Let's Talk Where to Cut the Hair!

Photo credit: Hair Artist Sharlena Bell

Positions 1, 2, and 3 - are clearly haircut status in the picture above

Position 4 is called a dusting off of the ends.

The longer the hair; the less important the question of where to cut becomes.

Position 1 - would give maximum thickness, movement, and restore hair to a healthy reset.

Ultimately, I would cut between Positions 3 and 4 unless the client is certain that she wants a "chunky" liberal cut.

Any thoughts?

Haircutting: Real Hair Terms

I completed quite a few haircuts so far this week, and  it was refreshing to know that people do expect their hair to grow.  People do want to keep their hair styled.  All people are not trying to hang on to every eighth of an inch.  Some people want a half inch or more cut off periodically to keep their ends blunt and healthy looking.

Haircut Terminology
I always say if you can see the hair on the floor, then it is a haircut.  

If you can barely see anything on the floor, then I call it a "dusting."

If you want a haircut around the perimeter only or less than half inch all over, then I call it a shaping.

If you want an all over haircut but limit it to an inch or less, then I call it a trim.

I hope this terminology assists you in your communication with your hairstylist for your next haircutting service.

Split Ends: Where to trim?

Pictured is a ribbon. When I saw this ribbon, I realized that it reminded me of someone with split ends. In this picture, I show two different ends of the ribbon. One end of the ribbon is still in tact. The other end is unravelling.

So where do you cut? If you do not want to lose length, then I would just cut the string at the bottom but leave the loose ends.

Or should you cut some of the loose ends and be careful not to cause any more damage?

Or you should you just cut above where the damage ends are? You would lose a lot of length, but the ends would be nice and healthy looking again. This was probably your first thought as far as cutting this ribbon is concerned. A "no-brainer" right? Did any of the other options really even come to mind until after you read them?

Another question: Was I talking about hair or the ribbon pictured? The answer: I was talking about both - hair decisions as well as "ribbon decision." It is easier to cut this ribbon where it needs to be cut which is above the split end because it is just a ribbon, but cutting is a more difficult decision when it is relative to the hair on your head especially if you are trying to maintain a style.

Food for thought right? There is no right or wrong answer. Obviously, one would have to cut at least the string away from the ribbon. However, more importantly, one has to determine what caused the unravelling in the first place and make sure that it does not happen again.

Many "scissor happy" stylists as some would label them would without a doubt keep all your ends healthy looking. Some clients are happy with that. Other clients prefer the conservative cutting approach. I am conservative in my cutting. Why? To me, if a client has not eliminated the "cause" of the split ends, then they are going to split them again and again. I do not want to keep cutting off "too much hair" until they have a good daily regimen, and it will not interfere with their ability to style.

Tips for preventing split ends or stringy ends:
1) Stop using ionic flat irons.

2) Use curling irons and ceramic flat irons on the lowest settings as possible to do the job.

3) Wear a style that keeps the ends curled or in a loose updo. Avoid having the hair ends rub against the clothes too much. A loose ponytail or a bun works!

4) Keep the hair moisturized and soft. (Try Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer for those with dry hair. www.beemineproducts.com)

5) Get a manageable haircut that falls nicely without having to force a style into it.

6) Pretreat hair with organic, virgin, coconut oil from the health store before you shampoo.

Please see my separate articles on "Luscious", coconut oil, flat iron free pledge, and curling irons for more detailed reviews and discussions.

On a separate note, I wanted to address the saying that "keeping your hair cut; keeps it growing." Hair constantly should be growing unless there is a medical reason, but sometimes people do not see length (which people incorrectly describe as growth) because their hair is also breaking.

Split ends will grab and latch onto surrounding hair to make it difficult to style; therefore adding to breakage. So regular trims do assist in gaining length because you eliminate split ends and snags. Be careful not to interchange the terminology of "hair growing" with "length."

If you see hair getting longer, then maintenance is being done to keep it from breaking. The growth is free. Remember your eyebrows, hair on your legs, and other regular hair removal areas? Hair growth is always happening. Hair is always growing in areas that you do not want it because the ends are not getting split. An aw-haw moment? Right?

Just take care of your hair using some of the tips above to avoid breakage if you desire longer length hair.

A Look at Hair Growth in two months

Hair typically grows around a half inch a month. Pictured here is a few clippings from a haircut. The client has mid-back hair in long layers; so for her- this was a trim. :-)

Notice the clippings are about an inch long? That is about two months of growth. So it is easy to cut two months of hair when you have a lot to work with; but those who are working toward gaining length, an eighth of an inch is more than enough for a routine trim.

It is amazing how quickly two months can go by. Patience is a virtue when it comes to hair growth. Want to learn more about this clients' hair? See our September 2010 article. (Click on the link to find out about these double processed clippings.)