A possible trimming experiment.

[Shelly]

I'm thinking about trimming quite a bit off today and then not trimming again until 2013. I don't know how my hair would react or how it will grow or if I'll reach the 47" goal by the end of next year. I do know that I will have to do S&D missions more often but that's ok. If I do this, it would be just to find out how my hair would react, if it would look more healthy or worse, and how much length I can actually get in one year if I don't trim at all. I don't know if I would like it or not or anything else. I've never tried to go that long without trimming so I don't know anything at this point. What do you all think?

[cheetahfast]

Well, I think as long as your hair is healthy there is no need to trim it. My hair is still pretty short, but I'm not going to trim at all for a few more years or until I start finding a lot of splits, which ever is first.

How often do you trim now? Are you growing out damage?

[Madora]

It would be a pity to spend all that time growing out, only to find at the end that your hair didn't look good because you didn't trim it to remove the damage.

S and D is fine..up to a point..but an overall trim is your best bet to keep ALL those delicate ends healthy. You need only trim every 3 or 4 months..say a quarter of an inch.

[Shelly]

Right now I trim every 4 to 6 months depending on what my hair is doing but no one can tell how long it actually is because of the thin ends. Last night I asked my DBF how long my hair appeared to be and he told me TBL which is about 2" shorter than it actually is. The last 2" are so thin no one can even see it. I do S&D when I can but the ends are really bothering me. I, at least, want it to look the length it is.

ETA: I am due for another trim, I'm just trying to decide how much.

[Kelikea]

You should start small, maybe a 1/2 in or inch, then see what it looks like. You can always take off more, but you cant put what you cut off back on. :)

[spidermom]

YMMV, of course, but I've done two separate one-year trials of no trimming, only S&D. At the end of each year, I ended up cutting off most if not all of the length I had gained because the ends were dried out and split to pieces (S&D can only do so much before I'm temporarily blinded from eye fatigue). So it was gain 7 inches, cut 7 inches.

When I trim a little bit about every 3-4 months, I gain about 5-1/2 inches of length in a year that I get to keep. I can't explain why it works that way, but it does. So for me, no more no-trimming years.

[pinchbeck]

What do you consider a big trim? For some people 2" is a big trim, for others it is more.

I trim my hair twice to three times per year now. Last year it got scalped by a scissor happy stylist who took off 5" of my hair when I specifically told him not to touch my length (I wanted a sexier layered look). I wanted to grow my lenght back and decided to trim less often.

If find after four to six months my ends start to look like the ends of uncut blades of grass. Not a bad thing, but it isn't for me. This week I self trimmed 1 1/4" of hair and it looks and feels much better.

Why not just trim a few times per year instead of cutting off one big chunk (then again your chunk may be 2" and if it is I am not against that!) It really depends on what condition your ends are in. If damaged, they'll just continue to break and snap off anyhow.

[pinchbeck]

YMMV, of course, but I've done two separate one-year trials of no trimming, only S&D. At the end of each year, I ended up cutting off most if not all of the length I had gained because the ends were dried out and split to pieces (S&D can only do so much before I'm temporarily blinded from eye fatigue). So it was gain 7 inches, cut 7 inches.Funny comment about S&D. I get eye fatigue, too and have given it up!

Do you have any length photos of the times when didn't trim for one year?

[Panth]

It might work, or it really might not work.

Basically, in some people / some hairtypes, trimming small amounts (i.e. 1/2" or less) regularly (i.e. every 1-3 months) actually increases the total amount of length-gain because it prevents length-loss from breakage at the tips that would otherwise happen and is greater than the trim amount. In these individuals, the tips of the hair need regular maintenance to remain healthy and, without this, quickly and progressively degrade and break away. (An example of this is Spidermom, who posted whilst I was typing). :p

However, in other people / hairtypes, hair will split a certain amount (e.g. a tiny 1-2mm split) and this initial damage never develops into anything more serious, thus resulting in minimal length-loss by breakage. In some even luckier people/hairtypes, splitting/breaking barely happens and thus length-loss by breakage barely happens.

So, I would advise doing regular measurements (e.g. monthly) and, if in the first 6-9 months of your no-trim experiment you see no length-gain, I would scrap it and change your routine for one with tiny, but regular, trims. If you see good (i.e. 1/2"+ per month) length-gain, I would keep up the no-trim experiment but also keep up the measuring and revert to trimming if length-stall (or loss of hair quality, or increased taper) is seen.

Another thing to consider is that splitting/damage/breakage can be prevented/reduced by ensuring the ends are gently treated and have the correct balance of moisture : protein. So, a long no-trim stint is much more likely to be successful if you combine it with an every-day up-do stint, plus ensure the hair is moisturised and generally happy.

So, in summary, your routine may be possible. However, it requires regular observation (both of length and of condition, and of taper) and regular reaction to what you observe (e.g. S&D, micro-trim, moisturising treatment on the ends, protein treatment on the ends, increased use of protective styling, etc.).

