Convince me to love my FTE

[Rufflebutt]

So, since my hair is cut into lots of choppy layers(shortest being at shoulder length and the longest being near hip) and there is some noticeable damage to the last few inches simply because I used to abuse them, I have fairy tail ends.

After giving myself a good inch trim at the very ends(my hair is in a very dramatic V-shape and I want to encourage a blunt cut to form) and S&Ding the length, my hair does feel a lot better.
After inspecting the hair that gets caught on my BBB, nearly all of them are naturally shed hairs with a bulb at the end. In fact, I don't even recall seeing an breakage strands at all, which I find to be a very good sign.

My hair is grazing hips and until I joined LHC a month ago, I abused it non-stop. So my plan is to stop abusing and try to show out healthy virgin hair. If I can grow my hair this long with abuse, thre's no telling how long it will get if I don't abuse it.

But... I hate my obvious fairy tail ends. I've noticed that either people love or hate FTE. But I have them

My hair does not look to be in bad condition by any means. It looks fairly healthy despite abusing it beyond measure with tons of dye and flat ironing and teasing. The haircut is kind of a long-version of a punk-rock choppy layered one. I'd post a picture, but no one is awake yet to help me. But I'm planning on putting up some length photos pretty soon.

But until my hair evens out, I'm stuck with my hair as is. And I'm absolutely DROOLING over a thick blunt hemline. Can you guys help me find some reasons to be content with my hair for a few years until it reaches that point?

[jacqueline101]

I would wear it up day and night and ignore it. I'm doing that to my non desired length and layers. I use monistat. I think ignoring it works. I'd say trim it wear it up for along time and see if you notice better results when you take it down. I'd do this all summer long. At least I am.

[firegypsy]

I hope someone can help. I love the look of FTE. I think they're beautiful. But not on me. I'm very much a blunt cut kinda gal.

[Rufflebutt]

I would wear it up day and night and ignore it. I'm doing that to my non desired length and layers. I use monistat. I think ignoring it works. I'd say trim it wear it up for along time and see if you notice better results when you take it down. I'd do this all summer long. At least I am.
I'm actually doing that already now. :P I used to wear my hair down 24/7. But I've been using thinks like hair sticks and spin pins to keep it up. I kind of have my own little updo challenge and my goal is to at least keep it down for the whole summer just like you. But most likely more so even during school.

At work my hair needs to be up anyways because of the uniform requirements. And since I've been working nearly 40 hours a week this summer, my hair has been up 95% of the time anyways whether I like it not. :P And since I'm at work I can't be fussing over my hair at all so it helps keep my mind off of my hair.

[Rufflebutt]

I mean keep it up. XD I need to proof-read my posts more.

[SpinDance]

First reason is that if you cut back the ends you'll loose length. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want, but if you want to keep the length I suggest starting to do very tiny microtrims frequently, say monthly. Trim it yourself using the self-trim methods (posted in the Articles section) so you can control exactly how much you remove. I'm growing length and trying to slowly trim out dye and old mechanical damage (daily braids worn down). My ends are fairy taled, which I don't care for, but I love the length. I compromise by trimming about 5 mm/ 1/4 inch every week or two or three or four as it seems to need it.

Second, if you can't see the hemline you don't like so well, it won't bother you, so consider wearing it up. There are lots of great updos in the Articles section on hair styling as well as many videos on youtube. Some really great ones are by our own members.

Third, long hair is a long term commitment. Be happy with little milestones along the way, progress from month to month, year to year, not day to day.

Best of luck with your long hair journey!

[heidi w.]

An idea which I have done a few times myself is to allow for super tiny trims on the hair that needs trimming and then not cutting whatsoever the ends (or a very teensy trim at the most, and I mean tiny, super tiny, just grazing the hemline barely)...and keep the hair trimmed at a certain measurement allowing for time to fill in the sides of the hair over time. I have done this two distinct times, and indirectly at other times. I my hair album is a picture of my Princess Di hairstyle that I began with, and a picture of where I am now, at mid-calf or thereabouts as proof that it can be done, as most people might think otherwise impossible. All you need is time and a LOT of patience. And I kind of ignore my hair most of the time. I toss it up, and then forget about it. Especially in this current heat wave I find myself thrust into!

