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View Full Version : I think I'm gonna have to cut, guys.



Katurday
June 26th, 2008, 07:40 PM
Hey guys.
Um, I (after a monthfull of thinking, so no two week rule suggestions), have decided to cut two inches of my hair off. The ammount of damage these two inches went through is crazy. I have bleached, permanently dyed it twice, semi permanently dyed it like...Five or six times... Its crazy. The ends are fried, starting to get seriously split and I'm getting crazy ammounts of those little white ends that are the devil.

I get the feeling...That even if my stylist went scizzor happy...I mean, I don't think I'd mind. I'd do pretty much anything for virgin hair at this point. (No worries, I'm limiting myself to 2 inches!) I feel like I'm gonna cry...I really don't want to cut! Its really the only option now. The depressing thing is, I won't be making too much of a dent when it comes to the virgin hair process...But in summer, the hair grows faster, right? I gotta remember to eat more veggies and stuff too.

Anyways, I just wanted a little support right now. A few conforting words would really help right now.<3

GlennaGirl
June 26th, 2008, 07:45 PM
No!

No no no no no.

That may be totally the wrong thing to say, but I can tell you from experience, yes, it's nice once your hair is 100% "revirginized," but the exhillarated feeling you're expecting is...overrated.

It may not be worth the two inches right now.

I wouldn't say this if I didn't mean it--I would just keep quiet about it instead--but your hair looks absolutely fine on the ends; in fact, incredibly gorgeous. Rich color, blunt ends, very thick, shiny...what's to cut?????

Keep your inches and pretend you did them on purpose to get a little spice into your hair and make it look really cool.

ycelong
June 26th, 2008, 07:47 PM
well - think of it this way:
If those 2 inches are seriously damaged, that damage will travel up if you don't rid yourself of it. then you could need to get rid of 4 inches - really bad.
also, your hair will look so much healthier and probably won't tangle much either.
You could take off an inch this month and an inch next month and maybe it wouldn't be so shocking and depressing.

:magic: to grow hair fast.......

Katurday
June 26th, 2008, 07:48 PM
Well, I'm not expecting a "whoo, that felt nice" feeling.
I'm expecting a "Well, gotta go jump outta a window now" feeling...
But my ends..Ewww. I mean...They're like straw.
I've tried oiling them...No help. Not even like, a quater sized amount of EVOO helped.
Coconut made them into pointy spikes.
Erm...
Any more ideas to help them get a bit more contitioned or something, so I get distracted?

DecafJane
June 26th, 2008, 07:51 PM
Do you wear it up at all? I would wear it up and just forget about it, doing regular SMTs and so on, and preserve it as much as possible for a few more months.
Good luck with your choice.

embee
June 26th, 2008, 07:52 PM
I hope it makes you happier with your hair. I chopped 8 inches thinking it would be an improvement. Wrong. It took what felt like forever to grow it back out again.

But YMMV. Good luck! At least you didn't rush off and do it all in one afternoon! ;)

Riot Crrl
June 26th, 2008, 07:55 PM
Well, your hair looks nice to me.

That said, I may be in the minority around here, but I like for my hair to be trimmed. However, I hate to GET it trimmed. If I am going to go to the trouble to go there, pay, sit and watch them, and listen to the snappage as they perform their idea of "combing," I feel like I BETTER be getting two inches off for my trouble. LOL.

FlipHunny
June 26th, 2008, 08:03 PM
Maybe you won't have to cut?

My hair used to look like this. Pic taken when I first joined last year. And this was AFTER a major cut getting rid of the rest of the damage!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=15515&albumid=1297&dl=1214174797&thumb=1
Lotsa bleach, straightening with chemicals, love for the flat iron.

I was able to nurse it without anymore trimming or cutting after the first cut. My hair really really responded to the changes I made very quickly once I knew what it needed. Of course, results vary with different people though.

But if you feel a cut is what you need and want, don't worry. It'll grow back :) Like starting a clean slate!

Darkhorse1
June 26th, 2008, 08:12 PM
This is a personal decision and you have to feel comfortable with it.

I'm lucky my hair grows incredibally fast, so 2 inches for me will grow back in a month and a half or two months.

One thing I've done before getting a trim is trim the split ends myself. You look at just the ends and snip the tiny ends. I found this has helped in the past, but your hair has to be longer than in the photo here for you to see it.

From the magazines I've read, once hair is damaged, it's damaged. The only way to get healthier hair is to cut it.

Perhaps get just a 1/4 inch trimmed and go back every month so it doesn't feel like so much?
How long is your hair now?

ItalianFlower
June 26th, 2008, 08:21 PM
I'd say cut it; it will probably make you feel better. You know your hair better than anyone and you know when your hair just gets to that unmanagable point. Does your hair split/get damaged easily?

