support/suggestions... cut or not?
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Category: Long Hair Happenings
Forum Name: Long Hair Support
Forum Description: Growing it long takes commitment and support.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=37471
Printed Date: September 29 2024 at 4:30pm
Topic: support/suggestions... cut or not?
Posted By: letmecount123
Subject: support/suggestions... cut or not?
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 4:12pm
Edit: I'm going to add some pix of the damaged hair in a reply.
Howdy. I've arrived via google with a bit of a dilemma.
I'm 19 and have been growing my hair out for about 4 years now. I try to get the ends trimmed off every 3-4 months because they split so easily. I'm a little unsure of what to do with it lately though, because not only are about 2 inches of ends just fried, but the entire underlayer of my hair is destroyed (split ends, very thin). In addition to that, due to experience with razored layers from years and years ago, the very front pieces of my hair are also very damaged. Thin pieces of new growth at the front are finally at my chin, but they are very dry and the ends are also split. I have NO idea what to do with this mess.
I suffer from frizzy/poofy waves at this length and it doesn't air-dry very well at all. I usually wear it up in a ponytail/bun or blow dry (as little as possible).
This is from April:
Here are a few others:
June http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4312506&a=31798599&p=72056689 - http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4312506&a=31 798599&p=72056689 October http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4312506&a=31933397&p=73029926 - http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4312506&a=31 933397&p=73029926
What I'm thinking is that I need to get the ends trimmed off again and may possibly have to cut long bangs (a bit above my chin) to fix all the damage at the front... but I have no idea what to do about underneath. I won't be getting anything done until just before Christmas, but I've been trying to find a solution for about a month now. Obviously I'd rather just not cut at all, but the split ends are just atrocious.
So... I don't really know what I'm asking here to tell the truth. I just know that I don't receive any help at any of the other (general) messageboards I go to. If my fellow long-haired freaks (it's a term of endearment ) have anything to contribute, I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks.
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Replies:
Posted By: Hellfrozeover
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 4:40pm
Your hair looks really pretty but if the damage is annoying you maybe get up to four inches off. Maybe get a trusted friend to do a search and destroy for you.
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Posted By: Sunsailing
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 5:05pm
Your hair looks great in the pictures! But of course we can't see splits, etc.. Bet a few inches trimmed if you think it's necessary.
Do you live close to a George Michael salon (specializes in long hair)? They will do a split-end trim where they carefully look for splits and trim them (takes about 45 minutes when I go). They also offer a special one hour conditioning treatment that is the best. If you can find a GM salon, it's worth the trip. (I go to one about twice a year. It's about a 1.5 hour drive for me.) You will feel a lot better about your hair when you walk out after a few hours of "hair pampering"
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Posted By: missrini
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 8:33pm
Hi there letmecount123 and welcome
I am wondering what you have been doing to your hair that is destroying it? In other words, why are the ends fried (from colouring or heat styling?) and why is the underlayer destroyed (from wearing it down alot?). I'm not saying that in an accusatory way, just trying to determine what might be "destroying" your hair. There are things you can do that will prevent damage from happening in the first place and if you want to keep growing your beautiful long hair, then it may be worth investing a little time into some techniques that will help it. It'll be worth it!
If Anais posts (and I hope she does!) then you can go and visit her homepage (listed in her sig). She has lots of great tips and techniques on there and she has really lovely hair. Otherwise, stick around and read the posts from time to time. There are often good topics about hair care and damage prevention and you'll be amazed what you can pick up!
For now, you may need to go with the trim to get rid of the damage. You hair looks lovely to me (and a really pretty colour!) but damage can't be repaired and it's got to go.
Good luck!
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25 inches as at 1st Nov 06
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Posted By: letmecount123
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 8:40pm
I have no idea what happend to the under layer of my hair... my hair isn't even layered, so it's not like it's exposed or anything. I haven't died my hair for over five years, and it's growing in lighter now than I used to dye it. And I don't really wear it down a lot at all. It's in two french braids right now.
Unfortunately if I want to keep my hair long, I can't cut 100% of the damage out because the damage that's underneath starts right at my neck and goes the whole way down. Although it is just a very thin layer of growth that is wrecked: mostly the hair growing right from the top of my neck.
Also unfortunate is the fact that there are no spectacular salons in my area. Not that I know of anyway. The last hairdresser I went to couldn't even trim my hair straight and there are still longer pieces here and there.
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Posted By: missrini
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 8:42pm
Tell us your hair care routine (as detailed as you can)....that will help us to give you some more accurate advice.
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25 inches as at 1st Nov 06
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Posted By: letmecount123
Date Posted: November 24 2005 at 8:54pm
Hair routine... ack. It's not great as I don't have a lot of hair product, but here goes:
Wash with some kind of shampoo (currently Life brand banana scented) every 1-2 days.
Condition probably 2-3 minutes with Dove moisturing condition.
I use Herbal Essences leave-in conditioner to comb out the knots. (One thing I miss about short hair: no knots!) I've had to use more and more of this over time. And I can't find another brand that I like.
Then I usually throw it up in a ponytail with goody ouchless elastics and wrap it up in a bun (otherwise my shirt gets soaked).
