It's Only Natural..."Trimming Natural Hair"

photo: cocoandcreme.com

There comes a time when you take a good look at your hair and realize that something has to be done, and then it hits you....dum dum dum....your ends need to be trimmed. I always get a little frazzled when the time comes to trim, but always trim when needed. Trimming is an important step in maintaining healthy hair. The process of trimming allows us to get rid of any split or damaged ends, that if left unattended to, can lead to hair breakage and loss of growth.  Trimming also helps to prevent split ends, get rid of knots and can improve the overall appearance of your hair. I have only had my hair flat ironed twice since becoming natural 6 years ago and during those times, my hairdresser, Nellie, gave pretty thorough trimming to my ends. Other than those two times, I trim my hair by myself in it's all natural state. Sometimes I take the time to do a "search and destroy". This is when I go strand by strand (for the most part) and look for any split ends and/or knots that may have snuck their way onto my strands, and simply trim them with a nice sharp pair of  hair trimming scissors. I usually buy my shears from Ricky's (that place is like a hair store full of joy, btw). This process can take a while, so I only do it when time permits.

Another method that I use when trimming is to twist my hair into sections and do a little bit of cleaning. This is when I like to do what is called "dusting" to my ends. Dusting is a technique of trimming, evenly, about an inch to 1/4 of the ends of your hair, so its almost like a quick sweeping to an extent. Dusting helps in maintaining healthy ends by keeping up with the split ends that can form over time. Dusting is something that I would recommend when one becomes more comfortable with trimming since scissor happiness can be a common occurrence...as may be seen by some hairdressers when it's time for a professional trim to be done.

photo: thankgodimnatural.wordpress.com

While thinking about trims, I also wondered...is it better to trim while naturally curly or when blown/flat ironed straight? When it comes to blowing out/flat-ironing natural hair straight, it can allow for you/ your hairdresser to get a better assessment of the split ends that have formed and need to be cut. It can also help if you also want to get a specific cut along with a trim that may to be difficult to achieve if your hair is left in its natural state. Trimming hair when it's curly/kinky should be done when your hair is in a freshly washed, but dry state. This allows for less frizz and for a better look at the trim/cut and how it will look based on how your hair naturally falls. Times like these, if you are not used to the "search and destroy" or "dusting" technique, I would recommend it may be best to get a professional cut/trim by people experienced with trimming kinky/curly hair. In NYC, if you do not have a regular hairdresser that you trust to trim your ends or cut your hair, I would recommend Miss Jessie's Curl Bar or Devachan Salon. They can be a bit pricey, but it's well worth it in the effort of having healthy, strong, natural hair.