Need help on growing out layers!!

1st Lady P

New Member
Hello Ladies! Can someone give some advice (or lead the way to a previous thread) on growing out layers? I've read a few things here and there and I keep reading "cut"...do I have to cut it as it grows or has anyone had experience with it growing in without cutting? I want healthy thick hair again (long drawn out "didn't take care of my hair" story) but I have a LONG way to go. It's sooooooo thin on the edges right now... See pix on my Fotki under 1st Time Dominican salon trip - my stuff looks like a fan across my back!!! (sorry, no wording yet on my Fotki - working on it!!) Any advice!!!
 
I have wicked natural layers that I'm growing out - basically, every strand of hair on my head is the same length, give or take 1/2 an inch, so the hair by my nape/ears touches my shoulder, the hair at my crown barely touchs the middle of my ear.
I'm growing them out by - just letting them grow. Once my shortest layer gets to a halfway decent length, I'll decide if I want to go blunt, and cut up to the shortest layer.

I don't know if there IS a way to get rid of layers besides growing the shortest one out, or cutting the longest to match the shortest...
 
Thanks nappywomyn! I just wanted to hear some other advice and wondered if there was any information out there about the hazards/difficulty of just letting it grow.

Learning patience all over again!!!
 
Thanks nappywomyn! I just wanted to hear some other advice and wondered if there was any information out there about the hazards/difficulty of just letting it grow.

Learning patience all over again!!!

What kind of hazards and difficulty are you talking about?
 
I too am growing out layers. It will take a long time. I am trying to grow out my hair at the same time, going for brastrap by the end of the year. Well this is the thing, as a natural, I can spray water on certain parts to shrink it up, so that it's a little more disguised. Works for me. Besides I usually wear my hair in a bun or shrunken anyway so you can't really tell that much unless I wear my hair out. Good luck to you, happy growing!!! It will take a while, but I want all my hair lengths to be round the same length before I start cutting anything. I am willing to be patient and wait. :yep:
 
What kind of hazards and difficulty are you talking about?

I'm referring to the longer (lonely) hairs breaking off because they're out there with little to no support (very thin). As far as difficulty, I guess I'm wondering do they ever REALLY catch up or do you eventually have to cut it?
 
I have had layers - I just let mine grow out - I don't do any cutting and only trim once a year if that - light dusting myself. My hair is thing too and I too am trying to get it to thicken up - but that's not going to happen until it's all once length. Right now, I think I could use a good profressional trim but not too much off - I'm right at BSL length - I'm to trying to hold off on that until I'm passed BSL.
 
I'm referring to the longer (lonely) hairs breaking off because they're out there with little to no support (very thin). As far as difficulty, I guess I'm wondering do they ever REALLY catch up or do you eventually have to cut it?

If you want a blunt cut, when your shortest layers reached the length you want, I assume you will need to cut the longest layers to make your hair even. I highly doubt the shorter layers will rush to meet the longest, i.e. catch up :nono:
 
If you want a blunt cut, when your shortest layers reached the length you want, I assume you will need to cut the longest layers to make your hair even. I highly doubt the shorter layers will rush to meet the longest, i.e. catch up :nono:

That's what I feared cerchier!!! :perplexed Oh well...on with the patience!!! Thanks again!!
 
I have wicked natural layers that I'm growing out - basically, every strand of hair on my head is the same length, give or take 1/2 an inch, so the hair by my nape/ears touches my shoulder, the hair at my crown barely touchs the middle of my ear.
I'm growing them out by - just letting them grow. Once my shortest layer gets to a halfway decent length, I'll decide if I want to go blunt, and cut up to the shortest layer.

I don't know if there IS a way to get rid of layers besides growing the shortest one out, or cutting the longest to match the shortest...

Your hair sounds like mine in its shape, though mine is a tad longer. I was thinking, following someone else's idea, of waiting until the longest length reached a good length (what would that be? bsl?) and keep cutting any hair that stretched beyond bsl until all the hair caught up to bsl or near it. I think this makes for cuter twists, but I'm not sure how it will affect the afro or afro puff.

Can someone please explain how you can just let layers grow out without cutting the longer ones at some point. I mean, is the hair in the shortest layer suddenly going to start growing faster than the rest? I honestly don't understand how, if you don't intervene, the shorter layer is going to catch up to the rest.

ETA: Oh, I see answer above. It won't.
 
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I agree with what was said here. I 've been growing out my layers for around the last 5yrs or so.

Oooh no! :perplexed ...this is exactly what I feared...that it would take me a few years to grow them out. I honestly don't believe that my shortest layers will ever reach my shoulders!! Right now they're just above my ears and have been there since last year.
 
I'm growing out my layers too, but I will ultimately be satisfied with longer layers instead of no layers at all. For example, I would love for my longest layers in the back to be waist length, my crown to be around APL or BSL, and my bangs to be shoulder length. My hair would still appear thick when in twists/braids, rollersets, etc.
 
My hair actually grows in layers with the crown being the shortest layer. There is no point in me cutting the longer layers because the longer layers would still grow faster. I would never retain any length if I kept cutting the longer layers which is about 2/3 of my hair.
 
I have wicked natural layers that I'm growing out - basically, every strand of hair on my head is the same length, give or take 1/2 an inch, so the hair by my nape/ears touches my shoulder, the hair at my crown barely touchs the middle of my ear.
I'm growing them out by - just letting them grow. Once my shortest layer gets to a halfway decent length, I'll decide if I want to go blunt, and cut up to the shortest layer.

I don't know if there IS a way to get rid of layers besides growing the shortest one out, or cutting the longest to match the shortest...


Thats exactly how my friend had her hair cut in the thread i had with the ABCD!


So, all of your hair grows the same amount each month, its just the top portion of your hair does not grow faster as it does with some people, and so every hair is 12 inches long or something?


To the OP---yeah my friend had her hair cut in layers with 4 or 6 inch difference in lengths and i made a poll with options of either cut blunt, or wait untill the top reaches the bottom while trimming the bottom (and some other ones) and most everyone chose the last one, the next poplular one was wait untill the shortest layer of your hair reaches the length it is now, and just make it a blunt even cut, and the next poplular one was to get your hair cut in more proportiante layers, cutting the longest to match the shortest more instead of immeditly even blunt cutting.

That sounds like a good idea just letting the top grow to match bottom, the bottom should stay good, you would just have to take extra care of the top (or which ever layers is your shortest) so that it doesnt start getting scraggly or thin while your trying to keep all the inches you get so that they can hurry and catch up.

I would also wait to even when my hair was at my goal, that way you can just keep trimming and not have to worry about growing in layers again and breakage making your hair in layers again while your growing it
 
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