Uneven hair, thinking of a trim. (or a chop? "/)

[coscass]

So, I've always known my hair is uneven. I went a few months back to get it evened out. I guess one side of my hair just grows faster than the other (MUCH faster).

So this is what I'm stuck with, which, if I wear it up (half up-half down, or just up in a bun etc) doesn't look so bad:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/The_Squirrel_Has_Spoken/onetwothree.jpg
But I love wearing my hair down. And I feel very self conscious about it. People (the girls I went to beauty school with) point out that it's uneven, and they ask if I'll let them cut it.

So, I'm thinking about going in whenever this snow lets up. Should I trim it to line 1, 2, or 3? :( What would you guys do, and why?

[spidermom]

Line 3, definitely, unless you can see a lot of damage above it. I can't, all I see is beautiful, shiny curls. Lose as little length as you can get away with.

(My right-side hair grows faster than my left; one reason for my regular trims.)

[invisiblebabe]

Trim it to line 3. You have lovely thick hair. :)

[jivete]

If you want to trim I'd only go to 3, just to get the hem looking more even. I'm not sure why you'd want to go to 1 or 2. Personally, I would straighten it first just to make sure it's not tighter curl pattern making it look uneven. The middle of my hair is like this. No matter what I do, I always look like I have a gap in the middle of my hem. Trimming won't help it and I'd just lose hair.

You hair looks beautiful, whatever you decide to do.

[jera]

I think if you just trim it around the #3 level it will be nicely evened out. My hair grows unevenly too and, like you, I prefer to wear it down. It's a challenge.:p

[coscass]

About how much would you say that is? This is one of the reasons I hate growing my hair out- even when I tell the people I only want a microtrim, and then, little by little, they can take more off (because my hair shrinks when it's dry, but you all know that)- it always gets messed up. They take at least 1 1/2-2 inches off and I feel like I want to scream.


If you want to trim I'd only go to 3, just to get the hem looking more even. I'm not sure why you'd want to go to 1 or 2. Personally, I would straighten it first just to make sure it's not tighter curl pattern making it look uneven. The middle of my hair is like this. No matter what I do, I always look like I have a gap in the middle of my hem. Trimming won't help it and I'd just lose hair.

You hair looks beautiful, whatever you decide to do.

You think I should load it with some coney heat protectant and flat iron it tonight, just to be sure?

[Sissy]

You think I should load it with some coney heat protectant and flat iron it tonight, just to be sure?

I don't think you need to flat iron it to get it straight. Could you just blow dry it on low-heat or cool setting? I would use a blow dryer to straighten it and then trim to 3 or less. I would just even up the ends... I wouldn't do more than necessary because your hair seems nice and thick and in good condition.

My hair was severely uneven looking and I ended up losing almost 2 inches but people didn't really even notice I cut it but what is noticeable is that the ends are much nicer. I could have probably gotten away with having less trimmed off.

[FrannyG]

For the love of all that is holy, don't cut above line 3!!!!!! :bigeyes: I don't know that you need to straighten your hair per se, but you could just have someone pull the ends taut and compare.

I know that it's difficult for you to tell just how much hair that is due to your curls. Perhaps you could just take a section of the hair you want cut, measure how much you want cut, and then stretch that same bit to see the "real" measurement.

Good luck, and keep us posted. :blossom:

[coscass]

For the love of all that is holy, don't cut above line 3!!!!!! :bigeyes:
:p i lol'd so hard at this!! i'll keep you guys posted..i think im just gunna bite the bullet and flat iron my hair tonight. reason being my allergy pill hasnt been working lately(i think they've expired), and every time i hop in the shower i get hives. so i'd rather just flat iron it.I'll run out after this snowstorm, pick up some new allergy pills, then DT for a few hours the next night. Should be okay.

[morguebabe]

Yeah line 3 not above it! Your hair is amazing.

[Carolyn]

How about going up to line 3 or less and rounding out the other side to match? I can't believe I just said that :D It might be a way for you to feel both sides match as you grow out.

