn't need to be trimmed as often and for me it seems true. I used to get trims every 3 to 4 months because it seemed like the thing to do but my hair didn't really need it. I'd say get a trim when you just cant stand the ends anymore or they start to look like they really need it

jaine
January 31st, 2010, 05:27 PM
I plan to get a professional trim when I have unbearable shape issues ... the kind where I'm absentmindedly reaching for the scissors every time I look in the bathroom mirror and then catching myself, because I know how badly that turns out when I try to fix it myself :p

FrannyG
January 31st, 2010, 05:32 PM
I trim 1/2 inch off of my hair every 3 or 4 months. My hair is so straight, and of course not every strand grows at the same rate, so after 3 or 4 months, my hair looks a little bit raggedy.

I think people with 1c or wavier hair can often go longer between trims.

I just like a neat hemline. Also, my hair grows quite rapidly, so I still have slightly above average growth even after the trims.

Ursula
January 31st, 2010, 05:41 PM
I just trim when the mood strikes. I trimmed about 4-6 inches last week - I had a lot of split ends, and a bit more taper than I like, so I self-trimmed using Feye's method.

I have no length goal right now. I'm not maintaining, I'm not growing, I just have hair on my head.

I mostly just trim when the mood strikes, which tends to be triggered by when the condition of my ends annoys me. At my length 4 inches trim isn't noticeable to anyone but me, and then more in the shape of the ends and the way things tuck in when I put my hair up.

spidermom
January 31st, 2010, 05:44 PM
The last time I trimmed (last weekend), I did it because when I was looking at my hair for S&D, I saw that one hair out of every 10-20 was damaged. It was just way too much for me to contemplate trimming off one by one. I looked at my hair yesterday and only found 3 split ends, so that's a big improvement.

Elphie
January 31st, 2010, 05:44 PM
I have only had one trim in the past year and a half, with a few dustings every six months. This April, I beleive I'm going to take off an inch. It could use it now just to even things up, but I think I'll wait till then.

Bunnicula
January 31st, 2010, 06:18 PM
I used to S&D (before I knew what it was called) until the splits just got out of control or the shape was getting uneven. Maybe about twice a year at most. Now I'm hoping that taking better care of my hair will lead to a longer amount of time between trims. I do want a blunt hemline though, so I'll trim the ends when I feel better about the length.

Peter
January 31st, 2010, 06:25 PM
I trim my own hair so I pretty much just do it whenever I feel like it. There's no schedule whatsoever to it; I've trimmed twice in 2 weeks before and I've also gone 3-4 months without trims. Whenever my ends start tangling more than usual, or they feel rough, I cut them.

3-4 months is generally the longest I can go without getting out the scissors. It's important to note, though, that a usual "trim" for me is very small, e.g. ~1/4" or even less. Since I started growing my hair long about 3 years ago, I've only ever done one "proper" trim myself, and that was a bit past shoulder length when I cut ~2 inches.

Hope this helps. :)

Ponytale
January 31st, 2010, 06:32 PM
When I feel very bad about myself...(unpolished, unkept, boring)

I just looked tonight, and after finally making it to 30 inches (again...) one side was terribly scraggly and the other was much longer. I said, well, I am a professional woman (and should look somewhat put together) and I am tired of wearing my hair up to hide its state! Off went three + inches. Now the hair looks twice as thick and I am just not going to think about the length for 4 months or so.

Keildra
January 31st, 2010, 07:29 PM
When my ends just need it which if I take care of my hair is about once a year

Shermie Girl
January 31st, 2010, 07:50 PM
I just know. One day I will look at my hair and feel that a trim is in order and have it done. :D

Rivanariko
January 31st, 2010, 08:03 PM
I self-trim, so it tends to be a spur of the moment "I think you need to be trimmed" kind of thing. It tends to be when I start to dislike my hemline. I don't like the way fairytale ends look on my hair, so I try to keep a blunt hemline. Or, if when S&Ding, I find that there seems to be no end to the damaged hairs, then I'll just trim straight across. I usually do micro-trims though, about 1/4", maybe 1/2" if I'm feeling really bold.

loralie
January 31st, 2010, 08:32 PM
I used to be an emotional/bored trimmer... a horrible way to be. More often than not I only felt better about my hair for a short time and then missed my length! I've also fallen victim to "hairstylist friend" pressures; your hair is fried, we need to fix it, blah.

