Was examing my ends lastnight and BOOOOM...

[Mandy4610]

Split Ends

I guess dusting my ends didn't work this time?

So maybe I need to trim about half an inch to an inch? I don't know!

They are not horrible, but they are enough to make me feel some type of way.

Should I trim? Should I wait? Wait for what anyway?

Is it possible to have absolutely no splits? What is normal enough to just ignore?

I am aiming for BSL by the end of this year and I can't say I am please with the thought of having to trim close to an inch

This is my current length as you may have seen in my update thread:

What shall I do?

Excuse the typo in the thread, Examining!

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

You can do search and destroy (just snip off the split )

Sent from my Zio

 

[LushLox]

If your ends are healthy ie no splits then there is absolutely no need to trim imo, you'll only be doing it for aesthetic reasons. However if you feel uncomfortable with it then I suppose you should go ahead and trim.

When people say they want to 'wait' it's waiting until they reach their next goal (or surpass it) and then trim. If you do this though you just need to be vigilant about checking those ends.

 

[Evolving78]

get a trim now.

 

[Mandy4610]

You can do search and destroy (just snip off the split )

Sent from my Zio

Thank you. I need quite a bit of that yesterday and I got tired and it was hard to do the back because I could see as well as I could in the front.

Maybe I should do as much of this as I can and then see what happens.

 

[Mandy4610]

If your ends are healthy ie no splits then there is absolutely no need to trim imo, you'll only be doing it for aesthetic reasons. However if you feel uncomfortable with it then I suppose you should go ahead and trim.

When people say they want to 'wait' it's waiting until they reach their next goal (or surpass it) and then trim. If you do this though you just need to be vigilant about checking those ends.

I am definitely a no trimming unless absolutely necessary type of girl. I am bothered by the amount of splits I have, they are not crazy splits, but they are enough to bother me.
I guess I will have to brave up and do it and then just be extra vigilant....which I don't know what that would mean I have to do yet.

 

[LushLox]

I am definitely a no trimming unless absolutely necessary type of girl. I am bothered by the amount of splits I have, they are not crazy splits, but they are enough to bother me.
I guess I will have to brave up and do it and then just be extra vigilant....which I don't know what that would mean I have to do yet.

Yeah if you've got splits then you should probably go ahead and trim as you don't want them travelling up the shaft. Do you think you got these splits after your last flat iron?

 

[Mandy4610]

Yeah if you've got splits then you should probably go ahead and trim as you don't want them travelling up the shaft. Do you think you got these splits after your last flat iron?

No, I don't think so, I don't think I did anything that would cause splits. I think its just that I haven't done a good trim in a very very long time. I usually just dust the ends and I haven't done any search and destroy before. So it might just be time for a good trim.
The other thing is that I rarely straighten my hair, I do alot of braidouts. I have been doing that most of this past year, maybe that has contributed. I don't remember having this issue when I did blowouts more often.

I love my braidouts, but they might be the culprit.

 

[Mandy4610]

Anymore thoughts ladies?

 

[Prudent1]

Anymore thoughts ladies?

Mandy4610,
Are you using a TT? I had to trim about 1/2" about a month ago after discovering my beloved time saving TT was giving me mid shaft and splits at the ends (and I was not rough and DCing a minimum of twice weekly etc). I was doing frequent braid outs too this winter but stopped (cause my ends didn't feel supple anymore) and have just implemented a low manipulation and serious PS regimen for the rest of the summer. Just a thought...

 

[mzteaze]

Just that straightening your hair shouldn't be the only reason why you need to keep up with trimming your hair if you have splits.

Are you trying to avoid getting a second opinion? Or just want to DIY?

 

[Nonie]

@Mandy4610 did you just start dusting? If not, has it worked for you before? If it has, what changed in your regimen? How often do you dust? Do you use brushes at all? How often do you use heat?

To answer your question about whether to trim, there's no sense in holding onto split ends. They need to go. But we also need to understand what happened so it doesn't happen again.

ETA: I don't understand what people mean when they say, trim only when necessary. When is it necessary? When it's already too late and your hair ends are damaged? That's like saying quit smoking only when you develop lung cancer. What happened to striking while the iron is hot? Why invite the problems over for coffee only to then realize you hate their company and want them gone? Wouldn't the more sensible thing be to prevent them from stopping at your door in the first place by placing a NOT WELCOME sign up beforehand?

