Growing out layers

[ktno1]

I have heavily layered hair. The longest layers curl around the nape of my neck whilst the shortest just reach the bottom of my ears.

So what's better? Gaining a bit of length first and then cutting out the layers? Or hacking it all to one length early on and very short, and growing it evenly? Which method do you guys prefer and why? Which do you find gives you the least amount of time with "awkward" hair?

Personally I'm strongly considering just getting some length for now, putting my hair up daily and forgetting how ugly it looks, and tidying up the layers later once I'm happy with the growth I've achieved.

Thoughts?

[MyKing'sQueen]

Hi, I'm growing my layers out too. I'm just doing tiny monthly trims that way I can get some length and slowly get rid of layers at the same time. But it's going to take a long time. If you can deal with having short hair for a while you can just cut it to where your shortest layer is, I couldn't do it. Or you can maintain at the length you have now and cut all the monthly growth. HTH.

[honeydippedxo]

I was in the same boat. Well my hair was longer, the longest layer almost at waist but I hated my layers so much I just chopped off my hair to one length. Which left me at nearly chin length. I absolutely HATE short hair on myself but I was happier with the short unlayered hair than I was with longish layered hair.

Also I knew that I would be happier doing one big chop and keeping all the length that grew afterwards than to keep trimming the layers little by little just to keep the length. I keep my hair up almost always, I clip or bobby pin what ever hair is too short to fit in the rubber band. It's been working for me.

So it just depends on your preference. If you don't mind going shorter and keeping most if not all the length you grow afterwards then cut it. If you love your length then grow and trim a little every couple weeks/months until your layers eventually even out. It's up to you love.

[missoj]

It varies from person to person.
The last time I had my hair cut into a style (4years ago) it was in layers. It was about a chin length bob and the shortest, were the most breakage was, was most probably 2-3 inches. I just let it grow out and back then I was addicted to my flat iron to make my hair look decent. Once my hair was long enough I just kept it tied back with headbands or bobbypins to keep the shortest in place.
Since I've been trimming my hair but I still have them. Part of me wants to chop all my layers out (then my hair would be one length with the exception of my bangs) but the my hair would be between shoulder and apl and right now I can't deal with that.
Ask yourself is length more important right now that you're willing to keep the layers or is getting rid of them more important that you're willing to microtrim and stay at the same length for sometime? Then decide from there on.

[ktno1]

Hi, I'm growing my layers out too. I'm just doing tiny monthly trims that way I can get some length and slowly get rid of layers at the same time. But it's going to take a long time. If you can deal with having short hair for a while you can just cut it to where your shortest layer is, I couldn't do it. Or you can maintain at the length you have now and cut all the monthly growth. HTH.

I can't handle the super short hair, I don't think. Once I get about an inch more length on the longest layers, I think I'll do just that - slowly start trimming out the layers while maintaining length. It will take a long time but it'll be worth it. Thanks!

[ktno1]

Ask yourself is length more important right now that you're willing to keep the layers or is getting rid of them more important that you're willing to microtrim and stay at the same length for sometime? Then decide from there on.

They're both important but, ultimately, I need the length more than I need to lose the layers. The layers can wait.

[battles]

I just microtrimmed and dusted my layers as I went from chin to past shoulder length.

This is what my hair would be like at this length if I did not have layers.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2hdyys8.jpg

:tmi:

[ktno1]

This is what my hair would be like at this length if I did not have layers.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2hdyys8.jpg

:tmi:

Hahahaha!

:couch:

[missoj]

They're both important but, ultimately, I need the length more than I need to lose the layers. The layers can wait.

I understand, I've been thinking about cutting my layers out for at two months now, but in the end I always choose length. I'm not very far from my goal length of waist, so once I've reached it, I will be mirco-trimming to get rid of the layers. After that I intend on growing it to hip/tailbone.

[ktno1]

I'm not very far from my goal length of waist, so once I've reached it, I will be mirco-trimming to get rid of the layers. After that I intend on growing it to hip/tailbone.

