Encouragement to Go Ahead and Trim

[simone103]

It's so funny that you post this, because I took out my sewn-in weave last week. Even though it looks like I've finally reached bsl, my ends are thin and see-through. I know I have to cut off a good 1-2 inches.

 

[nomoweavesfome]

I don't have a problem showing yawl my bad, uneven ends because, I need to have pics of the good, the bad, and the ugly to know when I'm getting real progress. I posted them up in my fotki to keep me in line with how my progress is going and it lets me know when I am in dire need of a trim. In fact, I just had a fotki friend commented on the differences in the pics of my hair from when I started in October of last year to the present. I was very pleased that I kept those pictures of my ugly ends and have something to compare them too later.

By no means am I knocking what you are saying Supergirl, but I think that we should have pics of both the good and the bad. By all means, I agree totally in cutting/trimming straggly looking ends that are super ugly and not to mention, more damaging to our hair in the long run. It's just not worth keeping just to have length if it's ugly.

ETA: I know that I am in need of a trim, but I will not do so until next month and even then, I am only getting it dusted.

I think this is a great point and I do understand the point of this thread. Trust me. But like Kini, I'm kind of an advocate for the underdogs as well. Why? Because when I started, I didn't start with half decent shoulder lenght hair trying to get long. I was straight up damaged all of 2 inches. People post all kinds of pics because progress is progress. Regardless on whether someone compliments or not. That feeling of progress is very personal and it is something to compare to later when it gets better.

I'm sure for the whole first year of my progress pictures it was like ???? and still is. I'm no where near like the beautiful heads on this board yet, but from month to month it gets better - little by little and it is still a sense of accomplishment for the individual whether it is to whomever's standards. I know that one day I will be a testimony for somebody who is going to join with the same tear up raggedy behind hair I had and see how I came along and feel confident that they can do it too.

If their 2 little strands reached brastrap - hey - it reached it- for many of us, that might be the onlytime in our lives we can remember our hair even getting that long and it's just great to know it can be done - yes even with 2 strands. Now I'm not saying we should lie and post a comment on how great her 2 strands look, or even comment at all.

Just know that everybody on here is on a mission for the same common goal- beautiful healthy long hair. For some people it's going to take different steps to do it.

I get what you sayin tho and you point is very valid because I might get a cut today!!!!! only an inch tho for right now. I have spring cut fever I think. Anybody go to costcutters and stuff?

 

[nomoweavesfome]

Can I please take this baby home??

I'm in love.

 

[Wishin4BSL]

Some one needs to start a thread about the ones who are obsessed with ends like myself...I've started carrying around scissors in my purse

I do too!!! I snipped some of my ends at work the other day and got some seriously crazy looks from coworkers!!!

ETA: Oops! Just told on myself....that was supposed to be a secret! I have a resist the scissors challenge in my siggy! Oh well...

 

[Supergirl]

Can I please take this baby home??

I'm in love.

I know

 

[TaraDyan]

Wow, are you serious that you haven't trimmed since September? Your ends look fab! You are doing the doggone thing. So, would you like to be the new poster child for protective styling?

Thanks for the compliment, Supergirl. Shoooooot .... sometimes I feel like I am a spokesperson for protective styling because I'm always telling my friends about it. Before my major cut last year, I always wore my hair down. Now, I rock the librarian look every day, but my ends are thanking me.

 

[Supergirl]

Thanks for the compliment, Supergirl. Shoooooot .... sometimes I feel like I am a spokesperson for protective styling because I'm always telling my friends about it. Before my major cut last year, I always wore my hair down. Now, I rock the librarian look every day, but my ends are thanking me.

They sure are. Do you mind sharing your full regimen--your hair is so pretty and healthy.

 

[SparklingFlame]

They sure are. Do you mind sharing your full regimen--your hair is so pretty and healthy.

It sure is!

 

[DayStar]

if i dare say it......im so glad you said it!!!!!! ....just know that no one is hating...just giving advice you can/cannot adhere too!

 

[TaraDyan]

They sure are. Do you mind sharing your full regimen--your hair is so pretty and healthy.

It sure is!

Awwwww, thank you so much to both of you. Y'all too sweet.

Still-a-Lady, I always drool over your hair every time I see it. You have enough hair for 4 folks. To a girl with fine hair like me, your head is a marvel. But I digress ...

