Well, hello there contentious question. Haven’t we all heard this one before! There’s that lousy hairdresser down the road from you whom you think probably only passed grade 3 in school who tells you that you must come in every 6 weeks to get a hair trim or a shark will eat you or something.
There’s your friend with the ratty ends who are “growing it out” who says she hasn’t cut her hair in 6 months because otherwise, it’ll never get long. (For the record, it is getting long, but those ends are looking horrendous)
There are hairdressers who will say that you need an inch off every time or 2 inches. There are ones that will snip just the teeniest tiniest bit off your ends because they know you’ll cry if you walk out with hair that is shorter.
Look, ultimately, how often you need a hair trim depends on a few different things. Let’s take a look, shall we?
How fast your hair grows
Some people’s hair grows lightning quick, some people’s is really slow. This may be just your genetics, or if you have slow hair growth it could be because of your health, too. Anyway. So if your hair is growing fast and you want to keep it the same length you need to cut it. Makes sense. If it’s hardly growing but looks fine? Hey, just leave it, don’t listen to your hairdresser.
How damaged your hair is
Damaged hair is generally going to be the main thing that is going to send you for the trim before you’d like to. Use of heating tools, bleach, chemical straighteners, chlorine, etc… these can all damage your hair. If the ends are starting to feel dry or split, then you should probably go for a trim and add more deep treatments to your weekly hair routine while you’re at it.
Your ends have all the colour seeped out
If your dye is seriously fading on your ends and it’s starting to look stupid, you have two options – do it to dye your hair again, or give it a trim and get rid of those lacklustre ends. You can even go for both if you want to.
What kind of cut do you have?
Some cuts require a fair amount of maintenance. A very short pixie cut might need monthly maintenance, as might a very blunt fringe or buzzed sides. These high-maintenance cuts are only for those who are dedicated to regular upkeep.
How much do I need to get trimmed?
It’s really up to you how much you want to get trimmed. Don’t let your hairdresser pressure you into something you don’t want to do or you will end up regretting it. Hairdressers always want you to get rid of all your split ends, but for some of us, that goes all the way up – and that’s not even with layers cut in. Instead of chopping heaps off, work on keeping your hair in better condition by laying off the heating tools and dye and using quality products. Go in more regularly for trims until your hair is back in better shape. This way you won’t walk out the door after cutting off 4 inches and feeling immediately like walking into the wig shop 3 doors down. Trust me.
Do I need to go to the hairdresser for a trim?
While you can go to the hairdresser for a trim, there’s also the option to DIY at home if you are only trimming the ends, it’s a straight cut, and you don’t have a lot of hair. It may take you a few hours but you can get the exact result you want that way. You’ll need to pick up a set of speciality hair cutting scissors because the ones you use in the kitchen or for crafts just aren’t going to cut it… It’s better to give it a go yourself than to entrust it to a friend or your mum or sister. After all, if they stuff it up you’re probably going to have a screaming match with them, but if you stuff it up you’ll only have yourself to blame.
For anything trickier, like layers, or changing the style slightly, or if you have a fringe or side fringe that needs trimming, it’s best to head to the hairdresser. These can be difficult to achieve at home without the relevant training and practice. There are plenty of YouTube fail videos that can attest to this!
Some people go all year without a trim, and others get it done monthly like clockwork. If you have a sharp haircut or damaged hair it’s better to go more regularly; otherwise, it’s really up to you – whenever you feel you need it.
