Deciding when to chop...

[NaiadOreiad]

So here's a little hair history. In the end of 2008, I shaved off my dreadhawk and started growing my hair from .25 inches. Along the way I bleached my hair once when it was only about 2 inches long, and then went back to brown. After the brown I went pretty dark and let it grow, getting frequent trims until the super dark bits were at the ends. In 2010 I had it chemically dyed a lovely copper, once got awful highlights, then went back to copper and after that used henna all year until I quit using henna around midsummer and started to grow out my natural color. In June 2011 I was at 24 inches, so I thought reaching waist by Christmas would be easy. By January 2012 I had reached 25 inches, only 3 inches from my goal, yet that was only 1 inch of progress in 6 months (in the previous year I had 7 inches in 12 months)

I've posted before about my irritation with the blondette-henna-yellowy orange ombre effect I have, but I decided to tough it out until I tried coloroops twice which removed quite a bit of henna and left the ends very lightly colored and seemed to expose the old bleach damage to the elements. I got a trim in February and the damned woman cut me back all the way to 23 inches. Now it is nearing September and I have made up the difference, yet it seems as if the past couple months I am stalled at 26.5 inches, with the damage at the ends causing more and more problems. They are tangling all the time and I never find a lack of splits. S&D doesn't seem to help since the hair seems weakened both by previous bleaching and mechanical damage (which I have tried reducing).

I am starting to debate whether I should get a big fat chop to get rid of these super light-super annoying ends and possibly speed up my progress or if I should continue with my S&D and tiny trims and hope for the best. To get rid of all the light ends I would need to take off probably 3 solid inches and that would take me all the way back to bsl and there would be no hope of reaching waist this year. It is more likely that I would take off and inch or an inch and half, but that still seems like so much, when I can practically taste waist length now. My ultimate goal is hip! What would you do?

Microtrim the damage and hope for waist by Christmas?
Chop an inch and see if that lessens the loss of ends, and MAYBE hit waist by Christmas?
Chop back to bsl and hope for waist next year?
Neglect until I hit waist and then maintain trims there until the damage is all gone?

Ps sorry for the wall of text

[UltraBella]

I personally would cut back quite a bit, but I have an issue with damaged ends and it's probably abnormal, lol. If I can find split ends I just imagine the damage creeping up closer and closer to my scalp and I can't handle it. I would be worried that getting to waist and then maintaining would allow the splits to have the time they need to get worse.
I will probably be in the minority but I would give it a fairly large trim.

[EtherealDoll]

Try moisturizing first. Regular deep moisturizing treatments can save you from chopping. Have you tried using any oils or maybe leave-in conditioners?

[lapushka]

I'd maintain BSL until all the damage is gone, before moving on to waist.

[NaiadOreiad]

Ultrabella- thanks for the reply! It's just taken so long to get here, but I totally see what you mean about splits causing more issues an endangering the rest!

Ethereal- I have tried alot of moisturizing and oils, and the oils do seem to help, but it feels alot like the damage is already done. There is a marked difference in the feeling of the hair that has been bleached and the parts that haven't. Thanks for the help though!

Lapushka- EEp! You're a braver lady than I! My bsl was at 23 inches and my waist is a full 5 inches away, so that would be a pretty big chop! I'll consider your advice though, thank you!

[Madora]

Get rid of the damage first. Damaged hair only gets worse if it isn't snipped off.

[vanillabones]

I would probably maintain BSL too, it is a pretty length, and it won't take too long until you start growing out again with the damage gone, then you can just let it grow!

[neko_kawaii]

You have had super short hair so I imagine you know how to deal with what ever length you would need to cut back to in order to remove the damage. I'd say cut it off and enjoy your hair while it grows out instead of fretting about the remaining damage daily.

[SerinaDaith]

I chopped from just shy of APL to a bob right before coming here because like you I bleached and colored had layers and some heat damage. I still hate how short it is but it's been three months and I have no splits or white dots. I can finger comb my hair soaked in conditioner or dry without hearing snap snap snap every time I touch my hair. At least it sounds like you would still have enough hair to play with even after a fair chop :hmm:

[gratitudinous]

I had the exact same situation earlier this year. I was within two inches of waist, but my ends were very unhappy. I had (and still have, to an extent) dye damage, and some flat iron damage, and some choppy layers that I didn't like. I ended up chopping three inches to get rid of the layers, and while I was happier with the way my hair felt, it kind of sucked, too.
I couldn't do any of my normal buns, and it was difficult to figure out how to bun ends with no layers in them.
It also felt SO much shorter, and I flip-flopped between regretting the loss of length, and being happy the damage and layers were gone.

In terms of damage, is it really bad? Are there splits galore? Is it super tangly? Does it look bad? Do the ends break off?
If the answer is 'Yes' to those questions, I would just suck it up and do the chop, because chances are you're losing length to damage and breakage anyway.

If you don't think the damage is all that bad, why not do a few small chops spaced out? Maybe get an inch cut every three or four months? That way you still gain some length, but also cut the damage out.

Here's hoping you find a happy solution! (and sorry for my own wall of text, haha) :flower:

[ravenreed]

I would start by taking an inch or two off and see what that does for you. Then re-evaluate how you feel about your hair. Sometimes just getting rid of the worst of the ends makes all the difference.

[Accalia]

I like the advice of gratitudinous. I think it's necessary to cut out the damage. Not per se the dye but the splits and white dots.

[palaeoqueen]

I would start by taking an inch or two off and see what that does for you. Then re-evaluate how you feel about your hair. Sometimes just getting rid of the worst of the ends makes all the difference.

This. If it's still bad in a month, take another inch off.

[ladyfey]

I did the major chop to get rid of all damaged, dyed hair and went from knee to shoulder length. I loved it, hair felt soooo much better and then grew out virgin, much nicer. I am approaching mid-calf now. I would recommend the big chop, but everyone is different, worked for me though!

[dwell_in_safety]

If I were you, I would just chop off that inch and a half; that really isn't much to lose, and any worries you have now will *poof* be gone at once. Maybe try microtrimming for another month, and if you are still worried about the damage, chop.

[spirals]

I am a couple of inches from waist. I have hay-like ends, the last 1 1/2 inches. I am doing S & D until waist. After we get into winter I'll have lighter ends because of previous coloring and sunbleaching. So no need to worry about color; it happens every year. Coconut oil has been a miracle for me. My leave-in has coconut oil and shea butter and I run coconut oil through it in between washes. Today when I came home, I knew I was going to nap, so I literally dipped my ends in the coconut oil and braided. It ended up being a 5-hour nap (don't ask) and my ends are smoother and shiny. What I'm trying to say here is that you do not have to cut it.

[jeanniet]

For me the tangling would be a big issue, because tangling just leads to more splits. So I would probably want to take off 1-2" and then maintain with monthly microtrims until the damage was gone; if you just want to damage to be gone now and can live with the loss of length, cut the full 3".

[blondie9912]

Since it's damage AND colour that you're trying to get rid of, I would go for the chop.

[woolyleprechaun]

My advice would be to chop if the damage is causing tangles. However, I personaly would be very upset with a loss of 3 inches (Im roughly the same length as you with a similar dye history) so I would trim an inch at a time, spaced out over a few months so its not too drastic.

[Mesmerise]

Hmm it's hard to say... in the past I've usually gone for the chop...but I tend to do that A LOT and now I'm trying the opposite and just growing (with a 6 monthly microtrim till waist). Once I'm at waist, I'll cut off 1" every couple of months I think until the ends look better.

I think it depends on the extent of the damage really. If you can wear your hair up a lot, and minimise damage you may be able to hold onto your ends longer. Of course, a little trim is never a bad idea just to get rid of a few of those nasty ends.

I have never ever have a split end travel far up the shaft of the hair...but I know a few worry that if you don't cut off the splits, that's what they'll do. I don't know... if there's like... 3" of damage and a split end, sure you can cut off the split end, but the hair is still weakened, which may just lead to another... if you just leave the split alone, I'm not sure it gets THAT much worse (although different things happen with different hair I know!).

