For Those who Search And Destroy....

[pookaloo83]

How do you get to the back and middle of your head?

I wazs looking at the front of my hair in the light and pulled it down to see. I had SSK's outta this world, but the part that made me sad was that I had some strands that were split down the middle.

I started snipping some in the front and said why bother? I can't get to the back or middle? erplexed

How do you guys do it?!

 

[pookaloo83]

No one S&D's anymore?

 

[Kirei]

I don't S&D anymore, I used to just pull my hair to the front of use a mirror.

I just recently got a trim at a salon by a friend and even with all the self-trimming and S&D she still had to cut 1-2 inches off...

 

[mzteaze]

How do you get to the back and middle of your head?

I wazs looking at the front of my hair in the light and pulled it down to see. I had SSK's outta this world, but the part that made me sad was that I had some strands that were split down the middle.

I started snipping some in the front and said why bother? I can't get to the back or middle? erplexed

How do you guys do it?!

This is a good question as I would love to know how those with SL or shorter do S & D.

 

[Baggettcindy]

The back and parts I can see....I will dust those. Sometimes after I dust, I look at the hair I cut off to check for splits and that will give me sort of an idea of how bad the ends are....if they are even bad at all.

 

[pookaloo83]

I don't S&D anymore, I used to just pull my hair to the front of use a mirror.

I just recently got a trim at a salon by a friend and even with all the self-trimming and S&D she still had to cut 1-2 inches off...

Selah339 Danng! Why? were they that bad?

 

[Forever in Bloom]

My hair is a bit longer, so I can pull a section of hair to the side or over my head to get a better look-see.

When my hair was shorter, I went by the feel of my hair. For the most part, your hair should feel smooth when you run your finger down the length of the hair.

If it starts off smooth and by the time you get to a certain point on the ends of the hair it starts to feel raggedy or bumpy, that's the point where you should trim.

After I trim a few, I make sure to examine the hair. It works every time.

Now, regular ol' run-of-the-mill splits like (a)

are a bit harder to detect unless you look at them head on. It's hard to catch the little suckers unless you have someone to help you do the back of your head.

 

[Nonie]

@Selah339 Danng! Why? were they that bad?

@pookaloo83 I'm not Selah339 but I will tell you why: It's because there's no way anyone can inspect 100,000+ hairs and not miss thousands and thus fail at getting rid of splits. And IMO if you're already finding splits, your hair is already in bad shape. Hairs don't split in turns so that today it's the front 100 strands you're looking at and so you still have time to check the next 100 tomorrow; after all a thorough search requires individual examination coz if you're looking at ten or 50 at a time, then you're lunching. So by the time you get to the back, then imagine how far gone that splitting is. And if you're doing the twist and cut, that's even more of a joke, coz if you twist and then grab the hairs sticking out, you'll find you'll be holding a whole strand that just happened to be at an earlier stage of growth than those it stuck out from. Also how do the hairs inside the twisted section get exempt from the exam? Can you imagine how many escape it?

Also, hair strands' diameters are so small, so how can you tell that what you're looking at isn't half an end, coz the other part broke off? Like if the strands below were not magnified (ignore the lines and letters; they were for another post), how could you know by just looking with your naked eye that the strand in the middle which doesn't appear split coz it's not forked, is actually a post-split end? It looks whole, but is it???

​

Seriously if you can see it, it's late and a big trim is needed. If you dust before you see it, you'll never see splits or thin ends. Doesn't mean they are not there. Just that they don't get a chance to wreck havoc on your hair coz you stop them in good time. The tricky part is figuring out how long is too long = too late and how soon is too soon = cutting off growth.

 

[pookaloo83]

My hair is a bit longer, so I can pull a section of hair to the side or over my head to get a better look-see.

When my hair was shorter, I went by the feel of my hair. For the most part, your hair should feel smooth when you run your finger down the length of the hair.