Lately I've been trying not to cut anything but my bangs. I s&d every so often but I'm trying to ignore my hair for the sake of growing it long.. No real cuts since October! :)

Paliele
January 31st, 2010, 08:44 PM
I just trimmed recently for the first time in a couple of years. I don't plan to trim again for another couple, but I may trim before then if my hemline starts getting too pointy.

GoddesJourney
February 1st, 2010, 12:14 AM
I was trimming about monthly for awhile there while I was getting rid of my layers. When those were gone, I started trimming every two to three months to get rid of the major damage. Now I'm up with hair a lot shorter than I started out with, but most of the damage is gone and my hair is a lot thicker and more beautiful. I'm really pleased with my trimming abilities and the current quality of my hair.

My trimming indications go like this, when my hair starts to tangle/feel crunchy/have lot of split ends (these things all go together) I do an S&D to get rid of the velcroiness (if that's a word). It usually more or less works. The second time this happens and I S&D, it doesn't work as well. By the second or third time, the next one will be a trim. I still have quite a few inches of damage to grow out on the canopy but it's bearable now. I suspect that once this has grown out, I will have no more need for these regular trims and hopefully not so much on the S&D either. I hope to be able to go six months at a time without the need form trimming while still being happy with the condition of my hair. That's asking a lot because I have very little patience for tangles. Good luck to us all.

freckles
February 1st, 2010, 12:27 AM
I'm keeping an eye on this thread. In September I had a big trim (2 inches) and it was the first time scissors had touched my hair in 2 years (pre-LHC I pretty much just ignored my hair). I was much happier with it after that. I do S&D when I remember, and although I ALWAYS have lots of splits (my hair splits VERY easily), the past few weeks it seems to be even more than usual. I probably need another trim but I'm still so far from my goal length, so I'm going to S&D a LOT over the past week or so, and if that doesn't work use Feye self trim to take a TINY bit off the ends, and only if that doesn't work go to a salon.

Avalin
February 1st, 2010, 12:49 AM
I usually go to the salon (only costs me 5 bucks because they charge me for a "bang trim" when I just cut across the bottom) and ask for 1/4 inch off (and make sure the stylist knows what 1/4 inch actually looks like!) every 3 or 4 months. I don't schedule it this way, it's just that usually after 4 months my ends are looking much too uneven for my liking. Now that I joined LHC and I am putting my hair in sticks, not heat stying (I did once a week at most before but now it is zero) and taking better care of it I might go longer between trims even if the ends are slightly uneven. I do S&D all the time though.... which helps tremendously; damage is usually not an issue for me at all.
My goal (right now) is TB+ with as thick of a hemline as possible. When it starts getting close to TB I will get it trimmed more often and get more cut off to make it thicker.

Fayjoi
February 1st, 2010, 05:51 AM
My husband does microtrims every 4 months or so. Usually if I don't like how my ends feel, or they are getting too thin. He trims a bit more in the middle, so my hemline will get more blunt.

Bene
February 1st, 2010, 05:59 AM
I play it by ear, but it roughly comes out to a trim every 3-4 months, or when I notice that I have ends that have multiple splits up along a single strand. In between, I S&D to manage random split ends.

Anje
February 1st, 2010, 06:42 AM
I trim when I get fed up with the thinness of my ends. I rarely get splits at the ends themselves (though I suspect the braid ender is an occasional culprit), so splits are controlled by S&D alone.

Messyhair
February 1st, 2010, 06:42 PM
Last time around, I trimmed 1/4-1/2" every 3 months. Since I grow out from a 1" inch all-over 'do, I get crazy layers as it gets longer. This helped to get them back to one length over time.

This time around, I'm pressed for time (I have a 5-month old), so I haven't had a trim in about 6 months just because I haven't gotten around to it. I'll get a trim when I just can't stand the different lengths. When it's longer, I tend to trim it myself whenever the ends look a bit tattered/thin, and I'll probably do that again.

Naamah
February 1st, 2010, 07:52 PM
I trim my hair whenever I feel like it needs it. If my ends are horribly split, tangly, and thin I usually trim when I can't stand it anymore. I'm trying to grow out dye and damage, so I'm maintaining around the same length for a while. My trims are usually anywhere between 1/2" and 2" because of that. I only trim every few months usually.

Druid of Alba
February 1st, 2010, 07:59 PM
I'm bad- when my hair was long, I didn't do S&D, or trim it for more than a year at a time!
Now, when its long again, I will keep it in better condition, so it looks and feels healthier. Maybe, twice a year? Around November, for winter, and around May, for summer.

Smokering
February 1st, 2010, 08:19 PM
I usually trim way later than I should. I'm forgetful. :p I do it by the scraggedyness of my hemline, not by timing from my previous cut. It's due for a trim now, come to think of it... it crept down to classic when I wasn't looking, but the last four inches or so are very damaged.

JamieLeigh
February 2nd, 2010, 08:08 AM
Usually when my ends start to clump together and tangle it's time for a trim. My hair doesn't really get tangles, maybe that's a benefit from being CO for such a long time (over a year!! :D) but when the ends get thin from being let grow so long without a good trim, they start trying to wrap around themselves and that just gets on my nerves.

Nowadays, I'm maintaining at fingertip to try to move some thickness down my length, so I just trim about half an inch or more a month and I'm good. :)

Alun
February 2nd, 2010, 08:02 PM
I haven't trimmed in years, and may start again when (if?) my hair reaches my target length. Actually, that's probably about hip length, and I have a few hairs (!!!) that are almost that length, but it is very tapered, so I would like to have more than a couple of hairs get down there before I trim it. However, I do S&D, sometimes.

christine1989
February 2nd, 2010, 08:09 PM
It really depends on what you are finding when you S&D. My ends are slightly uneven but there are hardly any split ends so I never get trims. I would say that if you are finding many split ends or have dry, crunchy ends then its time to get a trim.

Kris Dove
February 3rd, 2010, 11:27 AM
I've just done it when it started looking straggly and the ends feel tangly and rough.

As an experiment, I'm going to start trying the Morocco Method of using a lunar chart for the best days to trim my hair... it needs trimmed now but I'm putting it off until the weekend as it's the best day for thickening it apparently! I've no idea if this will work whatsoever but it won't cost anything so it's worth a try! Here's the chart- http://morroccomethod.com/lunar-hair-chart

ETA- I do S&D between trims

Yozhik
February 3rd, 2010, 11:40 AM
Haven't trimmed since Septemberish.
A month or so ago I was really getting discouraged and irritated with it, and wanted to hack off all of the crispy parts, but then I started ignoring it again, and now I don't seem to notice whatever damage I have. My main goal right now is to stretch out shampoos. That seems to really benefit the condition of my ends (they get way too dry if I shampoo as regularly as I had been).

curlylocks85
February 4th, 2010, 08:24 AM
For me, my ends will become ratty in appearance. The ends will be feel rough and tangle a lot. That happens within three months. I can stretch to four, but after that, my hair gets splits like no tomorrow.

Therefore, I know I need a trim when my ends are not "healthy" anymore.

Iara
February 4th, 2010, 08:30 AM
For me, when I'm actively trying to grow, I will usually wait until my ends start to tangle alot more than usual. I find the constant need to untangle them risks breakage higher up so it's better just to remove them at that point. That usually seems to be around the 6 month mark.

Dreams_in_Pink
February 4th, 2010, 10:15 AM
I'll be ready when the difference between my pre-LHC length and LHC length is way too obvious. Then i'll chop all pre-LHC length (which varies from 11 inches to 1 inch)