I think it also depends on how your hair looks. If it's still looking okay, and you like the length, then maybe just do a smaller trim, and every couple of months do a small trim so you're still getting length but keeping the ends nicer looking.

[oktobergoud]

I'd cut the damage, BSL might be a big step though! Maybe try an inch or so first and if you still don't like the ends after a month or so, cut back to BSL?

It will be hard, but it will definitely do your hair a lot of good!

[DancingQueen]

I would probably cut back. Start with 1 inch, and see how it is. If it is not better, go a little further. I have been through the same (only old heat damage, no hair dye), and my hair was so much better for it. I had to cut off 2 inches though. :)

[Avital88]

Trim 0.5 inch and see How it grows, it sometimes takes à trim to grow more, if your not satisfied after 1 month then trim an inch.good luck

[NaiadOreiad]

Wow!! I really appreciate everyone's advice. I am going to make an appointment this week with a stylist i really trust and ask for an inch and a half off.

I think I will probably make good progress after that (I am starting to go back to weightlifting this week too and excercise seems to imrpove my growth) and still possibly hit waist by new years.

LHC is the best forum on the planet. Hugs for everyone! Wish me luck!

[SerinaDaith]

Wow!! I really appreciate everyone's advice. I am going to make an appointment this week with a stylist i really trust and ask for an inch and a half off.

I think I will probably make good progress after that (I am starting to go back to weightlifting this week too and excercise seems to imrpove my growth) and still possibly hit waist by new years.

LHC is the best forum on the planet. Hugs for everyone! Wish me luck!
Luck!;) and hugs! It is always hard to loose length to damage. If I could stand the thought I would chop all of the dye out right now however my hair seems to be fairly healthy and I am never going back to less then ponytail length again!

[Rufflebutt]

I would wait a few months and just do microtrims in that time. Sometimes I consider cutting my hair back a little, but then I get a comment about how really healthy it looks and I think "Eh, maybe I'll just maintain for a while and see where that goes."

[akilina]

Wow!! I really appreciate everyone's advice. I am going to make an appointment this week with a stylist i really trust and ask for an inch and a half off.

I think I will probably make good progress after that (I am starting to go back to weightlifting this week too and excercise seems to imrpove my growth) and still possibly hit waist by new years.

LHC is the best forum on the planet. Hugs for everyone! Wish me luck!
That sounds like a great idea. I am glad you decided on something a little less drastic, rather than doing a big chop! :)
I think you will find you are happy with that amount. I chopped 7 inches last year and really wish I had done two or so, then microtrimmed for a while. I would be so much further ahead to this day if I had done that. Something to think about :]

[elea]

anyway... if the ends bother anyone daily, are dammaged and don't recover after care: chop!
if not for the hair, for your moral *:O)
you don't have to chop all in one go mind

[NaiadOreiad]

SO I went ahead and had her cut off all the damagey blonde bits. I have a solid hemline now, a smidge past BSL. After the cut, i stopped by a lovely cafe and had a big hot chocolate to keep me from getting down about the loss of length. :) I hope that with good nutrition and lots and lots of exercise I can recover the growth before new years. The ends feel a million times better. Thanks so much LHC for the encouragement to do the right thing!

[FrannyG]

SO I went ahead and had her cut off all the damagey blonde bits. I have a solid hemline now, a smidge past BSL. After the cut, i stopped by a lovely cafe and had a big hot chocolate to keep me from getting down about the loss of length. :) I hope that with good nutrition and lots and lots of exercise I can recover the growth before new years. The ends feel a million times better. Thanks so much LHC for the encouragement to do the right thing!
I think you made a great decision. The journey is no fun when there is damage impeding good progress. The best and most important thing is that you're happy with your hair. And of course, you know by now that hair grows back, usually more quickly than we expect. :blossom:

[spidermom]

Every time I'm in your situation, I get the damage cut off - 7 inches last time. I've been exactly in your position, nearly waist; so much heat damage my hair turned to Velcro on the ends. I had to cut all the way back to APL. I hate fighting with my hair all the time!