 

[Meritamen]

I don't think it is possible to be 100% split end free. Even with the best care the hair is going to become weathered down from the elements and handling (all though at a much slower rate.)
If the splits bother you that badly then maybe you should cut them.

 

[sugarwater]

I noticed the same recently. It's funny because i dont usually have such horrible ends! Maybe tiny splits on-the ends but not these mid shaft inch long ones. I think it was because of my tt. I'm going to try to find a way to modify it.

 

[Nonie]

I just read your responses Mandy4610 and I see you waited long. That's the thing: with dusting, you have to nip the issue at the bud. Don't wait until it blooms to start dealing with it. And if you wait, a dust is useless then. A dust will not remove or prevent the problem. A dust is just tickle. If the split is already 0.5 inches up the strand, taking off 1/4 leaves the split to continue wrecking havoc. If you'd dusted sooner when it was not even visible, you'd have been able to get away with dusting a 1/4 and not leaving a split behind...because you'd have caught it while it was still under 1/4.

Splits are inevitable. People with coarse hair might be able to withstand haircare longer w/o seeing the evidence of splits, but those with fine hair seem to have the uninvited guests over all the time and usually will only see how trashed the home is, after the vandals have already moved out.

 

[Mandy4610]

@Mandy4610,
Are you using a TT? I had to trim about 1/2" about a month ago after discovering my beloved time saving TT was giving me mid shaft and splits at the ends (and I was not rough and DCing a minimum of twice weekly etc). I was doing frequent braid outs too this winter but stopped (cause my ends didn't feel supple anymore) and have just implemented a low manipulation and serious PS regimen for the rest of the summer. Just a thought...

Hey, Thanks. I have used the TT twice on some parts of my head and I couldn't stand it so I stopped.
I use a Denman. I have been using it for a while, I wonder if its the the culprit. I guess I am gonna have to somehow investigate. I feel like I don't have enough information to be able to do a proper investigation.

Just that straightening your hair shouldn't be the only reason why you need to keep up with trimming your hair if you have splits.

Are you trying to avoid getting a second opinion? Or just want to DIY?

Thanks, yes, I agree, I don't keep good ends for straightening purposes, I do it for overall health of my hair.

I would like to DIY, mainly because I doubt I will find a stylist who I can feel comfortable enough too trim my hair....I am very protective of my hair

@Mandy4610 did you just start dusting? If not, has it worked for you before? If it has, what changed in your regimen? How often do you dust? Do you use brushes at all? How often do you use heat?

To answer your question about whether to trim, there's no sense in holding onto split ends. They need to go. But we also need to understand what happened so it doesn't happen again.

ETA: I don't understand what people mean when they say, trim only when necessary. When is it necessary? When it's already too late and your hair ends are damaged? That's like saying quit smoking only when you develop lung cancer. What happened to striking while the iron is hot? Why invite the problems over for coffee only to then realize you hate their company and want them gone? Wouldn't the more sensible thing be to prevent them from stopping at your door in the first place by placing a NOT WELCOME sign up beforehand?

Thanks Nonie. I have been dusting for a while, but kind of just never paid much attention to my ends, probably because my hair wasn't long enough for me to see my ends.
No that my hair is APL and I can see my ends, its like all of a sudden I see splits, they might have been there longer than I think.

I agree that prevention is good, I think thats why I dust every 3months or less sometimes. I have never done a good trim though, so maybe its just time to do a good trim.

The only change in my regimen is that over the last year or so, I do mainly braid outs and I use my Denman for detangling, after finger combing and wide took comb.

I do mostly upstyle, you know how I love my updos.

 

[Mandy4610]

I just read your responses @Mandy4610 and I see you waited long. That's the thing: with dusting, you have to nip the issue at the bud. Don't wait until it blooms to start dealing with it. And if you wait, a dust is useless then. A dust will not remove or prevent the problem. A dust is just tickle. If the split is already 0.5 inches up the strand, taking off 1/4 leaves the split to continue wrecking havoc. If you'd dusted sooner when it was not even visible, you'd have been able to get away with dusting a 1/4 and not leaving a split behind...because you'd have caught it while it was still under 1/4.

Splits are inevitable. People with coarse hair might be able to withstand haircare longer w/o seeing the evidence of splits, but those with fine hair seem to have the uninvited guests over all the time and usually will only see how trashed the home is, after the vandals have already moved out.

Thanks Nonie, this makes sense. I think now I will have to do a good trim and maintain my dusting.

