Trimming Twists on Relaxed or Transitioning Hair

I put my hair in some twists today and after doing my second twist, I  noticed my ends looked thin. 

So, I decided to cut about .5- 1 inch off each twist.

This is some of the hair I trimmed off

The trim made my ends look much better. The last time I dusted/trimmed my ends was on September 1st and although that wasn't too long ago, this was needed.

I plan on keeping these in for about 3 weeks since it took me almost 4 hours to install. 

My Hair Trimming Tools

We all know that trimming/dusting is an important step in maintaining healthy hair. There is no set time period in which one should trim/dust, but going long periods without doing so can lead to problems down the line. I have done a few posts on trimming/dusting, so if you would like to read more about that, check them out. 

Tips to Avoid A Big Trim

To Trim or Not to Trim

On to my hair trimming tools...

Tweezerman LTD Shears

I purchased a new pair of  shears a little while back which I love. 

They are from Tweezerman and do a great job at trimming my ends.  I would still have blunt ends a month or more after using these, so I know they work well. 

I only use them for my hair and I keep them in the package at all times. 

I purchased these at Walgreens for $20.00

Split-Ender 

As a birthday gift for myself, I purchased the Splitender. The main purpose of this tool is to cut 1/8" to 1/4" of your hair which are the very tips. This will either cut off the split ends or hair that is not split although you won't tell the difference because 1/8-1/4" isn't a lot. 

Got Some New Shears

I purchased some Sheer Glory Shears from Sally's last year for about $10.00 and I guess you get what you pay for. I would notice a few weeks after dusting I had some split ends even though I was doing everything "right". So, I decided to purchase some new shears especially since I am dusting this weekend.

After doing some extensive research and reading many reviews, I found that Tweezerman Shears are the best option for a decent price.

The great thing about these are that they have a free sharpening lifetime guarantee!

I got these for $20.00 at Walgreens. They can be found in the Beauty section where the tweezers are.

More info on the shears:

• Stainless steel
• High performance blades
• Ice tempered and hot drop forged stainless tell
• Hand crafted for precision hair cutting
• Extra sharp & long lasting cutting edges
• Expert balance, comfort and control

Trimmed/ Dusting and Trimming Schedule

I trimmed my hair today. I still want to do a larger trim, but I just wanted to get rid of any split ends and even up the tips.
Because my hair wasn't completely straight, I decided not to use my split-ender. I just twisted(not 2 strand twists) small sections of my hair and went down the twists cutting off any splits then I evened up the ends.

This is what I was able to scrounge of what I actually cut off. I did cut a lot more hair though.

This Years Trim and Dustings so far(for my own records):

January 21st- Trimmed .5-1nch
February 15th- Dusted with Split Ender (1/4th of an inch)
April 15th- Dusted with Split Ender (1/4th of an inch)
May 7th- Lightly dusted After relaxer ( 1/4th of an inch)
June 5th- Trimmed Ends (.5 inches or more)
Sept. 10th- Dusted with Split-Ender
Sept 21st- Dust with Shears- Only lightly on ends (__)
Next Trim(may be a big one depending on my ends) will be April 2012

Keep in Mind...my new Goal is to have THICK healthy APL-BSB length hair by December. No longer BSL.
If I reach BSL by my 3year healthy hair journey...June 2012, I'll be happy. If not, then I'm perfectly content with the length I am at.

Sharpening Hair Shears with Aluminum Foil

I will be trimming my hair soon and was contemplating purchasing a new pair of Shears.
I purchased the shears I currently own last July I believe, but because I dust often, I was wondering if they may be dull.
The last time I trimmed a half inch to 1 inch was in January and even with all these protective styles and dustings..my ends didn't maintain as well as I thought they should. Could they be the Shears?

Now we all know..cutting hair with a dull pair of Shears is just as bad as not trimming at all. They can cause hair to split just as fast.

So, I was looking up ways to sharpen shears on-line. There are many different methods and techniques, such as using whetstone, sand paper or even going to a local Fabric Store and asking them to sharpen it.

But the method of sharpening with Aluminum foil stood out to me and I did that over the weekend.

I used the same method outlined below and tested the "sharpness" on shed hair. The freshly sharpened Shears seemed to do the job, so I continued to "search & destroy" any split ends I saw.
I will do my real trim soon. (still not sure if I'll do it myself or buy a crea-clip and have someone do it for me)


Sharpening Hair Shears with Aluminum Foil

• Tear off a six inch piece of aluminum foil and fold.
• Fold over (as if you were making a paper fan) the piece of foil several times until the foil is thick.
• Cut along the longest edge of the foil with the scissors that need to be sharpened. Cut several times through the thick foil. If you need to have the tip of the scissors sharpened, snip the foil with the tip of the scissors. Test on a piece of felt or thread. Repeat if necessary

Read more: How to Sharpen Scissors with Aluminum Foil
eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5297369_sharpen-scissors-aluminum-foil.html#ixzz1MGVrDCgc


ALWAYS REMEMBER- WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST PURCHASE A NEW PAIR!!!!

Trip to Sally's

I was running some errands today and stopped by Sally Beauty Supply to buy a few hair products.

As I said earlier I washed my hair today and it was still drying when I left my place. I wasn't ready to put a bun in because my hair was still damp and I don't like to manipulate my hair when it's not fully dry. So, I just wrapped a scarf on my head and left.

As for what I purchased at Sally's.........

This is what I got: