Thursday 23 February 2012

How to trim your hair: Avoiding hairdressers, saving dollars

I say all the time that black hairdressers are the devil. Obviously, this is in jest, because there is a real devil ( I believe) , who is not involved in the dressing of hair. However, they do say many a truth is said in jest. There are many good black hairdressers I believe, but when it comes to natural hair most hairdressers get a bit frightened and either run away, attack your hair with a comb, or attempt to coerce you into relaxing/ straightening.
That long intro was basically to say -  this post is about how to trim your hair yourself.

How often should I trim my hair?

Every 6-8 weeks, maybe a bit more or a bit less depending on how easily your hair gets damaged.  I trim every time my hair comes out a protective style, which is every 4 weeks or so.

Will trimming my hair make it grow longer?

Nope, that's a myth. It will however, make sure your ends are healthier so that you are likely to retain length better and your hair ill have the illusion of being thicker and healthier due to the healthy ends.

What will I need?:
  1. Sharp Hair Scissors (you can buy these from ebay or Amazon for around £10. Do NOT use scissors that you use to cut paper etc. The dull blades will damage your ends.)
  2. Hair :-)


Method 1: Dusting

This is a pretty simple method. If your hair is in small braids or twists on your own hair, just trim the ends of each small braid or twist looking carefully for splits...this is good because it allows you to get feel of the condition of your whole hair, and also makes sure that you pretty much trim every section.
I usually divide my hair into four big braids (i.e. I twist the small twists/braids into 4 overall big braids), and do each section at a time.

Picture from www.thenaturalgirlsguidetobeauty.com

2) Straighten, then trim.

Many naturals prefer this method, because it doubles as a length check. I've done this once about 6 years ago, when I was still fine with using heat. I don't advise it because I think generally, natural hair and heat don't mix, but if you are ok with using heat, then this ones for you.


3) Section trim

This is just the lazy method I use most of the time. When my hair is out in a fro, I divide my hair into sections and just trim split ends or damaged ends as I see them. The only problem with this method is that you might well miss bits, or trim too much at ne time.


Lastly, if you want a proper cut (as in a style, not trimming), then a natural hair dresser is probably your best bet. Adornment365 in Brixton is the only one I've been to. I did feel they treated my hair a bit harshly when combing, but the customer service was fantastic.

Peace, Love and Hair grease folks xx

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