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DancingQueen
August 23rd, 2012, 01:55 AM
I am really sorry to make another thread, I have spent forever searching on the topic, but I didn't find quite what I was looking for. If you know a thread with a similar problem, please link to it.

I have a problem about trimming. Right now, I trim every 3 months or so, to keep my hair healthy. And I love the salon visits, I really do. But it just seems I am getting nowhere this way. Every time I go, the stylist cuts more than what I ask for, so i get back to the starting point. This way, my hair will never get long! :(

The salon visits are the only time I use heat on my hair. I comb with a wide tooth comb, I oil it every once in a while, I basically pamper it a lot. Doing all the right things. I do wear it down a lot, but I am starting to find updos or half-ups I can do. I don't have the face for updos.

And yet, every time I go to a hairdresser, she seems to think my ends are very thin, and need to cut off a lot. In the past, I have waited 4 or 5 months, and each time she had to cut 5 cm. So it seems like my hair doesn't like to wait either.

Long story short: I can't seem to stretch my haircuts as my ends get too thin, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere this way. How can I trim less and thereby gain length?

HealthBug
August 23rd, 2012, 02:04 AM
Me and My mom trim each others hair. I also trim a friends hair. But it needs to be a simple trim for that. and being brave enough to let friends do it.
Maybe you should shop around for a hair dresser that cares about what you want. not what she/he think you want.

MeowScat
August 23rd, 2012, 02:36 AM
Have you tried Feye's trimming method? I have no idea how to put links on here yet. Also, have you checked out YouTube for self trimming?

It might be worth a shot to trim it yourself. Just do a teeny bit and see how it looks. I finally bought haircutting scissors at Sally and started trimming my own hair in tiny increments and it's really satisfying taking off exactly as much as I want.

The investment in good hair scissors has been well worth it and I save a ton of money on salon visits too. :)

DancingQueen
August 23rd, 2012, 02:48 AM
Me and My mom trim each others hair. I also trim a friends hair. But it needs to be a simple trim for that. and being brave enough to let friends do it.
Maybe you should shop around for a hair dresser that cares about what you want. not what she/he think you want.

I am still searching for one. I think I found one once - but she won't be back in the salon for another year. But she had curly hair, and knew exactly how to treat it.


Have you tried Feye's trimming method? I have no idea how to put links on here yet. Also, have you checked out YouTube for self trimming?

It might be worth a shot to trim it yourself. Just do a teeny bit and see how it looks. I finally bought haircutting scissors at Sally and started trimming my own hair in tiny increments and it's really satisfying taking off exactly as much as I want.

The investment in good hair scissors has been well worth it and I save a ton of money on salon visits too. :)

I have often considered it, but I am just afraid I will end up cutting it even worse than a hairdresser. And I do like to go to the salon; I just wish I would gain a little length as well.

Tota
August 23rd, 2012, 02:52 AM
I had the same problem all those years I was going to the salon every two months. Everytime I went she cut off at least an inch (my growth rate is half an inch monthly) and added some more layers so my hair became thinner and thinner. Ofcourse then ends were thin and she had to cut off a little more ... Well I didn't question her because I didn't know any better back then.

I think your best solution would be to learn the Feye's Self-trimming method (http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/). I started self-trimming when my hair was about APL (at first I needed some help with trimming the pony at the back, but not for long) and my hair is finally getting some length.

MeowScat
August 23rd, 2012, 02:57 AM
I hear ya. I was so nervous the first time I trimmed it myself so I only took off about 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch just in case I messed up.

Google Feye's trimming method. She shows you how to cut it either with a straight hemline, a U-shape or a V-shape. It's all done with putting your hair in a low ponytail and pulling the scrunchie straight down to your ends. It's really cool...and easy. You should check it out just because it's so interesting.

Can you ask around for recommendations on hairdressers? Maybe even a local google search might come up with customer evaluations. I wish there were more longhair salons. I'd live there. :)

DancingQueen
August 23rd, 2012, 04:14 AM
Hmm, maybe I should consider it, but I am still 3 moths away from my next cut if I choose a salon. But those scissors are rather expensive, and I don't have that much money. I know, in the long run it is probably cheaper, but I don't have that kind of money right now.

I know some of you guys can go only twice a year. How do you keep your hair healthy enough to do that?

florenonite
August 23rd, 2012, 07:38 AM
Maybe you could try going less frequently and making sure the hairdresser only takes off, say, 2 cm each time. Your ends will be thinner than on your current trimming schedule, but by spacing out the trims more and removing less hair you may be able to strike a compromise between increasing length and keeping your ends relatively thick.

torrilin
August 23rd, 2012, 07:41 AM
Most drugstores and pharmacies in the US sell hair scissors. Figure they range from $5-$20. Nicer ones I'm sure are more durable, but I haven't found that mine get dull easily, and they're more at the $5 end.

I doubt Denmark has *no* inexpensive stores that sell hair scissors.

