Check Your Stylist Definition of Split Ends

Today I went to the stylist that did my BC for me just to make sure I was on track with my hair after 8 months of being completely natural. One of the things I wanted to make sure of was whether or not I was snipping SSKs or split ends.

Well, I was armed with my pics of split ends and explained to her what I felt in my hair before clipping ends that had a split end, so I thought. It turns out I was snipping SSKs and not split ends. The SSKs just looked like split ends because of how my hair curled into a knot on itself. I was thanking God for that :-)

Any who, I asked her to take a look at my ends just to make sure I didn't have any split ends. I was 99% sure I didn't have any split ends, but I wanted to find out what she felt/thought were split ends BEFORE I allowed her to trim my hair on my 1 year nappiversary. She looked at my ends and promptly told me I had split ends until I asked her pointed questions to refute what she was trying to telling me. Here's the convo:

Her: Here's how you can tell you have split ends: Grab a small section of your hair and if you see a gap in the length of your hair that means you have split ends.

Me: Huh? That doesn't make sense to me. From my understanding, a split end has 2 or more ends because the individual strand has begun to separate into multiple strands that look like a "Y" or maybe even a "W". Here's what I see in this section: different lengths of perfectly healthy hair with no split ends.

I mean, if what you're saying is true then that means you'd have to cut of about 1/2 inch of healthy ends to make that length match the shorter length. Why not just trim the shorter hair since that's where the purported damage is located? Right? Before you answer, please take a look at the individual strands of this section because that's how I go through my hair to find damaged ends.

Her: Yes, hair does grow at different lengths, but in cosmetology school they taught us how to identify split ends this way. So you look at each individual strand? Hmm...Let me see.

(She precedes to look at my individual strands as I watch her through my hand held mirror to make sure she's not doing anything funky in my hair and to see if she's really looking).

Me: I don't see any split ends. What do you see?

Her: No, they don't have the 2 ends like a split end, but there's a reason why this short hair is shorter than the long hair. It must not be getting something it needs.

Me: The short hair gets the same stuff the longer hair gets. No one's hair is going to be the SAME LENGTH all over...Hair may grow on average about 1/2" a month, but that doesn't mean ALL of my hair is going to be the same length. Right?

Her: True, but? Well, you're supposed to have a trim every 6 weeks to keep your hair growing properly.

Me: I will only get a trim in the areas that need a trim. It makes no sense to cut perfectly healthy hair just for the sake of getting a trim. I haven't seen you in 8 months and my hair is healthy, not breaking, and no split ends and as you can see it's growing. What do you make of that?

Her: It is growing.

Me: OK...So, I'm doing something right.

Her: Yep, you're doing a good job. Most people don't know as much as you do.

Me: Thanks...I appreciate your help. You've given me a lot to think about.

Her: Can't wait to see what your hair looks like in May when you come back.

Me: I can't wait to see what it looks like too. How much do I owe you?

Her: Nothing but a hug. You made my day!

Ladies, y'all know ole girl is not going any where near my hair on my nappiversary. I will be self trimming for the rest of my life! I was floored that she never took the time to really study what a split end looked like so that she could properly diagnose her clients needs. She used to style natural hair in MD and seemed pretty knowledgeable about products, sulfate free, etc., but this was an area that she really didn't get. I realize now that this is why so many people end up with CUTS instead of TRIMS. They're not looking at the ends per se...They're looking at the gaps between the lengths to determine what they've been taught are split ends. In actuality it's just different lengths of hair.

This visit taught me a lot about our stylists and the level of personal thought they put into their craft: not a lot at all for most of them.

AE- I think I now have control issues. I cant stand the thought of someone washing my hair - let alone trimming! Too many bad memories come to mind!

smdh...I will not let them near my hair.....lol

I stopped going to the salons since 5 months ago. I was never 100% satisfied with their work. Plus you're right they talk a lot, but seem to know NOTHING!! Also they get attitudes whenever you question them. Even if you do it in a kind way.

I have to get my BC in April and every time i think about some lady cutting my hair i cringe im having a long transition and nursing my hair like no other i'll be ... if some hairdresser gave me a fade lol but i'm not sure if i can cut it successfully myself

creolebeauty1 wrote:I have to get my BC in April and every time i think about some lady cutting my hair i cringe im having a long transition and nursing my hair like no other i'll be ... if some hairdresser gave me a fade lol but i'm not sure if i can cut it successfully myself

I was so scared to do my own BC because I was scared I'd do something wrong. So, here's what I did:

1. I measured my new growth and told her in no uncertain terms that if she cut into my new growth I was going to kick her butt and I wasn't paying her.

2. I kept a hand held mirror in my hand the entire time to watch her and see what she was cutting.

3. Before she started cutting my hair I told her about my mishap with the previous stylist. She was scared as heck to cut my hair !

4. I recorded it to make sure she did exactly what I said and informed her that if she messed my hair up I was going to put it on YouTube and every where else I could "out" her.

Needless to say, she only cut what I TOLD her to cut and I was pleased.

Oh, one other thing, I made her cut my WET so she could see the difference in my textures CLEARLY!

Hope this helps