PDA

View Full Version : How do I micro-trim/dust?



Bagginslover
February 1st, 2012, 04:46 AM
What the title says really! I've looked for articles, and I've looked at the theads for these things, but I don't see a method anywhere...
Are they both the same thing?
can I do them on myself?

I don't need to cut anything at the moment, as I had a big (pre LHC) trim mid-December but I like to be forarmed with the knowledge ;)

Thanks!

Aggemam
February 1st, 2012, 04:52 AM
I usually divide my hair into 4 or 6 sections and then I take one section and from that one I divide it into even smaller parts where I go through my hair thoroughly, cutting of all the split ends I find.

Buffy
February 1st, 2012, 05:13 AM
I'd like to see what people have to say in this thread because it's getting time for me to micto-trim too!

Avital88
February 1st, 2012, 05:26 AM
look up feyes self trim :)

jacqueline101
February 1st, 2012, 05:32 AM
I divide my hair into small sections and trim my splits.

Renate
February 1st, 2012, 05:42 AM
I just use Faye's Straight Cut method, but instead of cutting 1/2", I cut less. It doesn't make any difference on lenght, but the ends feel much better.

StormVixen
February 1st, 2012, 05:46 AM
I just use Faye's Straight Cut method, but instead of cutting 1/2", I cut less.

Ditto this :D (except I do a V)

Amber_Maiden
February 1st, 2012, 06:06 AM
I just use Faye's Straight Cut method, but instead of cutting 1/2", I cut less. It doesn't make any difference on lenght, but the ends feel much better.

Exactly.

It's not always about cutting off splits. You can get rid of those with S&D!

blondie9912
February 1st, 2012, 07:41 AM
Google "Feye's Self Trim Methods", she has clear directions on how to cut your own hair in order to achieve specific hemlines :)

Aredhel77
February 1st, 2012, 08:28 AM
This is how I do it : to dust or microtrim, I just part my hair in the middle, bring it forward over my shoulders and snip off a very tiny amount of the ends (we're talking a few millimetres only). This is similar in principle to Feyes' self-trim (V-shape) except I'm not doing it so much to shape the hemline - rather I'm just removing the bare minimum of dry ends.

I tend to trim more length off if I am doing it specifically to shape my hemline.

I have wurly hair - and can get away with a certain amount of 'random' trimming - so another thing I do sometimes (again, just 'dusting') is twist my hair in sections and just snip off the very ends.

For me, microtrimming is a little different to 'S&D'-ing' split ends because my whole hemline gets finely trimmed. In S&D-ing, I am going through the hair just looking for & cutting off individual split hairs.

Hope that's helpful. :)

ETA: Just to clarify: I think mictrotrimming and 'dusting' mean essentially the same thing - and would guess that most people can do this to their own hair fairly safely (not too much room for error as only a very small amount of hair is cut off.

'Trimming' involves a bit more length and Feye's self-trim is a very helpful guide for this. I have used it and it's quite easy.

heidi w.
February 1st, 2012, 09:33 AM
Microtrimming and dusting are terms that came to use by Dr. George Michael writing about it in his "treatise" on long hair care. He himself is now deceased, but his salons and ideas live on. The two terms are essentially interchageable, and here on LHC came to be known as S&D (Search & Destroy). The three terms essentially mean all the same things just about.

Microtrimming and dusting can be used to mean a super small amount of hair trimmed off the hemline.

Dusting or microtrimming can also mean search for splits and other damage throughout all the hair length, and removing them by cutting them out.

S&D specifically refers to the practice of removing splits and damage from anywhere in the hair length, high or low.

The key for good dusting is having a fantastic pair of scissors that produce a clean, precise cut. I recommend finding a pair of good barber scissors, 5-1/2 inches. Brand new. Never use them on anything but hair. No fabric, no ribbon, no paper, nothing but hair. Other things you cut can dull the blade. Especially fabric and paper, over time. Such scissors can cost between $30 - $300 if you go high end hair dresser scissors. I used to get them for around $35 until someone gave me a nice pair of hairstyling scissors -- they're really nice. (If you ever get to watch the movie about Vidal Sassoons career, at some point in the middle kind of nearer the end, is a quick shot of his table of scissors -- all nicely laid out, beautifully cared for and cleaned -- much like a surgeon's platter of tools.)