If it starts off smooth and by the time you get to a certain point on the ends of the hair it starts to feel raggedy or bumpy, that's the point where you should trim.

After I trim a few, I make sure to examine the hair. It works every time.

Now, regular ol' run-of-the-mill splits like (a)

are a bit harder to detect unless you look at them head on. It's hard to catch the little suckers unless you have someone to help you do the back of your head.

I have a lot of B's D's and G's. should I just not really sweat it? I guess I should wait until I straighten to do a trim. I don't know how you ladies trim in it's natural state. (For you naturals)

 

[Nonie]

I have a lot of B's D's and G's. should I just not really sweat it? I guess I should wait until I straighten to do a trim. I don't know how you ladies trim in it's natural state. (For you naturals)

In response to the bold: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=199227

 

[Kirei]

@pookaloo83 I'm not Selah339 but I will tell you why: It's because there's no way anyone can inspect 100,000+ hairs and not miss thousands and thus fail at getting rid of splits. And IMO if you're already finding splits, your hair is already in bad shape. Hairs don't split in turns so that today it's the front 100 strands you're looking at and so you still have time to check the next 100 tomorrow; after all a thorough search requires individual examination coz if you're looking at ten or 50 at a time, then you're lunching. So by the time you get to the back, then imagine how far gone that splitting is. And if you're doing the twist and cut, that's even more of a joke, coz if you twist and then grab the hairs sticking out, you'll find you'll be holding a whole strand that just happened to be at an earlier stage of growth than those it stuck out from. Also how do the hairs inside the twisted section get exempt from the exam? Can you imagine how many escape it?

Also, hair strands' diameters are so small, so how can you tell that what you're looking at isn't half an end, coz the other part broke off? Like if the strands below were not magnified (ignore the lines and letters; they were for another post), how could you know by just looking with your naked eye that the strand in the middle which doesn't appear split coz it's not forked, is actually a post-split end? It looks whole, but is it???

​

Seriously if you can see it, it's late and a big trim is needed. If you dust before you see it, you'll never see splits or thin ends. Doesn't mean they are not there. Just that they don't get a chance to wreck havoc on your hair coz you stop them in good time. The tricky part is figuring out how long is too long = too late and how soon is too soon = cutting off growth.

This. She blew my hair out and the ends looked horrible! They look awesome curly but, straightened they were jagged and rough.

I looked at the hair she cut and and saw all kinds of splits, holes and whatnot! For me, all that self-trimming was a waste of time. I was getting some of the splits but, I didn't get nearly as much as I thought!

 

[carameldelight87]

I think you should take preventative methods to reduce or eliminate splitting at all costs. I don't have as much splitting, thankfully. But I have an abundance of knots, which I search and destroy. It's easier to find knots because you can feel them. I tend to do my S&Din on wash day while my hair's in twists. I unravel one twist at a time and search for knots and splits.

For the hair in the back, I'll be honest, I don't go thru the stress of lookin in a mirror or anything like that. I just lazily chop off the bottom 1/4inch if it feels raggedy.

 

[Spiffy]

When my hair was shorter I would just wet my ends and feel for them with my fingers, but now I can pull my hair around to see them.

 

[kittikat24]

Usually I'll search n destroy when I'm bored..have a while to spare.

I'll grab a random section of hair, pull the ends in front of me and whenever I see a split, I cut it individually, even if it's 2 or 3 inches up the shaft. *cringe*
I don't really "lose length" because if the rest of my strands are long, you don't notice the others.

 

[Evolving78]

i don't even bother. i just trim 1/4 of an inch every six to eight weeks now. i have ssks and i will be all day doing S&D.

 

[mzteaze]

This. She blew my hair out and the ends looked horrible! They look awesome curly but, straightened they were jagged and rough.

I looked at the hair she cut and and saw all kinds of splits, holes and whatnot! For me, all that self-trimming was a waste of time. I was getting some of the splits but, I didn't get nearly as much as I thought!

^^^^THIS !!!!!!

