Trim booked but advice needed!

[kristymarie87]

This is my hair after straightening>

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii286/LiveDieBleed87/IMG00367-20100703-1154-1.jpg

After blowdrying>

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii286/LiveDieBleed87/IMG00326-20100620-1721.jpg

Im due for a trim on 31st July, it will be 9 weeks since my last and its grown a good inch and a half.

In the second picture i have blowdryed my hair (it has heat protector, styling cream and coconut oil on). The bits that flick out are my layers. Do these look damaged from what you can see?

In the first piccy on the left i can deffo see some damage.

The dilemma is that im desperately trying to grow out the layers but how can i if they need trimming so much!! I do try to trim myself but they are so short its difficult!

Also, my hemline is a little blunt and i was thinking of erm? unblunting it? Is that a good idea? I just want something that will lye nicely and maybe then i can give up the straigteners altogether! I use them once per week, but wash everyday )CWC)

The thing is, when i go to the hairdressers to show them the damage, they dry it and it looks almost perfectly flat with little or no damage! And they say its not bad at all :confused:

The picture will not seem to resize! Sorry!!

[Monsterkitti]

Hi :) I cant really see if the ends are damaged, I know my hair always flicked out like that when I blowdried it even when it had just been cut so it doesnt necessarily mean its damaged. The heat styling will be doing some damage so if you can cut down on it it will really help your ends and layers.

Its difficult to check the ends on shorter layers yourself I know but i'd tend to believe the hairdresser if they dont think they are damaged. I'd try to stretch the time between trims if you can so you can see more progress. Maybe just have the length trimmed if you need to rather than the layers aswell, that way they have a chance to catch up? Im still playing this game of layer catch up, it takes time and the layers do occasionaly need a trim but it means less of your great growth gets removed.

HTH :)

[FrannyG]

If you're getting your hair cut this frequently, it can only be for one reason only; to get rid of the layers. I know for a fact that when I've had layers, they would flip on occasion, but that doesn't mean that they're damage, it just means that they're layers.

I would bite the bullet and go without trimming those layers. It honestly will be sooner than you think that those layers will be even with the bottom of your hair. At that point you can have one last good trim, get rid of any possible damage to those end that are now layers and start growing to your goal.

You're right. Trimming the layers will just have you going nowhere at this point, and you'll end up very frustrated.

To be honest with you, with 1b/1c hair, often a blunt hemline is the way to go, especially as your hair gets longer. I wouldn't consider "un-blunting" them at this point. Once all of your layers grow out, and you get past shoulder length, you'll have time enough to reassess both the blunt hemline and the shape of your hemline. You might want a straight-across hemline, a U-shape or even a gentle V-shape.

For now, I suggest just concentrating on your regular trims until the layers are gone, and then grow with very, very tiny trims every 3 or 4 months, to keep the ends in line.

You'll get there! :blossom:

[kristymarie87]

I tend not to get the length trimmed, maybe everyother trim i'll have a light dusting. I hate the layers soooo much!

I'm down to once or twice a week with the straighteners and i'd love to give up completely. i just dont have the will power!!I usually tie my hair back all week and only straighten at the weekend. I know i should leave it longer to see the differance but i cant go out with my hair looking like the second picture!!

Oils seem to react badly to my hair, in that it goes so greasy no matter how little i use. I just would like it to that point i can wash, air dry and go!!

Oh and im really not a fan of updos since my hair wont go into them and i hate having to use clips all the time!

[cindy58]

I agree with Franny. When I started growing out, I continued to get trims as usual, and over several months realized that I wasn't getting to where I wanted to be doing that. So I stopped and didn't get a trim for 13 months. For most people, you just have to put up with a bit of the awkward stages and push through it to get and keep your length.

[kristymarie87]

i dont really have a problem with the trims, its minimal and although it costs me alot of money it makes me feel a lil bit better about my hair. Plus since my last trim 6 weeks ago i got over an inch of growth, which never happens for me!!

I will persevere i have no intention of chopping it all after this much process, i just want some way of it looking decent in the inbetween stage!

[spidermom]

My hair stylist took me from layers to no layers by trimming off a little more at the bottom than she did on the layers. For example, if she cut 1/2 inch off the bottom, she'd only trim 1/4 inch off the layers.

[bumblebums]

Growing out a straight-across hemline will be easier than a different shape. As your hair grows, the hemline becomes uneven naturally, since the individual hairs grow at different rates. As far as trims go--I peeked at your blog, and I noticed you say that even your stylist thinks you don't need to trim so often. Trust your stylist on this.

Also, if you iron your hair regularly, it won't really grow much past shoulder length. It doesn't matter how much "heat protectant" you use. I speak from experience here.

[BrightEyes]

I'm also growing out layers, so I know how frustrating it is. I get my hair trimmed every 8-9 weeks like you (I love having my ends healthy and blunt).

I have my stylist trim the bottom every time, but I have her trim the layers only every other time. And I always just get dustings (1/4 inch or less). This helps my layers grow, but also keeps the ends healthy.

Hang in there! It's a difficult stage, but we'll get through it!!

[kristymarie87]

I'm also growing out layers, so I know how frustrating it is. I get my hair trimmed every 8-9 weeks like you (I love having my ends healthy and blunt).

I have my stylist trim the bottom every time, but I have her trim the layers only every other time. And I always just get dustings (1/4 inch or less). This helps my layers grow, but also keeps the ends healthy.


Thats a really good idea, every other time have the layers trimmed :D I think i prefered a less blunt hemline though...


Growing out a straight-across hemline will be easier than a different shape. As your hair grows, the hemline becomes uneven naturally, since the individual hairs grow at different rates. As far as trims go--I peeked at your blog, and I noticed you say that even your stylist thinks you don't need to trim so often. Trust your stylist on this.