Because I have quite thin hair, I think I will have to begin that micro-trimming process more around SL/APL or I'll miss the extra thickness too much as I gain length.

[missoj]

Because I have quite thin hair, I think I will have to begin that micro-trimming process more around SL/APL or I'll miss the extra thickness too much as I gain length.

I think that's one of the biggest cons of layers. The thinning out at the bottom. At APL you'll have enough length to do some nice braids and a few buns while growing it out to hide the thinness.

[ktno1]

At APL you'll have enough length to do some nice braids and a few buns while growing it out to hide the thinness.

I'm really looking forward to this stage! My hair is really too thin to look any good with layers and I don't know why I got them in the first place. It looked good at chin length I suppose, being very choppy and messy and bedheady. But I always needed to put heaps of different products in it to get any volume anyway.

[WinterButterfly]

there is middle ground here. you can chop off the longest layers where it is thinnest. i would suggest keeping enough hair to have a ponytail. that way you dont look like you have super thin ends, and you dont have to deal with the irritation of not being able to pull your hair up off your neck. then i would trim about half your growth every 6 months.

[ktno1]

there is middle ground here. you can chop off the longest layers where it is thinnest. i would suggest keeping enough hair to have a ponytail. that way you dont look like you have super thin ends, and you dont have to deal with the irritation of not being able to pull your hair up off your neck. then i would trim about half your growth every 6 months.

Thanks for your advice. I'm more or less following it. It's long enough to mostly put into a pony, which is good. I am going to go for a middle ground, in that I'll be cutting layers and growing at the same time. I just think I'm going to prioritise length at the moment because it's more important to me right now.

[Arctic]

I have short hair I'm growing out, and I always like to grow it into a bob first (grow out most of the layers) then start growing from there with even hemline.

[Simone_Fatale]

I'm waiting for my longest layers to hit shoulder length and then I'll keep 'em there with regular trimming so shorter layers can catch up.

[palaeoqueen]

I'm also growing out (bad) layers. Length is more important to me so I'm microtrimming every other month. Length is my priority because I can't wear my hair above shoulder without severe triangle-head syndrome. It's at collarbone now and is still very triangular so I'll be keeping these layers for a while yet.

[Lauram]

I'm growing layers too, and I plan on just GROWING for now. I plan on doing an annual trim to neaten it up, but only like a half inch off. Then when I reach my goal, I will start working on the hemline. Or atleast get the bulk of growing over before I start reshaping.


I hope growing goes quick for you! I think putting it up for now is a great idea. That's my goal for the month.

[bunzfan]

I'm growing layers too, and I plan on just GROWING for now. I plan on doing an annual trim to neaten it up, but only like a half inch off. Then when I reach my goal, I will start working on the hemline. Or atleast get the bulk of growing over before I start reshaping.


I hope growing goes quick for you! I think putting it up for now is a great idea. That's my goal for the month.

Thats how i did it, when i joined my layers were should length and my hair was about apl i put it up daily and once it was 3 inches from waist got it blunt cut back up to bsl i still had some layering left which was apl ,i have since got rid of those with micro trimming since march and two big trims and now finally i'm layer free:D

You will get there but it is extremely frustrating when you have a lot of layering at the beginning like i did i couldn't even do a simple braid,bun without them popping out. French braid damp hair really helps to stop this as does damp bunning with a waterproof stick/fork.

[blondie9912]

I would prefer cutting the longest layer at a rate of about half an inch every two months, which makes a bigger difference than you would think!

[BlazingHeart]

I have 8-10" of layering at the bottom because I grew out from a very short cut (kinda wedge-like, more or less, but without the flip on the edges of the layers).

My hair is thick enough and grows fast enough that I really didn't have much in the way of awkwardness - just a couple of months until most of it hit the nape of my neck.

Anyhow, for me, the priority was getting enough length to bun easily. My hair is thick enough that at BCL, I'm only just able to bun it neatly without sectioning, which is what I wanted. So now, the plan is to hold it at this length for several months while I cut out the worst of the layering. I just keep delaying the first trim....

