Think I'm Going To Do A Self Trim

[KayBee]

I've been agonizing over this for a while now, but after spending a bit more time here I've come to the realization that the ends of my hair are a real mess and I'm not taking good care of my hair like I should.

The last time I colored my hair and had a trim was just before my wedding in Feb. 2008. So needless to say the processed part of my hair is the problem. The ends are brittle and frizzy. I'd say at least the splits start 3 or 4 inches up, but I really don't want to cut that much off. I know I have to cut at least an inch or two off to start because they're terrible. When I do a basic English braid, one strand is shorter ends 2 or 3 inches before the other two so, yeah.

So I decided that I'm going to trim it over the weekend, but first I need to buy a better comb, my wide one broke. I haven't really taken any pictures of the back in about 10 months. I will take one before cutting. My DH is leaving for a business trip tomorrow morning so I just don't have the time to do it today.

I've posted this photo before but this is a basic idea, my hair is quite a bit longer now than it was 10 months ago but this is just to show what I'm talking about.

There's no point in having long hair if it looks raggedy, right?

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/KittyBass/hair.jpg

[whisperedaria]

I'm relatively new so I don't have any advice, but I wanted to say "Good luck!" I find that giving my hair a 1"-2" trim makes me feel sooo much better about it (despite the loss of that length). :-)

[LadieRyrie]

A trim that takes off the ragged ends will probably make your hair feel and look longer. Lots of people have said that. In the end, it will look much healthier anyway. XD

It'll be just a little bit shorter...go for it!

[Tiina]

I think a trim is a good idea and I agree that you don't need to take off that much. You can do search and destroy on the splits that are higher up. But do make sure you have really sharp scissors or it will split again. Good luck! :)

[KayBee]

I reached the point today I guess while braiding. Some of the hair broke off easily and I'm going to have a giant mess on my hands if I don't do something and I don't want to end up having to cut even more off.

Right now the thought of cutting off an inch or two is scary to me but I probably won't even think twice about it once the deed is done. The last two inches are not really that nice to look at and are uneven and scraggly.

[gogirlanime]

Not to be mean, but more like constructive critique, yeah, your hair is quite damaged :( I had the same situation when I was younger, but if you just use some growth aids, and cut it off like 1 inch every 2 months it will go away quicker than you think, most will be gone within a year, or it will appear much healthier in a year even though it will still have some of the damage at the ends.

[jojo]

I can see what you are saying and yes id trim about 1-2" now and then another 1=2" in 3-4 months time and then do monthly dustings of _ this much. Make sure to protect your ends with maybe a little oil or conditioner each day and bun your hair daily.

[Sabriel]

If I were you I'd just cut off all the damage and start fresh - then you don't have to worry about the damage spreading up your hair. In MY experiance trying to save damaged ends will cost you A LOT of length in the long run. Even though I was very sad about the loss of length at first, I LOVE having healthy ends and doing my best too keep them healthy.

BUT if you don't want to do that there are people on here who can help you avoid the problems I faced. :)

Also, I definitely recommend trimming yourself. At the end of the day, it's YOUR hair, and you should do what makes YOU happy with it. :)

[KayBee]

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/KittyBass/e91ff458-e1d3-4910-b0ea-6c0bbfb31974.jpg

LOL, took this with my phone, it's of the tip while in a braid. The part where it fans out is where I want to cut. I have some good scissors, they came with DH's hair clippers. I just said "heck with it" and started to trim a little and I like how just that little bit looks and feels already. I need a bigger mirror and a better comb and I'll cut off all the severely damaged parts and even it up properly. Now that the idea is in my head I just want it over and done with.

[pepperminttea]

LOL, took this with my phone, it's of the tip while in a braid. The part where it fans out is where I want to cut. I have some good scissors, they came with DH's hair clippers. I just said "heck with it" and started to trim a little and I like how just that little bit looks and feels already. I need a bigger mirror and a better comb and I'll cut off all the severely damaged parts and even it up properly. Now that the idea is in my head I just want it over and done with.

Do be aware that unless your braid sections are perfectly equal and your braid itself is very even, trimming a braid tassel will mean you end up with an uneven hemline. A banded ponytail's the way to go. :)

[BabyRay33]

I do agree that you should do a trim...maybe do less than what you are talking about...do an inch and then reassess. It could help enough that you can salvage the ends and grow them out a bit further before trimming more.

[KayBee]

Yeah I didn't go too crazy with the trim, I basically skimmed off the really scraggly parts, perhaps a half inch or so.

My big mirror broke a few weeks ago, which is partly why I put off the trim so I can't really see what I'm doing with the one I have, plus my good comb broke a couple days ago..so I'm going to replace them tomorrow and save the last inch to even it up better.

This will be my first time trying a self-trim so I want to make sure I don't make a big mess of it and from that point on, every couple of months or so I'll keep trimming out the dye. I live on an island, the water is very harsh..I'm supposed to wash my hair with bottled water once a week but I never do.

I am just hoping that I don't make a big mess trying to even things up, lol.

[ravensinger13]

I've been trimming my own hair for over a year now, the first two times I tried a little too hard to get things even and getting rid of layers, kind of lost an extra inch or two. It gets easier once you get the hang of it.

[jojo]

You havent trimmed the braid tassel have you?

[Mesmerise]

Have you seen Feye's method for self trimming?? If you follow her method you should be able to get a nice even end (or fairly even lol). I agree that a good 2" now would do wonders for your hair...and then maybe keep doing 1/2" every couple of months until the damage is gone. This way, your hair will still grow longer, but it will look nicer at the ends too!

[KayBee]

Well here's the results, sorry for the lousy angle/shot. My apartment is either too bright or too dark, lol. I did try Feye's method. I cut about 2.5 inches off, it seemed like more but I had a lot of broken hair down at the bottom so it was uneven, and some strands were a bit longer than others. It doesn't look as frizzy to me at least, but I don't think I want to have to cut that much off in one go again and perhaps next time I'll be a bit more relaxed.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/KittyBass/Snapshot_20110520.jpg

Just me being a goofball, :P
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/KittyBass/Snapshot_20110520_7.jpg

[Becky Safari]

I'll always agree that healthy hair is better than long hair for me. We all have the rest of our lives to grow out the length so there shouldn't be any rush. Whenever my hair feels a bit needy I'll trim it without hesitation.

Hope you feel better since your trim!

[KayBee]

It's still thinner at the bottom but I guess that's something I have to work on. I definitely like that it looks neater, at least the broken and nasty splits are gone. It'll probably take ages to get rid of the rest of the dye out but today was a start at least. I just have to keep telling myself that trims are ok every now and again. Stinks that I basically had to cut off what I grew over the last 6 months or so but oh well. I guess if I had trimmed it sooner then it wouldn't have been so bad. Live and learn, I suppose..it'll grow back..and healthier this time.

[luthein]

Trims are fantastic when they're methodically planned and properly executed. I find that S&Ds can alleviate trim anxiety and help you fully assess your hair's overall condition. It's a bummer to lose length, but giving a little now is better than giving a lot later on. It's like a payment plan.