making it less obvious where your layers end

[jaine]

I want it to be less obvious where my layers end. I want the ends to be less chunky and less flippy, more blended with the surrounding hair.

Has anyone been able to do that and if so how?

Is there a special haircutting technique I could ask for that will make it blend in? Or will it eventually blend in naturally if I don't trim it? How long would that take?

[jaine]

PS. Here's a picture where my layers are being chunky and flippy so you know what I'm talking about ... this is an older picture but it's the best example I have. (I haven't taken recent length shots so I won't be tempted to cut it!)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6736&pictureid=92155

[|Xei]

It's possible to do that. What's usually done is the ends of the hair are thinned out so there is less bulk, and as a result, those hairs will blend better with the surrounding hairs.

If you're going to a hairdresser, just tell him/her to blend in your layers with the rest of the hair. Hairdressers usually wouldn't use only one technique for a cut (unless you're asking for a blunt cut or something), so it's better to just describe what you want as opposed to saying "I want you to use such and such technique".

As for naturally blending in over time, yes, it will happen as each individual hair on your head grows at a sightly different rate. But I suspect that it might take at least a year for the layers to start blending in, and even then, it will probably still look chunky, judging by what I can see of your hair texture.

[torrilin]

To me, that looks like it should start blending more into the mass of your hair pretty soon, maybe in as little as 2 inches. Once the clumps have more length they'll start looking like cohesive curls and not like weird pointy bits.

You've got fairly curly hair, so the hemline is never going to be as straight and even as someone with hair like mine. Most of what I'm seeing looks far more like the natural clumping of curly hair than layers, and I don't know that trying to discourage your natural curl will really work.

[telegraph64]

It's possible to do that. What's usually done is the ends of the hair are thinned out so there is less bulk, and as a result, those hairs will blend better with the surrounding hairs.

If you're going to a hairdresser, just tell him/her to blend in your layers with the rest of the hair. Hairdressers usually wouldn't use only one technique for a cut (unless you're asking for a blunt cut or something), so it's better to just describe what you want as opposed to saying "I want you to use such and such technique".

As for naturally blending in over time, yes, it will happen as each individual hair on your head grows at a sightly different rate. But I suspect that it might take at least a year for the layers to start blending in, and even then, it will probably still look chunky, judging by what I can see of your hair texture.

No, no, no, do not let your hair dresser thin out your ends as you will regret this !! You want as thick of a hemline as possible as you grow to longer lengths. It will take much less than a year to notice a difference, as this stage can be very short lived. At this rate, your hemline will look fabulous in several months.

Perhaps some more people, who specialize in styling hair, can tell you what to do for your hair, here and now.

[veronicaleah]

I'm here to offer my support, as a fellow layered girl! A hairdresser clipped (as I watched in horror) 4" long layers into my almost-BSL hair several months ago. WHY oh WHY would you do such a thing when a customer asks for long blended layers? Anyhow, they are starting to grow and naturally blend a little better. Time heals all, since hair tends to grow differently throughout the head so the layers will eventually become less evident.

[Firefox7275]

No, no, no, do not let your hair dresser thin out your ends as you will regret this !! You want as thick of a hemline as possible as you grow to longer lengths. It will take much less than a year to notice a difference, as this stage can be very short lived. At this rate, your hemline will look fabulous in several months.

Perhaps some more people, who specialize in styling hair, can tell you what to do for your hair, here and now.

You have 1a hair the OP has 2c hair, a thick hemline will look and behave very diffferently on each.

[Firefox7275]

I want it to be less obvious where my layers end. I want the ends to be less chunky and less flippy, more blended with the surrounding hair.

Has anyone been able to do that and if so how?

Is there a special haircutting technique I could ask for that will make it blend in? Or will it eventually blend in naturally if I don't trim it? How long would that take?

Are the ends definitely flipping out due to the cut or might it be down to how you style and dry your hair? If I brush my waves/ curls then air dry the ends stick out. I think this is from following the shape of my skull, from hitting my shoulders and because they don't have any hair below to weigh them down. If I detangle and scrunch upside down whilst wet I get a very different effect.

[telegraph64]

You have 1a hair the OP has 2c hair, a thick hemline will look and behave very diffferently on each.

Yes, you are right. My mother has type 2c hair, however, and I have seen her grow through similar stages. :flower:

[jaine]

Thank you for the tips everyone! :flower:

I think I will try leaving alone and see if my ends will fairytale enough to make the layers more wispy and less chunky. If that doesn't work, at least the flips will be past my shoulders someday ... less likely for me to notice them.

My hair is a lot shorter than that pic right now (around shoulder length right now) but the flips look about the same ... I try not to take recent pictures of my shape issues because then I get OCD about wanting to get a haircut.

[Rocket22]

Oh you should leave it I think it will grow out just beautifully!

[FluffSpider]

No, no, no, do not let your hair dresser thin out your ends as you will regret this !! You want as thick of a hemline as possible as you grow to longer lengths. It will take much less than a year to notice a difference, as this stage can be very short lived. At this rate, your hemline will look fabulous in several months.

Perhaps some more people, who specialize in styling hair, can tell you what to do for your hair, here and now.
Yes, she wants a thick hemline, but the parts which make the layers aren't forming the hemline. they're in-between hairs, and as such, thinning them don't affect your hemline, until you trim out all the layers.
@ OP: look at the post-trim pictures in my album. I still have one layer in them, but it can look like THAT blended in. She cut almost 'vertically' down the sfaht for about 2 cms, which left the ends very well blended into the whole mass of hair. Good luck!

[Lianna]

This video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVstLYBQEYg) adresses the problem. I found quite interesting, and it's something we can do ourselves.

[McFearless]

I really like how your hair looks. I don't know why you want to change it. I think haircuts like that grow out well. Layers that taper at the ends in my experience look too wispy as they get longer. I also suspect that to thin out the ends of each layer the hair will be cut at an angle causing damage and splits.

But how you feel about your hair is what matters.

[growingpains]

I am no expert in this, but I spent the majority of the last year cutting my own long side bangs. They never looked good unless heat styles. It was kind of like a heavy curtain on my more wispy and delicately layer (nature fairytale) hair. I also was cutting my own hair, but I found a super cheap stylist who listens and genuinely does *exactly* what I want. She suggested cutting 'into' my bangs a bit and thinning them. It didn't take any length off my long, nose length bangs, but it really made them lay better. To do this, she held up the layer (bang in my case) and put the sciscors parallel to the bang and cut little pieces from the first inch of so of the bang

if this was the bang before the cut:

_________
_________
_________

And this is the scissors:

>------ (">" is the part that cuts, the "---" is the handle)

She went like this:
_________
_________>--------- (cuts into bang a bit)
_________>--------- (cuts into bang a bit)

Hmmm, graphics suck, but hopefully you get the point. It thinned the end pieces of the bang out by feathering them a bit. But took no aggregate length.

[rogue_psyche]

I think you should just keep growing. Increased S&D will speed up the formation of fairytales, but your hair looks so thick and healthy it might not even need it. As your hair gets longer it is likely you will lose a little curl so you should just focus on growth.