[coscass]

How about going up to line 3 or less and rounding out the other side to match? I can't believe I just said that :D It might be a way for you to feel both sides match as you grow out.
Well, I had originally planned to grow my hair to about waist-ish (2-3 more inches to go, even though its at my hips already, which are under rolls of...fat, so yeah, i don't really count that) then get a deep u hemline cut in. So if I round the side out, can I still do that?

I just wish hair would do its job and grow correctly lolol. I'm the kind of person who colours every 6-ish months, and trims maybe once a year (if that)

[spidermom]

I flinch at the word "flat-iron". I have only had my hair flat-ironed twice in the past 4-1/2 years. A couple of days ago, I was doing S&D and found burn spots on a cluster of hairs, which occurred about 3 inches up from the hem. It would have left a gap to S&D them, so I didn't. I don't think knowing whether or not your curl is making your hem uneven is worth risking the damage. How it appears to yourself and others when you wear it down is the issue, not whether or not it would appear even if you straightened it.

O.k., sorry; I'll stop now. I'm still upset about the burn in my own hair.

[coscass]

I don't think knowing whether or not your curl is making your hem uneven is worth risking the damage. How it appears to yourself and others when you wear it down is the issue, not whether or not it would appear even if you straightened it.


Maybe you're right. I'd rather NOT flat iron it, but I AM curious to see how long it would be straight. Hmmm. Maybe I'll think on it for an hour or so.

[myrrhmaiden]

Oh! Don't feel bad! It's totally normal for one side or one part to grow faster than another. Definitely only get the longer side trimmed up to match the shorter. That's all you need. Your hair is beautiful. No hacky choppy!

[embee]

Right. Since you're worried about how even it *looks*, then make it so it looks even.

Don't you have somebody who could pull a curl on each side straight and see how different the lengths really are? Just to avoid the flat iron. I cannot think that thing would benefit your hair in any way. We have several people on here with uneven hair - I'm thinking the Countess is one of them.

Or you might give a huge smile and just tell those who criticize, "Yes!!! I've been working to get my hair this way for ever!! I'm almost there!" Let them figure out the response to that. :)

[little_acorn]

Don't trim above line 3 - its gorgeous :D

[jesamyn]

Your hair is gorgeous! I love the color and shine and curls. I'm also voting for cutting to line 3. I have to add that I'm relieved that I'm not the only person whose hair grows faster on one side. I really did think it was 'just me'.

[coscass]

Your hair is gorgeous! I love the color and shine and curls. I'm also voting for cutting to line 3. I have to add that I'm relieved that I'm not the only person whose hair grows faster on one side. I really did think it was 'just me'.

Me too! I mean I've heard of it happening, but I've never had a client where i could actually SEE it. most times, you can just feel the length difference. I was sort of ashamed of it since it looks like such a drastic difference, but I do feel better now.

Thanks for all these compliments guys:o:pI feel really shy lol

[Kaijah]

Personally, I don't think your hair really looks damaged enough to need a trim (I just see gorgeous curls), so if you wanted a U hemline anyway.... why not just try cutting more of a U into that left side? I think it might even everything out better than cutting straight across...

And then your hair should just grow down in a U, and you could do any trims you wanted on that shape. It shouldn't affect your growth at all.

As for getting it straight, does it straighten out at all when you twist/bun/braid it? How does it look when it's all soaking wet?

[Spring]

I agree with the others, the 3 line should do fine :)

[coscass]

As for getting it straight, does it straighten out at all when you twist/bun/braid it? How does it look when it's all soaking wet?

Braiding gets it... hmmm, sort of straight. More wavy than anything,e ven if I do a big braid. It's probably the straightest my hair gets (there's actually a pic in my album, im in a blue sweater thing). I haven't yet braided/twisted my hair when it's wet (I don't really..know how. That sounds silly, I know)

[Dementia1013]

Such beautiful thick hair! :D

[Little_Bird]

I'd trim to line 3, as I agree with Spidermom. I don't see any damage, and trimming to line 3 would already give you a much straighter hemline. It seems you wouldn't lose much lenght at all. If you get it trimmed pulled straight, I wouldn't be surprised if you needed even less taken off :) :flower:

[Arrow Juniper]

I've got to agree with the majority of people here and say line 3, and no more. If you must truly cut it at all, that is. Let those other beauticians care for their own hair!