[Roseate]

I did a no-trimming year when I first got to LHC, and it was... ok, I guess. I won't be repeating it.
My normal trimming schedule is twice a year, which is perfect for me.

When I did the full year I didn't get outrageous damage, but I wasn't happy with my hair's appearance for the last 4 months or so. My hair naturally grows at different rates, so my hemline was uneven and looked straggly; it was dry and tangly at the ends, and I didn't enjoy looking at it or touching it at all. Not worth it. I like to enjoy my hair, I don't want length at the expense of happiness!

So maybe just stretch your trim schedule gradually? If you normally go four months, try five and then evaluate; if it looks good hold out and check again at 6 months, etc.

[Shelly]

http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4998:176104182214/jpeg/BG

Here is a picture that I just had taken. It's not a very good pic but it'll have to do. A huge trim for me is about 2". In the pic, the chain is tailbone and the top of the shorts is the actual length. Here's another one just because I can. :lol:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4998:866104182214/jpeg/BG

The ends don't look as bad as I thought so I'm extremely happy about that.

[Lollipop]

Everybody has a trimming schedule that works for them. I am approaching the 13 month mark right now with no trims. I've tried to S&D several times; I sat by my window and sectioned my hair and looked through the length. After about 30 minutes I give up since I can't find any split ends. In my entire life, I have only found one split end, and that was when I occasionally flat ironed and washed my hair daily with a SLS shampoo (and no condiitoner). I probably had a few more, since I didn't examine my hair as diligently, but none of my friends managed to find splits back then either. I have a solid 1/2 a month growth rate, and have managed to keep every inch. When I take my hair down, the bottom still has the same layered shape from when I last got it cut. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that my front, face-framing pieces are grown out, my hair would look pretty much like my very first cut at a salon that does the "deva cut". My last cut was at the salon but a shorter version. So, in over a year of no trimming, my hair has no splits, no damage, and has managed to retain the same layered shape, without adding any noticeable taper. Considering it is still fairly short, some people may not be very impressed, however this just goes to show that not everybody needs to trim several times a year. In fact, I have never had my hair trimmed. I always go to get it cut, and never get less than 4 inches taken off.

So, to the OP, you should do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you have never gone this long without a trim, I suggest you use discretion. If you find that your hair is starting to split more, and that the splits are traveling, get it trimmed. It really would be a shame that after a year, you have to trim back to where you started. I wish you luck.

[celebriangel]

Why do you want to do this? In my experience, most hairtypes thrive on at lease semi-regular trims. As an F-hair, your hair needs more delicate treatment and most Fs I've seen see regular microtrims as a must.

What I would do is trim off the first inch of invisible ends, then wait a few months until you've regained the lost length, then trim the remaining inch. At that point, your ends should be less see-through and more blunt. Then...well, I would just monitor your ends for signs of damage, and trim it off.

I'm an F, too (just with some M hairs) and my hair is quite strong, so my last trim was 6 months ago and I don't see evidence that I need a new one yet. However, when I begin to see that a significant percentage of my ends are split, or getting see-through, I will trim them. In the long run, for me, leaving too many split ends makes me feel unhappy with my hair, and trimming off the final half inch that looks ragged prevents me being left with inches of ends that I don't like and don't want to trim.

YMMV, though.

ETA: OP, you say your hair is 3a, but it is straight in the pic. Did you straighten it especially? If you do this often that could explain some of your taper.

[spidermom]

Well Pinchbeck, I used to have before/after pictures of my no-trim years, but I guess I deleted them out of photobucket. Bummer!

And Shelly, one good thing about trimming is that it holds back the fastest growing hairs a bit so that slower-growing hairs have a chance to catch up and make for thicker ends. The longer that you don't trim, the thinner those ends are going to get. Some of us have hairs that grow at a uniform rate, but others have hairs that grow twice as fast (more or less) than other hairs. I have a few hairs on the right side that are sometimes nearly 2 inches longer than anything else when I go in for a trim at 4 months.

[Panth]

Why do you want to do this? In my experience, most hairtypes thrive on at lease semi-regular trims. As an F-hair, your hair needs more delicate treatment and most Fs I've seen see regular microtrims as a must.

Hmm, just to counter this, I'm an F and I've just gone a no-trim S&D-only stint for (I think) 12 months. Might have been 10 months. Anyway, I've had 10" of growth in that time, and that's from TB to thigh. However, I've also been an up-do every day person ever since that last trim. S&Ds were, I'd say, sporadic, rather half-arsed and maybe every 3-5 months.

My hair is not in the best of condition, having been worn loose about 4-5 days out of 7 for the previous ... oh, 9 years or so. Maybe more like 11 years, since my last big chop. Also, when it wasn't loose, it was in an english plait worn hanging-free, which is not terribly protective for my hairtype.

