Advice on S&D

[Linika]

Hi everyone! I know S&D has been brought up loads of times but I couldn't find what I was looking for.

I know what it is and how to do it, but it's still very frustrating! My hair is fine and blond (se pic :P) so splits are sometimes hard to see and white spots? Practically impossible to spot! So, now I'm looking for some tips on how to make S&D a bit less painful.

Should I have a contrasting background? Backlit or not? Any tips are welcome! I really want to do S&D but I get so very very irritadet when I notice all those splits that I've missed! :angry:

[Saeth]

I don't have blonde hair though my hair is fine. I find I can only do it during daylight, sat in front of my pc with the monitor off. It seems to work. My hair is quite dark as it's hennaed too. You'd think light back vs dark hair would work but it doesn't seem to. I just find it much easier that way.

[chaos_aroura]

I have a wall sconce/light thing on either side of the mirror in my bathroom and I position myself so when I'm holding my hair up looking for splits the light is behind it, it makes it easier for me to see.

If that doesn't work I would use contrast. Can you hang a dark towel up so you can see better? Maybe drape it over your shower curtian rod?

[WaitingSoLong]

I can tell you NOT to put light on it, the little reflections can look like white dots and you can snip perfectly good hair by making this mistake. The best way to see splits is in bright sunlight bit this gives you that false dot issue.

I have blonde hair, when I S&D'd (I don't anymore), I would fan out a section and hold it over my desk/vanity (in the air). The cherry wood color seemed to help. You could also try wearing reading glasses to get a bit of magnification but I haven't tried that. You have to have 3 hands to use a magnifying glass. I don't know about you, but I am short one.

[Amber_Maiden]

I S&D in front of my computer screen :p

[spidermom]

I like doing it under a bright light with a dark background. If I'm unsure regarding a white dot, I put fingers on either side of it and pull. If it pops apart, I then cut back the end about 1/4 inch.

I find it easiest to S&D the damaged hairs that stick out of my braids. I'll often wear my hair in 2 braids just for this purpose.

[Vanilla]

S&D is really tough with blonde hair. I find the best place to do it in my house is by a sunny window. Artificial light doesn't work well to illuminate splits in blonde hair.

I also splay the strands just like WaitingSoLong against my dark colored shirt or blanket, so I can see the splits more easily. If I start seeing more than 20-30 splits in a S&D session, then I just go for a trim.

[jacqueline101]

I go through and look for splits and trim them.

[Linika]

Thanks everyone! You've been really helpful :) I'm going to try what you have suggested and see what fits me best :3 Thanks!

[Words]

I also have this problem! And when I looked at your profile picture I saw that you're also from Sweden, haha. :) My hair is so fine and blonde that I can't see any splits at all... It's so frustrating!

[heidi w.]

1. Work in very strong light such as sunlight or halogen light.
2. Also work against a background that is opposite one's hair color so that one can actually see the damage and where they're cutting the hair strand.
ETA: 3. Do NOT work in your own shadow. Make sure that it's well lit all around the area you are working in. Much like studying/reading -- do not work in your own shadow. For this reason, one may need two lamps to light from behind and in front at the same time. END ETA

Two very strong tenets of dusting or what LHC calls S&Ding.

I too am lighter colored and extremely fine hair type. One hair strand of mine is actually difficult to see, it's so thin.

heidi w.


I can tell you NOT to put light on it, the little reflections can look like white dots and you can snip perfectly good hair by making this mistake. The best way to see splits is in bright sunlight bit this gives you that false dot issue.

I have blonde hair, when I S&D'd (I don't anymore), I would fan out a section and hold it over my desk/vanity (in the air). The cherry wood color seemed to help. You could also try wearing reading glasses to get a bit of magnification but I haven't tried that. You have to have 3 hands to use a magnifying glass. I don't know about you, but I am short one.

That is correct that reflecting light off of light colored hair can be misleading as to damage or not. For this reason, I advocate moving the strand in a bit of circle, kind of spiraling the hair strand, then and only then can you be certain. Or somehow move in this light.

heidi w.

[blondie9912]

If you have blonde hair definitely do it above a dark surface (I do it over my mahogany desk) with a bright desk lamp OVER your hair :)