So, let’s talk trimming.  I touched on the importance of trimming your hair in a previous post.  It had been about 6-7 months since my last trim…well it was more like a cut.  I chopped off my relaxed ends in February of 2012 and my hair was very uneven and choppy.  I needed a good, even cut to set the foundation for healthy and strong ends.  I waited a few months after my big chop and my sister (…who’s pretty damn good with hair but doesn’t like to admit it 🙂) cut about an inch off in June of 2012.  So, it had been a good while since my last trim/cut.

I’ve made it a priority to pamper my ends to prevent thinning, split ends and breakage.  As you know, the ends are the oldest part of your hair and require some TLC.  I try to keep my ends moisturized and sealed, and I handle them gently to avoid any unnecessary damage.  I must say, my ends are holding up very well and I haven’t felt the need to trim my hair until recently.  Your hair will let you know when it’s time for a trim.  I do a quick inspection of my ends just about every time I wash my hair and I began to notice a little frizziness, which resulted in single strand knots.  The single strand knots led to difficult detangling sessions and at that point I knew my hair was trying to tell me something.  “Trim me dammit!” Frizzy ends, split ends, and single strand knots are a sure sign that it’s time for a trim.

I had no idea how I was going to go about trimming my hair.  Straightening my hair to trim it was not an option, and I refuse to go to a salon to get my ends trimmed.  In most of my experiences, beauticians get too scissor happy for me and I walk out with a cut. So, I did a little research on trimming natural hair. I came across lots of Naturals who trimmed their own hair in its natural state.  The most common method I saw was the “Twist & Snip” method (I totally made that up, but I must admit it has a nice ring to it and describes the method perfectly…LOL!).  I said *@#% it and decided to trim my own hair.  I set my hair in medium-sized two strand twists, stretched each twist, inspected the entire twist and snipped the very ends where I noticed it began to thin and frizz.  I did this to my entire head, on every single twist.  It was SUPER easy!  Sorry guys!  I didn’t take hardly any pics but I did snap a pic of the amount of hair that I trimmed off and it was not a lot at all.

Post trim – my ends look a lot better, no more single strand knots and frizz, and I didn’t trim any unnecessary hair off.  Length retention is key!

So here are a few tips for you if you plan to trim your own hair using the “Twist & Snip” method.

• Use a fresh pair of hair scissors. Hair scissors can be purchased at your local beauty supply store for about $2-$5, if that.
• Thoroughly inspect your ends before trimming and ONLY trim off the thinning, frizzy ends.  There is no need to chop off hair that is perfectly healthy.  We want to keep those healthy ends!
• Do your research!  Check out a few YouTube videos to see how other naturals trim their hair.  There are several methods and this particular method works best for me.  Find out the best method for you and go for it!  If you are not comfortable with trimming your own hair find someone who is knowledgeable, qualified, experienced and can trim your hair for you.

The fact that I trust myself enough to pick up a pair of hair scissors and trim my hair says a lot about how far I’ve come in my natural hair journey.  I’m becoming more and more comfortable with handling my natural hair.

Have you ever trimmed your own hair?  If so, how did you go about it?  Were you satisfied with the results?