Has anyone ever suffered a setback from not trimming?

[TexturedTresses]

If you have please explain. Also, please note your hair type and if you are relaxed or natura. tia.

 

[lana]

Are you trying not to trim? My best advice would be to check your hair regularly for splits or uneven ends or just plain unhealthy looking ends. I went four months without trimming when I first found LHCF. I was a pressed natural at the time. My hair was kinda raggedy and I ended up trimming off an inch or more after that stretch. Now I've learned that my hair needs trimming whenever it needs it. I check my ends regularly and make sure they are even, neat, not splitting and combable.

I'm a 4a, texlaxed head (Mizani for sensitive scalp now) on my way to APL.

 

[Nonie]

I'm natural. Before joining LHCF, I was following Brenda's regimen (www.blackwomenrejoice.com) and was trimming regularly--maybe every 6 or 8 weeks. Around the time I joined the forum, I also read Cathy Howse's book and there seemed to be a few people who didn't believe trimming was necessary. So I stopped trimming. My hair was natural (still is). I had transitioned in braids and was still in them and since I do them myself, was redoing them every now and then one at a time trimming each time I redid a braid...till all sections were trimmed. By following this regimen, my hair was the same thickness through its length:

This was my hair the year I transitioned. I had about 1 inch of growth when I put the braid in but after regular trimming, I had about 5-6 inches of natural hair with all relaxed gone:

I stayed in braids another year and again with regular trimming, had hair of uniform thickness along its length:

Enter the no trimming regimen and in 4 or 5 months, my hair thinned so much at the ends that it was no doubt going to break off anyway. I believe split ends had just torn up the strand and ripped off leaving thin unsightly ends:

I had to cut off up to 2 inches just to get the thickness I like (top pics show before the trim, bottom show the thin ends gone):

So I am believer that regular dusting/trimmings are necessary for healthy-looking thick hair.

 

[Kay.Dee]

I've been meaning to ask a question similar to this op, thanks.

I think my split ends are causing my natural hair to tangle even more than normal. It especially worse after I use a comb or brush for some reason. I heard someone compare their ends to velcro which is exactly what mine seem like.

I was examining my hair before I put in my kinky twists and I noticed split ends starting in the middle of strands, and on the ends and even split hairs that had their own split ends!

'm hiding my hair for now and I think I'll trim each time I take them out to do another set.

 

[Firefly]

I think that my length suffered (should be at full APL by now) because my ends were damaged and I waited too long to trim so I ended up having to cut off about 1 1/2 to 2 inches (that's 4 to 5 months worth of growth for me). For me, my healthy hair would begin to catch on my ragged ends which also caused my healthy hair to get knots and break. I realized that I don't have to trim as often or as much length as I did years ago but I still have to get a small amount trimmed at every touch-up (really a dusting). This way I can keep healthy ends and still see great results from all my hard work. Everyone is different though so if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have friends that haven't had a trim in years and their hair is beautiful & long so it depends on the individual.

 

[TexturedTresses]

How about if you don't have split ends?

 

[MiWay]

I was an anti-trimmer, and went 6-12 months, sometimes longer, between trims. My hair grew, by my ends were thin and split. The longer my hair got, the thinner it got. I was a little past BSL when I finally decided to get a trim, and she had to cut all the way to APL just to even my hair out and get rid of the horrible ends. My hair looked and acted soooo much better, and seemed to have so much more life. I'm still not a fan of trimming, however, I will be paying a lot more attention to my ends and trimming when necessary so I don't have to go thru that devastation again.

 

[Amerie123]

Good question OP. Bumping for more responses!

 

[Firefly]

If you don't have split ends and you like the way your ends look, I wouldn't trim if I were you. From the looks of your avatar pic, you look like you know what you're doing.

 

[*Frisky*]

How about if you don't have split ends?

I wouldnt really call it a set back for not trimming thin ends...if they arent split then they just look thinner from the rest of your hair which may appear unhealthy and wearing you hair down doesnt look as nice as you would want it. If you keep your ends moisturized and prevent damage, when you grow your hair to a desired length you want it, then trim all the thins ends off or at least start to trim them maybe an half and inch or an inch at a time but if you wear your hair down frequently, trimming is a must.

 

[Jenn22588]

I think my split ends are causing my natural hair to tangle even more than normal. It especially worse after I use a comb or brush for some reason. I heard someone compare their ends to velcro which is exactly what mine seem like.

I was examining my hair before I put in my kinky twists and I noticed split ends starting in the middle of strands, and on the ends and even split hairs that had their own split ends!

