Scissorless Ends; Terminal Length

I'm getting regular trims these days because I've decided I like my hair above waist-length. When I was in university, though, I went at least 6 years without a trim and didn't get split ends. I didn't even condition my hair regularly back then. I never used a blow dryer, though. I think maybe my hair just doesn't split. Not everyone's does.

Even if you do get a few split ends and need to trim maybe 1/2" per year, you'll still be adding significantly to your length. Dusting is a good idea, too, if you want to skip the trims altogether. If you keep an eye on those ends, you can prevent small splits from spreading up the shaft with a tiny snip.

Even if you do trim 1/2" each year, if your hair grows at the average rate, you'll still have about 5.5" of new length per year. If your hair grows quickly, like mine, even with a trim you could have nearly 1ft. per year.

By the way, your hair is a beautiful colour. It looks extremely shiny and healthy. With some time and patience (that's the hardest part) you'll reach your hair length goal before you know it. The important thing is to enjoy your hair all the time, though. Don't just long (pun intended) for terminal length. Enjoy the process. Your hair will be beautiful regardless of its length.

can someone explain "dusting" to me? Thanx

Wow, thanks for all those great replies! Seriously.

Korsokavatt, (I hope, hope, hope I spelled that right) I really like what you had to say. I think dusting and maybe a half inch trim a year if needed would be good. I think my hair doesn't split very easily either. I've never had much problem with splits, even with chemical processing in the past.

Like Viktoria said, terminal length but not at the expense of bad looking hair. Sounds like a good plan to me!

And Anais, you mentioned friction. Something else I'm trying to do is wear less rough textured clothing. I'm trying to keep my blouses and tops made out of silky materials. I figure if I start all this while my hair is still so short it will probably pay off later on.

I know I'm hair-obsessed but I'm not unhappy with my hair at its present length. I just want it longer, a lot longer. But waiting on hair to grow could be a little like watching paint dry or like my grandmother used to say, "A watched pot never boils".

Allista, dusting is a method of trimming where you take small sections of hair with your hair dry and twist it until the little ends stick out. You need to be in good light. Some people have good luck in front of their computer monitor. Then with a sharp pair of haircutting shears that you don't use on anything else, you just snip off just the visible split ends or white dots. You can then twist the strand the opposite direction and check it again for splits. This is sometimes called a Search and Destroy Mission. You repeat this all over your head. But you don't have to do your whole head at one sitting.

You can get good haircutting shears for not a lot of money at Sallys Beauty Supply. Another good place is at a pet supply store or online. They often carry the same brands as beauty supply stores and they can cost up to 75% less. (I've worked as a hairstylist and as a dog groomer!) And always guard against dropping them. You can dull the tips and throw the blades out of alignment.

And thanks for the lovely compliments on my hair. When someone says my hair looks nice, I tend to look behind me to see who they are talking to.

You all have such beautiful hair; I can't wait until I have lovely length like yours!

Thanks again,
strawberryfine

Dave,
If I had your hair, I'd definately let it go terminal. If you don't like it wheb it gets there, you can make any adjustments necessary for your comfort at that time! Just a thought...

Thanks for the compliment on my hair; it's so short!

strawberryfine