You want to ensure that the action of slicing is very smooth. No hidges, hesitations, hiccups, or bumps in the downstroke. If there is a bump of some kind, you can apply oil to the screw of the scissor and work the blades over&over again, and then swipe the excess oil off.

The next part to help with a good downstroke is the way you hold the scissors. Many barber scissors are designed with the intention that a right handed person is going to use them, as they have a kind of curly-que off one of the holes you put fingers through. Most hold scissors with their right hand (you'll have to shop harder if you're left handed) with the thumb and third finger. This actually produces angles when you downstroke because the scissors are held in an unbalanced manner. The best way to balance the scissors and cut down straight, is to hold with the thumb and fourth finger, the ring finger. And on that little stick off the one scissor hole you place the pinky finger around, and cut that way. It takes some getting used to, but in time, it'll feel natural. At first, it'll feel weird though. And it does take a little bit of practice.

Then you section off some hair and begin to look for splits. This is best done under good light and against a backdrop that is opposite your hair color. Otherwise, you really can't see the splits.

There are a myriad of types of splits: the shapes they come in. You will also notice a white dot on occasion, where the outer cuticle layer is burst for some reason and it feels kind of rough along the hair in that area.

Most of your damage will be in the hemline, the oldest hair, and a bit above that. Some, and relatively few will be much higher up. These splits can sometimes be really long.

I used to diligently dust my hair on a fairly regular basis. I would do it in the sunlight against a panel of black fabric on one thigh or placed in my lap. But then I began to notice I was a bit doing it too much as I was losing volume. So I just backed off. Now I hardly ever do it. This is something to watch, that you don't overdo it. It has an addictive quality to it.

I'm older now and my hair has pretty much sort of stopped growing. So now, I focus a whole lot more on taking care of what I have, knowing that if I lose it, I probably won't have it again. It took around 20 years to get this length. At 51, I'd be fairly old if I tried to grow it again.

The end result of dusting is that your hair feels really smooth. It's a way of trimming without necessarily removing overall length. The itty bitty trimming of the end can help re-shape or shape a hemline over time.

heidi w.

ETA: When you cut, watch that your hand is not leaning or that your wrist is not bent, as these can produce an angled cut. Imagine that hair strand is round, so you want to cut down and across straight, not angled on either plane. END ETA

Bagginslover
February 2nd, 2012, 04:37 AM
Wow Heidi w, thats some fab, through info there, thank you so much!! I have a pair of Scunci scissors, which are ment for hair, but were only £12 from the supermarket....do you think they'll be good enough? I cut my hair with them in december and I don't have any splits in the ends yet, so they must be pretty sharp.

Thank you to everyone else who replied too, will be sure to google the trimming method :)

heidi w.
February 2nd, 2012, 09:54 AM
Those sound adequate.

heidi w.

HoneyBunBun
August 1st, 2012, 12:36 PM
I've been reading through a lot of threads about micro trimming and I still feel a little unclear about a few things. Someone had mentioned that they twist small sections of their hair and trim off anything that sticks out- are the pieces that are sticking out split ends? I guess, I just don't really understand what I'm looking for to trim. I also wonder how often I should be micro-trimming? I get my hair trimmed at the salon every 8 - 12 weeks, but since my hair is long it's also old, so I think it needs just a little more maintenance in between.

heidi w.
August 2nd, 2012, 10:32 AM
I've been reading through a lot of threads about micro trimming and I still feel a little unclear about a few things. Someone had mentioned that they twist small sections of their hair and trim off anything that sticks out- are the pieces that are sticking out split ends? I guess, I just don't really understand what I'm looking for to trim. I also wonder how often I should be micro-trimming? I get my hair trimmed at the salon every 8 - 12 weeks, but since my hair is long it's also old, so I think it needs just a little more maintenance in between.

When they twist a section of hair, they then look for splits and only trim those. Some do trim off all the strands sticking out, but really S&D is done by trimming one split off at a time. Also cutting all the strands sticking out may in fact produce angled cuts....

