new thread
I've been growing for 3 years in August, but as I didn't look after it to begin with, the last inch or two is irreparably damaged, and so looks a bit frayed and feels rough. As I can't afford somewhere expensive where I can trust to get the ends cut off, is there anything I can do to stop the ends looking frayed?
Try to minimize the washing for a while and keep conditioning it very good should help from what I've heard on the board.
Todd B has the same problem I think maybe he has some advise.
I've been washing once every week or two, and I don't use conditioner (my hair retains some oil after washing, conditioner makes it lank and flat). Strangely enough they look less damaged after its been washed, but the problem is too much washing makes it dry and more damaged.
Sometimes there is no justice :D
Maybe you can try to put only conditioner on the ends?
Does the same thing I'm afraid, however I might coconut oil them, got plenty of that left. That, or overstrip my hair and oil it all over like I used to, problem there is spending too much time getting it to dry ;_;
You don't need to go somewhere expensive. Besides, you can't spend $30 after 3 years of not cutting?
You might be surprised that quite a few long haired women actually go to a barber shop to get their hair trimmed, because they claim barbers take of exactly the amount they request...and they are very precise with the cutting.
The damage will just keep progressing upward if you don't get rid of it, then you'll end up with even less hair. Or you'll be even more unhappy with it.
First of all, it's been damaged for a long time and it's not traveled, second I live at college (UK college is different I think), and I have to live off of £30 a week, so I can't afford anything expensive so hiding it is better for the time being.
I have not been to a salon for 15 years, I cut my own hair. Here is a guide to trimming your hair, that some longhairs use; http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim It's really not that hard to do. Have a pair of very sharp scissors, and a hand mirror, and stand before a larger mirror. Follow your hair trim with some deep conditioning.
You don't have to spend money on a hair conditioner, applying warm olive oil and wrapping damp hair in a hot towel for 10 minutes will do. Ignoring the damage, will make it worse. Once you cut off the damaged ends, a simple S&D (search & destroy) of selected strands on a regular basis, along with regular conditioning, will help to keep hair healthy.
Carol
I was sitting on the chair a few hours ago (I couldn't sleep), and I had some sharp scissors in my pocket for a reason I've since forgotten, so I decided to simply snip the frayed ends off. My hair looks better already, so a few more of those then I'm all set.
Olive oil works for some, but not all. Just like certain conditioners work for certain people. What works for you might not work for me.
For me, the best conditioner is Kukui Nut Conditioner by Lanza (it's part of their Healing Moisture line). I've tried MANY, MANY conditioners, oils, etc. over the years. This condtioner has made such a big difference in my hair. But I know it wouldn't have the same results on everyone's hair.
I'm well aware of Feye's method. But again, it's not for everyone.
We have to be careful not to generalize.
I could cut my own hair. I could make my own clothes. I could build my own house. But there are professionals that can do a much better job than I could if I'm willing to pay for it (you have to be carefull, of course, in which professional you choose). It's an idividual choice.
With long hair it can sometimes be a mistake to think that a professional will do a better job. The only person who will really take the least amount of hair off is yourself. Stylists tend to cut back to what they think is right, often regardless of what you ask. There are some who aren't like that, but they can be tricky to find.
They also will never do 'search & destroy', i.e. cutting individual hairs, because if they did they would have to charge you an impossible amount of money, so this is something that you have to do yourself if you are prone to splits. This may sound impossible to do, but the trick is that you only have to do a little bit at a time, not all of it at once.