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Hello all and yes this is the age old trim question! My hairs been growing however about an inch or so are stringy ratty ends from spilt ends and the rest is full and fine. Should I cut these ends off to promote growth and would that be better in the long run? Or should I wait until I'm at my desired length or maybe even over my desired length so I'll have some leeway to cut them off and then be at the length I want? Will these split ends actually travel all the way up to my head? All comments are appreciated Thanks!
Wait untill you get the desired length and then go for a trim. I did the mistake thinkig like you and letting me go on my stylist friend's advice and got my hair trimmed like 3 times in the first year of growth, and guess what, now after almost 1 year from the last trim the split ends are back. If you judge long hair by split ends alone you will take ages to get it growing if not at all. I won't get a cut again until I'm mid back/waist range.
Use a product. It's safe to trim "Lightly" the split to prevent more damage, but use a product to mend the ends. Oil the hair...but don't trim it until over the desired length
Just want to clarify, it is impossible to mend hairs with any product, only hide damage, the only way to get rid of split ends (or make better in any way other then preventing more split ends, although it definitely does help prevent splits) is to trim. I am not sure what your exact situation is, but it would be beneficial to see a picture of the damage you speak of.
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Once a year I go to a trusted barber and over-pay him to "tidy" up the ends but that's just because I'm vain. I suspect that he doesn't actually remove any hair but we have a nice visit.
AndrewB
I don't trim my split ends even though I have them quite a bit. Slows the hair growth a lot. And as for the myth that hair grows faster if you trim it every month or two, I just don't get how come the majority of people buy that crap! If you trim your hair every month for 1 cm, and hair on average grows 1 cm per month - it will never grow! As simple as maths can be!
The quickest way to get to your goal length is not to cut your hair. Trimming it won't encourage new/faster growth. Use conditioner every time you wash, and oiling it also makes quite a difference. You can minimise damage by braiding, multitailing or putting your hair in a bun. I've been oiling my hair since it got just beyond shoulder length. It now hangs to below belt level. The oil doesn't increase growth rate, but what it does do is seal in moisture which makes the hair less brittle and thus reduces breakage. The result was an apparent increase in growth rate, but in reality it was a reduction in breakage. I have very few split ends and although I do still have some breakage of the ends, it's nowhere near as bad as it was before I started oiling and braiding.
Without seeing the extent of the damage you're talking about, I can't really give any advice on whether to trim or not. The thing is we all tend to be hyper-critical of our own hair. What you see as major damage could look fine to the rest of us. The most effective way to deal with split ends is the search and destroy method, where you cut the invidual split hairs above the split, rather than chopping off up to a couple of inches of hair all over. You do get products which "repair and protect" your hair, but what they tend to do is stick the split ends together and leave a coating on the hair. That isn't a problem in itself as it does help to protect the hair, but it also affects body and shine, so that's a decision for you to make for yourself. I'd suggest you try it and see if you like it.
Now, if your hair is really ragged at the ends and you're not happy with how it looks, you could have that trim you're considering. OK, it will delay reaching your goal, but if you're happier with the appearance of your hair during that time, it's worth it.
It would be great if you could post a pic of the damged ends for us to comment on, but at the end of the day, it's your hair and your decision.