Is it absolutely mandatory to trim split ends?

[princesmich]

Yes, yes, ends need to be trimmed...

 

[honey_jammz82]

Oops, I voted no but I meant to click yes. Split ends got to go!

 

[isioma85]

I just trimmed mine yesterday. Very painful experience. But necessary, because right ofter I trimmed off about 1/4 inch of the splits, I saw the immediate difference, my hair looked a lot healthier even though it was shorter. And now I know that as it grows, it'll retain the length and won't break off.

 

[rootdeep]

Yes...yes and LAWWWDDD YES. Split ends lead to major damage. I hate to see women hanging on for DEAR life to raggedy ends. Ultimately you're saying you would rather have DEAD hair versus HEALTHY hair. Just my opinion...

 

[lala]

It is mandatory to trim split ends IMO. They can't be repaired, so that's your only option. I get my ends trimmed when it's time for a retouch. I don't believe my hair would have grown as long as it has with split ends. It's a much more healthier look as well. So don't fret over maintaining length in lieu of cutting damaged hair. I've had to start over before and had to cut several inches of damaged hair, and it grew back...even longer. I think once you get into the practice of trimming your ends on a regular basis, you won't feel as if you're losing length. Something to think about - if you wait too long...you'll eventually have to get more of the length cut.

 

[Qetesh]

I have a question about this my hair is getting longer, but I also have split ends, I want to know how often I should dust my ends because I don’t plan on getting a trim again until Jan 07.
So for females whos hair has grown past bra strap to waist length how often do you dust and then how often do you trim?

 

[Shea]

I was so scared that I went to check my hair for split ends. I am at work and I do research so I took like 3 strands of my hair to check for slit ends under the microscope. So far so good So I will be checking in a couple of days from the hair the sheds normally I dont want be at work yanking out random hair BTW I saw my NG

 

[carmella25]

Isnt there a girl on this board that hasnt trimmed for 4 years or something like that. She mentioned that her hair has thickend up alot without trimming.

 

[caribeandiva]

i don't think they're necessary for growth but they're necessary if you want your hair to have body and look healthy

 

[KiniKakes]

I have a question about this my hair is getting longer, but I also have split ends, I want to know how often I should dust my ends because I don’t plan on getting a trim again until Jan 07.
So for females whos hair has grown past bra strap to waist length how often do you dust and then how often do you trim?

How many splits ends do you have? Is it a substantial amount? If just a few, you can always use the good ole' S&D (Search and Destroy) method that many of us on the board utilize. Just invest in a good pair of shears and dust your own split ends. You can do this weekly, or bi-weekly, for maintenance, between ure regular salon trims (which, in my opinion, shouldnt be more than 2x per year). Just sit in a very well lit area, and look thru your hair strand by strand. Its time-consuming.... but yet oddly fun and satisfying, lol....lol.....

Essentially, i feel that if the ends have already split or thinned.... you have no choice but to cut them. Best to get rid of the damaged ends now....then protect, protect, protect! The good news is that after one GOOD trim, all you'll need to do is dust for maintenace from that point on.

If you moisturize and protect the ends sufficiently after this "good trim," all you'll require is an occasional dusting from your stylist every several months. IMO, you'll NEVER see growth if you allow your stylist to give you a trim with every touch-up! While fresh, bluntly cut ends are attractive, be mindful that this is an aesthetic preference and has nothing to do with growth! At worst, this will simply keep your tresses blunt and attractive, but will derail your progress in terms of growth.

*Do note my use of the words TRIM vs. DUST. There is a difference!!!

 

[Qetesh]

How many splits ends do you have? Is it a substantial amount? If just a few, you can always use the good ole' S&D (Search and Destroy) method that many of us on the board utilize. Just invest in a good pair of shears and dust your own split ends. You can do this weekly, or bi-weekly, for maintenance, between ure regular salon trims (which, in my opinion, shouldnt be more than 2x per year). Just sit in a very well lit area, and look thru your hair strand by strand. Its time-consuming.... but yet oddly fun and satisfying, lol....lol.....

Essentially, i feel that if the ends have already split or thinned.... you have no choice but to cut them. Best to get rid of the damaged ends now....then protect, protect, protect! The good news is that after one GOOD trim, all you'll need to do is dust for maintenace from that point on.

