How often should I S&D?

[Maritza]

I just got a 1 inch trim two days ago, and don't want to cut again for another year or so, but do want to keep the split ends at bay. How often do you all S&D?

[Maritza]

Also is it best to cut straight across the hair or at an angle?

[Roscata]

Always cut the hair straight across, imagine it as a T where the horizontal line is the scissor and the vertical line is the hair. Habioku has a very cool S&D technique tutorial with pics here: Self trimming (https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/self-trimming).

About how often that's up to you. You can check your hair whenever you have the time and if you see any split ends you can just trim them off. It really depends on your particular hair and how often/easy it splits.

[melusine963]

I only S&D thoroughly twice a year or so. At this point my hair is so long that doing it more often would drive me insane. That said, when I brush it I'll do a quick check and snip off any split ends I spot easily. I also check the hair sticking out from the sides of my braid and get rid of any split ends I find there. I find this is enough to keep the damage from getting too bad, and allows me to only trim my hair once a year.

[Amber_Maiden]

I S&D almost every time I brush my hair- if I spot a split I snip it.

[summergreen]

When I see a split I cut it and then look for more - I guess I look at the ends of my hair at least once a week but its kind of a random thing that just seems to happen - one minute Im watching TV, then I suddenly find Im staring at a handful of hair!

[Carissamarie08]

As much as you desire. I just s&d when I notice a lot.

[MissAlida]

I s&d once each month. I do it very throughly, so it takes me about 3-4 hour to finish, and makes my neck hurt, but it's worth it. I just take tiny sections twist them clockwise and snip off everything that sticks out and looks damaged. I use a mirror and do it in sunlight, so I can get the splits close to my scalp aswell. I then twist the section counter-clockwise, and do it again. I sometimes even snip off a couple mm-ers from the end of each small section.:)

[jeanniet]

I try to S & D at least once a week, but it depends on how busy I am. I usually do it while (sort of) watching TV, because we have a ceiling lamp that I can hold my ends up to and see the splits easily. How much you do it is really up to you. I find that if I keep up with it, my ends don't tend to tangle as much.

[QMacrocarpa]

How often do you all S&D? Never. It would make me crazy. I do self-trims with Feye's method (http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/) instead, which takes almost no time, causes me no eye-strain, and doesn't make me feel like I'm getting obsessive. I trim on an as-needed basis, once or twice a year.

[prettykitty]

If I happen to be looking at the ends of my hair and see something nasty (I don't get many splits, but I get the odd fairy knot and oddly crunchy looking bent hair tips) I snip it off, but I don't really do an organised S & D. I know myself too well, I'd get obsessed and want to do it all the time :P

[Dovetail]

I S&D when ever I'm bored :p if you get over zealous then you can make your hem uneven, eventually.

[SongofLove]

I do a quick check every time I comb (every day) and a more thorough S&D before I wash (weekly).


I s&d once each month. I do it very throughly, so it takes me about 3-4 hour to finish, and makes my neck hurt, but it's worth it. I just take tiny sections twist them clockwise and snip off everything that sticks out and looks damaged. I use a mirror and do it in sunlight, so I can get the splits close to my scalp aswell. I then twist the section counter-clockwise, and do it again. I sometimes even snip off a couple mm-ers from the end of each small section.:)

I do the section twisting thing too, ever since I read in a review of my local George Michael salon that the hairstylists do S&D on customers in that way. It works really well! I'm definitely not as thorough as you, MissAlida. I only really look at the bottom half of my hair---I don't even try to get the splits that are close to the scalp.

[Sama]

I S&D a bit obsessively...LOL Whenever I am bored, watching TV, sitting at the computer [my hair-cutting scissors are at an arm's length right now, actually], on a boring road trip - I snip split ends whenever I spot them! Then again, the last 3-4 inches of my hair are pretty unhealthy since that part of my hair was grown a few years ago when my diet and hair-care habits really left a lot to be desired. :o

[Zesty]

I probably S&D a couple of times a week on average, but not for that long each time. I snip splits when I see them, or if I have some time and the light is right. I either section a clump of hair and then pull it in two and look at the hairs in the gap or do the twisting thing. Sometimes I braid and snip the splits sticking out. But generally it's just if I see a split, so I get one, look for others, get them, and once I stop finding them readily I put it back up.

[white.chocolate]

I s&d whenever I have the opportunity to because I don't always have the time to do it on a regular basis. Doing it regularly seems like the most efficient way as you won't have to deal with tons of splits everytime. That of course depends on how much splits you have and how often you get them.

As for the angle of the scissors when you cut, I'm curious to that as well. The hair strand is too thin that I don't see how it can make a difference especially if good hair scissors are used.

[starry]

"Never. It would make me crazy. I do self-trims with Feye's method instead, which takes almost no time, causes me no eye-strain, and doesn't make me feel like I'm getting obsessive. I trim on an as-needed basis, once or twice a year."

I reckon that's what I'll do. I've only ever noticed one split end on my hair when I used to bleach the b** something** out of it.

I cant wait to do the fairy tale v trim she has... I've bookmarked it and m patiently waiting for my hair to be long enough!!

[Trivial]

I do it very often, nearly everyday! I always have my scissors nearby when I'm at home. I think I'm a bit obsessed. =/ But I really hate if my hair are starting to look in a bad condition!

[catamonica]

When I see a split end, I just cut off a little bit.

[hototogisu]

I'd say I do it a couple of times a week, probably more now that I'm committed to staying at BSL until I've grown all my dyed hair out. But that's probably because I quite enjoy S+Ding, I find it really relaxing!