Yeah, I'm more than happy to share my regimen ... it'super simple:

• I co-wash every other day using one of the following: Sunsilk Straighten Up, Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship, V05 Silky Experiences (either Champagne Kisses or Lavender Luster). I have others, but those are my staples.
  [*]I wear my hair up every single day. After I co-wash, I slather on some mango butter, then some Fantasia IC gel and then clip it up in some fashion (bun, braid, clip, etc.).
• I deep condition once a week using the Aveda Damage Remedy line or Elasta QP DPR-11.
• I do protein treatments as needed (I use Duo Tex, Keracare Super Reconstructor, Elasta QP Before and After or Jherri Redding Natural Protein).
• I clarify as needed (I use Nexxus Aloe Rid Shampoo).
• Once a month, I get my hair blow dried and flat ironed at the salon just to check length. I only use heat once a month.

I was just saying in another thread that I think it's the combination of the co-washing and moisturizing daily coupled with the almost no heat routine that has spared my ends. I used to always have split ends up the ying yang when I abused heat daily. Once I stopped that, my splits stopped too.

Again, thanks for the compliments, ladies.

 

[Healthb4Length]

Poka, your ends are fine too.

I wish I could find a pic (of someone not on this board) with the kind of chewed ends I'm speaking of. Then y'all could see that it's really really bad.

Supergirl, thanks for posting the truth!! I was mistaking on trying to hold on to my old raggedy ends. Yes I was almost BSL but my ends looked chewed up and nasty. I had to get a major trim and then another major trim so now I'm back at Shoulder length...but I couldn't be happier! I just love how thick and healthy my hair looks and feels.

Here's some pics of my chewed up ends before--I couldn't really do a nice style case my ends looked pretty bad






Now you can see the difference in my siggie. I couldn't be happier. Just let go of them ends, you're hair will thank you. Now I make it mandatory to get trims with every touch up.

 

[Supergirl]

Supergirl, thanks for posting the truth!! I was mistaking on trying to hold on to my old raggedy ends. Yes I was almost BSL but my ends looked chewed up and nasty. I had to get a major trim and then another major trim so now I'm back at Shoulder length...but I couldn't be happier! I just love how thick and healthy my hair looks and feels.

Here's some pics of my chewed up ends before--I couldn't really do a nice style case my ends looked pretty bad






Now you can see the difference in my siggie. I couldn't be happier. Just let go of them ends, you're hair will thank you. Now I make it mandatory to get trims with every touch up.

Awww, thanks for sharing a before and after. That was nice. Your hair in your avatar is just thick thick thick, healthy and gorgeous.

 

[blasianbeauty]

Thanks for starting this thread Supergirl! I will definitely be cutting my layers up to my shoulders for sure.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

I agree with this thread. I often see some threads with porgress photos that I personally havent commente on becasue of this reason. Once that you see that you can Get to BSL with those chewed up ends just go ahead and cut.

 

[Tinky]

I trimmed last night . Even though my ends weren't "chewed up" looking I knew I had a lot of split ends. I kept having problems with getting knots on the ends.

 

[Healthb4Length]

Awww, thanks for sharing a before and after. That was nice. Your hair in your avatar is just thick thick thick, healthy and gorgeous.

Thanks Supergirl. I really like your post it's very encouraging and not condescending, you're just being honest and I appreciate that. I wish I could have seen this post earlier when my ends looked the way they did. I want to cringe when I look at those before pics.

 

[NuMe2004]

Ooh, I'm so glad you said it!

You're so right in that we should be advocating healthy hair and not just long hair. Kudos to you sista!

 

[BlackPearl1]

I totally agree with you . My hair naturally grows in a V shape and I prefer it no love it that way. When I was in high school I use to have my hair cut blunt, but it would always grow back in a V shape. I trim every other perm but keep my natural V shape.

Sorry but you are wrong !!! There is nothing wrong with V shape...That is the natural growth pattern for most people...Blunt and even cuts are a preference...There are people who when they get cuts get their hair cut in a V or U shape because it is considered natural...

Most of us were referring to split damaged ends..And if hair is a W...that is from breakage the is not a natural growth pattern......I may cut blunt and I may not I like my V shape at the moment......

 

[LynnieB]

Awwwww, thank you so much to both of you. Y'all too sweet.

Again, thanks for the compliments, ladies.

ITA that your hair is and it's ends are just fabulous and you are more than holding your own during the transition.

Go on wit cha bad self taradyan!!

 

[BlackPearl1]

Yes, I was kind of assuming that the ladies here were intelligent enough to know this regardless of the ideas expressed in this thread.

A few points based on some of the posts in this thread:

*to have nice ends does not mean your hair has to be blunt cut
*to have nice ends does not mean your hair has to be the same thickness from root to tip
*the ends I'm referring to in the original post are unmistakeably (sp?) in need of some help
*I don't believe in going overboard with scissors.
*I think it's <insert word> to start a thread about reaching APL, BSL, MBL, etc. when your ends are torn up (which is probably the main reason for this thread) I mean if it's just to impress others, we'd sincerely probably be more impressed with hair that is shorter but has nice ends.
*I'm not telling anyone what to do. Remember the title of the thread begins with the word encouragement. (not you have to or you must, etc.) So for those who say it isn't right to tell someone else what to do with their hair, that's very true and that's not what I called myself doing. I call it giving sisterly advice/encouragement which is welcomed here.

So of course anyone can walk around with whatever kind of hair/ends they'd like. But it may be a good idea to put off posting about progress and new lengths. That puts others in an awkward situation, because no one wants to say something hurtful and we'd all rather give a sincere compliment.

Point well stated

 

[new-life]

I'm not trying to be mean, really--but I've seen some pics and it looks like some of us are putting up with some horrendous ends for the sake of length. We're sisters here, so let me tell it like it is--your BSL or MBL hair doesn't really look good/is not impressive with the ends eaten away. Trust me, it will look much better with neat ends. I'm not saying your ends have to be as thick as the rest of the hair, but perhaps just need a little neatening up.

I know there are about 50leven of y'all out there that have been wanting to say this same thing, so now I've said it for you.

We want health and length ladies.

Now go out and do the right thing!

Funny you mentioned that (and IA by the way), because I remember very long a ago a member w/the username "Nigeria" said the same thing and a lot of members tried to stone her.

 

[Summer 74]

I think I am a good example of holding on to thinner ends until my hairgrows out again. Sometimes my ends look thinner due to the two lengths going on. I just have my stylist trim at each length. I am so tempted to cut my entire head the length of my underneath but that will cut 1.5-2inches off. I decided this time I will wait until underneath catches up some more so I will not have to cut off as much. I took the 3month trim so I willl not trim until May 20th but I was a cut start over person.

 

[Jynkx]

please no one get all crazy for me asking, but........
what exactly is so unhealthy about untrimmed/split ends? i understand it can be unsightly but i didnt realize hair could be unhealthy/sick/ill/etc....

remember this is just a question.

 

[gradygirl]

please no one get all crazy for me asking, but........
what exactly is so unhealthy about untrimmed/split ends? i understand it can be unsightly but i didnt realize hair could be unhealthy/sick/ill/etc....

remember this is just a question.

Split ends can sometimes travel up the hair shaft and that will cause breakage.

 

[Supergirl]

For those of you that thought this was offensive, I apologize. You can take a look in my album and you'll see photos where my ends were not on point. For example, my "date with Ruben hair" photo (yes, I used to obsess over Ruben Studdard ). My ends needed help, but I knew it and was willing to do what needed to be done to get them neat again. Knowing is half the battle. Please don't be offended. I wasn't trying to be cruel.

 

[malachi74]

Okay, I JUST had this conversation with my mum the other night after I flat-ironed my hair and was getting ready to post a progress pic. YES I knew my ends were uneven, but I had that ONE little section at APL!!! It killed me when I looked in the mirror after she trimmed my hair (was SUPPOSED TO BE only 1/8'' off all around) to see that now i'm back in "below shoulder-length limbo". That little-bitty piece meant something to me man!! I was hoping I could see full APL (flat-ironed) by June, but now I doubt I'll make it. I think I'm going to cry now...

 

[Queen V]

I just had my almost APL hair trimmed. It was REALLY hard to do, but it does look and feel a lot healthier and I know my hair will thank me for it in the long run.

 

[phyl73]

You are so right. That's why I cut off all my bony, thin, see-through ends and am sure I'm not finish.

 

[Lissa0821]

I am a living witness of the benefit of trimming. I gave myself a touchup after 10 weeks and while I had major growth, my hair was see thru in some sections. I have figured out it from perming my hair in the same sections for every touch for God only knows how many years combined with drying my heair in a ponytail. See for yourself the first picture was taken on April 25th and the second picture was taken today. I can feel the difference too, I have fine hair and it feels and looks so much thicker.

 

[drasgrl]

I just take off the splits. My hair grows too slow to be cutting all the time. I'm fighting for every inch so I don't care if it looks raggedy I'm keeping it.