Katurday
June 26th, 2008, 08:22 PM
Well, my hair currently grows an inch a month, so hopefully, this will pass by fast, right?
Okay, I think I'll cut. Most of my hair responded to nursing, but these ends just ain't getting it.
Its gonna be ok.


Edit: No ItalianFlower, it doesn't at all. It really takes some intense handling to get it feeling this dry.

julya
June 26th, 2008, 08:36 PM
I had a trim of about 2 or 3 inches recently, and I felt better about my hair afterward. A smaller trim might be enough, but you know your hair best. Good luck!

psvzum
June 26th, 2008, 09:05 PM
I had a pretty major cut a few months ago - 4 inches - to remove damage and even out my layers a bit. I missed the length, especially the first month but liked the way it looked and felt. Just remember, it'll grow again : )

chloeishere
June 26th, 2008, 10:22 PM
I trimmed off a half inch a few months ago (I think... lost track of time), and don't regret it one bit. The ends were not responding to good treatment like the rest of my hair was, and I'd already managed to delay trimming the ends (which felt like crap and like they needed a trim before I found LHC) another 6 months with LHC care, so it was time for them to go.

I was very happy, because the ends felt good again! It was great! I missed the length, but it grew back very quickly, within a few weeks. And no one could tell I trimmed.

Your hair already grows fast, I wouldn't stress about it. I figure that growing your hair is a journey, so it's worth it to take your time and enjoy the trip. If the way your hair feels makes you unhappy, then there is NOTHING wrong with trimming. It'll still be damaged if you grow another 2 inches, and you'll still have to cut it off eventually.

Missie
June 26th, 2008, 10:25 PM
I cut about 2 inches of mine the other day too.. I was determined to get rid of the bad bits.. Sort of felt a sense of loss.. grieving perhaps, but my ends are healthy now.. so.. going to take really good care of them from now on..
Hair grows doesn't it :)

Curlsgirl
June 26th, 2008, 10:32 PM
One thing I wanted to add if you do cut off 2 inches and that's perfectly fine with an inch of growth a month you lucky girl, you should remember that if there is more very damaged hair above it may just be the same way after a short time. I found that happened with me when I first came here and started treating my hair better so what I finally decided was to only trim like 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch a month so I would not miss it so much. I am very happy I did this and the reason I suggest it is that you seem SO sad to have to cut. Whatever you do you are working toward even more beautiful hair (if that's possible!)

nissamholtz
June 26th, 2008, 11:25 PM
I'm sure after a few weeks you'll be happy that you decided to do it when you notice the better result

Masara
June 26th, 2008, 11:26 PM
This time last year I had abut 2 inches of really nasty ends. I tried all the deep conditioning/SMT things. I tried different oils. The rest of my hair felt great, but the ends seemed impervious to anything I did. Coconut oil seemed to leave them even dryer and sort of clumpy. I wanted to cut but I couldn't bear the thought of losing any sort of length, there was so little of it to start with. I hated doing things like ponytails because people could see my ends.

Then one day, I used a clarifying shapoo. I hadn't thought I needed one. I don't use cones, I always used sulphate shampoos. But this shampoo did make an enormous difference. My ends were still dry and I think there is damage there I will never be able to fix but now they are able to absorb a little of the treatments I use on them. Now I can live with the idea of trimming them off gradually rather than cutting 2 inches in one go.

But, that's my hair not yours. If you've tried everything and you just can't stand them, then it will allow you to start fresh with undamaged ends and you will feel better about them.

cheekytweety
June 27th, 2008, 12:20 AM
2 inches is nothing, you should cut.

Katze
June 27th, 2008, 01:28 AM
If that's your hair now in your sig pic, part of the "problem" (I put this in quotes as it doesn't have to be a problem!) might be that your hair is very thick and is wavier than you think. If it's colored on the ends, they will have a different texture than the rest, too, and you are also at a very awkward length. No matter how much you cut, if you want long hair, you'll have to grow through that length, which, for me, was THE hardest length of all.

Like yours, my hair "flipped out" at the ends, but unlike yours it had no other body, being seriously bleach and heat-damaged. So I looked like a female politician from the 1980s; it was terrible. One drivers' license picture of mine literally looked like a middle aged woman, and I was only 25!

If the ends are so terrible, cutting is fine, but I think that might not be all of your "problem"...?

Carina
June 27th, 2008, 01:46 AM
I think you should cut one inch and then see how your new ends behave.If they feel dry and start to split then cut that other inch.Give it a few weeks between the trims.I think a little trim goes a long way.Good luck!!!