Trimming the hemline every 8-12 weeks might be a bit frequent. Just something to keep in mind if you want yet longer length.

heidi w.

HoneyBunBun
August 2nd, 2012, 10:35 AM
When they twist a section of hair, they then look for splits and only trim those. Some do trim off all the strands sticking out, but really S&D is done by trimming one split off at a time. Also cutting all the strands sticking out may in fact produce angled cuts....

Trimming the hemline every 8-12 weeks might be a bit frequent. Just something to keep in mind if you want yet longer length.

heidi w.

I'm not actively trying to gain length, just keep my hair healthy =)

jeanniet
August 2nd, 2012, 11:47 AM
The twisting technique never works for me--nothing ever sticks out. When I S & D, I just take small sections of hair, fan them out a bit , and look at them under a light. I S & D frequently because damaged ends cause my hair to tangle more, so I try to keep my ends clean. I also dust a bit every month (about 1/4"). I use Feye's method, except that I don't scrunchie my ponytail; I just run my hand down the ponytail from the base and then bring it over my shoulder and trim a bit. Then I divide my hair in half and bring each half over my shoulder and make sure everything is more or less even. Since my hair is curly I can get away with things not being perfect. I always end up with a U shape no matter how I trim.

HoneyBunBun
August 2nd, 2012, 11:56 AM
The twisting technique never works for me--nothing ever sticks out. When I S & D, I just take small sections of hair, fan them out a bit , and look at them under a light. I S & D frequently because damaged ends cause my hair to tangle more, so I try to keep my ends clean. I also dust a bit every month (about 1/4"). I use Feye's method, except that I don't scrunchie my ponytail; I just run my hand down the ponytail from the base and then bring it over my shoulder and trim a bit. Then I divide my hair in half and bring each half over my shoulder and make sure everything is more or less even. Since my hair is curly I can get away with things not being perfect. I always end up with a U shape no matter how I trim.

I have wavy/curly hair as well, so I tangle easily and don't stress too much about evenness on the bottom of my hair. Waves seem to hide a lot of sin =) I was so curious about these methods because of the precise reason you mentioned- the tangles! I don't usually get just little knots that are easy to deal with but rather big nasty ones that require a lot more patience than I have. Even though I like my hair long and try to keep it that way, the health of it is my top concern.

MinderMutsig
August 2nd, 2012, 12:36 PM
I've been reading through a lot of threads about micro trimming and I still feel a little unclear about a few things. Someone had mentioned that they twist small sections of their hair and trim off anything that sticks out- are the pieces that are sticking out split ends? I guess, I just don't really understand what I'm looking for to trim. I also wonder how often I should be micro-trimming? I get my hair trimmed at the salon every 8 - 12 weeks, but since my hair is long it's also old, so I think it needs just a little more maintenance in between.
I think that was me who said that. I do that once or twice a year and I do trim a little off every hair that sticks out. I actually ruffle the twisted strand a little to make more stick out.

I know this technique is usually used to look for splits and then you only trim the splits you find like Heidi described but I find my fine hair prefers to get microtrimmed every now and then and not just the hemline but all my hair.

So I use the strand twist technique to trim a little off every hair and then follow that with a microtrim of maybe 3-5 mm off the hemline using Feye's method. The twist method still doesn't get all the hair but it's close and if I do this twice a year then my hair is happy. Since I started doing this my very tangle prone hair stopped being tangly and I get a lot less damage.

jojo
August 2nd, 2012, 01:39 PM
Faye's trimming method but only cutting say ---> _ much off is classed as dusting or micro trimming, anymore is a trim! It's hardly anything really, in fact the term dusting comes from it just looking like dust rather than hair ( the cut of bits :D) it's makes such a difference to how it feels, surprisingly !

jeanniet
August 2nd, 2012, 02:35 PM
It takes a little while to get the hang of S&D, but it's very effective if you do it regularly. Since your hair is thick, I think you could do it until the cows come home and not see a noticeable change in your hemline, but it will make a big difference with tangles.