Also, if you iron your hair regularly, it won't really grow much past shoulder length. It doesn't matter how much "heat protectant" you use. I speak from experience here.

I only iron once a week...down from everyday! I appreciate my hair would do better without it, but i havent found a way to manage that just yet, so once per week is the best i can do right now!! Plus i once had long hair past BSL that i cut short to shoulder and straightened everyday but it grew to BSL in a matter of months!

[triumphator!]

Also, if you iron your hair regularly, it won't really grow much past shoulder length. It doesn't matter how much "heat protectant" you use. I speak from experience here.

I don't think this is necessarily true. When I grew out my hair the first time from shoulder to BSL, I straightened every other day, and it still... grew. It wasn't in the best condition it could be, but it definitely got longer. I don't think its possible for heat itself to stunt growth...:confused:

[juliaxena]

I have a ii hemline and I would not recommend "unblunt" hemline to someone with similar thickness. I'd grow the layers out and go for a U hemline.

[xoxophelia]

You hair doesn't look bad blowdried at all. You are probably used to the very neat look of flat ironed hair but the blow dried has a more whimsical look to it :)

I also agree that you should get the bottom trimmed. As much as you hate the layers, cutting them will just delay them growing out. If you manage to stop flat ironing your hair this will mean that as your layers grow, and don't get as much of a trim, they will get less damaged. It might make it a little easier to grow them out.

[bumblebums]

I don't think this is necessarily true. When I grew out my hair the first time from shoulder to BSL, I straightened every other day, and it still... grew. It wasn't in the best condition it could be, but it definitely got longer. I don't think its possible for heat itself to stunt growth...:confused:

It won't stunt growth. But, even as your roots are producing more length, your ends will constantly break off. Your individual success in growing while ironing will depend on the condition of the hair at the time that you first started straightening, too. If your hair wasn't heat-treated much by the time it was at shoulder length, then it might last a while even as it's being ironed every other day (after all, for shorter people, the distance between SL and BSL could be a year or even less).

Hey, y'all can iron away if you want to. I am just saying that you will see damage and breakage, and your hair will not reach its growth potential. You just cannot boil all the water out of your hair on a regular basis and expect it to last forever.

[ptnicole]

You have beautiful shiny hair! Wow! I've been where you are at and I have lots of layers now that I like and plan on keeping, but pre-LHC days, lurker forever, I flatironed, curled and blowdried. I have durable hair though and damage was not too bad, but growth seemed terminal right below shoulders. I always had to trim to keep it healthy looking.

I cold turkied ALL heating appliances, went CWC and CO, do SMTs, and use aloe vera as gel to tame frizzies and flyaways (my hair looked like yours when I blowdried). I got one "final" trim at the beginning of June to start my new path and now S&D and will trim every 4 months. In the future, I will dust layers and microtrim hem. It sounds like your stylist is not going to whack your hair off every time you go, so if she supports your long hair goal, she will be careful how she cuts. I have longhaired supportive stylist, which helps a ton! I choose to keep my hem blunt (not razored...yikes), but more deep u to v shape because it flatters the rest of my layers and they seem to lay well with u to v for me.

After 2 months of this, I've found my hair waves more, which I love and is growing faster (or rather...not breaking off at the end which used to result in me getting frequent trims).

So my point is...the advice from the long haired gurus on this forum works!!! GOOD LUCK!

[kristymarie87]

I diluted some conditioner in a spray bottle to use as a leave it and hopefully tame the frizz enough to not have to blowdry and straighten but no luck yet, its still a frizz ball and only half dry (i only dry the roots now).

Im investing in a dry shampoo so i dont have to wash everyday....its just the giving up heat. I cant do it! I wouldnt mind a bit of a wave, or even curls!

I was going to try scrunching, but i hate going out with my hair wet and it takes hour to dry even at SL! I dont want to have to put it up everyday but i feel like im at a dead end!

I might invest in some aloe vera but i imagine it being heavy on the hair.

[ptnicole]

The scrunching route does not really work for me either...makes it a stringy crinkly mess. The best I've gotten so far is CWC, pat hair dry, one dime size pump of aloe vera that i smooth over top layer of hair and ends, comb gently as it dries. This seems to maintain some nice wave action for me and keeps it smooth. I haven't found the aloe to be too heavy (you can get small travel size bottles of it at walgreens or drug store if you want to test run).

Good idea on dry shampoo...I may need to get some of that.

[kristymarie87]

How big is a dime? Sorry never used american currency im from London, UK lol.....like pea sized? I'm buying some tomorrow so will see what happens! And i will write about the dry shampoo too :D

I usually CWC, right now i only CW'd as i put the leave-in after.

[Stormphoenix]

IF you really don't need the trim, try to make it every four (4) months for a trim. The cut more from the longer layers and lessfrom the top layers until they eventually even out.

[missfortune9335]

I'm working on the same thing spidermom did, my stylist cuts 1/4" off the length when I go in, then she dries my hair and just does a dusting on the layers eventually it will all even out. good luck to you!

[missfortune9335]

oh, and by the way the diameter of a dime is 17.9 mm (bigger than a pea for sure) ;)

[kristymarie87]

I got my dry shampoo, its the batiste? one (not sure on spelling!) Its for brunette hair to so has a slight tint to it which is good because i dont want white bits!

I tried the aloe vera (i started a new thread before i managed to find this one which disapeared!) i thought it didnt work and then hey! it was all sleek with a bit of a wave :)

But then i decided to try and scrunch (and failed) and had to wash again!

So now im sitting with 4 buns to see if i can get some waves!