to cut or not.

[krisbb]

I've had a lot of growth, or I guess since becoming a henna head I'm noticing the new growth I have much more. (pesky roots show a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of new growth every two to three weeks now!) I'm about four inches from my goal of bum length and just feel like i should cut off about four inches. the ends have gotten kinda wispy and my hemline isn't pleasing to me. I'm undecided as to whether to let it grow and then cut or do a couple trims, an inch or two every couple months or just cut off the four inches in one fell swoop. So if you've had this dilemma what did you do?

[Avital88]

i microtrimmed,half an inch a month for 4 months and had a big improvement.If you dont like it after 4 months you can always trim more:)

[monichella]

I would better reach the goal length and then trim off just a little per month!

[SilverDoe]

The issue I notice with my own hair, is that damaged ends can spread the damage upwards.
If I don't trim off split ends, they will continue to more deeply split, and the extra tangles to deal with cause more mechanical damage overall.
It's best to just cut off the damage all in one go, or carefully once & see if you need more later.

[amanda_the_tall]

if you're so close to your goal, i'd just cut the 4 inches. it'll grow back pretty quickly, since your growth rate seems fast (mine is around 1/8" per mo.) . personally, i don't think there's a point to keep those inches if they don't look nice to you, plus when you do get to your goal it'll be nice and thick!

[spidermom]

In the past, I just whacked off the ends that were not pleasing to me. I'm trying to learn a bit more patience, as I've been stuck around the same length for 3 years now.

[Covet]

Personally I would just cut the 4 inches but I'm that kind of person. Seeing as you're unsure about that, maybe you should trim just a little bit at first (you don't want to do anything drastic just in case you regret it) and from there you could either trim it slowly or go straight for chopping the rest of the 4 inches.

[jojo]

I am an all or nothing kind of person, so for me, id get rid of the ends that are bugging me and then continue growing from there. Another way would be to cut half off the annoying ends off and then cut the other 2 months later!

[Hairizona]

I'd cut off 2 inches and see...
I recently cut about that off my length instead of the 4" I know will need to come off. It made a difference. I can live with this and reappraise the situation again in5-6 months. This kept my length just a smidge above classic at 40"; and darn it, I worked hard for that 40 inches!

[lapushka]

I'd cut off a small amount, microtrim. Often it takes just a small amount of trimming to make the ends look nice again.

[RitaPG]

I'd cut off a small amount, microtrim. Often it takes just a small amount of trimming to make the ends look nice again.

Agreed! My ends haven't yet reached a point where they look wispy but I do get quite a bit of damage from wearing it down often, and I find it best to trim little by little instead of making a big cut.
I trim my sister's hair the same way, 1cm at a time, and I've noticed the same on other people here at LHC, often it is unecessary to make a bigger trim, a small one makes a huge difference.

[HintOfMint]

It depends on what you do with your hair. If you like the length because you love updos, then keep the length and microtrim or do small trims. If you wear it down, then yes, a larger cut would be in order. No point walking around with straggly ends :-)

[krisbb]

I'm wearing my hair up more now due to warmer weather and mostly wear it down when I go out,I literally have one hair that is super long when i braid my hair that i cut the other day it was driving me nuts. I think part of it is my trip to Vegas/ San Diego last week my hair has been so ugh ever since. I think I'll go with a two inch trim. Probably have my daughter do it since going to salons has never been a happy experience for me.

[jacqueline101]

I trim half inch every 6 months. I don't get splits that often.

[ladylowtide]

I wouldn't cut, but that's because I couldn't bare to lose any length so close to your goal. I am protecting my damaged ends, and I will start trimming the dead off probably around hip length. Or just what until I hit my goal of TB and then trim from there.

[kidari]

Start with a microtrim and see how you feel, sometimes it makes a huge difference. Otherwise do a 2 inch trim and then see. You can do the last almost two more inches after you wait a week or so or decide that two inches was enough and you didn't need four cut. I had to cut about 4-5 inches off my ends because of bleach damage and over layering. I took these steps and I'm happy with my decision. My ends are so blunt and fresh and it's overall so much healthier that I won't have to cut for almost a year if need be. Good luck with your decision.

[swearnsue]

The issue I notice with my own hair, is that damaged ends can spread the damage upwards.
If I don't trim off split ends, they will continue to more deeply split, and the extra tangles to deal with cause more mechanical damage overall.
It's best to just cut off the damage all in one go, or carefully once & see if you need more later.

I agree with SilverDoe.