Trimming layers

[MissAlida]

Hello:)

I only have one question: how do you trim your layers? I know that here on LHC one lenght hair is more popular than layered, but still... I would love to trim my own hair. I like my hairdresser, she is quite long hair friendly, but honestly, I don't see the point in paying someone to trim my hair in 10 minutes. I've read about Feye's self trim (excuse me if I didn't spell her name correctly), but that one is for one lenght hair. I s&d sometimes, but after 3-4 months , my ends start to look uneven and messy, so I always end up at the salon. Any suggestions?:o

[spidermom]

Bend forward and put your hair into a top of head ponytail. Make sure it's completely smooth and dead-center. Now add a second hair-tie and slide it toward the ends (you'll probably have to tighten it one or two turns as you slide). The hair tie will make the ends splay out like a big make-up brush, and you can carefully dust 1/8 to 1/4 inch off (or more if you want).

[jackie_brown]

I think that if you want layers, you have to go do a hairdresser.
You can create new layers on your hair by yourself (i do this way for my bangs) but you can't 'follow' the haircut the hairdresser made...
I'm growing up my layers because i want a hemline, so i ask my mom for cutting some centimeters every 5 or 6 months.

[MissAlida]

Spidermom, the method that you suggested sounds and looks so easy to pull off (I youtubed it), but I can't do it. The main reason is what jackie_brown said: it is hard to follow a hairdressers cut. When I try to pull my hair up in a pony, no matter where on my head I place it, it doesent seem to get all the layers...they just fall out, and I end up holding a thin strand. :( I dont know what to do. I'm thinking about growing out my layers, but they look so nice with my wurls...I don't know what to do. I was thinking that I could to the feye self trim on my longest layers an just s&d the shorter ones, maybe that would help me somewhat with the whole uneven ends problem:confused:

[lapushka]

Long layers (ponytailing up top) -> choppy layers:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/Cutting-Hair-with-Lightning-Speed.id-1561.html

Short layers (ponytailing in front):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO1KtgPUTY4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF6quAXI0gM


If you only want layers in the upper parts of your hair, section it horizontally from ear to ear and only apply these techniques to the top part. Or go even higher in your sectioning if you only want a few layers.

It's always best to have layers cut in by a stylist, but these techniques aren't too bad in my experience.

[spidermom]

Well, you can try holding the pieces that fall out at an angle and trimming them that way.

But I agree, it's not that easy to follow a hair dresser's cut. I have long layers, and I recently trimmed them the way I described above, but I only cut the longest 1/4-1/2 inch, which I estimate amounted to only 50-100 hairs. But if I keep trimming it this way, eventually more of the ends will fall into my layering pattern. I do a little S&D too. If I run into a tangled area while combing, if I have the time I stop and look at the hairs and trim off any damage.

[MissAlida]

Thank you spidermom for your advice.:D I think I will trim as you do. I will experiment with the different angles, and try to find a place for my ponytail where most ends sort of come together, so I can trim more hair at a time. I will keep up the s&d, so that the pieces that are not included in the "major" trim still stay healthy. And I'll try to be patient and wait till I get to the lenght where all my layers fit into the ponytail...oh, can't wait.:p And thank you, lapushka fro the links, they are really helpful:D.

[UltraBella]

There is no way I could trim my layers by myself, I like going to my stylist and having her freshen them up. Even a trim for me takes 30 minutes, so I can't imagine how long it would take for me to do it, plus, it's too much hassle. I will happily pay her, I love my layers !

[jackie_brown]

MissAllida, why do you want to grow out your layers?
I'd have kept my layers if my hair had been thicker... my ponytail circumference is only 8 centimeters so when i had layers, the longer locks of hair seemed to be damaged because they were very few :rolleyes:
If you got thick hair you can only refresh your haircut without a consistent change... layers help curlies pattern ;)

[celebriangel]

Is the reason you don't want to go to the salon because they don't do what you want? If this is the case, it's probably easier to find a good hairdresser who listens to you than try to maintain a layered cut yourself.

Less "flashy" places - and places that aren't tied to a particular chain, e.g. Tony ang Guy, Supercuts - tend, in my experience, to be the places where the hairdressers will be a) reasonably priced, and b) listen to you!

Totally off topic: jackie_brown I love your signature quote!

ETA: But the link doesn't work.

[gthlvrmx]

So wait, are you asking about how to trim ON layered hair? Or are you asking how to make layers on your hair? Im confused here, it'd be nice to know how to trim on layered hair, feye's method doesn't work on layered hair even if i pull it up on top.

[Sundial]

If it's a question about trimming existing layers, here's what I normally do (my layers were a salon 'accident' from a couple of years ago and back then my shortest layer was only 1"):

1. I'd gather my hair into a low ponytail and tie it off,
2. Slide it really low to catch the longest layers so that the shorter layers are not tied,
3. Tilt my head to the side and the short layers start falling forward,
4. From there, trim an even amount throughout, ie 1/4" or whatever length you planned on.

I usually made sure to catch lengths that are around the same before I trim, ie longer layers with longer layers and shorter layers with shorter layers. If there are longer strands in a bunch of hair I picked up, then I'll just separate them out before I trim the rest. This more or less results in a short trim throughout. By the time I'm done and the hair falls back into place, they just blend in nicely!

