Im kinda at an impass here I cant decide if I should maintain at where I am at (( almost shoulder)) OR wait till my hair is a bit longer to maintain and let the layers grow out.. (( same goes for my color))


Where did you find was the easiest to maintain while letting your layers / color grow out ??

Or is there a lenght you are waiting to reach before you begin to maintain and let the layers grow out ?

My stylist layered and put a dramatic "v" on my hair (which I didn't ask for grr [the "v"]) So WE had a little talk with her that WE didnt like it that short on the sides*twitching* (went from about hip length to breast length on the sides) And have been growing out the sides/layers since. I'd like them about waist length whlie the rest I WAANT to be little below tailbone. *"starving kid looking into the glass of a pastry shop" look*

I find the best/shortest lenght for growing out shorter layers is at least shoulder lenght. That way, at least for me, I don't feel like I'm cutting major lenght off in order to remove the layered areas.

My hair just barely brushes my collarbone, but I have short short layers. I'm not even going to even anything out until the shorter layers gets shoulder-ish (meaning, whatever I do cut, it definitely won't be shorter than shoulder lenght!). Seeing as I would have to remove several inches in order to have one-lenght hair, I feel cutting it now would be very discouraging. I'm also growing out color, btw.

I'm growing out layers from an old pixie cut. Since my thick, 1c hair does that pyramid thing, I'm quite happy with some longer layers until it has enough length for the weight to pull it down some more, now that my shortest layer finally just about stays in an up-do.

Since I'm growing from bald, and the absolute length of each section is about the same, this means I have so many layers and the difference between longest and shortest is big (longest are a couple inches past shoulder length, shortest are mouth length). I don't want to cut it any shorter than it is now, because I am just able to put most of it into a ponytail or otherwise up, though the layers still fall out. I don't have a specific plan for what length I will trim at, I think I might just keep growing with the layers in, and trim if/when I think it looks like it needs it. I'm not terribly bothered by having hair at different lengths, because doesn't everyone, even those with blunt hemlines, have hair at all length just due to the growth cycle of the hair? I just want those shortest parts to be long enough to stay the heck out of my face!

I think you're better off just growing to a length you have more styling options with before evening out the layers. Give the scissors a break for awhile.

When I was growing out my hair, I just trimmed it whenever the layers or in my case, damage started to drive me crazy. You'll know if and when that happens to you.

You'll look like this :silly: whenever you think of or look at your hair. Then you'll know it might be time for a trim.:flower:

I'm also growing out layers. My plan is to reach my first goal which is BSL. Then I'll stay there for a while, trimming until the layers catch up. Then I'll decide if I want to go on the waist length.

I think I am at the same stage as you pretty much. The only thing that really bothers me right now is growing out my bangs which eternally keep falling into my eyes! But those I will not cut. Right now, I have them continuous with the rest of my hair in a deep U, but they are still too short to be tucked behind my ears!

I started growing out my layers from a very short hairstyle. All I am doing is letting my hair grow out. I am not really trimming the longer layers up to the shorter lengths. I am just letting it all grow to below shoulder length and then I will think about what I want to do depending on how much damage there is by then. Of course, I continue to get microtrims for all layers once a month or so, so that I do not end up with too many split ends and end up getting more of it chopped off! I guess it depends on you. If you don't mind cutting off a lot of hair at one go, you might as well start off with hair all one length.

My layers are all within 2 inches of eachother and I have like 3layers. So it does not seem very messy right now. You can tell I have layers only if you look very closely. So I am not too bothered about it right now.

It was much more difficult when my hair was really short. Now that the back almost reaches my shoulders, it is manageable.

And personally, I feel that I might not mind cutting my hair off when it is below shoulder length so that all layers are made into one length. Right now if I cut a lot of it, it will be very obvious and very painful. So I plan to wait till it is below shoulder length, so that cutting off 2 or 3 inches will not be stare at me in te mirror everyday to hurt me!!

I'm growing out layers too. My longest hair is around the 22 inch mark, my shortest layers don't touch my shoulders.

I was planning on evening them out by some judicious trimming at around BSL, but I have become enamoured of the look in styg's signature. Not that I will ever have such pretty hair, but I really like the very deep U that she has.

Decisions, decisions....

I plan on waiting until my hair reaches 28 inches which is really my first goal and where I will feel like I have a lot of length. Then I intend to hold steady there and do small trims, maybe an inch at a time until all of my layers are grown out. I've been looking at them pretty carefully today and I think I will probably have about six inches to grow out. So it will probably take me about 9-12 months to get all of them out.

Basically I think if you are at the length that you are comfortable with then it will be fine to stop and grow there. Right now I'm very excited about the length so would prefer to get the first goal then wait for the rest of my hair to catch up.

My plan is to trim twice a year, 1 inch off the length, 1/2 inch off the top layer, and blend what's inbetween. That way I'm gradually getting rid of layers but I'm not stuck at one length waiting for the top to catch up with the bottom.

Actually, I never maintained when growing out my layers. I grew them fairly long and just chopped to the top layer.

I think I cried.

It was awful.

mkay, the growing_out_layers_expert here. first of all, i don't consider your case a "big deal". i've nearly grown out extremely deep layers which were cut in long hair to start with. meaning i've spend growing and trimming off most of my growth in the past two years (at least 15"). it obviously transformed my hair, but how do i regret that last haircut i had three years ago! layers in shorter hair wouldn't bother me at all. i even think it looks far better than one length on most hair types. in my case, they started really to bother me past waist length as they were so deep (razor cut with rat tail :lol: ). once between hip and tailbone i started trimming myself. started off by taking off 3" or whatever and continued with smaller monthly microtrims. when i reached back to tailbone i still found it too thin and trimmed huge amounts again. this year i had some huge trims and hope to back at tailbone by christmas.

My hair is layered and I have been growing it from my last cut a year now, from BSL. It is now at waist. My plan is to get to tailbone and then maintain to get rid of the layers. I am aiming for a soft U.

I think if you let your hair grow to waist length and beyond it will become easier to handle the layers and to wait for your hair to even out.

off topic: styg: I find your hair amazing and extremely beautiful. I came across your posts before and wanted to tell you this for sometime now. I just find it really lovely.

My philosophy is the same as HerbalAnnie's. I really didn't know that I had SO many layers until I decided to grow my hair longer.

My hair is BSL and I've decided to gradually trim off the layers. I don't find them that big of a deal, as it's to the point where I can get all of my hair into a ponytail (last year I couldn't and that was HORRIBLE), but they still poke out of buns and braids unless I'm ultra-greasy (like disgustingly so), but I don't want to lose length (cutting my hair has become way to traumatic for that, after I got my bangs, even though I ended up liking them, I was torn between vomitting and crying), so I'm just doing a half-inch trim every month to get them out. I grow about 1-1.5 inches a month, so I should still be able to get to my goal of classic in 18 months to two years, which seems pretty good.

I recommend choosing a goal, finding out your rate of growth, and then making a plan. That's personally what works best for me as then I know EXACTLY what to do and I'm not stuck with "if"s and "maybe"s.

I let my longest layer grow to about waist length and then I trim back to bsl. That said, I have a high waist - there's not a lot of distance between bsl and waist on me.