Hello, just walked off the tropical island

[term122]

Hi all,

I think walking out of the desert might be a more accurate story but nonetheless here is my current hair:

http://i.imgur.com/0ujn3.jpg

Over the last few years I think it has started to look quite lackluster. I'm no professional judge on the health of hair, but when I creep at other peoples' heads I tend to get a little jealous.

Some little girl even walked up to me a few months ago and informed me that I have split ends. Although I was not able to find any with brief observation that really rustled my jimmies because her hair was actually really pretty. I know for sure the lengths are quite uneven so I'm thinking I'll get it cut around ear-shoulder length.

But I think my biggest question is what kind of hair tools does a person with long hair need assuming they want to step out of the bush and maintain their hair like normal people? Right now I have a plastic hair brush that my sister gave me many years ago (not sure if it's good or bad) and a cheap hair dryer.

[Allychan]

DON'T cut it. Try some TLC first, please. Your hair looks pretty good to me. Start with some basics for the first month then re-evaluate the chop. And if you do decide to chop, start small.
My 2cents: Coconut overnight oiling, limit shampoo washes, wooden comb for detangling and apple cider vinegar rinse to clarify.

[spidermom]

I think your hair looks pretty good, too. I wouldn't trim off more than 2 inches.

[justgreen]

You hair looks MUCH longer than 12" to me. Are you sure you measured correctly?

I'd throw that brush away and get a wide toothed comb or dipped hair pick. I don't know what will work for you. You need to find your own things to experiment with. But don't try several things at one time.

What worked for me was CWC, Condition the wet length with an inexpensive product (Suave, etc), then Wash the scalp (I use diluted shampoo), then Condition again with your regular conditioner. You can do a final rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar (maybe once every few months) after washing. *I use white vinegar, being light haired* I use about 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of warm water. Drench your hair, then either leave it in, or rinse it out. This will help correct the ph balance of your scalp. It also might promote a bit of shine. For me, rinsing with a final cool water rinse helps with shine.

Welcome to the boards!

[Alvrodul]

Welcome to the LHC! :D
Your hair doesn't look so bad to me, like Allychan I'd suggest some TLC first.
Some specific advice: First, avoid heat. Second, have a good look at your hairbrush. You describe it as an old plastic brush, and odds are that it's not hair friendly. If it has little knobs on the ends of the bristles, it definitely isn't! I'd recommend some seamless combs, preferably waterproof, like these (http://hairsense.com/bone_combs.php). Tangle Teezers are also popular here.
When it comes to figuring out your hair, and the nuts and bones of getting rid of any problems you have, I'd suggest clarifying to get rid of any buildup on your hair. This can cause a fair amount of tangles and such, and make people think a trim is needed.
Healthy hair needs a balance of protein and moisture. What difficult hair often needs, is moisture, so a SMT (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128)is usually the first thing I recommend after clarifying.
Oils - both as a deep treatment, and for daily use, is also something most have good results with.
There are lots of things you can try, but go slowly - make one change in your routine, and wait a couple of weeks to see how your hair reacts before making one more change. Dumping a whole lot of new things over your hair all at once is bound to make it completely freak out! :p

[barely.there]

your hair is between 25-30 inches. BSL-Mid Back Abyss


I'm with the others. DONT CHOP IT OFF....if you feel you need some taken off, look into microtrimming (try "Feye's Method"). its helped me and others with our hair without having to sacrifice length.

Plastic brushes....they make me cringe. all they ever did to me was rip out my hair. Try a Boar Bristle Brush and/or wooden/horn combs instead of plastic combs.

[term122]

justgreen
You're right, my hair is currently 20" at longest, but it's all different lengths, probably due to bad habits and heavy breakage. The reason I wanted to cut it was to get more hair at the same length, but I think I'll try TLC for awhile before deciding how long to cut it, there's no rush. :)

Alvrodul
Thanks for the suggestions, I ordered some combs and a tangle teezer to try.

[blondie9912]

I would recommend a cut if you have breakage, and for a fresh start, however, not nearly as much as you were thinking! Maybe 2 inches or so, like spidermom suggested.

[brave]

Definitely agree with justgreen and Avrodul. If the tangle teezer scares you and you hate combs for some reason, a denman brush lacks the little knobs at the end that tear hair.

I'm still kind of in shock that a little girl would even know about split ends. I don't think that entered my vocabulary til I was in my late teens.

[Kaelee]

DON'T CUT IT TO SHOULDER!!!!

If you want to trim a little, I would trim 1-2". That's all. Your hemline will be much thicker. I'd say start with 1", it will make a HUGE difference.

Everyone's hair is all different lengths. It's totally normal. ;)

Your hair doesn't look bad at all, it just needs some TLC.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Don't cut it - first do a deep conditioning treatment on it - see how that works, then if you still want to trim, you can cut 1 or 2 inches to get your hemline looking thicker. Give it some TLC and you will be amazed at he difference you will see. Buy a Boar Bristle Brush to use after detangling on dry hair only. It will give a beautiful polish to your hair.

[term122]

As I was detangling my hair today I was amazed at all the little knots. I used to just take a brush and with a couple quick pulls everything was detangled, but there was also a clump of hair left over in the brush.

Picked up all the supplies I could possibly need for the next month or two minus a BBB. Tried putting a little oil on my damp hair. Going to forgo the SMT until my new tools arrive. Also trying some oil cleansing for my face which I saw in the other forum.

Well it didn't take long to get that ball rolling, I just hope this isn't going to make me soft. I feel like I need to go punch some innocent animal or something just to make sure.

[BrownEyedBeauty]

I would start off with a 1" or 2" trim and maybe do a little S&D. Try to wear it up more and deep condition it. With some pampering, the condition of your hair will improve steadily.

[justgreen]

As I was detangling my hair today I was amazed at all the little knots. I used to just take a brush and with a couple quick pulls everything was detangled, but there was also a clump of hair left over in the brush.

Picked up all the supplies I could possibly need for the next month or two minus a BBB. Tried putting a little oil on my damp hair. Going to forgo the SMT until my new tools arrive. Also trying some oil cleansing for my face which I saw in the other forum.

Well it didn't take long to get that ball rolling, I just hope this isn't going to make me soft. I feel like I need to go punch some innocent animal or something just to make sure.


You won't feel that way after you start to notice all the men on this forum. Men from all countries and walks of life.;)

[SpinDance]

You've gotten lots of excellent advice which I'll echo, seamless comb, CWC, oil, only trim a bit, one change at a time. Keep in mind the little girl who said your hair had split ends may have misinterpreted uncut ends as split. If you look at the ends of your hairs and they aren't broken or split, then what you have is fairy tailed ends. Fairy tailed ends are the natural result of hair growing without trimming/cutting. Every hair grows at its own cycle, and at any time some are growing, some resting, some just starting through the scalp and some ready to shed. On average about 100 hairs a day are shed out, that's normal and nothing to worry about.

If you have damaged ends, and with the brush you mention that is quite likely, or if you don't like the look of hairs that have fairy tailed and are thus thinner at the ends, then trimming will be your friend. Start small. Even 1/2 inch will make a difference in how it looks and feels. On average hair grows about 1/2 inch per month. If you want to thicken your hemline try trimming back just a little every month or so, or more frequently if you choose, and let the new growth start to fill in the hemline, that is one method. Others have suggested a 2 inch trim which will significantly thicken your ends, and you'll still be 'long'.

Protecting the ends by wearing your hair up can help, too. Oodles of options are posted here on the forums as well as in the articles section.

Best of luck with your new adventure!