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I've been growing my hair out for about 13-14 months. My bangs come down to just past my lower lip. I don't have a problem dealing with awkward stages, but I have a problem with split ends. I have very fine, straight hair, and I have been careful with it since I decided to start growing it out (i.e...no dyeing, brushing when wet). However, when I look at my dry hair in the mirror, along the side it seems that almost every single hair is split. I hate how it looks and feels. I've tried the different conditioners, creams, "repairing" stuff...to no avail. One person suggested I sit down and cut them out...this person does not understand the severity of the situation. I don't know what caused it, and I'd REALLY hate to cut it after waiting it out so long. It just looks bad...there's no getting around it. Not sure what to do...
I would just leave it the way it is and from now on take very good care of it (if u already did, well keep doing it) so hopefully it won't split anymore. When it gets a bit longer you would probably get a trim anyway, and those ends (if good care was taken) probably won't travel up the hair that much and they will get cut off. As far as it looking bad, well you said you didn't have a problem with awkward stages (which in other words is really bad looking hair) so that should be no problem.
What degree of cut are contemplating? Don't go all the way with a cut and give up. Just go to a salon and tell them you need a damaged end trim. Loosing an inch or so won't be as bad as giving up all together. Then your hair will be healthy again and you can try other routes of care to avoid it happening again. Also ask the salonist if your hair is really damaged or just frizzy. Try to find someone with your best interest in mind. Good Luck, bro. I say hang in there all the way. Peace!!!!!
I would just leave it the way it is and from now on take very good care of it (if u already did, well keep doing it) so hopefully it won't split anymore. When it gets a bit longer you would probably get a trim anyway, and those ends (if good care was taken) probably won't travel up the hair that much and they will get cut off. As far as it looking bad, well you said you didn't have a problem with awkward stages (which in other words is really bad looking hair) so that should be no problem.
as you now know, there is no way to 'repair' split ends. the only way to be rid of them is trimming. if you can find a stylist who will do as instructed (an extreme rarity in my experience) have the ends trimmed. a competent stylist should be able to pull this off without doing away with your length.
Maybe you've been trying too hard. Instead, comb it as infrequently as possible. Put chemicals on it, and by "chemicals" I include "shampoo" and "conditioners", as infrequently as possible.
I have fine curly hair - the most fragile kind - and mine was doing just what yours was, when I first decided to grow it out beyond several inches in length. It was disintegrating not far below my shoulders, and it felt scratchy to the touch. It looked like it was falling apart too. Just about all strands over eight inches (20 cm) long were split.
I am in the sun and wind a lot because I hike a lot. Sometimes my hair is in the sun and wind all day. I was also shampooing daily, because I didn't know yet that the stuff damages hair. I was combing my new mane frequently, because I didn't know yet that long hair is supposed to move around and not be glued in one place.
Well, I cut the shampooings way down. Most days - until things get really oily up there - washing in plain room-temperature water will work just fine. (I see the word "dry" in your post - "oily" does not seem to be a problem for you, so back off on the shampoo.) If you can, just smooth down your hair with your hands if you don't like where it is, instead of combing it. You really only need to comb it once a day, to move the oil down into the drier ends. Give it a good combing then, paying attention to the oil distribution. When the oil is distributed, stop. Any other combings are just beauty-for-the-moment combings, and they are tradeoffs: Do I want my hair prettier now at the cost of making it uglier in the long run? I started answering that question "No" a lot.
I did all of what just what I said, and now my mane is over twenty inches (50 cm) long, and it's getting longer and thicker with each passing month. And it has no split ends. It feels very soft and silky to the touch, and right down to the ends, too. Did I cut back on hiking in the sun and wind? Nope. With proper care, I've found my mane is up to it, and does just fine!
Oh, and as for those split ends, did I trim them off? Not a chance. Well-cared-for hair won't split, so they just broke off on their own over time and they left the healthy hair growing out behind them in place.
Bill advice sounds good! Sounds like you have the length now for a tail. U might wanna try tying it back into a loose ponytail (esp. at nite cuz u won't be so apt to pull it in your sleep with your bodyweight). Ponytails (if they're not too tight) reduce the apparent surface area of your hair that's exposed to air dirt, so they help keep your hair clean 2. Just don't make it too tight on your scalp or you'll pull hairs when u turn your head. Water on your hair a couple times a day (don't brush afterward-even when it's dry) will help move hair oil to your splitting ends 2.
Let us know what happens-give it a couple weeks.
Marty