From trimmer to non-trimmer: is it possible?

**LadyCelestina** · May 3rd, 2019, 01:26 AM

I apologise for starting a separate thread, but I wanted to hear both positive and negative experiences, and I wasn't sure how would I fare if I posted in, for example, the No trimming thread

My story: I've always cycled between growing my hair to waist or hip curly, then cutting back a good chunk. Looking back, it might seem like a list of impulsive decisions, but when I thought about it I realised that the reason why I do it is that it's incredibly difficult to microtrim my hair. So I would chop, grow a bit, chop... cca every 3 to 6 months.

Due to some actual impulsive decisions in 2016, and then a few years before that, I've basically always had something to trim out off my hair during my journey, be it dye, layers, hemline mishaps...

The only time when I had nothing to trim out of my hair was 2015 to early 2016, and I think I just let it grow back then with no trims, but I'm not sure. Back then I didn't care so much about my hair.

Right now: Now I'm in a situation where I'm completely satisfied with my hair!

Finally! And I don't have anything to trim out. So after years of being a fairly regular trimmer (as I said, every 3 to 6 months, with some smaller trims in between if I felt like it), I'm starting with a blank slate, and would like to develop a trimming schedule, but I'm not quite sure how to go about it, and would love to hear your experiences with going no-trim after being a fairly regular trimmer. Good or bad.

Monthly microtrims are not very realistic, as my hair is curly and it's difficult to cut off a small enough amount. Every 3 months still seems like a lot if I want growth, since the smallest amount I can easily trim off is 2-3cm, so that would be over a half of my growth. I think I've grown my hair before with regular trims every 2-3 months, the hemline looked great but progress was very slow.

The next logical step would be 6 months, I tried going six months trim free in 2017, but it was on damaged hair and my ends thinned out a lot. But since my hair is rather healthy now and I've developed some good haircare habits like wearing it up, I'm actually eyeing yearly trims!

Advantages would be that a yearly trim would fit into my prefered grow/chop cycle, since there'd be a lot more growth and a lot more leeway in case I take off more than I intended. The other thing is that I've calculated that... if I manage to trim off as little as possible, I should be classic while wet in 2 years or so

Classic is like my ultimate hairgoal ever since I started dabbling in long hair, so reaching it even if while wet/stretched would be very rewarding!

However, I have some doubts too. I like to have a neat hemline, it's pretty important to me. Plus I'm worried by people reporting that they hair has suffered so much damage during no-trim periods that they had to cut off a lot more than they grew. Some hairtypes seem to do better with fairly regular trims, and since my whole journey has been a story of trimming stuff out (or having length I don't mind cutting off), I'm a bit scared about going the no trim route

**leayellena** · May 3rd, 2019, 01:44 AM

I realized the reason why my braid seems so thin. I reached 9 cm (3.54 inches) ponytail circ. while the rest of the length is still thin. I won't trim for at least 3 years, my hemline is fairytaled from apl to tbl but long hair don't care because my hair is always up. I know that one day my hair will grow and my hemline will look good. Before I joined LHC I had 6 cm (2.36 inches) ponytail circ. Of course hemline looks awful when you suddenly have a growth spurt.
Besides your curly hair can hide more length than my straight hair. Try it.

You can join half-year challenges if you think a year or more is too much time without a trim.

**LadyCelestina** · May 3rd, 2019, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by leayellena

I realized the reason why my braid seems so thin. I reached 9 cm (3.54 inches) ponytail circ. while the rest of the length is still thin. I won't trim for at least 3 years, my hemline is fairytaled from apl to tbl but long hair don't care because my hair is always up. I know that one day my hair will grow and my hemline will look good. Before I joined LHC I had 6 cm (2.36 inches) ponytail circ. Of course hemline looks awful when you suddenly have a growth spurt.
Besides your curly hair can hide more length than my straight hair. Try it.

You can join half-year challenges if you think a year or more is too much time without a trim.

Wow, that's a huge increase in thickness! Congrats!

See, that's where my problem is. I admire people who patiently grow out dye or taper for years so, so much. Unfortunately, if there's something I don't like about my hair, I will think about cutting it - I have joined no trim challenges before, but I almost always failed (save for the 6m one), because there was alway *something* in my hair that I wanted to get rid off. Now there's nothing, I'm wholly satisfied with it, and want to take advantage of that. Except I'm worried that I'll end up with taper or unevennes which I'll want to cut off in the end

(Oh god, typing it out makes it sound so silly

me searching for problems when there aren't any yet)

**lapushka** · May 3rd, 2019, 07:01 AM

Maybe try it out *again* with much healthier hair, for half a year. I don't want to further divide the threads into 3 months because that hardly makes it a good challenge, IMO, as trimming every 3 months is just "regular trims". So that kind of contradicts each other, IMO at least.

