Questions that don't deserve their own thread

[Bri-Chan]

My hair is usually wavy/curly, but lately, it's behaving as it did when I bleached it. It's not damaged, I trimmed off a LOT throughout this year, and last year, I've been between waist and tailbone trying to cut off the ends when I lost a ton after doing aDJS followed by a septorhinoplasty several months later. Those two surgeries made me lose clumps of hair. So anyway its basically fixed in the sense of thickness, however, I have clarified, did SMT, used protein treatments, you name it, I've tried it. I live in NYC so we have soft water here. No matter what I do my hair just looks like wavy hair that's been brushed and poofy.

I only brush it when wet with a wet brush or my thick and curly tangle teezer. I use a silk sleeping cap at night and a silk pillowcase. It's usually always up in a bun or a side braid, some sort of protective hairstyle. I am really at a loss what is going on with my hair, it just looks awful lately I tried the loc method, cwc, cowashing, etc. Anyone ever have this happen to their hair?

Since you mention having trimmed it recently this probably is the issue, but length can affect texture. The longer your hair is, the more weight it has, so all that weight at the bottom can "pull" the hair straighter. (I have one slow-growing lock at the side of my face that I keep trimmed at about chin-length, and it's got way tighter texture than the rest of my hair.) But again, since you mention having trimmed back that probably isn't the cause in your case ) :

I have the same, same problem. And I second shelomit: it's the length. If you where at this length before and your hair was wavier, probably your hair just changed with time, resulting in a lighter texture.
On me, this happens when I'm in the TBL area. Look at my profile picture: less than 2 inches shorter than now, and that is an hair typing picture, so zero styling. Now seems impossible.
But, I don't have a solution (yet). I'm trying different routines. The only thing I have understood it's that it behaves a little bit better if I don't try to encourage my texture anymore (and I love those waves, but what can we do...). On the contrary, I try to tame it and to weight it down. Like, I brush my wet/damp hair with the leave in conditioner in it. This obviously kills the texture, but at the same time it's less poofy and it doesn't look "brushed out".

[AuroreVesperale]

I noticed recently that I have a lot of split ends. I use the S&D method to cut it without doing a trim, but I wonder where it comes from. I did a trim in april and I braid my hair nearly everyday to not look like a kid (I'm a school librarian and teenagers and colleagues think I'm 14 yo, that's embarrassing). I had the impression the split ends were a result of the trim, but could it be the braid I often wear ?
Some people says you have to do protective hairstyles, others that you have to let your hair be and let it down. Should I stop braiding my hair for a while ? I don't brush my hair before bed when I braid it, I just put it in a silk bonnet and brush it in the morning. I kinda think I've developped bad habits by braiding it everyday.

[knobbly]

I noticed recently that I have a lot of split ends. I use the S&D method to cut it without doing a trim, but I wonder where it comes from. I did a trim in april and I braid my hair nearly everyday to not look like a kid (I'm a school librarian and teenagers and colleagues think I'm 14 yo, that's embarrassing). I had the impression the split ends were a result of the trim, but could it be the braid I often wear ?
Some people says you have to do protective hairstyles, others that you have to let your hair be and let it down. Should I stop braiding my hair for a while ? I don't brush my hair before bed when I braid it, I just put it in a silk bonnet and brush it in the morning. I kinda think I've developped bad habits by braiding it everyday.

For me, braids hanging down aren’t as protective as a pinned up style, because there will always be friction against my back and shoulders, plus the back of chairs, the couch, getting caught under my toddler when I pick them up, etc. I still wear braids hanging sometimes, but I’m making a concerted effort to at least throw the braid into a LWB when I get up from lying down (I lay down during the day more than your average person I expect, because kids, and thus need to not have a lump at the back of my head.)

Have you tried milkmaid braids or a crown braid? Those are both nice updos that are braided, distribute weight well, and are pinned up so your ends will be protected more. When I do those styles I always use a bit of a light hold cream (like a curl cream) as I braid the last foot and a half or so, and this helps my pokey bits to stay put for longer. If I cover it with a satin scarf when I know there will be friction I can make the style last a couple of days as a bonus.

[AuroreVesperale]

I've never tried it but I will ! I did french and dutch braids for a while but it pulls on my scalp and provokes thinning, so I don't do it often anymore.

[MusicalSpoons]

Braids are not protective for me either, plus if you're securing with a hair elastic that could very possibly be causing damage all by itself.

[AuroreVesperale]

I use satin scrunchies and avoid metal when I tie my hair. I think it's really the braid by itself that can cause damage. I always do it on the same side and doing the same hairstyle over and over is damaging. It's just weird that I notice more split ends since I did a trim.

[knobbly]

I use satin scrunchies and avoid metal when I tie my hair. I think it's really the braid by itself that can cause damage. I always do it on the same side and doing the same hairstyle over and over is damaging. It's just weird that I notice more split ends since I did a trim.

I wonder if the scissors were dull?

[AuroreVesperale]

Good question, it's possible. Wouldn't that be weird for a hairdresser tho ?

[knobbly]

It would be odd, but perhaps they were procrastinating? Not how I would treat my tools but everyone is different. Since the majority of people get 4+ haircuts a year, many folks don’t mind when their hairdresser uses cutting techniques that are technically damaging (razoring comes to mind) since they are already cutting it again before they notice damage.

[AuroreVesperale]

Put it like that, it's true I was really satisfied with this hairdresser when I was maintaining a short haircut and didn't notice any damage because I was trimming regularly.