Are you that scared to cut?

[anon123]

I used to not be afraid to cut until I found the hair forums and became length-obsessed. I cut 1/2 my hair off myself, twice. And the last time I got my hair straightened (well, that was like 6 years ago) the stylist gave me a healthy trim/cut to shape and I didn't care at all. I was in so much pain all I wanted to do was get out of that chair any way possible.

My ends aren't thin, I have no splits, but I do have a lot of knots. Sometimes I feel that I should cut them out. But I don't for a few reasons: 1) I'm not sure how helpful it really is because I know they will just come back because I wear my hair out and knotting is just what it does. besides, I looked at a shed hair today and I saw a knot on it that was just 2 inches away from the bulb. What am I going to do, cut all my hair off? 2) I want to feel like I'm making progress and it won't feel like that if I keep cutting at the sign of knots.

I'm going to do like Aggie and wait until I reach my next goal of bsl and hold the line there for a few months to let some layers grow out.

 

[hopeful]

I know I am NOT cutting until I get about 1 inch past my goal which is APL. I feel like I never see any progress! I'm holding on to those ends like there is no tommorrow. I dust here and there, but I want to see in actuality what I am growing/retaining. I can't do that if I continue to cut, and plus it makes me discouraged because with cutting, I feel like I am not growing at all. So...until I get to 1 inch past APL I will NOT be cutting!

ITA with you completely. We have the same plan. I'm talking about ignoring some uneven ends or an inch or so of somewhat frizzy ends or thin ends. I wouldn't be happy if my hair was super stringy and thin for inches and inches, that would drive me crazy.

 

[BotanyGrl]

Hmmm, why does this sound awfully familiar? I believe the girl you are referring to is a friend on my fotki page and I am very proud of her progress. Granted some of the ends may need trimming but at least she is tirelessly going at it to achieve her desired length. I myself has said that the only time I will trim is after I've achieved a certain length goal I'm aiming for. As was the case when I finally reached APL - see my sigggy. My next trim will be due when I achieve BSL. My ends before the trim was pathetic but hey I wanted APL and darn it I was gonna get it, come hell or high water, even if I had gotten one (1) strand there.

Be careful of throwing stones as they might come back to hit you instead - just a kind word of advice. Please, let's not be so cruel to each other. If you can't find anything kind to say to or about someone, then don't say anything. I am not sure, but my fotki friend might be a lurker here and you know what, if it had been you, you would not appreciate anyone talking about you this way, so please be kind.

ITA! To each, their own. I know a couple of ladies whose fotkis I browse that have what many will call "see-thru" ends. Two of them have health issues and have personal reasons as to why they won't clip their ends. I know one of them does browse this forum. I believe this thread could have been done in a more tactful way.

I do know this... My hair grows uneven and I refuse to even my ends up every chance I get. I would literally have no progress. I'll do a blunt cut after I reach my goal. And when I make bsl, whether it's a few strands or not... I'm claiming it! My hair is healthy and I worked hard for those few strand to pop my brastrap. You better believe I'm claiming it when it happens! Do you ladies, it's YOUR hair

 

[Ann816]

Ditto! The healthier the hair the longer it wil grow.

Not at all . Personally I think that is taking it too far, sacrificing health over length is not cute.

 

[Celestial]

I'm desperate for long hair so I wouldn't cut.

 

[Prinncipality]

Nope. In fact, I use to love getting my hair cut/trimmed. Well that was before I decided to try to grow my hair out of course. When needed, it makes the hair look and feel better.

 

[redantz00]

I would rather trim and have healthy hair but I do agree that its hard to see progress this way. I have gone years with out trims and a few months ago I had to trim an inch off cuz my ends were so bad. I want to reach a happy medium trim but not so much that I can't tell progress. I hope there is such a thing!

 

[locabouthair]

The back of my hair reached my shoulder but the sides broke off so bad, my hair was very uneven and thin. So last month I cut off three inches. My mother looked at me like I was crazy but I couldnt take it anymore. It was definitely needed.

My ends were so thin people would ask me what happened to my hair. Thats when I knew I had to cut it. The pic in my avi is what it looks like now after the cut.

 

[jamaraa]

I can understand why some are afraid to cut their hair because of HOW African textures work. Shrinkage happens on even relaxed heads and too many stylists want to cut wet hair. Too many women have ended up w/ FAR more hair cut off than anticipated or even the stylist intended.

For naturals this is one main reason they/we stay away from salons I think. Someone cutting our wet haior is a disaster...even on dry hair, how many people know how to cut natural hair? (Hint...it should be pressed straight 1st, IMHO) Ironically many naturals have very even and healthy hair w/o trims.

 

[Firstborn2]

I'm not afraid of cutting, I actually think I cut way to much and in doing so I am not as far as I should be. When I started in 07 my hair was 2 inches past shoulder and it's been two years and I'm at APL, so resently I decided , to stop trimming until I reach my goal.

I agree with Mwedzi, what is the use of cutting the knots. Everytime I trim them, they come back within months, so as long as I'm wearing my hair in it's natural state, there is really no need for me to cut my hair until I reach my goal.

 

[Anew]

I'm not that hard pressed. In May 2008 I got some layers but didn't like them anymore, hated how it made my hair look thin so I cut from the length you see in my siggy now to shoulder length and that was July of 2008

 

[turnergirl]

I've never been afraid to cut my ends if they didn't look right. What would take so long for me to cut is not knowing. I wear my hair in wash and go most of the time, so I just don't know what the ends really look like.

 

[almond eyes]

In the defense of that woman's pictures (which I have not seen), damaged hair that has not been cut is completely different from fine hair that always looks frayed no matter what. Now some people say that afro-textured hair that is fine should not be kept long because the ends always look see through but it really is a matter of preference. However, damaged hair needs to be cut. Now what determines damage is a whole different story. I mean if you don't wear your hair straight and keep healthy hair practises there is no need to be scissor happy. I have many Indian friends and of course they do not use chemicals unless hair colouring and many of them tell me unless they are cutting their hair into a style, regardless of whether they have fine hair or not they hardly trim.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[JollyGal]

I was in the same sito as crackers.
I cut recently and my ends look much more healthy and my hair looks fuller. Honestly, I couldn't wait because my hair was breaking off due to split ends and knots. I'm now in between apl and shoulder length (stretched). I'm sure it was 2 inches...