ChloeDharma
June 27th, 2008, 02:07 AM
Well it seems to be the season to cut at the moment.

I do think that 2 inches at this point might not be a great idea.....as has been pointed out you are at one of those really awkward lengths that you just have to persevere with to get past. Luckily with an inch of growth a month that wont take long. So if i was you i would take off half an inch, this month, then another half an inch next month.....those smaller trims of even a quarter of an inch can make much more of a difference than you expect. But that way you are still making progress.

In the meantime, this might sound mad, but try doing a yogurt DT, it really is amazing stuff and made my fried lengths feel like silk.....just some natural yogurt, maybe mix it half and half with a favourite conditioner if you like. Then just put your hair up and try to ignore it.

Toadstool
June 27th, 2008, 03:16 AM
If your hair is thick/coarse the ends might always feel like that. My hairdresser said mine weren't damaged, they just would feel like that even if virgin cos of my hair's natural texture.I cut off six inches of what I thought was damage just before Christmas and regretted it. Have you tried aussie dual personality hair mousse, used after an acid shampoo and instead of a conditioner? Recommended by my friend's hairdresser for coloured/fried hair - works wonders! maybe you could just have a half inch trim?
Whatever you decide, good luck and try to remember it's only hair- it will grow back!

Lisa-Maria
June 27th, 2008, 03:50 AM
If you haven't already try oiling your hair while it's wet, oil can make your hair crunchy if you oil it when dry. At least that's the case with my hair.

basak
June 27th, 2008, 03:55 AM
I cut my hair more than 2 inches and didn't even feel the need to write about it. So it's doable. It'll grow back.

Tap Dancer
June 27th, 2008, 05:11 AM
Two inches isn't much; it'll grow back in no time. There's no point in hanging on to length that feels like straw. :flower:

MeMyselfandI
June 27th, 2008, 06:11 AM
Katurday,

I am sending many hugs.

I cut 4 or so inches last year, to cut out the worse of the damage. If I had known about LHC and all its ways of treating hair, I may have not cut the hair. After cutting the hair, I continued to chemically abuse the hair. I finally stopped the abuse. I was getting white spots where my damaged hair kept breaking off all over the length of my hair.

With white spots and breaking hair on two feet of hair, I decided not to cut it again. I gently treated my hair and hennaed (which helped it). My hair is doing better now.

I only have two inches or so of virgin hennaed hair. There is no way I will cut my hair that short just for damage. I did cut it that short many years ago for a change. What was I thinking. I can touch it without hair snapping off, which I could not do 4 months ago. In the last 4 months since LHC, my hair has seen a major improvement to the way it looks and feels.

I may still cut a bit of my hair to even out the ends or get rid of the layers. My hair is long enough now to seek and destroy (S&D) individual split ends. At your lenght, I was not able to S&D.

No matter what any one of us says, you need to be happy with your hair, or the decisions you make about it.

I will not even try to talk you out of cutting your hair. I will suggest that you give lots of TLC to the rest of your hair. Who knows, you may get to like it as if it is virgin hair.

I wish you the best on your road to hair contentness.

FrannyG
June 27th, 2008, 06:19 AM
I totally support your idea to cut off two inches of hair that are making you unhappy. I've been there myself, and I know how happy I felt getting rid of damage.

Think of it as a new, healthy beginning, and don't forget that those two inches will be back before you know it. However, this time you'll be actually enjoy your growth.

I know that it can be scary to have any length cut off, but once you feel those fresh, healthy ends, you will feel much more relaxed about your hair.

It's going to be okay, it really is. I think you'll be shocked at how quickly you regain your length. :flowers:

tiny_teesha
June 27th, 2008, 06:36 AM
If it were me and i would first try EVERYTHING under the sun to help them (As i personally had-with henna, changing my products, heavy oiling ALL the time, moisture masks EVERY wash etc!)
And THEN i would cut HALF or less of what i thought was neccessary, OR wait until an acceptable length was reached (if you are fine with your length now that is fine) and then trim my monthly growth until my hair reached a state i was happy to continue growing with -Meanwhile also doing S&Ds. I personally have done this and my hair has grown a heap- it is still in pretty bad coondition but MUCH better then what it was (the LHC way also helped me!)
You can see my albums for progress if you are interested, but at the end of the day, it is your hair, and i support what ever you choose!
I cut 6cm last year (which for my is 6 months growth, 1 inch has 2.5cm roughly)
So I lost a big chunk and i was so sad the length was gone- but then i was so pleased with my healthy, thick, blunt ends! :) So i guess it is alittle bit of a battle there! Goodluck!
Let us know what you choose and how it goes!