Love your analogy

 

[Nonie]

@Mandy4610 Another thing to consider is 3 months (12 weeks might be too long a time for your hair to wait for dusting). If I go back to the time when I dusted regularly (I just started again in Jan this year), by dusting every 8 weeks, I gained/retained 4.5-5 inches of new length for the year. And went from one inch to 5-6, then from that to 9-11.

But when I waited 4 months do do anything, you'd think it'd cost me 1/2 inch right, coz that's twice as long as I normally wait to dust, right? WRONG! I ended up having to cut off 2 inches!!!

So for me, I know waiting more than 8 weeks will cost me.

True, there has to be a balance. Cut too soon, and you cut off your new growth. Cut too late and the damage has already signed a lease and made itself at home in your head so you never get rid of it without having to BC (big chop). So you have to start somewhere.

If you're a dare devil, start by waiting long and learn what "too long" is that way, because if you dust too late and don't remove the entire split, your hair will continue to tear away and break or will appear not to grow at all, so you know you left splits behind and that you have to do it sooner. Only problem with starting with this daring schedule is you WILL have to do a proper trim to start from a clean slate. What a bloody waste of time it'll have been to go back to square one only coz you wanted to live on the edge.

Or you can play it safe and start by using a guideline given by many hair gurus/stylists like I did (6-8 weeks) and feel "at peace" snipping off the tiniest amount that doesn't even affect your length, because after all, not much damage could happen in a short time because you take every care to be gentle with your hair--and you seal and PS on top of that (something my lazy butt doesn't do but which is a blessing for ends).

ETA: Please throw away all forms of brushes. I have never understood what it is that makes a brush the shizzle when it comes to detangling. What is it that a brush can do that one row of teeth (found in a wonderful tool called a seamless comb) cannot do, besides just ride the length of the strands ripping the cuticle off with the friction of the devil?

 

[Nonie]

I noticed the same recently. It's funny because i dont usually have such horrible ends! Maybe tiny splits on-the ends but not these mid shaft inch long ones. I think it was because of my tt. I'm going to try to find a way to modify it.

sugarwater What do you mean? Modify the TT? If so, how?

 

[sugarwater]

Nonie
I think the split are from how some of the tips are formed. Mostly on the shorter bristles. I was thinking about using heated item to round them.

I'm not completely sure of all the details yet but i washed my hair today and ripped through a lot of my hair because i was so used to the tt The tt spoiled me.

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie
I think the split are from how some of the tips are formed. Mostly on the shorter bristles. I was thinking about using heated item to round them.

I'm not completely sure of all the details yet but i washed my hair today and ripped through a lot of my hair because i was so used to the tt The tt spoiled me.

sugarwater I hafta say I do appreciate people like you who go out on a limb to investigate things for others. What sacrifice! LOL I hope you will report back your findings for those who use the tool. As lackadaisical as I am with my hair, I doubt I'd be brave enough to be the guinea pig who'd use my hair in some research to find out if there's a way to improve a tool folks are blaming for damage. You have more "(hair)balls" than I! (My cat is confused by that use of the word "hairball". LOL)

 

[sugarwater]

sugarwater I hafta say I do appreciate people like you who go out on a limb to investigate things for others. What sacrifice! LOL I hope you will report back your findings for those who use the tool. As lackadaisical as I am with my hair, I doubt I'd be brave enough to be the guinea pig who'd use my hair in some research to find out if there's a way to improve a tool folks are blaming for damage. You have more "(hair)balls" than I! (My cat is confused by that use of the word "hairball". LOL)

Nonie
Lol
Well truthfully i'm doing it for me. The tt is a detangling dream minus the splits. BUT, I'd def share if i found a solution.

I think I'm going to test it out on the back section of my hair when I modify it, because i wont be losing much, since its disproportionally long compared to the front and middle.

And ofcourse i have to trim my current splits

 

[Mandy4610]

sugarwater I hafta say I do appreciate people like you who go out on a limb to investigate things for others. What sacrifice! LOL I hope you will report back your findings for those who use the tool. As lackadaisical as I am with my hair, I doubt I'd be brave enough to be the guinea pig who'd use my hair in some research to find out if there's a way to improve a tool folks are blaming for damage. You have more "(hair)balls" than I! (My cat is confused by that use of the word "hairball". LOL)

Nonie, you always know how to make my day lol. Thanks for all the advise. I learn so much from you.


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