As far as cuts every 6 months... for me, all that's required is no heat styling EVER and gentle handling. It's not a huge deal or something I worry over, tho I eventually got tired of stylists not believing me about the no heat thing. One go round with a blow dryer takes 6-12 months for my hair to recover from, so I WILL NOT let a stylist near me with one.

Thin ends in and of themselves are not a sign of damage. Split ends or white dots are. Thin ends just mean some of your hairs grow faster than the average mass of your hair. Also, since your hairs can't all be at exactly the same length due to the shed/regrowth cycle, splits do not all automatically happen at the hem of your hair... they can be mixed in throughout your length. Depending on your hair, trimming splits individually may work better to prevent damage.

Rufflebutt
August 23rd, 2012, 08:40 AM
For me, self trimming was my holy grail. I use a variation of Feye's self trim. :) Now I only take off how much I want to take off.

jojo
August 23rd, 2012, 03:38 PM
Self trimming is so easy, if you put Faye's trimming method in google there's a picture tutorial, just take the very, very ends off no need for huge amounts, just the teensiest bit makes a huge difference.

Chanie
August 23rd, 2012, 04:10 PM
Yay another one from denmark :D ! I hate hairdressers, they clearly dont understand the word 1 inc or less :/ i was waist or more last time, and the hairdresser took way too much of, i felt naked afterwards and short haired... And i even told her very very clearly how much, she was allowed to cut...

blondie9912
August 23rd, 2012, 04:40 PM
Hmm, maybe I should consider it, but I am still 3 moths away from my next cut if I choose a salon. But those scissors are rather expensive, and I don't have that much money. I know, in the long run it is probably cheaper, but I don't have that kind of money right now.

I know some of you guys can go only twice a year. How do you keep your hair healthy enough to do that?

Frankly, I think the cause of your thinning ends is the fact that you wear your hair down a lot. Mechanical damage is a big problem, especially for those with fine hair.

akilina
August 23rd, 2012, 04:40 PM
That is a bummer that happens to you at the salon. Im the one trying to convince people to cut off LESS lol :(
I wish I knew a better self trim method...
Since I am incredibly proficient in cutting hair, I know exactly how to cut my own, the only problem is actually doing it, and making sure my tension and elevation and direction is okay. This has resulted in my having a hideous V. Not good for my already thin and layered hair.

It is very hard since it is impossible for me to cut my own hair and have the correct body positioning. This is important in normal hair cuts on other people. Since I have gained 50 pounds it is even harder. :( Pretty depressing...
Another thing that caused that was I let my friend at work cut my hair. She cut off the perfect amount but I asked her to give me just straight across blunt ends and that is all, yet caught her rounding out each side

What I did last night was I brushed my hair straight and uniform, then then put in a pony tail an slid it all the way down to the bottom. Then I cut off 1/4 or less off. I find that doing the whole pony tail thing is easier when I sit down on the couch.

I sure there is a name for that method on here. I just tried it for the firs time last night.

The only issue for others that don't have face framing and are all one length is that if you put the front of your hair back into this pony tail holder, there is over direction, and the hair in the front will be slightly longer than in the back. Huge pet peeve of mine!!!

Yozhik
August 23rd, 2012, 04:52 PM
Another vote for feye's method. I underestimate how much I want to cut off, cut it, do the whole procedure again to catch any stragglers, and then get DBF to check. :)

I only cut my hair once a year or less and it's in fine condition, perhaps because I sleep in a hair bonnet/on a satin pillowcase, use gentle detangling methods, and wear my hair up often with hair-safe elastics.

Hope that helps!

Deborah
August 23rd, 2012, 07:35 PM
I used to use Feye's method, and I thought it was going well enough. But then I found a way cheaper than full price Crea Clip. NOW my hair is actually even. I did it once myself, as my hair is plenty long. Last time I had my Mum do it - way easier and more accurate. At your length I think you would have to have someone do the cutting for you, but the Crea Clip ensures that they will get it even and straight. I searched online and found mine for about $11, sent from China or Japan or somewhere over there. I highly recommend the Crea clip.

florenonite
August 24th, 2012, 04:57 AM
Yay another one from denmark :D ! I hate hairdressers, they clearly dont understand the word 1 inc or less :/ i was waist or more last time, and the hairdresser took way too much of, i felt naked afterwards and short haired... And i even told her very very clearly how much, she was allowed to cut...

Maybe because the use of inches is uncommon in Denmark so they overestimate how large an inch actually is? In Canada metric is used officially, but imperial is still relatively well-known. I've asked hairdressers to remove an inch or less and they've always removed exactly that.

julliams
August 24th, 2012, 05:30 AM
Start taking monthly photos of your hair from the back. Wear the same striped shirt every time and monitor how much your hair is growing. Don't have too thick or too thin stripes because it does your head in trying to count them. You can see my pictures taken over about 2 years on my albums. I use little safety pins to mark each month so that I can accurately measure my growth. Go for 6 months without a trim and see what's really happening. Perhaps you get more growth in one part of your head than the other? Personally mine grows in a V shape so the sides never seem to catch up. Others grow in a "W" shape.