This is the reason I decided against self-trimming for myself. There is just no way I can ensure that I am getting all of the ends correctly.

 

[Amerie2304]

My hair is a bit longer, so I can pull a section of hair to the side or over my head to get a better look-see.

When my hair was shorter, I went by the feel of my hair. For the most part, your hair should feel smooth when you run your finger down the length of the hair.

If it starts off smooth and by the time you get to a certain point on the ends of the hair it starts to feel raggedy or bumpy, that's the point where you should trim.

After I trim a few, I make sure to examine the hair. It works every time.

Now, regular ol' run-of-the-mill splits like (a)

are a bit harder to detect unless you look at them head on. It's hard to catch the little suckers unless you have someone to help you do the back of your head.

This is probably a dumb question but what is diagram f supposed to be?

There are times when I'll run my finger down a strand of hair and it will feel smooth for the most part but bumpy (for lack of a better word) towards the middle and then smooth again at the end (similar to f) but there were no ssk's or split ends. What does this mean? I thought maybe it could be product build-up.

 

[Nonie]

Dupe of post below. Sorry.

 

[Nonie]

This is probably a dumb question but what is diagram f supposed to be?

There are times when I'll run my finger down a strand of hair and it will feel smooth for the most part but bumpy (for lack of a better word) towards the middle and then smooth again at the end (similar to f) but there were no ssk's or split ends. What does this mean? I thought maybe it could be product build-up.

@Amerie2304 f is a strand whose cuticle has been stripped off in the middle so that the cortex is exposed like this:

When you think of porous hair, it's not just hair whose cuticle scales are lifted but it could be hair whose cuticle is missing in parts as shown in f.

I don't think stroking or feeling the hair strands can really be a sure way of knowing what's going on with it since everything is at such a microscopic size that even buildup as you say may feel different from normal hair and be hard to differentiate from ^^that damage.

According to the article below, the images from bubble hair look like bumpy strands so again feeling can be misleading--if it's possible to feel bubble hair before bubbles burst. erplexed

Damaged Hair And How to Save It

Using a straightening iron and dyeing your hair can trash your strands. Make amends with your mane now
​

BORA CHANGE




Nurse a fried mane back to life from the havoc-wrecking straightening iron, chemical treatment, and split ends. Turn your damaged 'do into healthy hair with our care guide and recommendations on the best hair products.

The damage: Overprocessing
The cause: Bleaching and dyeing hair strip natural pigments and create tears that make hair porous and weak.
The remedy: Once a week, use a deep-conditioning protein treatment such as Redken Real Control Overnight Treat to coat the cuticle and fill in those hollow areas. Apply it evenly all over freshly shampooed hair, then twist your hair into a bun and sleep with a towel on your pillow. Rinse your hair out in the morning. $20 for 8.5 oz, redken.com for salons

The damage: Fried strands
The cause: If your styling tools top 212˚F, the water inside each hair will start to boil. As the moisture tries to escape, hair blisters and eventually breaks.
The remedy: Set styling tools to low, and use shampoo and conditioner that will hydrate your hair's most fragile spots (like the ends). We like Herbal Essences Hydralicious Self-Targeting shampoo and conditioner. Follow with stylers containing protective oils like glycerin. Spritz a bit on the top layers of your hair before using high-temp tools. $3.25, at drugstores

The damage: Breakage
The cause: The friction of brush bristles rubbing against the cuticle—the overlapping cells along the outer layer of your hair—tears the surface.
The remedy: Keep the cuticle smooth and intact by coating damp or dry hair from the mid-shaft to the ends with a pea-size dab of serum that contains silicone (or search the ingredient list for words ending in ethicone). We like Umberto Beverly Hills Roman Oil Serum. $10 for 2 oz, target.com for stores

