Maybe I'm late but..

[Auburn]

What is your opinion on this split end guide?

 

[LuvlyRain3]

Since I have natural layers I dont think this would work for me. All my hair stops at different points.

 

[lovebug10]

I think this would work if you dont have layers. Or if you do have layers then be sure to ensure that each individual braid is made up of hair of aproximately the same length. For example, don't use short pieces from the crown and longer pieces that are closer to your nape in the same braid.

 

[IMFOCSD]

Interesting....that would not work for me and my layers...I kinda sorta disagree with the pic anyway...

 

[CurlsBazillion]

I think some of us are using this concept when we trim in twists. Same thing to me....

 

[Shadiyah]

well I can tell you this if our hair was like that we would never be able to braid our hair because it would not stay in. I really believe it is for those who cut their hair all the time.

 

[sckri23]

I used to trim in pig tail twists but I only did that to even it up i dont think it works for splits. Different layers you know.

 

[virtuenow]

I think this would work if you dont have layers. Or if you do have layers then be sure to ensure that each individual braid is made up of hair of aproximately the same length. For example, don't use short pieces from the crown and longer pieces that are closer to your nape in the same braid.

Good point, in the case of braiding at the same level, I like the chart. I'm curious to see what Nonie has to say being that she is an advocate of trimming techniques like this.

 

[Nonie]

I think this would work if you dont have layers. Or if you do have layers then be sure to ensure that each individual braid is made up of hair of aproximately the same length. For example, don't use short pieces from the crown and longer pieces that are closer to your nape in the same braid.

Good point, in the case of braiding at the same level, I like the chart. I'm curious to see what @Nonie has to say being that she is an advocate of trimming techniques like this.

I agree with both of lovebug10 and virtuenow. For this method to work well, you'd have to have very small braids that so that each is made with hair that is taken from such a tiny area that the area is tends toward being flat. (You know how the earth is round but the ground looks flat coz you are only looking at a very small scale of the whole? Yeah, like that. The hair making the braid should be taken from a small area that basically appears flat coz it doesn't extend wide enough to follow the curvature of your head.) Otherwise hair that is higher up will end before hair that is lower down in your head.

If I didn't have twists as small as this, I wouldn't use this method to dust.

 

[virtuenow]

Nonie, so that picture is how small your twists are for your trims? I'm thinking of trying this technique out. But my question is, do you trim to the thickness of your twists; or do you just trim a certain length. With tightly coiled hair, how do you take anything less than an inch off. I have high level shrinkage + tight coils (as you already know 1/8 inch circ.).

 

[Anavrin]

As the other ladies said, its useless for those who have natural layers, but even if you didnt, whats the difference between this and just a normal blunt cut? youre still cutting at the beginning of where it begins to taper. That and Id want some ultra sharp scissors if im going to cut even a small braid, otherwise youd be sawing through and causing splits. Thank you for the chart though. Ive considering posting a thread asking if anyone else did it.

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie, so that picture is how small your twists are for your trims? I'm thinking of trying this technique out. But my question is, do you trim to the thickness of your twists; or do you just trim a certain length. With tightly coiled hair, how do you take anything less than an inch off. I have high level shrinkage + tight coils (as you already know 1/8 inch circ.).

virtuenow, that's how small the twists I've been wearing 24/7 since August 2009 are. I treat them as hair, meaning I wash them as they are, and style them. The waves you see are from an old braid-out on the twists.

To trim, I just slide my fingers to the end till I'm holding a very tiny amount. I aim to trim 1/4 inch but a 1/4 inch is such a tiny amount that I'd probably cut myself trying to be accurate. So I just aim to cut as tiny an amount as I can and I do it to all. If for some reason an end of a twist feels thinner than I'd like and it's larger than I'm cutting for the others, I don't hesitate to cut it off even if it means I'll have a short twist. TBH, experience has taught me that those skinny ends won't stick around for long so I'd rather be the one to hack them off than have them fall off on their own and leave a ragged end that will continue the tear.

I took the photo below to show someone how I trim, but TBH what I indicate in this image is larger than what I trim. Coz by sliding my fingers down the end of the twist, I do open it up some so I might just cut about one or two coils of the strand. Not the big chunk I show in this image. That is unless the end feels skinny as can happen when I get lazy and don't even baggy while still not using any leave-in. (I suppose my non-panic attitude about cutting more is because I do now know that our hair grows and so I do know that I can some day have the long hair of my dreams even if not today.)