After.much.consideration.i.realised.that.the.
scissors.    
are.my.worst.enemy.so.i.have.decidied.not.to.
cut.until.    
i.reach.my.goal.of.tailbone.


My.hair.is.almost.touching.my,shoulders.grows.
about.      
7.1/2.inches.a.year.and.has.9.inches.of.dye.and.
3inches.  
of.virgin.hair.

At.first.i.decided.to.lob.of.the.dye.now.i.have.
changed.
my.mind.and.will.continue.to.grow.it.until.my.goal.
length.

Is.anyone.else.here.not.cutting?If.so.how.do.you.keep.your.hair.healthy.
and.how.do.you.fight.the.urge.not.to.cut.

Please.state.your.best.tip.for.keeping.splits.at.bay.as.
i.need.as.much.help.as.possible.if.a.am.to.get.there.

Thank.you

:)

Well,the best tip for taking care of split ends is to cut them off when you see them so they don't have a chance to travel up the hair.  You can visit the info here regarding growing long hair and the suggestions for taking care of it.  Good luck and we'll be reading and watching your long hair growth journey!  Have you thought about henna and indigo instead of dying or coloring your hair?

well.i.have.recently.discovered.search.and.destroy.
so.i.will.be.continuing.to.cut.of.any.splits.i.find.
however.i.hate.doing.it.as.it.hurts.my.eyes.

I.have.read.the.article."the.ultimate.guide".i.
love.it.i.only.wish.it.had.a.part.two.and.i.realise.
hair.must.be.cut.but.ill.be.old.before.i.reach.my.
goal.if.i.keep.cutting.and.i.so.want.long.hair.now.

I.am.also.on.a.long.journey.to.get.the.dye.out.as.i
.love.my.natural.colour.so.henna.isnt.an.option.
but.thanks.anyways.

Hi everyone!   I.found.this.post.on.another.board.and.wondered.
what.
your.thoughts.were?

uncut hair, saying along the lines of that cutting
the ends leaves an exposed shaft, more
vulnerable to moisture loss and oxidation, whereas
an uncut tapered tip has a covering of cuticle all
the way down. So it got me thinking, maybe it
would be a good idea for me to just not cut, leave
my hair to do it's thing with shedding and regrowing
till basically it's all uncut, naturally tapered
completely natural hair, along with that my
chemically damaged length would over time
just drop out...even if it does take like a decade!

I.aslo.found.a.web.site.againts.trimming.during.
the.awkward.phase.here.is.the.comments:

But forget trimming. Once you leave the awkward phase behind, the list of three ways to keep long hair neat will become two:

• Restrain your hair physically.
  
  • Restrain it by virtue of its own weight.
    

You should be very aware of these two items in
case someone suggests you neaten your hair
by trimming, because trimming is not on the list.
Not only is trimming not on the list, it runs counter
to both the items that are. Trimming makes it
tougher to restrain your hair physically because
afterwards it is less apt to reach restraints such
as hair ties. And trimming reduces the weight of
your hair. So trimming does not make long hair
neater. It makes it messier.

There are three specific instances for longhairs
in which trimming has a place:

• To even up hair way down behind the back.
  
  • To shorten hair way down behind the back if it
    has gotten too long.
    
  
  
  • Very sparingly, to trim split ends (though, as
    we've said, some dispute whether this serves
    any useful purpose).
    
  
  
  Note that "trimming to spur growth" is not on
  the list. Incredibly, an old wives' tale has circulated
  for years that your hair will grow out faster if
  you trim a little off from time to time. Not only
  does this not make scientific sense, it has been
  debunked by longhairs who have done tests.
  Though it does not make scientific sense, perhaps
  for some it has made economic sense, and they have therefore spread the tale. Don't buy that line, and remember, the fastest way to get through the awkward phase is to not trim your hair.
  
  
  I.currently.regard.myself.at.the.awkward.phase.
  and.i.have.heard.that.this.phase.lasts.untill.BSL.
  
  Thoughts.and.opinions.please
  

I don't trim to make my hair grow faster.  I trim because my fine hair gets very thin at the ends and I'm not fond of "fairy tale ends".  In my opinion, they just look unkempt.  I try to keep a blunt shape to my hair as it grows.  So I S&D all the time, and trim about 1/4 inch every 2-3 months as needed.  It is your hair, and each one has to decide whether to trim or not as they grow it out.

Do.you.think.if.i.keep.s&ding.i.will.lose.length.
as.i.twist.my.hair.and.cut.out.everything.that.
sticks.out?

Just.a.thought

I don't trim my hair either after it's been since January of 2007.  I was sorry that I did trim it back then but I had to get rid of the damage that I had from coloring.  It was fried but now it is very mucy stronger than ever before.  I am like you.  I will never cut or trim again.   You do lose length if you dust, trim, or cut.

Blondie35

Blondie35 wrote on May 4^th, 2007 at 6:57pm:

I was sorry that I did trim it back then but I had to get rid of the damage that I had from coloring.  It was fried but now it is very mucy stronger than ever before.  I am like you.  I will never cut or trim again.   You do lose length if you dust, trim, or cut.

You should cut split ends when they pop up.  Split ends on your hair can travel the entire length of the hair, making your hair unhealthy.  Other than that, you can go without trims as long as you want.

(^_^)/
BEM

Sorry for the random appearance, I'm quite new here.
Uhhm, I have hair thats down to my tailbone, but it has some split ends and I'm scared to get it trimmed. The last time I had it trimmed was around 2 months ago, and they took more off than what I had asked for, it was just down to my thighs. I don't like to go near sissors, and I don't like the idea of getting it done.