LOL.

heidi w.

[Madora]

I love blunt hemlines also, though at present I'm learning to embrace my fairytale ends.

The art of long hair is being patient..and keeping the ends trimmed. You don't have to trim often..maybe every 3 to 4 months..and the trim can be as little as 1/4 of an inch.

You just have to take a deep breath, continue to baby your hair (meaning keep it up to protect those ends) and wait for your goal length, then give the hair a blunt cut.

That is what I'm doing until I reach my goal measurement.

[Ambystoma]

I agree, HeidiW and Madora, I think teeny tiny trims as you go is a good strategy, I mean, you're going to have to trim it a little from time to time as it grows anyway, so why not aim for your dream hemline at terminal or goal rather than today. Baby your ends, S&D them, put it up - and if you still don't like them, then trim a little at a time over days, weeks months, whatever timeline you feel happy with! I'm not in love with my hemline right now, but the ends are so healthy I can't bear to trim them - I'm saving a good dusting for when it actually needs it :).

[Rufflebutt]

First reason is that if you cut back the ends you'll loose length. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want, but if you want to keep the length I suggest starting to do very tiny microtrims frequently, say monthly. Trim it yourself using the self-trim methods (posted in the Articles section) so you can control exactly how much you remove. I'm growing length and trying to slowly trim out dye and old mechanical damage (daily braids worn down). My ends are fairy taled, which I don't care for, but I love the length. I compromise by trimming about 5 mm/ 1/4 inch every week or two or three or four as it seems to need it.

Second, if you can't see the hemline you don't like so well, it won't bother you, so consider wearing it up. There are lots of great updos in the Articles section on hair styling as well as many videos on youtube. Some really great ones are by our own members.

Third, long hair is a long term commitment. Be happy with little milestones along the way, progress from month to month, year to year, not day to day.

Best of luck with your long hair journey!

Oh don't worry, I won't be doing inch trims very often. XD I did it this time partly to even out my hair slightly and partly because my ends just needed the trim badly. I use Feye's self-trim method. :P And barber sheers.

[Alembic]

Ignoring really does work! I had a weird pixie cut and within a week started to hate it. So I just wore hats a lot (it was winter) and then in the spring headbands to keep it out of my face and then suddenly it was long enough to put up in a (admittedly pathetic) ponytail where I could REALLY ignore it. Now I'm on my way to BSL, although it is still uneven - so I still ignore it! That's the secret to the gorgeous lengths you see on this forum - patience. But patience sounds hard, so I prefer "ignoring"- you can distract yourself with reading posts on here, for example, and drooling over other members' photos (as I have been the last few days since discovering this forum).

Your hair already looks awesome to me, but just forget about it for a bit and it will be even better.

[jojo]

I'd just continue to baby it and maybe trim half of the growth off each month until your happier. My hair Naturally thins at the ends so needs trims, but I am wondering if to just learn to love my FTE and maybe trim back a bit once I reach classic...eventually!

[swearnsue]

An idea which I have done a few times myself is to allow for super tiny trims on the hair that needs trimming and then not cutting whatsoever the ends (or a very teensy trim at the most, and I mean tiny, super tiny, just grazing the hemline barely)...and keep the hair trimmed at a certain measurement allowing for time to fill in the sides of the hair over time. I have done this two distinct times, and indirectly at other times. I my hair album is a picture of my Princess Di hairstyle that I began with, and a picture of where I am now, at mid-calf or thereabouts as proof that it can be done, as most people might think otherwise impossible. All you need is time and a LOT of patience. And I kind of ignore my hair most of the time. I toss it up, and then forget about it. Especially in this current heat wave I find myself thrust into!

LOL.

heidi w.

I looked in your profile buy only saw pic of food. Is there someplace else to look to see the Princess Di hairstyle?