I did this experiment for about 2 years and it told me so much about the way my hair grows. Outside of my "no trimming" period (which went for about 14 months) I did notice a spike in growth in the month directly after my trim - but only in that month. I found out what my average growth is per month and then per year which gave me knowledge to work out how long it would take to get to certain milestones. I was able to observe my wave patterns at particular times of the year and at particular lengths. I found it really interesting.

goldloli
August 24th, 2012, 05:32 AM
Wow a trim every 3 months, if you grow average 1/2 inch a month, that's only 1 1/2 inches. To most hair dressers an inch = 2 inches so that's all your growth if not more.

I'd extend trims and advise ignoring your hair dresser. I went with my bf to get his hair cut, one of the hair dressers said I have 6 inches of 'dead ends' lol and she wanted me to cut it. Pretty sure some hairdressers have pre-set cuts and styles they give, like shoulder length with 2 inch layers or bsl with 4 inch layers and face framing. I think maybe she's just giving you a pre-set cut. As you grow the ends are always going to be slightly thinner, be it s&d or natural taper... If your keep cutting it will never grow.

Think of it this way, the ends are thinner, you get them cut, then the fresh ends thin from taper/s&d/damage, then you get those cut. It's a never ending cycle that keeps girls going to salons and never growing past bsl.

Another recommendation for microtrimming using feyes self trim! or if you like cuts, then stretch them to at least every 6 months and be very specific in the amount you want gone, even if she's being persuasive in getting more cut due to thin ends.

LoveSnap
August 24th, 2012, 06:49 AM
Ah, another victim of over trimming. I used to be on of the over trimmed and I contribute a lot of my growth to self trimming. I think wearing your hair up more and trying out Feye will help you see more growth. There are also YouTube videos on cutting curly hair in its natural state that may be helpful to you.

Avital88
August 24th, 2012, 07:36 AM
I agree,without selftrimming i wouldnt have long hair.. Its scary in the beginning but so worth it

DancingQueen
August 25th, 2012, 12:43 AM
Wow a trim every 3 months, if you grow average 1/2 inch a month, that's only 1 1/2 inches. To most hair dressers an inch = 2 inches so that's all your growth if not more.

I'd extend trims and advise ignoring your hair dresser. I went with my bf to get his hair cut, one of the hair dressers said I have 6 inches of 'dead ends' lol and she wanted me to cut it. Pretty sure some hairdressers have pre-set cuts and styles they give, like shoulder length with 2 inch layers or bsl with 4 inch layers and face framing. I think maybe she's just giving you a pre-set cut. As you grow the ends are always going to be slightly thinner, be it s&d or natural taper... If your keep cutting it will never grow.

Think of it this way, the ends are thinner, you get them cut, then the fresh ends thin from taper/s&d/damage, then you get those cut. It's a never ending cycle that keeps girls going to salons and never growing past bsl.

Another recommendation for microtrimming using feyes self trim! or if you like cuts, then stretch them to at least every 6 months and be very specific in the amount you want gone, even if she's being persuasive in getting more cut due to thin ends.

In Denmark, we measure for centimeters, and I ask her to take 1 cm; she takes 2. And it probably grows only 1 cm per month (maybe faster on my new priorin experiment). But i guess self trimming is the way to go, and I will consider the updos.

I guess I am just more of the type who likes to wear my hair wild and free. :p But thank you guys for all the advice, it have been really helpful. *off to work, so I can save money for good hair scissors*

lapushka
August 25th, 2012, 06:05 AM
I agree with everyone else, try to self-trim. If you can't do that, try going to a different stylist, and maybe go less often (if she doesn't again cut all the growth off).

You could always try and participate in the no-trimming challenge.

heidi w.
August 25th, 2012, 06:49 AM
I presume your hairdresser knows that you want longer hair? If she's cutting off too much, then there's some kind of misunderstanding between you two. Maybe you need to talk with her?

heidi w.

RubyTuesday
August 25th, 2012, 06:49 AM
Pretty much every hairdresser I have ever gone to has cut too much off my hair. I ask for the bare minimum and they take two inches off.

So I asked my mother to do it but sometimes she took too much off....

So I started trimming my own ends.

I am very suspicious of hairdressers now. I don't think they listen when you only want a slight trim. They do not seem to realise how long it has taken you to grow it and have the attitude that 'well it is still long so what is the problem?'

I am not paying someone to not listen to me and to make me unhappy.

CarpeDM
August 25th, 2012, 07:45 AM
I know it can be scary but I would try self trimming. I have the same issue with my hair dresser and thin ends. I tell her NO MORE THAN A HALF INCH, she cuts an inch. So I try to wait at least 6 months before I go see her, because I know she will inevitably cut more than I ask for. But I really want to try self trimming so I can save myself the anxiety and gain more annual growth progress...

Anapeli
August 25th, 2012, 08:47 AM
Hi ladies!
I do self-trims but sometimes I get carried away. Decide how much you want to trims d cut but don't go any further thinking "just a little more" like I do. Happy Cuttin!

jacqueline101
August 25th, 2012, 08:53 AM
I agree the faye method looks easy that's the method I'm doing when my hair grows out.