new thread
On an impulse just now (getting bored being inside because it's -15C outside) because I'm sick and tired of dealing with all the frizzed crinkly dry fried ends, I got a scissors and lopped them off.
Some of you may recall my mentioning that when I first started letting my hair grow out, I didn't know what I was doing, and blasted it with hot air, mangled it with finger nails and bad shampoo and generally did everything bad for hair. I eventually learned how to take care of it due to all the great FAQs etc. here, but the earliest growth, what wound up being out at the ends, was always a pain in the ass. This part represented the few months when I was bad to my hair before I wised up. That's where all the tangles and knots would be. That was where all the snags would lie in wait to catch me and cause a hair or three to get yanked out ("Damn!").
Today, while working out the usual tangles and snags, I realized that in keeping the length, I was probably pulling out more hair than necessary in accidents involving this crappy hair at the ends. Looking at hair all over the sink and floor I ran out of patience. Sometimes you have to backtrack in order to make progress.
I divided the back of my head and pulled my hair around to the front (leaving out the sides because they were in pretty good shape) in two bunches, one on each side, and pulled them gently down between my thumb and forefinger until I felt the smoothness give way to crinkly brokeness and took a pair of sewing scissors and snipped off what amounted to an inch on each side (2 months--be back before I know it).
I'm amazed at the difference. The snags and tangles are gone. Fingers and combs glide all the way through. Handles and even looks better. I was afraid it would look uneven in the back but I guess I got lucky. But I'm glad I waited until it got long enough so I could do it myself. I knew I'd take off no more than what was needed. I think I'll live large and go have a celebratory cup of coffee.
rob
NFL--what's that, a new unix file system?
That's aweomse, Rob! I'm glad you had good luck with the self trim, and it makes me more comfortable with the idea of dusting my own ends at some point.
Stay warm!
Mouse (in MN where it's currently a balmy 1 degree)
thanx mouse; but compared to MN we're supposed to be in the banana belt down here--actually I'm in a low lying area where cold air pools; it was -13 on the friendly scale this morning.
Sounds like you did the right thing. I've been putting off getting a trim; but I need to do exactly what you did, and get my ends cleaned up. Thanks for the motivation to do so.
Good luck with it B.G.; just get pair of small snippy type scissors, stand in front of the mirror (or not if you can see your ends directly) and find the broken ends and clip away.
Hey Rob
Bet you have not a single regret at the action you took, and isn't it like heaven to have fingers or comb slide through the hair like such a breeze now compared with what you were puting-up with?
I well know where you are coming from on that one............and I am far from a trim happy person.
But there does come a time and it sure sounds as if you had hit it.
Glad all worked out so well.
Justin~
Thanks Justin and Ken; it's a bit of a bummer to loose a few months of growth, but the maintenance and detangling now take about 2 seconds and in about a year I'm sure it will look a lot better and I'll be glad I did it by then. Seems so far, like I'm pulling less out when I comb it out too and the ends look a lot better.
Congratulations Rob, it sounds like it turned out well for you. I've been contemplating doing the same(I'm find some splits and damaged ends) and am studying Feye's self trim method. If I get some uninterrupted time (I wouldn't want to be half trimmed!), I'll get it done.
Bruce
thanks bruce--well the ends were almost like steel wool they were in such bad shape; didn't know about Feye; I just did what I did on impuse and got lucky. I hope that's the last cutting I'll ever have to do! I knew it would have to be done eventually and originally I planned on waiting another year or two but as it got longer, leaving it alone seemed to be doing more harm than good in pulling out knots and such.