If you moisturize and protect the ends sufficiently after this "good trim," all you'll require is an occasional dusting from your stylist every several months. IMO, you'll NEVER see growth if you allow your stylist to give you a trim with every touch-up! While fresh, bluntly cut ends are attractive, be mindful that this is an aesthetic preference and has nothing to do with growth! At worst, this will simply keep your tresses blunt and attractive, but will derail your progress in terms of growth.

*Do note my use of the words TRIM vs. DUST. There is a difference!!!

thanks for the reply. i did dust each strand about 2 weeks ago, i have actually done it b4 its a compulisive thing with me sometimes erplexed anyway i did get a very blunt trim in may my hair has since grown 3 inches and its not nearly as blunt anymore but i am holding off on another trim so i can see some growth i so ill do another dusting next week and keep it up, its that or a pull at my split ends.... i know its bad but i cant help it sometimes.

 

[determined_to_grow]

I could be absolutely incorrect but I remember learning that if you don't clip your split ends your hair can continue to split up the hair shaft!

 

[lala]

I have a question about this my hair is getting longer, but I also have split ends, I want to know how often I should dust my ends because I don’t plan on getting a trim again until Jan 07.
So for females whos hair has grown past bra strap to waist length how often do you dust and then how often do you trim?

I dust about every 3 wks. and trim every 6 - 8 wks.

 

[determined_to_grow]

lala did you employ this method when your hair was shorter (like ap, bsl or mbl?

I dust about every 3 wks. and trim every 6 - 8 wks.

 

[lala]

lala did you employ this method when your hair was shorter (like ap, bsl or mbl?

Yes...so when I dust I can't really tell the difference in the length, it's not like a haircut where you're cutting off several inches. If you look at my fotki you can see my hair (shoulderlength) in 2004...no split ends. I go to the same stylist and she trims only what needs to be trimmed.

 

[Suri]

Yes...so when I dust I can't really tell the difference in the length, it's not like a haircut where you're cutting off several inches. If you look at my fotki you can see my hair (shoulderlength) in 2004...no split ends. I go to the same stylist and she trims only what needs to be trimmed.

I just relaxed my hair after being natural for about a year or so, but I didn't go to my regular stylist because she was 'acting out' so I just let the DOminican Stylist relax me and I would go back after I attempted to reach my own stylist again. I am aware that dominican stylist don't really know the difference between trim and cut.

Would you suggest getting one of their 'trims' after what could considered a virgin-like relaxer?I didn't read the whole thread, but how much do you trim when you dust?

 

[gloomgeisha]

I voted yes. I thought I could go forever without trimming my ends and it ended up being worse for me in the long run. Products lost some of their effectiveness, detangling became a nightmare; taking upwards of an hour to complete, and styling? Forget it.

I figure it depends on what you're actually doing to your hair. If you do any kind of chemical processing (rinses don't count I think) or use regular heat than every 6-8/8-10 weeks might be wise. If you're natural or no heat/no color than you can go a bit longer. I went about 8 months before things totally went awry, but my hair didn't start acting up until 6 so I know my limit. You'll eventually find yours.

Get into a rhythm and be consistant, it pays off. A lot of these ladies have gorgeous hair due partially to trimming maintenance.

 

[lala]

I just relaxed my hair after being natural for about a year or so, but I didn't go to my regular stylist because she was 'acting out' so I just let the DOminican Stylist relax me and I would go back after I attempted to reach my own stylist again. I am aware that dominican stylist don't really know the difference between trim and cut.

Would you suggest getting one of their 'trims' after what could considered a virgin-like relaxer?I didn't read the whole thread, but how much do you trim when you dust?

I'm not sure how the Dominican stylist trims, but I would bring a tape measure or ruler and specify in inches what I wanted trimmed. I would monitor her methods to ensure accuracy. You can be the judge of what amount is cut, I wouldn't leave it up to a stylist who you don't have a history with. My stylist and I have an understanding so I can usually trust her to trim only what needs to be removed.

 

[Nanyanika]

Yes, i believe trimming the ends are imoprtant, i avoided trimming for a long while and my ends became split and damaged, since having a cut its much healthier and i belive i will reach my goals and retain the length instead of chopping so much.

 

[TropicalRose]

i can honestly say that as natural, i have not had any split ends. when i relaxed my hair, the split ends were noticable.

my ends feel rough. however, they arent split. i get little knots at the end of my hair that i guess change the curl of the end of my hair... it makes the ends feel like a brillo pad because each strand is going in a different direction. plus they are dry

i dont trim often because i think my ends are just dry and knotty. they dont split

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Disclaimer: I'm a newbie, 6 weeks post braids, and a hairdo nightmare. I cut 3 inches off my hair and still had rough ends. Henna has calmed them down so much and I swear, they seem to have "repaired" themselves in some cases. I plan to henna once per week (with oils) for an extended period of time until I can grow out long enough to comfortably do a big chop. I need to keep enough length now to wear a pony. I'm using oils and healthy ends too and so far so good. I am a very happy camper and I see long beautiful hair in my very near future.

