Update: Self Trim

[lovebug10]

So my hair has been breaking for a few weeks. At first i thought it was shedding but the more I looked I realized that it was smaller pieces. I tried everything Mizani Night Time Treatment, deep conditioning, aphogee 2 min, etc. The aphogee 2 min curbed it a little bit but there was still some breakage. I washed my hair last night, DC followed by the 2 min and noticed that my ends had dried really quickly and the rest of my hair was damp. When i ran my hands through it it was soft and damp then dry and crunchy.

Thats when I knew those bad boys had to go. I let my hair dry over night then this morning I moisturized & sealed in sections using hairveda whipped ends & the vatika frosting. After I moisturized the new growth, I then moisturized the lengths a little bit for ease of detaingling. Combed through with a wide tooth comb. Then I held the hair straight out & cut off all the see through/ uneven parts. i ended up cutting 1.5 inches in some areas

I did this on the right side, then the left. My hair is so soft from the intense M&S session. My hair is shorter in some areas, especially in the crown where I cut all the breakage off so I only have 4-6 inches of hair in that area. Overall I think it was worth it. And surprisingly my hairs still relatively even.

I also realized I had a lot of breakage in the kitchen area so I cleaned up my nape too. I will be DC every week followed by a quick rinse of the Aphogee 2 min for some strength. My ends are much better now. I'm sure that I missed a few parts but for the most part I cut all the damage out. It was so therapeutic that I'm gonna have to hide my scissors because I kinda wanna trim again and again...

Anyways, moral of the story is cut the dead ends off. I thought I was babying mine but I was wasting good moisturizer and oil on dead parts of my hair that were doing nothing but causing damage to the rest of my hair.

Until September I will be PS in buns. Hopefully I can keep it up!

 

[BlaqBella]

I totally agree Op (except I believe the hair is dead anyhow- but I know we still use this term to describe 'damage'). I did nearly the same thing in January and my hair is about three inches from where it started. With trimming/dusting every month or so. And 4-6 in. was about the longest length I was left with. I was ear length/ just past ear lgth and I'm now mostly at the bottom of my neck (thanks to Sisterwithrealhair-YT guru-trimming advice). So yeah you may or may not want to hide the scissors from yourself.

 

[Supergirl]

I always feel better after getting rid of dry and/or damaged ends.

 

[prospurr4]

I agree, OP. I love the look (and feel) of freshly-trimmed ends. What good is there in reaching a length goal with messed-up ends? I find that my hair grows faster with regular trims, because the breakage is curbed.

 

[abcd09]

lovebug10 I notice you use the aphogee 2 min after DCing. Most people use it before. Do you notice any difference doing it this way?

 

[lovebug10]

abcd09 Well I sat with aussie moist on my hair and a plastic cap (no heat) for about 4-5 hours. When I rinsed I felt like my hair was a little too soft/ mushy under the running water so I rinsed out the DC and then put the aphogee 2 min on my hair & kept it in while I finished my shower.

Personally, I don't think the order matters. I usually end with the 2 minute. I find my hair is still soft from the DC but slightly stronger after I use the protein. If I'm doing a hard protein like the Aphogee 2 step then I ALWAYS condition after the protein.

 

[Aireen]

Oh my goodness, I absolutely agree. I recently took off around 4 inches of my hair and it's really liberating. I think we get so attached to our hair that it's almost scary cutting it off when really if we eliminate the damage, we're saving our hair. Don't get me wrong, I feel like my hair is really short — especially since in my opinion, I got past each milestone pretty quickly. Although, I know the cut is for the best and psh, it's just hair, it'll grow back. (<- I know people hate that phrase but I mean it for me personally.)

Honestly, I'm so excited now for the upcoming growth. I have so many plans on what I want to do with my hair and a new approach to healthy hair. I'm grateful for this cut that I want to take off at least an inch for my next touch up. Congratulations on your haircut as well and your new found enthusiasm.

 

[lovebug10]

AHHH I JUST CUT AGAIN! I braided my hair into two pigtails, tied with a scrunchie and put my satin cap over it. I somehow ended up cutting the tips off the the ends (the part that was sticking out of the bottom of the hair scrunchie). My thin/ damaged ends are mostly gone but because I didn't cut every section evenly, theres some pieces longer than others making some sections seem thin at the tips.

I'm moving out of my dorm room within two weeks. I am definitely putting my scissors in storage so I won't be able to get them until next semester when I move back into college.

 

[alive]

Anyways, moral of the story is cut the dead ends off. I thought I was babying mine but I was wasting good moisturizer and oil on dead parts of my hair that were doing nothing but causing damage to the rest of my hair.

thank you so much for posting this. i'm not a fan of trims but my hair always feels so much better afterwards