How to make a haircut last

[jenwexler]

I haven't seen a specific thread dedicated to this. I'd like to know all of your tips/hair secrets to making your haircut last as long as possible. I have gone almost 7 months without a haircut. It's been pretty easy at first, but with the wind drying out my hair and my ends becoming fairytale like, I'd love to see suggestions to help me finish this year haircut free. I feel this thread would be very helpful to others as well. So tell me, what's your secret???

[HintOfMint]

Basically, everything you would do to keep your hair damage free, and soft, is what would stave off a haircut. Also, for dry winter air and wind, nothing helps like keeping hair up and/or covered. This was a particularly brutal winter for me and my ends are certainly paying for it.

However, because of hair growth cycles and periodic cutting, fairytale ends happen no matter what, and haircuts loose their shape. Some people embrace them, some cut them, it's all a matter of taste.

It's pretty impressive to go 7 months without a trim, but it's okay to trim when you need/want to. I usually go every 6 months, but I'm going to have to move up the date.

[jenwexler]

My ends aren't split so I think I can last a longer amount of time, but They're drier because it has been so windy lately and it has been humid on and off as well. My hair was actually happier in the winter because it was easier to wear a knit cap. I'm trying to keep it up in a ponytail, but for some reason my hair isn't doing well with moisture anymore. I think my scalp has become drier as well.The weird thing is when I do the SMT, the conditioner disappears and the honey and aloe left make it hard like a gel...it's like my hair soaked up all the moisture. I don't know what it is. All I know is I need to find a better way to keep it hydrated for the hotter seasons to help the cut last.

[jaine]

I usually see shape issues before I see splits. I'm a little bit OCD about a good shape though. Updos and curls both help me hide shape issues...for a couple of months anyway.

[jenwexler]

That's probably what I'll be doing until December. My hair is in rag curls right now actually.

[Firefox7275]

My ends aren't split so I think I can last a longer amount of time, but They're drier because it has been so windy lately and it has been humid on and off as well. My hair was actually happier in the winter because it was easier to wear a knit cap. I'm trying to keep it up in a ponytail, but for some reason my hair isn't doing well with moisture anymore. I think my scalp has become drier as well.The weird thing is when I do the SMT, the conditioner disappears and the honey and aloe left make it hard like a gel...it's like my hair soaked up all the moisture. I don't know what it is. All I know is I need to find a better way to keep it hydrated for the hotter seasons to help the cut last.

If the air is dry the water in the SMT will evaporate. Solution is to use a shower cap or cling film (saran wrap) or an ordinary pedal bin liner 'knotted' with a hair elastic. If you add a towel turban you have a heat treatment! :cool: Dry ends can be as bad as split ends because they can catch on healthy hairs and cause damage. A lot of LHCers do regular micro-trims or 'dusting', just cutting a small amount off to remove dry or fairytale ends. How to self trim can be found in the Articles section (clicky at top of the page).

Be careful with ponytails as they can lead to breakage if used regularly, as I know from personal experience. Apparently it's safer to change your style and hairtoy each day.

[torrilin]

I'm trying to keep it up in a ponytail, but for some reason my hair isn't doing well with moisture anymore. I think my scalp has become drier as well.The weird thing is when I do the SMT, the conditioner disappears and the honey and aloe left make it hard like a gel...it's like my hair soaked up all the moisture.

Whereabouts in PA? Unless it is stupidly unseasonably insanely unbelievably dry for April, there's no way that should be happening to an SMT anywhere I've lived in PA...

With what you're describing, it's *not* that your hair is sucking all the moisture out of the SMT. Quite the opposite :(. Aloe gel and honey are both humectants, which means they absorb water from what is around them. If the air is dry enough that they're drying to a hard gel... that means the SMT is gonna be trying to suck water out of your hair. NOT GOOD. If you're dead set on doing one, I'd try applying it on dry hair, then draw as hot a bath as you can stand. Hang out in the tub reading or amusing yourself in other ways until your hair is sopping wet. This way you can be reasonably sure the environment was humid enough for your hair to keep its own moisture.

[Roseate]

I usually see shape issues before I see splits. I'm a little bit OCD about a good shape though. Updos and curls both help me hide shape issues...for a couple of months anyway.

Same for me, it's the shape that gets to me. I keep layers in my hair and +6 months after a trim they start to get wonky. At that point I start wearing it up virtually all the time; if I start to notice damaged ends I just go ahead and trim.

As long as I'm not trimming more often than twice a year I call it good. I don't really enjoy babying damaged ends, I'd rather just be rid of them if they need to go eventually.

[jenwexler]

This is making my one year of no trims very tricky now.

[jenwexler]

Whereabouts in PA? Unless it is stupidly unseasonably insanely unbelievably dry for April, there's no way that should be happening to an SMT anywhere I've lived in PA...

With what you're describing, it's *not* that your hair is sucking all the moisture out of the SMT. Quite the opposite :(. Aloe gel and honey are both humectants, which means they absorb water from what is around them. If the air is dry enough that they're drying to a hard gel... that means the SMT is gonna be trying to suck water out of your hair. NOT GOOD. If you're dead set on doing one, I'd try applying it on dry hair, then draw as hot a bath as you can stand. Hang out in the tub reading or amusing yourself in other ways until your hair is sopping wet. This way you can be reasonably sure the environment was humid enough for your hair to keep its own moisture.

I'm in State College but I'm going home soon where the water has a water softener thank god...