Need advice for S&D

[frogette]

I thought I had few split ends until yesterday, because I used to inspect the ends of my longest layer, which are in my immediate field of vision and are quite healthy. But yesterday I inspected my shorter layers across the top of my head, and I realized that I had a world of split ends and white spot at their tips. I'm feeling discouraged because I so much want to get rid of these layers (I never wanted layers), and if I have to cut their tips it will make the buggers even more pronouced and longer to grow out. I wonder why there is such a blatant difference in condition between the shortest layers and the longest. Perhaps the fact that layers are cut with a razor is a reason, I take a wild guess that this way of cutting hair promotes splitting in the longer term.

Anyway. I need advice on how to S&D properly and causing as little loss of lenght as possible. I tried searching the forums, but a search for "S&D" didn't bring any result (I suppose the phrase is too short) and a search for "search and destroy" brought a post about the adware killer (great software but not exactly what I had in mind). Any suggestions for affordable scissors I could find easily in Europe? How high above the damaged section should I cut? Any helpful tips?

[danacc]

Yes, a razor cut will damage the ends, and they will the be prone to split. Get a pair of scissors made for cutting hair, and never use them for anything else. This last part is important: only use them to cut hair, nothing else, ever. Unfortunately, I am clueless about where to find good, affordable hair scissors in Europe.

When I S&D, I cut about 3 millimeters above the split or white dot.

[Laila23]

I had exactly the same experience. The "canopy" was covered with splits (10+). When I would look at the longer portion/layers , I would be lucky to find 1! I'm so glad I've figured it out and I'm on to the lil buggers! My hair definitely feels a lot smoother and LOOKS a lot lot lot better after I got rid of them! I'm sure that yours will too and you will feel good about it too. Just take off a smidge. Cut at right angle to the split. I take off about this much ____ . It shouldn't mess up your length at that small amount. You can even go smaller, I'm sure, just have to come back and check on it. You know! Good luck to you

[Ryanne]

Is there a HEMA where you live? I got my scissors there.

I cut a little above the split or white dot.

[Drynwhyl]

That is why i hate layers.
Just slowly take minor trims, and with time it will all be the same lenght. Take your time, an hang in there. It's much less dramatic than choping it all off.

[Anje]

No layers anymore, but I always get splits all through my length. The longest ends are usually the best-looking ends, because they get trimmed.

If you maintain your length, the layers will grow out eventually, so you can take off the splits. But I think you'll like your hair more, now that you've noticed them, if you trim off the splits. You want to do each hair individually, and don't take off much, only maybe a hyphen's worth of hair above the split. The hair should make up that much growth in just a few days, so it won't take you much longer to grow out the layers than it otherwise would.

Don't expect to get all your splits in one session, either. There are some pretty efficient S&Ders around here, but most of us just try to get as many as we can stand at a sitting, holding the hairs up to a bright screen (like a dull TV show) if they're dark, or against a dark background with light behind you if the hair is light (whichever works better), to help make the splits visible. Trim the hairs as straight across as you can with hair scissors.