If I blowdry, I use Garnier Fructis Long & Strong anti-split ends serum and a Physique straightening blow dryer...something about ions. I don't have a straightening iron anymore. I have so much hair now that my natural curl has more or less pulled itself right out.
So...that's about it? I'm not sure if that helps at all, haha.
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Posted By: LadyFrog
Date Posted: November 25 2005 at 10:53am
sounds pretty healthy. I don't do much more then that (apart form not
using a hairdryer-due to sheer lazyness not any overwhelming care for
my hair I'm afraid)
I would suggest using a pair of very sharp scissors (sharpen them on a
oilstone if you have one) and cut off every split end you see, do
this as often as you can. You could try trinmming a few inches off your
hair yourself if you're not happy with your hairdresser using Feyes
self trimming technique. There's links to it scattered all over
this site or you could google it. Alternatively you could shave your
head!
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28.02.06 34 inches
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43733 - Photos
Lifes a grave. Dig it.
-Wednesday 13
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Posted By: LadyFrog
Date Posted: November 25 2005 at 10:56am
Also, if your hair is very dry you might benefit from oil treatments.
Basically you slather your hair in oil (can be whatever random oil you
have in your kithchen cupboards although a lot of people on here swear
by jojoba), leave it for a few hours and then wash it ot. CO
(conditioner only washing) is also meant to help with dry hair I think
but it doesn't suit everyone. Hope you find a solution for your
hair soon
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28.02.06 34 inches
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43733 - Photos
Lifes a grave. Dig it.
-Wednesday 13
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Posted By: Pampinetta
Date Posted: November 25 2005 at 12:37pm
My hair was very dry and brittle after to much highlighting and a lot of conditioning, leave-in-treatment and no blowdrying did the trick for me. Maybe you should start with trying to cure the dryness and then decide how much you want to trim it when it's soft and healthy again? You hair looks beautiful on the pictures btw!
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Posted By: Vicky
Date Posted: November 25 2005 at 1:21pm
I agree, to me your hair looks good
My hair has been damaged by coloring and blow-drying, i also had to
make a decision, cut it all of or take better care of it and trim abit
every other month. I chose the second. No more coloring or blow-drying!
It's still abit dry but way better than before
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Posted By: AnaisSatin
Date Posted: November 26 2005 at 1:18pm
Hi Holly, welcome to the board I think you're between a rock and a hard place (was that the right cliche?) The best compromise you can do, as suggested, is to go through your hair and remove the splits one by one with sharp scissors. Purplebubba has a http://www.angelfire.com/mi/bbubba/LHC/Scissors.html - fabulous guide to choosing good hair scissors. I also like to use sharp embroidery scissors (they can be found at the fabric store). I find that a "search-and-destroy" session gets rid of a lot more tangles than expected. It oftentimes feels better than a trim because I'm not losing any length, yet I get a smoother comb-out.
I see the other problem ...... You're using goody's ouchless elastics on WET HAIR! Yikes, please please never do that to your hair. Your hair is most fragile when it it wet, and only thick scrunchies, socks, or hairsticks should be used on wet hair. The more pressure and friction you have on a small hair tie, the more breakage will result. Scrunchies and socks distribute the pressure on a larger surface, and good hairsticks are quite smooth.
Sometimes the culprit is the least expected one.
Hope your hair feels better soon. Feel free to click on my Medusa link (Thank you Rini)
Blessings Anais
------------- http://anaissatin.livejournal.com"> my LJ , 40 inches long
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Posted By: letmecount123
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 4:12pm
Since that picture doesn't demonstrate the damage underneath, here are a few pictures.
The braids had been in for about 24 hours, but I rebraided the long part 2-3 times in class that day. All of the damage from underneath is what is coming out from the braids:
And here are a few during air-drying post-wash/condition/comb:
I just looooove my hair when it's long. I found a whole bunch of pictures I have over the time I've been growing them out and I can't really imagine going back... so I guess I better go find some scissors and get rid of some split ends... and maybe make one more appt. at the hairdresser for Christmas time.
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Posted By: letmecount123
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 4:17pm
Also, question for Anais.
I don't have time to dry my hair in the morning before class and I don't like to shower or wash my hair at night (I turn into a fuzzball before morning).
The only way to keep my hair secure and off my neck/back (so I don't soak my clothes) is to put it up and so far the ouchless elastics are the only thing strong enough. Are there really any alternatives that work similarily? I've been trying to french braid, but it's kind of time consuming and I find I get very frustrated with tangles and such when I'm trying to put them in. And besides, braids usually result in the fuzzy mess posted above.
Thanks.
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Posted By: AnaisSatin
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 5:27pm
You'd be surprised how STRONG fabric scrunchies are. As a general rule: the bigger the hair tie, the less damage.
The other thing you can do is spending only an extra 5 minutes if you can, to squeeze your pony in a towel to get as much water out as possible. I understand this is difficult because you shower in the morning, but if you can shift your schedule and spare only 5 extra minutes for squeezing excess water, it will make a difference.
HTH Anais
------------- http://anaissatin.livejournal.com"> my LJ , 40 inches long
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Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 5:32pm
Welcome Holly!