**Entangled** · May 3rd, 2019, 07:43 AM

I have never sworn off trimming, but have gotten lazy with trims in the past. For me, I found that while I didn't trim as often, I ended up cutting off just as much all at once in a chop. (Five inches) Since this was out of laziness, I also wasn't as nice to my ends during the no trimming period, and it coincided with the time period where my braid was long enough to brush the seat of my chair, so that probably contributed to the thin, grabby ends I cut off. I am still used to a cut rather than natural hemline, though, so it'd be good to hear from a no-trimmer.

**lapushka** · May 3rd, 2019, 07:59 AM

It seems I have become a serial maintainer. My plan is to teeter-tot between classic & FTL. This means that each January I will be cutting back to classic and will be letting it grow the rest of the year, until next January, where it repeats itself. This seems the best I can do. Classic-FTL is just my limit. I have "learned" to deal with hair a little over classic so growing it for a year, will be no problem. And as far as cutting goes, I would rather just do it once and have it over and done with, cutting a huge chunk off, rather than 6 times small pieces. It is a chore to get that ponytail on the forehead with wavy hair, even after a week, especially if there's gel in there. LOL!

**luluj** · May 3rd, 2019, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by LadyCelestina

I'm not quite sure how to go about it, and would love to hear your experiences with going no-trim after being a fairly regular trimmer. Good or bad.

Some hairtypes seem to do better with fairly regular trims, and since my whole journey has been a story of trimming stuff out (or having length I don't mind cutting off), I'm a bit scared about going the no trim route

I am, without a doubt, a fairly regular trimmer. Proof is apparent, I joined this forum in 2009 and the longest I have managed to grow my hair is a bit past BSL. The reason I always give myself for going ahead and trimming is that I like the look and feel of soft, freshly trimmed ends. This is true, of course, but I so want longer hair with the same soft, fresh ends, though.

Common sense dictates that I need to micro-trim, rarely, if I want to make it to APL, my goal at the moment. I am completely committed to this goal.

Just an observation....I truly believe that some of us are compulsive trimmers, we always need to be doing something/anything to our hair. Why is this? How does one change the habit?

**Sarahlabyrinth** · May 3rd, 2019, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by luluj

I am, without a doubt, a fairly regular trimmer. Proof is apparent, I joined this forum in 2009 and the longest I have managed to grow my hair is a bit past BSL. The reason I always give myself for going ahead and trimming is that I like the look and feel of soft, freshly trimmed ends. This is true, of course, but I so want longer hair with the same soft, fresh ends, though.

Common sense dictates that I need to micro-trim, rarely, if I want to make it to APL, my goal at the moment. I am completely committed to this goal.

Just an observation....I truly believe that some of us are compulsive trimmers, we always need to be doing something/anything to our hair. Why is this? How does one change the habit?

Maybe the urge to do something with your hair could be satisfied by doing a deep treatment rather than trimming so often? Just a thought. What helps me is joining a no trimming thread, then I tell myself that I'm not allowed to trim until such and such a date. I also tell myself that nobody sees my ends, as they are in a bun so it's easy not to trim until the right time.

**luluj** · May 3rd, 2019, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Sarahlabyrinth

Maybe the urge to do something with your hair could be satisfied by doing a deep treatment rather than trimming so often? Just a thought. What helps me is joining a no trimming thread, then I tell myself that I'm not allowed to trim until such and such a date. I also tell myself that nobody sees my ends, as they are in a bun so it's easy not to trim until the right time.

That is good advice, Sarah, thank-you. Yesterday I did a coconut oil, deep conditioning. My hair feels really nice and I am happy with how it looks and feels. I last trimmed in February. As you know, I have recently come back to the forum to try once more. The support here is wonderful, everyone is so encouraging.

Joining one of lapushka's no trimming threads is very good idea, thank-you. I did make the effort to enjoy my hair more and fuss over it. Recently I dusted off this thread https://forums.longhaircommunity.com...123749&page=41 in hopes of staying focused on growing longer. I have many hair toys that I love and want to wear again.

Thank-you for starting this thread LadyCelestina.

**Reyn127** · May 3rd, 2019, 08:57 AM

Before joining here, I would trim my hair 2-3 times a year, and after joining I took on two years of the no trim challenge. The condition of my hair was much better than I thought it was going to be after all that time. Although I did keep up on S&D, so my hemline was definitely fairytailing more and more.

Overall, I gained a ton of length, and my ends were pretty fine. I switched over from regular trims to treating my hair every so often with conditioning treatments, and S&D sessions instead. So I think if you can find something to add to your routine to replace the trims, and if you’re ok with your hemline slowly changing, then you should be just fine with no trimming.