The damage: Split ends
The cause: When the protective cuticle at the end of the hair shaft wears away, the tip frays; that crack then travels up the hair shaft.
The remedy: The only way to cure split ends is with a trim every six to eight weeks. For a temporary fix, apply a styling product to just the tips. Find one that has glycerin or hyaluronic acid—both bond the ends together. Try Neil George Indian Gooseberry Treatment Oil. $42 for 4 oz, beauty.com

The damage: Chemical chaos
The cause: Perming and straightening change the structure of hair, making it weak, coarse, and brittle. The parched strands soak up moisture from the air, causing frizz.
The remedy: Look for styling products that contain stearyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol that strengthens and softens hair. One that does: L'Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Liss Ultime Smoothing Treatment. Run a quarter-size blob through damp hair, then blow-dry, or use it on dry hair to tame and style. $23 for 5 oz, us.lorealprofessionnel.com

Source
​

 

[kblc06]

@pookaloo83 Get under a good source of bright light (natural works best). Place a mirror on an elevated, flat surface a few inches away from your face for comfort (even if it's only a stack of pillows or lap table) . Secure off the section of hair you're not working with, and examine your ends in the mirror, separating the strands of hair to examine the shaft. Using your mirror to guide you, snip off any frayed ends or splits.

Note: This requires good depth perception

How do you get to the back and middle of your head?

I wazs looking at the front of my hair in the light and pulled it down to see. I had SSK's outta this world, but the part that made me sad was that I had some strands that were split down the middle.

I started snipping some in the front and said why bother? I can't get to the back or middle? erplexed

How do you guys do it?!

 

[kblc06]

Did you not straighten your hair to dust or trim? I never dust or trim my hair in it's natural state for that very reason, unless it's to clip a SSK. Curly hair can hide a multitude of sins

This. She blew my hair out and the ends looked horrible! They look awesome curly but, straightened they were jagged and rough.

I looked at the hair she cut and and saw all kinds of splits, holes and whatnot! For me, all that self-trimming was a waste of time. I was getting some of the splits but, I didn't get nearly as much as I thought!

 

[Whimsy]

When it was shorter i'd just do all the areas i could reach and see clearly. the middle of my head went unsearched lol.
as it grew i could reach more and more and destroy all evildoers i found.

 

[Mandy4610]

When it was shorter i'd just do all the areas i could reach and see clearly. the middle of my head went unsearched lol.
as it grew i could reach more and more and destroy all evildoers i found.

Whimsy
I am think of taking that route too, but I am afraid that the ares that I leave unsearched are gonna get out of control and get more splits going higher on the strand.
How was it for you, you didnt have his issue? Or did you still get trims outside of the S & D method.

 

[Whimsy]

@Whimsy
I am think of taking that route too, but I am afraid that the ares that I leave unsearched are gonna get out of control and get more splits going higher on the strand.
How was it for you, you didnt have his issue? Or did you still get trims outside of the S & D method.

in 2005 when i first went natural i had about 3 inches on my head and i could only S&D the perimiter. I left the middle bit alone and didn't get a trim for....about 15 months lol
whatever splits i had in the middle bit of my hair didn't do too much damage.

PS you always have hair that goes unsearched. even in the bits you S&D in. ya know

 

[Mandy4610]

in 2005 when i first went natural i had about 3 inches on my head and i could only S&D the perimiter. I left the middle bit alone and didn't get a trim for....about 15 months lol
whatever splits i had in the middle bit of my hair didn't do too much damage.

PS you always have hair that goes unsearched. even in the bits you S&D in. ya know

Thats right. Thanks

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

Get under a good source of bright light (natural works best). Place a mirror on an elevated, flat surface a few inches away from your face for comfort (even if it's only a stack of pillows or lap table) . Secure off the section of hair you're not working with, and examine your ends in the mirror, separating the strands of hair to examine the shaft. Using your mirror to guide you, snip off any frayed ends or splits.

Note: This requires good depth perception

dauuuum you're good b/c yeah that requires great depth and excellent precision

i guess one day when I'm lap length i may try it