But can I keep growing it and not trim or cut it? Will it stay reasonably healthy? Because I cant grow it very long if I keep trimming it.

Hi!  Your length sounds fantastic,congrats on getting it that long and keeping it that long.  Have you thought about trimming it yourself?  It is not as hard as you might think.  Investing in a good pair of scissors used only for your hair is half the battle.  If you don't want to do it yourself,you might want to entrust someone like a mom,sister or best frined who you know will not take more off that you want.  
The only solution to getting rid of split ends is to cut them off.  Otherwise they continue to split up the hair and it will defeat your purpose of keeping your hair long and healthy.  
If you don't have anyone that can do it for you,you might want to do some research into salons that specialize in long hair care or ask for a recommendation from someone who you like that has their hair done that appeals to you.  Good luck and maybe check the boards here for some more info. :)

Going to do a "me, too" sort of post.  I'm just sort of backing Curlygirl.  Split ends MUST be cut off or they will travel the ENTIRE length of the hair, totally ruining your hair.  

Remember, split ends are your enemy and the ally of all those helmet-headed women out there. LOL!  (Sorry, just thinking of how some women with short hair put a ton of hairspray on it and it starts to look like a helmet.)

Go to a good beauty store and get some good scissors.  I know more about sewing than I do hair cutting, so I'll admit that I didn't go to a beauty store, I went to a sewing/hobby store and got some top of the line thread scissors.  But with sewing scissors, it's definitely you get what you pay for.  

And DO NOT use the scissors for anything else but trimming your hair.  If they're dulled by other uses, they won't cut the hair shaft evenly.  (I hide mine, as there are two men in this house who have a tendency to cut stuff they shouldn't attempt to cut with scissors.  One old pair of cheap blue scissors had two u-shaped dents close to the handle end of the blade.  >:(  (Don't ask.)

I purposely got small scissors as I'm trying not to trim, just cut split ends. Husquavarna(sp?) and some German knife and scissor company that I don't remember right now make really good scissors, my mom has a few pairs that she's had for years.  And the local sewing/craft store has someone who comes by once a month and sharpens the scissors, so it's easy to keep them sharp.

There is a disscussion on this message board somewhere that has a place for people to recommend long hair friendly salons.  And there was a disscussion and link for a webpage that shows you how to trim your own hair.

Ah, the salon recs...
http://www.longlocks.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=longhairsalons

The trim your own hair link I'm having trouble finding. Maybe someone else has it?

;D/
BEM



[email][/email]

Now it's my turn to do a "me,too"!lol  You definately get what you pay for in sewing scissors!!  I'll attest to that!  I spent the extra for good ones and that's what I got!  Used only for sewing and the hair scissors used only for hair! ;)

This also is a me too!!..  I bought a pair scissors at Sallys beauty and only use them for my hair.  I have put my hair on a diet now.  Since I want it to my knees, I have found it to be essential that I s & d weekly, then only take a 1/2 inch trim every 3 months.  I dont like fairy tale ends as I think it makes my hair look nasty.  I find I have more knots and tangles that way.  So---on we go.

Debr

Sounds good!  I'd like us both to reach that goal!

OK Curlgirl lets do it!!  :).  Too bad I havent been able to keep my body on a diet so far this summer  :(.

Debr

Curlgirl, forgot to mention to you that my next planned trim date is around the 2nd of Sept.  I am not sure what the best morrocco date is so I will check that out soon.  I am only gonna take off 1/2 inch at that time.

Debr

Hi Debr,
Funny that I checked LL this morning and your message here,because I was looking at my Morroco sheet this morning!!  Sept. 2 is for root work. ;)

Thanks Curlgirl, I will be sure and check b4 I trim.  I am not sure I need root work.  I am going for healthy and lengthy (knees).

Debr

I go to a salon once a month to get my hair colored. My hairdresser (who is the owner) just loves my long hair. The majority of women who come into the shop have shorter hair (no longer than shoulder length). She knows my hair and will cut it only when I ask or when she can tell it needs it (I can tell because the ends start to feel like straw and tangle very easily). Ususally I've decided ahead of my appointment that the time to trim is right, and then when I get there, she'll suggest it's time for a trim - as I said, she really does know my hair. She also will only trim off what is absolutely necessary, which is usually 1/4-1/2" every 3/4 months.
It's funny, she's made the comment that she loves it when I come because she can "play". I rarely (like maybe once every 6 months) use a blow drier, but when I go to get my hair done, she uses a drier on low and softly curls it. Even then, about 3/4s of the time, I leave with my hair any where from just toweled to damp. (Living in So California makes that easy). She really only dries it completely those times when the weather is too cold to go out in with wet hair (maybe two or three times in the winter).
By the way, what is a Morroco sheet? :o

Donna

Hi Donna,  hhhhmmmmm-----how to explain the morrocco method.  Anthony Morrocco devised a method of hair care according to the lunar (moon) cycle. Curlgirl and I trying that method for trimming our hair.  We each want our hair to go to our knees, and this might be an unique way of doing so.  It gives days of the month in which to trim for length, strenth, thickness, beauty, or rootwork.  On this calendar, there is a day or two which is the best day of the month for that particular item.  I hope that has been helpful.

Debr

Where can I find a Morrocan sheet?

;D/
BEM

Check out this site for the Morrocco Method charts.