~Blaze

[CharleaMurphy]

My longest layer is bra strap length (it was a little longer but I trimmed it)
And my shortest is between chin and shoulder
It's awful and I hate it.
I've been trimming the ends a bit because they're kind of damaged, but my plan is to get length and trim little by little.

[TiffanieJean]

I got a heavily layered cut nin Oct 2011 that was a lot shorter than I asked for.. So, I was in the same dilemma that you are in now about 6 months ago. I decided to just try to get to my goal and slowly cut away the layers once I was there. For the length you are at right now, your hair might actually look better during the growing out process with the layers in. Now I am almost at my goal and I'm trimming the layers away little by little... It's worked well so far, but I might just cut a few inches off soon to get rid of the issue. Good Luck =)

[akilina]

*small rant*
It sort of perplexes me when people say they have their shortest layer X here, but the longest layer is at X point.....Does that mean that your layers stop at a certain point and literally just DROP off to your length??? Your layers shouldn't really just DROP off. They should be softly connected in my professional opinion. I never just STOP cutting layers at a certain point but sort of round out the area between the layers "ending" and the length where there is a big block of hair.
It also always confuses me when people try to say "I just want a few layers"? So...you want me to literally just take a handful and CHOP to *ONE* layer??? And then CHOP another section for layer number two?
There is no way to count all the "layers" in a haircut unless you want to take out a vertical strip section and literally count every single hair that has been cut in that one strip. *sigh*
Only once in my career have I literally been asked to simply cut one layer. As in she wanted ONE layer on the top, and the rest to drop off with a huge disconnection to her length. She was happy as can be.

Anyway, sorry, I am being off topic,
I know this thread is old but I would recommend to anyone to microtrim them out over time. I am working on doing this. Chopping to all one length would require me to chop to 1/2 inch past my nape...no thanks right now. :(

[vanillabones]

My hair is APL now about exactly at the APL marker and I never evened out my layers when I was a super shorter... if I had I would have been very discourage with growth and STILL have short hair... I sort of have APL length hair underneath and the layers are a little past shoulder, I was going to cut them all even but I think I will wait to even it until BSL now. They don't look bad, and I was finally able to put my hair up. I truly believe my hair is trying to even itself out though all on its own.

[Logi Bear]

I have heavily layered hair. The longest layers curl around the nape of my neck whilst the shortest just reach the bottom of my ears.

So what's better? Gaining a bit of length first and then cutting out the layers? Or hacking it all to one length early on and very short, and growing it evenly? Which method do you guys prefer and why? Which do you find gives you the least amount of time with "awkward" hair?

Personally I'm strongly considering just getting some length for now, putting my hair up daily and forgetting how ugly it looks, and tidying up the layers later once I'm happy with the growth I've achieved.

Thoughts?

I am pretty much in the same predicament as you, i have absolutely horrible looking layers but my hair is maybe only collar bone length and If I were to chop off all my layers that would bring my hair up to my cheek bones! That would look horrible. At the same time I do not want to maintain at this length while i slowly trim them out because A: I need to trim my hair myself, both because my medical issues prevent me from going to a salon, because hair stylists often did what I told them NOT to and I don't trust them, and because my hair is too short to cut accurately myself so I will have to wait till it is longer if I want to self trim. And B: because I cannot do anything with my hair other than put it up in a pony tail or tie it back with a bandana at this length. I cannot even french braid it, neither can my dad who used to french braid my hair when I was little. It would be much easier to hide how ridiculous it looks if I were able to put it in a braid or a bun ect. I plan on letting it grow out till the non-layered part of my hair is at least long enough for me to really do something with, and also until it is long enough for me to safely self cut the layers out. Then perhaps i will chop out the layers.

[tambalina]

I had a stacked bob when I started regrowing my hair. When I finally reached shoulder-length, it felt like I had a backwards mullet/duck-tail, so I opted to go for the big chop to keep it one-length.

Funny that now I am at BSL, I cut layers into my hair for movement. ::shrug:: I love my layers!!