I'm currently doing a 2 year sprint to knee (S&D only, unless anything goes terribly wrong). I'm then planning on maintaining (a la Cinnamonhair), at least until I get rid of my aged face-framing layers which are currently give me quite a marked U-shape, with the edges 6-7" shorter than the middle.

So, while F-haired people do need to be more careful about damage it doesn't hold out that they can't do fairly long stints without trimming - they just may need a bit of extra care (e.g. the updos, and my coconut oil habit).

[Shelly]

OP, you say your hair is 3a, but it is straight in the pic. Did you straighten it especially? If you do this often that could explain some of your taper.

No, I don't straighten my hair at all. The reason it looks straight is because even finger combing makes it look straight. Here is a pic of my 100% natural hair.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4998:244743762214/jpeg/BG

All the curl comes out when I comb it or anything else.

[Panth]

Here is a picture that I just had taken. It's not a very good pic but it'll have to do. A huge trim for me is about 2". In the pic, the chain is tailbone and the top of the shorts is the actual length. Here's another one just because I can. :lol:
The ends don't look as bad as I thought so I'm extremely happy about that.

What you've got going on there is (slightly extreme) fairytale ends - that is, ends that taper, plus form a U-shaped hemline, but created by damage/growth-patterns rather than purposeful cutting/thinning.

Now, if you don't like how they look and want a thicker hemline you have a couple of options:

1) You could cut back to a level that is thicker. However, you would probably loose a lot of length doing that and you might not want that.

2) You could maintain your hair length (i.e. cut back to the same length every month) until you get the desired thickness, then reduce the trimming (either amount or how often you trim) to enable length-gain.

3) You could continue trimming, but trim more often or trim a greater amount per trim (however, not enough to cause a maintenance of length).

4) You could continue trimming as you are, but try other methods to reduce taper by reducing damage, e.g. wearing updos more often, trying a more gentle washing routine, trying a more gentle combing/detangling routine.

[islandboo]

Hmm - I have a pronounced taper, but I think it is just the way my hair grows. My shed hairs tend to be all lengths, and only about 10% of them are at or close to my full length. Many of them are under 10", which is 1/3 of my total length. I have considered doing a big chop back to where my hair is thicker but I don't think it would do me any good because as the hair grows out I will continue to lose thickness from shedding shorter hairs. So I am trying the no-trim route to see how it goes. I do baby my hair with frequent DTs and keeping it up, as well as protecting it at night. I also S&D and because my hair is on the thin side, I am able to S&D pretty much every hair on my head. It takes a couple hours, but it is do-able. So I am hopeful this will work. I am keeping close tabs on the ends, though. And will go ahead and trim if they start looking worse for wear. So far, so good, though.

[Shelly]

Ok, since I have "fairytail" ends, the trimming I do just keeps them in more of a "U" shape rather than a "V" shape. So if I continue my current trim schedule it will change the look of the ends but it'll take a long long time if ever. I'm good with that. Yes, I do need a trim but not that much of one. I just never really considered my ends as being "fairytail" ends. Now that I do know that, it changes everything. :lol: I'm glad I consult my "Long Hair Family" before doing anything like that. I never have been very good at analyzing my own hair when it comes to things like that. Like I mentioned earlier after seeing the pics, my ends don't look as bad as I thought. :lol:

[Fairlight63]

I shed a lot of hair & my hair ends was getting really thin also. The hair that I shed is all different lengths.
What I have been doing this year is trimming about 1/4" off every month. That is helping to thicken up the ends without losing a lot of length. I am still gaining 1/2" growth a month & the ends stay in good condition.
I wear my hair up all of them time - either in a bun or in a braid.

[Shelly]

I do wear my hair up most of the time. Generally in a bun of some sort. I may just go back to the way I uses to be with it and only take it down when absolutely needed.

[Shelly]

http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4998:280264382214/jpeg/BG
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4998:759364382214/jpeg/BG

Well, here's a couple of post trim pics. I ended up taking about 1.25" to 1.5" off. That's ok though. For not having trimmed since about March, that's pretty good. A little over an inch every 3" of growth, maybe a little more is ok. I'll still be at 39" to 40" by the end of the year and my goal of 46" to 47" by the end of 2012 is still totally possible.

[spidermom]

It sounds possible indeed; good luck!

[jojo]

your ends look thinner when you have your hair straight, your natural hair the ends don't look as thin. I too get this problem and have just cut from nearly hip to just past bsl and feel so much better for this. I understand you not wanting to trim it all in one blow, thats some long hair but id suggest cutting half your monthly growth, this will allow your hair to thicken and still gain. But its kind of princessy in its curly state.

[kidari]

I grew out a very shot bob and didn't cut the ends for an entire year. It grew and I had no splits (I rarely every get them) but it was so uneven and thin and scraggly I had to cut more than 2" to make it look better. Personally I think small trims and dustings every 2-3 months is better. I trim every 4-6 weeks but it's only a dusting.

[Shelly]

I have decided to trim half my growth every 8 weeks. I think that would be the best way for me to do it. Thank you.