[linda g]

Line 3!!!!

[redneckprincess]

start with line 3 and if you decide you need more then you can go with it or give your self more time to think about it

[GoddesJourney]

3 is enough. Just round up the other side so it's mirror image. Looks geat!

[walterSCAN]

To be completely honest, if I had your hair I would leave it exactly like it is... but I'm really fond of asymmetry. I think it looks gorgeous as-is, and the difference in length is so regular it looks like it's on purpose. :shrug:

If you really want it evened somehow though, I will echo those suggesting just cutting the left side to match the right. Then you'd have your U!

[countryhopper]

:p i lol'd so hard at this!! i'll keep you guys posted..i think im just gunna bite the bullet and flat iron my hair tonight. reason being my allergy pill hasnt been working lately(i think they've expired), and every time i hop in the shower i get hives. so i'd rather just flat iron it.I'll run out after this snowstorm, pick up some new allergy pills, then DT for a few hours the next night. Should be okay.

Sorry, I haven't read all the comments yet, so forgive me if someone has already posted this.

If you have hives after showering, you could be allergic or sensitive to an ingredient in your shampoo. i can't remember which site I read it on (could have been livejournalcommunity), where many people said they had the same reaction. Anywhere the shampoo or conditioner touched their skin after rinsing would get a red, painful rash.

You might look up some no-poo info to see if that helps?

Anyhow, back to your post:D... I'd cut to line 3. You might need to keep that up to keep the hemline even.

[Demetrue]

I wouldn't straighten it or wet it to even up the hemline. I would have a trusted friend use masking tape and a level and put tape across the bottom at line three and just cut across the left side using the bottom of the tape as a guide. I would have my friend cut it dry and curly because that is how to get it looking even when it is dry and curly.

[coscass]

Sorry, I haven't read all the comments yet, so forgive me if someone has already posted this.

If you have hives after showering, you could be allergic or sensitive to an ingredient in your shampoo. i can't remember which site I read it on (could have been livejournalcommunity), where many people said they had the same reaction. Anywhere the shampoo or conditioner touched their skin after rinsing would get a red, painful rash.

You might look up some no-poo info to see if that helps?

Anyhow, back to your post:D... I'd cut to line 3. You might need to keep that up to keep the hemline even.Thanks for the thought, but I don't use shampoo as it is (okay, I use it once a month, maybe), and I don't use any kind of body wash besides this all natural stuff. It's the water- I either have an allergy to something in the water (hard water, to be exact. I haven't yet had the chance to test my theory in city water), or I just get random hives from it.

Either way, seems to be as long as I'm on this pill I'm okey-dokey. I guess I've just had them too long lol. Anyway, thanks again!


I wouldn't straighten it or wet it to even up the hemline. I would have a trusted friend use masking tape and a level and put tape across the bottom at line three and just cut across the left side using the bottom of the tape as a guide. I would have my friend cut it dry and curly because that is how to get it looking even when it is dry and curly.That's a great idea, the masking tape. Thanks!

[countryhopper]

Thanks for the thought, but I don't use shampoo as it is (okay, I use it once a month, maybe), and I don't use any kind of body wash besides this all natural stuff. It's the water- I either have an allergy to something in the water (hard water, to be exact. I haven't yet had the chance to test my theory in city water), or I just get random hives from it.

Either way, seems to be as long as I'm on this pill I'm okey-dokey. I guess I've just had them too long lol. Anyway, thanks again!

Ok, just thought I'd throw that out there!

Wow, kind of scary that WATER could cause that kind of reaction...what's IN IT????!!!!!

[coscass]

Ok, just thought I'd throw that out there!

Wow, kind of scary that WATER could cause that kind of reaction...what's IN IT????!!!!! No idea. It's probably one of the..mineraly-things. And, well, it isn't fatal, just annoying, so no worries. :p

[juliaxena]

How about going up to line 3 or less and rounding out the other side to match? I can't believe I just said that :D It might be a way for you to feel both sides match as you grow out.

I was going to say it looks like you have a natural U shape and you could just cut on side to match too.