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View Full Version : Post-haircut damage?



Pinkster8
February 25th, 2012, 08:39 AM
I got my hair trimmed a bit on Wednesday night, due to damage and some splits. My hair was perfect that night and the next day as well I think, but on Friday, I had my hair in a ponytail. I glanced at my ends and noticed A TON of white dots on the ends and a little ways up the hair shaft. I had a few actual splits as well.

What happened to my hair? All I did after my trim was wash it once, conditioned it, oil it on the ends and put it in a bun on Thursday. I never heat style or blow dry, I only comb once a day and sleep on a silk pillowcase. My first thought is my stylist used a blunt pair of shears, but maybe I have more damaged hair than I thought?

I don't know what happened but I cried when I saw how awful the ends looked. It looks exactly like it did before my trim :(

Amber_Maiden
February 25th, 2012, 08:55 AM
Maybe she used blunt scissors? But I don't think the damage from them would be noticeable that fast!

xoxophelia
February 25th, 2012, 09:06 AM
Is it possible they aren't actual white dots? My hair is coarse enough that when it is blunt right after a cut in bright light it can almost look like a white dot just from how the light hits it.

The other possibility besides blunt scissors is that your hair was just damaged badly further up than the trim. If it is BSL length you would really need to look at what you were doing to your hair before joining LHC. Was it the same routine?

It can take a long time to grow out previous damage. If it does end up being damage and not just the light, I wouldn't fret too much about it. Just continue to wear it up and go again for your next scheduled trim.

Lipbalmbabe
February 25th, 2012, 09:08 AM
Maybe she used blunt scissors? But I don't think the damage from them would be noticeable that fast!

That's probably it. It happened to me a couple times.

spidermom
February 25th, 2012, 09:45 AM
Scissors that weren't sharp is definitely a possibility. It could also be that you had damage further up that you didn't notice until the former ends were cut off. I've been S&Ding the splits that poke out of my braid, and I find them quite far up from the ends. (darn it!)

Jessfoz
February 25th, 2012, 11:24 AM
Maybe it would also depend on how they cut it? I had a hairdresser just drag the scissors across, like when you cut fabric fast, did the trim in 5 minutes, $40, in and out. Horrible. I had to go for a trim the next month because regardless of weather she really did damage, ends felt the same and I couldn't stop worrying. Maybe wear it up for at least the month and then go somewhere else for a dusting?
This is assuming you went to a salon though :p

heidi w.
February 25th, 2012, 11:57 AM
Where are the white dots located? If they're a bit up from the ends, it is not blunt scissor damage. White dots are an expression of the cuticle bursting, typically from heat such as flat ironing. It's very common to see this outcome as a result of repetitive flat ironing for example. But you claim to have used no heat. Is your hair in any kind of recovery period from any kind of previous treatment?

I rather think this is not a response to the recent hair cut or trim you received.

heidi w.

amantha
February 25th, 2012, 11:58 AM
I'm keeping an eye on this thread because I've been having THE EXACT SAME problem since October. My ends actually look worse and have splits within 2 days of getting my hair trimmed. I used to go every 5-6 weeks....now I'm waiting longer between cuts to gain length and to avoid this mess. My hair seriously never had white dots or so many splits until this past October and I also never use heat and have always taken pretty good care of my hair. The lady who cuts my hair has been cutting my hair for over 20 years and has always done a wonderful job. So I don't know what's been happening, but I don't want to accuse her of not having sharp scissors because I feel like she would know better and would keep them sharp....especially considering that she works at a high end salon. But who knows.

heidi w.
February 25th, 2012, 12:06 PM
Assuming there is something or someone to blame may not be the solution, really. Just a thought to ponder.

heidi w.

lapushka
February 25th, 2012, 12:38 PM
Where are the white dots located? If they're a bit up from the ends, it is not blunt scissor damage. White dots are an expression of the cuticle bursting, typically from heat such as flat ironing. It's very common to see this outcome as a result of repetitive flat ironing for example. But you claim to have used no heat. Is your hair in any kind of recovery period from any kind of previous treatment?

I rather think this is not a response to the recent hair cut or trim you received.

heidi w.

My thoughts exactly. If the damage is a ways up from your ends, OP, this has nothing to do with the recent trim, it's something that's been there since before the trim due to some damage being done to your hair, maybe not recently (maybe you heat styled in the past).

heidi w.
February 25th, 2012, 12:47 PM
I'm keeping an eye on this thread because I've been having THE EXACT SAME problem since October. My ends actually look worse and have splits within 2 days of getting my hair trimmed. I used to go every 5-6 weeks....now I'm waiting longer between cuts to gain length and to avoid this mess. My hair seriously never had white dots or so many splits until this past October and I also never use heat and have always taken pretty good care of my hair. The lady who cuts my hair has been cutting my hair for over 20 years and has always done a wonderful job. So I don't know what's been happening, but I don't want to accuse her of not having sharp scissors because I feel like she would know better and would keep them sharp....especially considering that she works at a high end salon. But who knows.

You can look into self trimming methods. There's one somewhere on LHC, directions that is. And apparently people use it with success.

heidi w.

amantha
February 25th, 2012, 01:27 PM
You can look into self trimming methods. There's one somewhere on LHC, directions that is. And apparently people use it with success.

heidi w.

Thanks Heidi! I've thought about doing that. However I have several long layers and I'm not sure if I can trust myself to do a good job cutting those. Plus other than some splits after my haircut, which may or may not be due to blunt scissors, she is an excellent hair dresser. She really listens to what I want and never takes off more than I ask her to.

The only thing I can think of that might be causing those splits after getting my hair cut (other than blunt scissors) is that for the longest time I probably wasn't getting enough protein in my diet, and I've more than likely been iron deficient for several years (although I didn't notice until my huge shed this past summer/autumn and by that point my iron was ridiculously low). So I'm thinking that maybe the lower half of my hair is pretty weak due to a poor diet and whatnot...because the new stuff that is growing in ever since I started taking a good multivitamin, iron supplements, and eating better is soooo thick and strong.

Pinkster8
February 25th, 2012, 04:42 PM
The weird thing is, when I hold my hair up to the light, I don't see the white spots on the end - just the splits and white spots further up the shaft. The only way I can see the white spots on the ends of my hairs are when I wear a dark shirt, then I can see it when my hair is against it. I've been keeping my ends oiled and in a bun since I started noticing it; is there anything else I can do? I do not have a good pair of shears to do S&D.