First, I think you are being much too hard on yourself. Based on
the photos you've shared, your hair looks very good, and does not
appear to be damaged. Keep in mind that the shorter strands can
also be regrowth of previous fallout. It's perfectly normal for
your hair to get gradually thinner as it gets farther away from your
head. And my braids get very fuzzy if I leave them in overnight.
The entire underlayer of my hair, too (in the back) is the "worst" in
terms of condition. It's been subjected (without trying) to the
most abuse -- sliding around against shirts/coats, or exposed to sweat
if I'm going shirtless on a hot day. Plus, the strands at the
nape are in a sort of transitional region, where the hair changes from
"head hair" to "body hair," so the strands there aren't the strongest
and don't grow to be very long.
It doesn't look like you need much if anything trimmed. Maybe a
half inch, or an inch at most. That'll give your hair a very neat
and well defined blunt line/curve.
I use Goody's ouchless elastics but only to tie off the ends of my braid. I would never consider
using them to make a ponytail. I only use terrycloth elastics to form
the base of my ponytail; they're not damaging at all. Double them
over if necessary to make them tight enough to hold your ponytail up.
I recommend using a pair of very sharp pair of scissors (dedicated only
to this purpose) to trim split ends using a method described as "search
and destroy" (S&D). Procedures for this technique have been
defined in other threads within this forum so I won't repeat it here.
I would suggest diluting your shampoo (I use a ratio of 10 parts water
to 1 part shampoo, mixed together in a clear plastic bottle with
squeeze top). Your scalp will get clean but not so squeaky clean
that it'll be tempted to start cranking out the sebum quickly.
That might allow you eventually to stretch your washing interval to
maybe 2-3 times per week. More washing = more wear and tear on
your hair; conversely, less washing means less wear and tear.
Lastly, a question: How do you detangle your hair? With a brush, or a wide-tooth comb?
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Posted By: letmecount123
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 5:36pm
Weeeeell... for awhile I was using a comb in the shower when I had conditioner in my hair because otherwise I couldn't get ANYTHING through it.
And then I kind of got lazy and was using a brush...
But I got a comb a few days ago. It does really work a loooot better. I'm finding my leave-in isn't really working as well as it used to though. Could be my hair though, I suppose. I have Herbal Essences leave-in, and haven't been able to find another one. I might actually have to go into a salon to find something else if I want it that bad.
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Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 5:46pm
Are you open to more suggestions? (hoping so...)
I always detangle my hair thoroughly before washing it.
Completely comb out and then follow-up with a brush. This helps
remove all the loose strands before starting, and makes post-process
detangling less of a hassle. I never use a comb on my hair when
in the shower. After shampooing, I soak the hair in conditioner
and then rinse it out. I use a technique which minimizes the
movement of the hair in the shower, so that my hair is fairly easy to
detangle afterwards. I wrote about it http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip033.htm - here .
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Posted By: letmecount123
Date Posted: November 27 2005 at 5:50pm
Suggestions? But of course... wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Thanks for the link.
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Posted By: Bob S
Date Posted: November 28 2005 at 3:45pm
I think your hair looks magnificent, period, root to tips. Anyone who tells you different may have ulterior motives, I believe. Blessings, Bob
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Posted By: LadyFrog
Date Posted: November 29 2005 at 9:50am
I think your hair loooks fine-very similar to my own hair condition. Maybe try washing less frequently.
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28.02.06 34 inches
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43733 - Photos
Lifes a grave. Dig it.
-Wednesday 13
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Posted By: trophywife
Date Posted: November 29 2005 at 10:16am
Do not cut your hair, long is the best and yours is v pretty. Maybe just get a trim or something...
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Posted By: LadyFrog
Date Posted: November 29 2005 at 11:33am
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you trophy wife. Although I love
long hair, I feel that short hair is also beautiful and that no one
should be pressured in to cutting OR growing their hair if they don't
want to.
letmecount123-do what will make you happy with your hair but I would
not advise chopping it all off, a trim would make you feel better about
the condition of your hair as would search and destroy and other
tactics mentioned.
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28.02.06 34 inches
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43733 - Photos
Lifes a grave. Dig it.
-Wednesday 13
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Posted By: tdouty
Date Posted: November 30 2005 at 11:28am
You might want to try Infusium Leave-in conditioner. Jennifer has
used it on her hair for quite some time and loves it. It really
helps with the after-shower combing.
Jennifer here---> Your hair is alot like mine. In fact, when I
first saw your pic I thought it was me. I have a crazy wave but as it
gets longer straightens out. I'm not a big fan of going to bed with a
wet head so I shower in the mornings, too. I'll spritz Infusium in my
hair (after my shower) concentrating more on the ends and underneath.
I let that set a bit and then comb through with a wide toothed comb.
I'll let it air dry as long as I can but before I go to work I'll twist
it up into a bun and put a scrunchy over it to hold. I don't like
having wet hair all day so a couple of times a day I'll take the bun
down and let it air dry some more and when I'm done I wind it back up
to a bun. When I get home, I let my hair down and it'll have a nice
curl.
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1c.m.ii
36" as of January 14, 2008
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