Tip 12 Search and Destroying Ends

A big reason why I think I've been able to retain so much of my length is because I stopped getting my hair trimmed. I was definitely a believer in trimming every 6-8 weeks, but I realized that every time I went to the hair dresser to get a trim... I was actually loosing new length. I don't use heat very often and I'm very diligent about caring for my ends so it's really unnecessary. I also wear my hair curly most of the time so I don't care that my ends aren't super blunt or even. I can't remember the last time I got a trim. Maybe it was April of 2009 when I did the keratin therapy. For the most part I just search and destroy: look for bad ends and cut them off. I typically cut off .5" above the split. It is super time consuming to go through strand by strand, but I don't try to do it all in one day. It also helps that I find it relaxing, the same way other people find knitting and crafts to be relaxing. I like doing it outside because I can see the ends a lot better. Sometimes I even break out a magnifying glass. A little obsessive? Maybe, but why loose a couple of inches of length for a few bad ends? Now, if your hair is rife with split ends, it might just be better to get a full on trim. Once I reach my goal length, I will get regular trims to maintain that length and to keep my ends full and thick. Hair grows unevenly so instead of cutting of a few strays because they are longer, I try to wait for the other hairs to catch up. Right now I'm waiting for another few inches before I trim off 1-2". I use professional shears from Sally's, I have a few pairs. I don't really have an average frequency for how often I search and destroy. I just do it whenever I feel like doing it. One week I might do it everyday and then I'll skip a month and do it every other week. There's no schedule.

Do you search and destroy?
	Yes, I search and destroy
	No, I just trim
	I don't do either, no scissors ever
	I search and destroy and trim regularly