Sounds like my natural hair. As soon as I detangle, it is tangled again. Even if I keep it n braids or twists while washing. I m going to have my hair trimmed this week, hopefully they wont have to take off too much. erplexed I have some single strand knots a few inches up the length and some long split ends. Unfortunately being natural, I did not notice the knots and splits until I straightened this weekend.

 

[crazydaze911]

I havent trimmed since January 08 (9 months) - the last pic in my siggy is from earlier this month. the ends are thinner, i guess, but i dont think it looks bad and i JUST grew it back out to the length it was b/f my last trim, so i dont think im ready to trim again yet. If i do, then i would have retained no growth in a year (im a slow grower). I dust here and there - never a full day of dusting, just whenever i take my hair down and see a split. i have scissors by my bed, in my bathroom and in my purse at all times in case i see a split, but as for now, i'm not ready for a traditional trim and i dont TRUST NE1 to do it (including myself - i made my hair horrible crooked when i tried to trim braid by braid before - lol)

 

[foxieroxienyc]

So you guys who suffered set backs, were you also forgoing dusting AND doing S&D's for split ends? So COMPLETELY scissor free?

 

[TexturedTresses]

I do search and destroys weekly, but I havn't trimmed now for about three months. I'm wondering if I can do longer with search and destroys. Basically same question as foxiroxienyc

 

[Nonie]

How about if you don't have split ends?

I don't do the search and destroy. I just trim/dust as routine. I probably don't necessarily have split ends, but the oldest hair on my head is bound to have experienced wear and tear--especially because I don't bun or put it away in a protective style. So I just use the "prevention is better the cure" phenomenon.

Now when it grows longer and I can bun, I might reconsider. But otherwise, Wanakee was the first person that I admired that did this. Then Brenda preached it. And I find it works for me, so I might always do it even when I have long hair that will always be warn in a protective do hence void of split ends. *shrug*

 

[Nonie]

So you guys who suffered set backs, were you also forgoing dusting AND doing S&D's for split ends? So COMPLETELY scissor free?

Yes. I was totally scissor-free when I stopped trimming, but it was only for 4-5 months. I still paid for it.

 

[SoAnxious12]

i go back and forth on the trimming topic too. I'm thinking that I'll probably go back to regualr trims again in very small amounts (1/4in or less) every 3-4 months. It works for me, i'll just reach my goals a little later than anticipated.

 

[Newtogrow]

In early June I sat on my bed on a cruise ship and retwisted my hair. All these tiny hairs were falling all over their pretty white sheets. I did the search and destroy method but I had so many splits, I was searching for forever.

At the end of July I got a cut/trim. It was the best decision I've made in a while. Three months later, very few splits - enough that I can s&d. My hair is more healthy and progressing.

 

[nappystorm]

I do when I wear my hair natural not so much when it's straightened so I plan on wearing my hair straighten mostly until I reach MBL

 

[locabouthair]

I think it might have caused a sebtack.

 

[TexturedTresses]

so far i've been doing search and destroys weekly, the most I'll see are five split ends and my ends still look pretty thick. so much so that friends and my hairdresser were surpised. next relaxer i'll see how it looks and decide from there. however i will continue to bun 90% of the time and do search and destroys. From what I'm hearing search and destorys are key to not having a set back. however, if you see an excess amount of split ends then you should just trim.

 

[PinkPebbles]

Yes, I've had two major set backs in the past for not trimming. After the first set back I decided to do the seek & destroy method for 6 to 12 months. My hair turned out to look a hot mess because it was so uneven.

Now, I let my stylist trim which is more like a dust every 3 months. For the first time in my journey I'm proud the way my hair looks.

I will no longer go 6 months and beyond without a trim. I'm relaxed 4a/b and relaxer touch-ups, combing/styling, attributes to wear and tear on the oldest parts of the hair (ends) no matter how much I moisturize and protect my ends.

SandyRabbit - your hair is beautiful! If I were you I'd continue to do whatever you've been doing to retain length.

 

[Lanea87]

I am not sure if I have suffered a set back or not cause I was only relaxing every 6 months prior and only trimming ends then. I will be trying to do the DIY dusting thing myself after I get this trim when I get my relaxer at the end of this month. Maybe every 8 weeks I can go get my hair flat-ironed and dust my ends myself.

 

[BostonMaria]

I have natural 3C hair and I haven't trimmed my hair in 13 months. I probably will go another year or two before I trim my hair again. I haven't suffered any set-backs, but I also deep condition and wear protective styles.