Lauren, 28
“When I was younger but still old enough to know better (okay, I was 22), I cut my own fringe. Mistake number one: cutting curly hair when wet. Mistake number two: pulling it tight and straight without a thought for the bounce back all curly hair is prone to. Mistake number three: my misplaced confidence with the scissors. No trimming a little and stopping to judge before going back in – I just cut the whole thing off. The result was a VERY short fringe that reached about 1/3 down my forehead and curled here, there and everywhere.”
Lauren’s hair growth story: Styling can help – as long as you’re protecting, too
“I was straightening my fringe a lot to make it seem longer – but I wasn’t protecting my hair enough,” Lauren explains. “I realized the heat damage was causing a lot of breakage, and stopping me from getting any real growth.” Curls can make hair appear shorter, so straightening might seem like the answer. But without proper protection, styling tools can damage hair, causing split ends, breakage and a lot of lost length. Use protecting hair products before you style: Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner helps to seal and smooth heat-damaged hair, strengthening to help prevent breakage.