Hey Everyone,

Lately, there's been a lot of discussion about split ends. So I want to know is it <font color="red"> absolutely positively necessary </font> <font color="red"> </font> to cut them off??? I had extensions for about a year, and then I decided to cut off all the perm ends. So aight, I'm natural right, everything should be great, right? Nope. I decided to cut another 1.5 inch off because the ends were really rough (my fiancee thought I was going crazy). Now I have about 6 inches of hair, but I still have split ends. Not all of the strands are split, but I'm not going to lie, alot of them are. The problem is that the split ends are like 1-2 inches from the end of strands and I really don't want trim that much off. I know, I'm pitiful.

But honestly, do I really need to cut them off. Is there anything I can do to keep my hair healthy without taking off the split ends?

I don't know why my ends are so split. Any ideas?

I sleep with a satin cap every night and I moisture with Healthy Ends about every other night. How can I prevent split ends?

 

[lyndiii]

I thought using the "baggie" treatment and protective styling was supposed to help eliminate split ends? Since I've started wearing protective styles, using less heat, and baggie treating my hair I have not noticed as many split ends and have been maintaining lots more length.

 

[smitmarv]

When I didn't trim my split end I could not keep hair for nothing. The hair starts to splits off and the end is super thin making it vulneralbe and then it split again and again. I don't care what anyone says. Now that I trim my hair regularly first of all I rarely see split ends, second of my hair grows much longer because of it.

 

[Curlee_lurker]

I thought using the "baggie" treatment and protective styling was supposed to help eliminate split ends?

To prevent them, not repair them. Those methods have helped me keep them away, but best believe nothing's going to mend your hair back together.


I think splits should be cut. I cut hanging threads off my clothes, and cut my nails if I break them, all because if something else gets to them before me, the tear is going to be a lot more destructive than I would have been.

 

[lana]

Well I may have posted in this thread and said something completely different (laughs) not sure...but the fact is - for my hair - I need to trim my split ends in order to have healthy hair. My hair looks and feels better (to the touch) when I have gotten rid of all of those split ends. My bf recently trimmed my hair for me and he took off just enough that I didn't appear to lose any length but now I have even ends.

A few of the worst patches had split all the way up the shaft. He made me promise to get regular trims (which means I'll trim when needed). I was anti-scissors for a long time, but that only resulted in stunted length.

Lana

 

[SherryLove]

i think trimming be mandatory would depend on what you want for your hair.... i rarely trim my hair - maybe once or twice a year..

 

[Netta1]

I am not a trimmer...and I don't have any problems..

 

[YellowButterfly]

I have found for my hair that trimming my ends are for appearance only
unless it is massively chemically damaged and falling out from the chemicals.
I use to get my hair trimmed every 4 to 6 weeks and it stayed short. I decided to do the Cathy Howse method and not cut my ends for a while and I achieved alot of growth and as she said the split ends were just on the ends
and they did not travel up the shaft on my hair. I also learned that with fine hair it is sometimes hard to tell what is split and what is not because the strand may be naturally missing some of the layers. I may get a light dusting every 4 to 5 months when I get a touch up just for the style since I have now reached shoulder lenth in the back and my sides in front of my ears are to my chin. I like my new hair dresser because she will do for the most part what I ask but I keep an eye out when she is dusting though.

 

[lana]

I should mention that my hair had broken off in a few places and was damaged from color. So I needed to get regular trims to keep it in shape. Plus I wear it down often.

I went almost an entire 6 months without a trim and my hair was "okay". It just depends. For now I know I need to keep it in shape, get this color out of my hair to get back to pretty natural (chemical free) hair.

 

[chayil0427]

Ahh...the great trim question.

Well I'm kinda on both sides of the fence. I think that trimming is necessary to keep the hair looking healthy. No one wants ragged thin ends. Yet, I feel like some stylists often trim too often and too much which gives trims a bad rap. I'm going to try not trimming for a while (maybe a year) and see how my hair looks. Yet eventually when I get my hair to a certain length I'll be trimming heavily to get a nice full healthy look from roots to tip.

Chayil