Delenn
June 27th, 2008, 07:03 AM
Do whatever makes you happy. I had the urge to cut a good 6" of majorly damaged hair from my ends when I first found LHC but somehow time got away from me and I never did it. I changed how I care for my hair and those fried 6" are still on my head, but they don't behave like typical fried ends. Micro trims here and there, good conditioning and some TLC is what they needed.

burns_erin
June 27th, 2008, 08:41 AM
If your ends are truly chemically damaged, I would second the notion of a clarifier, then I would suggest a protein treatment. You might also try a few search and destroy sessions. If you feel like you are in control of your hair, you might not feel so bad about it. And if you are really rather stuck on cutting it, well even if you go too far overboard with the S&D, well it is not like you can't go in to get it evened. That being said, you are the only one who knows what your hair feels like, and how it feels to you, both physically and emotionally. So, if you cut it, remind yourself that you are in control of your hair and it was your choice, you could have made another one, but you made the best one for you. Then you might not feel so bad about the cut.

lora410
June 27th, 2008, 08:48 AM
Do what is right for you, but I sugguest just a small trim every few months. That way you achieve growth while trimming away the dead stuff. I have 2 inches of dead fried ends, but with good care, S&D's and small trims they arent in as bad a shape as I had thought.

n3m3sis42
June 27th, 2008, 09:25 AM
Do you wear it up at all? I would wear it up and just forget about it, doing regular SMTs and so on, and preserve it as much as possible for a few more months.
Good luck with your choice.

I second the suggestion to wear it up (if you decide you don't want to cut the two inches off the ends right now).

Katurday, your ends look a lot nicer than mine--I have at least two inches of fairytaling on my ends right now, and I don't think it's an attractive look on my hair. However, I have S&D'ed and it doesn't seem to be splitting more at the moment, so I'm keeping it up all the time until probably the end of the summer. At that point, I fully intend to have an inch or two trimmed off the ends. :D

Zombiekins
June 27th, 2008, 10:45 AM
If you're really concerned about length, then definitely do as others have advised: wearing it up, small trims regularly, etc... But if you want that instant good feeling of nice hair, just trim it. It will grow back. I recently cut my hair from classic back to just above tailbone and while there was a certain kind of "empty" for a day, it feels effin fantastic. Mostly, that feeling came from knowing how much work it was to grow it out in the first place. My hair, too, was crispy-fried and crappy at the ends. I hate crappy ends. They tangle constantly, grab on to healthier strands and knot them up....ugh... it was impossible to wear my hair down so long as those inches were there. Even at home it had to stay up 24/7 unless I wanted to sit for hours and detangle. The weight of all that hair pulled at certain areas of my scalp and I'm pretty sure the front is a bit thinner than it should be. Ah well, it did look nice for those five minutes a month I'd leave it down. :rolleyes:

Definitely look into some nice scissors for trimming splits. I used to find seriously damaged hairs with ease, but after that big trim, I have to search sooo hard to find one. It makes a difference if you can cut out splits before they grab onto the healthy strands. At the heart of nearly every tangle/knot there was always a split, or severely damaged hair with either fuzz or another hair wrapped up.

Growing your hair long shouldn't be a guilt trip, or a rarely enjoyed event. Don't be hard on yourself if you want to trim a few inches off. In the end it's what you want to do, and what makes you feel good about your appearance that matters -- not what SusieQ from across the way, that kid in the checkout line, or a group of people you've never met thinks. Just remember that it is only hair and it will grow back, and if you trim off the crappy bits, it will make growing it out easier. :)

eadwine
June 27th, 2008, 11:25 AM
Two inches, face it, is nothing. They will grow back in what.. 4-6 months time tops? And your hair will be the better for it. You have thought this through and asked for support, not advice ;)

Go ahead.. and it will grow back in no time, and all healthy :)

Periwinkle
June 27th, 2008, 11:45 AM
If I were you, I'd cut maybe 1" off first and see how it feels then. As has already been said, your hair is at an awkward length and ends can often look worse at that length than at others, because they tend to flick out. It might be nicer to grow it to your shoulders, perhaps, and then go for the other inch.

Also, remember that once it's off, it's off, but if you get half of it done and still want to cut, then you can still get it done :)

MissHair
June 27th, 2008, 01:51 PM
I used to be against trims, until I had my own trim.. I only did it at first to even out my hemline but noticed a dramatic change in softness.. If I were you, do what feels best, if you feel like your hair is damaged then Im sure it would make wonders if you trimmed it slightly, thats what happened to my hair and I love it now.

MadPirateBippy
June 27th, 2008, 02:55 PM
You've tried oils, what about protein treatments? And you know, sometimes you need a trim, if you have to do it, go for it, but don't forget that some of us crazy people put monistat on our heads to get better growth.