I haven't had anyone complain about my hair yet, so I take that as a good sign that my self trims weren't too bad

[Dragon Faery]

Sundial's method sounds workable. When I tried to freshen up my own layers, I didn't know how my hairdresser had done it (she was good and quite accommodating, but she lived in another state). So I cut my own layers in differently. It was quite time-consuming, but the results weren't too bad.

I started with a straight part from forehead to nape, then divided the top of my hair into 3 sections on each side, sort of triangularly from the crown of my head down toward my face. That probably isn't how a real stylist would have divided them, though. I sectioned each off with a clip so I wouldn't get confused. Then I divided the bottom on each side into 2 sections, giving me 10 total.

I trimmed from the top down, which is probably also backwards to how a stylist would have done it. I wanted face-framing layers that tapered slightly towards the back, so I picked a point for the shortest hair and cut that first, making sure it was even on each side. Then I undid the second layer and cut that, each time making sure both sides were even. I did this for all 5 layers.

There are probably easier ways, but if you're looking for a variety of methods that might work, that was mine. :)

[McFearless]

Couldn't you still do Feye's method, but instead make ponytails for every layer?

[battles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipgwKqX7UM

Favorited when Jemoiselle linked it. :)

[MissAlida]

So wait, are you asking about how to trim ON layered hair? Or are you asking how to make layers on your hair? Im confused here, it'd be nice to know how to trim on layered hair, feye's method doesn't work on layered hair even if i pull it up on top.
I am asking how to trim on layered hair. I already have layers, and I would like to trim them myself. Anytime I go to the hairdresser to get a trim, I always feel that she cuts all my progres. I am starting to believe that is the reason why my hair hasn't grown a bit in 2 years. I never died it, never straightend or curled it...And since I couldn't find any videos or threads around here about trimming on layered hair, I tought I'd ask. Many people here trim their own hair...it's just that they all have one lenght hair.:confused:

[MissAlida]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipgwKqX7UM

Favorited when Jemoiselle linked it. :)
I do this when I s&d...I can twist and see most of my layers like this...not all of them. Some at the back of my head are too short for me to see them. Still, it's a good method, thanks for the link.:flowers:

[gthlvrmx]

If it's a question about trimming existing layers, here's what I normally do (my layers were a salon 'accident' from a couple of years ago and back then my shortest layer was only 1"):

1. I'd gather my hair into a low ponytail and tie it off,
2. Slide it really low to catch the longest layers so that the shorter layers are not tied,
3. Tilt my head to the side and the short layers start falling forward,
4. From there, trim an even amount throughout, ie 1/4" or whatever length you planned on.

I usually made sure to catch lengths that are around the same before I trim, ie longer layers with longer layers and shorter layers with shorter layers. If there are longer strands in a bunch of hair I picked up, then I'll just separate them out before I trim the rest. This more or less results in a short trim throughout. By the time I'm done and the hair falls back into place, they just blend in nicely!

I haven't had anyone complain about my hair yet, so I take that as a good sign that my self trims weren't too bad
ah! this makes sense!! :) i was thinking of something like the CG method going curl by curl but that doesn't make sense to me because all the hairs are not even length if you cut the ends of a curl and no curl is ever the same curl as before..i don't think this curl talk made sense.
Anywho, Sundial's method is good! MissAlida, i think this is what you'd want.

[Sundial]

ah! this makes sense!! :) i was thinking of something like the CG method going curl by curl but that doesn't make sense to me because all the hairs are not even length if you cut the ends of a curl and no curl is ever the same curl as before..i don't think this curl talk made sense.
Anywho, Sundial's method is good! MissAlida, i think this is what you'd want.

Yup! Going through sections didn't work very well for me because I can't be sure if I've cut that section before, so I risk cutting shorter and shorter. But when I tie my hair and slide the hair tie slowly through the layers before cutting each level of layer, it ensures that only the short layers of the same length escape.

And leaning forward or tilting my head to the side means the short layers stick out so I can just grab them and trim from there. I hope that makes sense! :D I'm not sure if this will work for wavy hair but it's always worth a try - if it works, then it saves you a trip to the hairdresser's

[Lianna]

00:25 in this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUjOr04DUTM) video is what I do. Been doing that since bob length to now almost APL. I hope something in there helps you. :)

[MissAlida]

Yup! Going through sections didn't work very well for me because I can't be sure if I've cut that section before, so I risk cutting shorter and shorter. But when I tie my hair and slide the hair tie slowly through the layers before cutting each level of layer, it ensures that only the short layers of the same length escape.

And leaning forward or tilting my head to the side means the short layers stick out so I can just grab them and trim from there. I hope that makes sense! :D I'm not sure if this will work for wavy hair but it's always worth a try - if it works, then it saves you a trip to the hairdresser's
This is helpful, I could try this...it might not work because of the curls, but I find the curly girl method is not very accurate, since no curls are equally tight, so I might end up with uneven hair.Maybe your method would be better. Thanks.:blossom:

[jackie_brown]

Totally off topic: jackie_brown I love your signature quote!

ETA: But the link doesn't work.


OT: Thanks! :)
And thanks for the advice too! I made a mess with the signature, i don't know how but i accidentally inserted some links about my pics :D

[HollyG]

My sister taught me to do my layers and it does it's job in trimming too.
I put all my hair in a pony tail on my forehead (obviously remove you're fringe if you have one) and just cut across. The layers look quite good, you can only tell my hairs layered because it's shorter at the front.
p.s You may need someone to straighten the back a little but i've be doing it for 2 years and only needed it straightened once:)