Help with trimming layers please?

[Oskimosa]

I've been searching the forums, articles and the web but I haven't been able to find the right information.

I'd like to clean up my layers a bit; they take up the last 6 inches or so of my length, and I want to do it myself. I'm tired of getting dull shears from a stylist. I have such thick, coarse hair on top of that, so I think that makes it worse.. Anyhow, I thought Feye had a tutorial on cutting in your own layers, but I didn't find anything other than the hemline trim. My layers are not face-framing.

Anyone have a link or personal experience doing this?

TIA! :D

[chopandchange]

I've been trimming my own layers for years now. All I do is, I go through my hair section by section, and take a tiny bit off the ends all over.

If you have fine or thin hair, or if it's very straight, this might not be a good idea, as any irregularities would show up more. But it works for me.

[lapushka]

I don't think you searched hard enough, there are threads on this!
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33083&highlight=layers

[raspberrytea]

You can trim layers by pulling up hair section by section parallel to the floor, then trimming straight. Snip up into the hair instead of cutting across, so you get soft ends. Otherwise it will look sort of chunky and not so cute. I believe that's how a lot of stylists do it. To trim layers as deep as yours, you may have to lift your sections up higher, maybe like 75 degrees? This is how I cut my hair after trimming the hemline and it works pretty well. I wouldn't try the ponytail technique..... it seems way too imprecise and it turns out pretty shaggy.

[restourceful]

If you want to keep your layers, just trim a bit, and you really have all over layers and not just tapered ends (take a look at my progress album for what I mean), I can tell you how I do it.

Brush or comb all the tangles out. Then bend way over and brush or comb all your hair over your head. Comb it all very smooth and straight into a pony right at your front hairline but don't secure it, just hold it. If you want you layers to be longer, pull your hand away from your forehead as you move it toward the ends of your hair. If you want your layers to be shorter, pull your hand towards your belly as you move it toward the ends of your hair. Then hold your ends between two fingers or your thumb and forefinger to flatten them out and cut straight across, parallel to the floor. You don't have to trim much to end up with a lot of layers. It's pretty easy and you can do it wet or dry. I hope these instructions are clear enough. If not just PM me and I'll try to be more clear.

[chopandchange]

Snip up into the hair instead of cutting across, so you get soft ends. Otherwise it will look sort of chunky and not so cute. I believe that's how a lot of stylists do it. .

Stylists use this feathering technique to thin and "texturise" the ends. Personally, I hate it. It's fine if you like feathered ends, and intend to keep them. But if you intend to grow out your layers, cut them blunt, not feathered.

It all depends on your personal preference, and whether or not your ultimate goal is long hair with a blunt hemline. If you are aiming to grow very long, the ends will thin and taper on their own anyway, so the last thing you want is to make them even thinner.

[spidermom]

In the past, I've done as restourceful describes, except I secure the ponytail on top of my head with 2 pony-ties. Then I slide one tie down the length (making it tighter by looping the tie around again if needed) until I get to the layers, which splay out. I could freshen them as little as 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch off the tips.

[raspberrytea]

Stylists use this feathering technique to thin and "texturise" the ends. Personally, I hate it. It's fine if you like feathered ends, and intend to keep them. But if you intend to grow out your layers, cut them blunt, not feathered.

It all depends on your personal preference, and whether or not your ultimate goal is long hair with a blunt hemline. If you are aiming to grow very long, the ends will thin and taper on their own anyway, so the last thing you want is to make them even thinner.

I meant only about half a cm to cm difference between hairs by cutting up into the sections instead of straight across. It doesn't effect length or thickness at all... just makes the hair fall softer.

[Oskimosa]

Thanks for the quick replies!

Chopandchange, I have attempted this.. my layers are so out of shape that I was looking to clean them up. They've grown so uneven that it really just looks like a hack job unless combed juuuuuust right. Plus, the waves are making it flip up all wonky-like.

Lapushka, I didn't see that particular thread! Maybe the search terms I used were too specific. Or maybe the lack of sufficient coffee blinded me to it! :p The video in it seems like what I need, although it's alot to take in at once! Better let that sink in.

Raspberrytea, when I do that, ...gosh, I have so much hair, picking up the right sections is so awkward for me. I can't tell at all what I'm doing or if I have the right areas, although I have personally done just that for other people. Their hair was nothing like my own, though.

Restourceful, after reading your post a few times I think I get what you mean. Either I'm doing it wrong, or my layers are extremely wonky because I get a handful of very different lengths. It's like the pony I get is highly v-shaped, if that makes any sense.

I'm going to watch this video a couple hundred times to see if I can get it to work :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYMyJ-LR8so&feature=related

Hope she has videos on bangs too! They look nice on her!

[Oskimosa]

Chopandchange, my goal is long layered hair, I think, since I wear it down more often than not. I've debated what hemline I like best, and for now the layers suit me. The feathering... eh, I can take it or leave it. On the one hand, it rather much makes my hair look damaged, on the other, it enhances my waves.

Spidermom, I think that's the technique described in the video! Nice to see it works.

[Frying Pan Paul]

Sometimes it's better to go to a high end salon and get them to trim your layers. I prefer higher end salons because they generally take their time to cut hair rather than rushing. If you haven't had your layers trimmed in a while, than they may be uneven and hard to find. Really, let the pros do it. You will end up with a softer and nice looking canopy.