Can hair be too accustomed to trims?

[Lady_Lioness]

I don't know if this has been brought up before...but I was just wondering...Can hair really be accustomed to trimmings?...I read that alot of ladies on these hair boards can't go a month or 2 without a trim (even if they would keep it up in a bun or moisturize the heck out of it) or else their hair would be a hot mess...For example; thinning hair, see-thru ends, split ends, etc;

I ,personally, don't trim that often, maybe once a year or once every two years...so far I haven't experienced these problems.

Anywayz I'm planning on trimming my hair often when i finally reach my official goal of mid-back length...I'm just concerned that once i start trimming more often and one day I do decide not to trim for a while... my hair would become so accustomed to trimmings that I would have to, no matter what, get a trim all to prevent split ends and see-thru ends...Is there such a thing as hair being accustomed to trims? Can this actually happen? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Interesting question.

I think the health of the hair largely determines how much trimming is necessary. Before I started my healthy hair journey, I used to trim my hair with EVERY relaxer which was 6-8 weeks. I didn't know any better b/c stylists always teach you that if you want healthy hair, you gotta keep up with those relaxers.

Anyhow, since then, I have trimmed much less. This year, I've had 1 trim and 1 dusting. I may trim a little in December with my relaxer just to have extra crisp ends, but I don't think it will be necessary b/c I've been babying my ends.

I think the product that you use on your ends has a great deal to do with how much trimming is necessary too. Sometimes you can get away with not trimming if you're using the right products to seal and protect the ends and/or protective styling.

I don't think trimming should be necessary that often if the hair is healthy, but like you, I've heard ladies say that their hair MUST be trimmed every 2 months or so.

JMHO
{DI}

 

[Lady_Lioness]

Interesting question.

I think the health of the hair largely determines how much trimming is necessary. Before I started my healthy hair journey, I used to trim my hair with EVERY relaxer which was 6-8 weeks. I didn't know any better b/c stylists always teach you that if you want healthy hair, you gotta keep up with those relaxers.

Anyhow, since then, I have trimmed much less. This year, I've had 1 trim and 1 dusting. I may trim a little in December with my relaxer just to have extra crisp ends, but I don't think it will be necessary b/c I've been babying my ends.

I think the product that you use on your ends has a great deal to do with how much trimming is necessary too. Sometimes you can get away with not trimming if you're using the right products to seal and protect the ends and/or protective styling.

I don't think trimming should be necessary that often if the hair is healthy, but like you, I've heard ladies say that their hair MUST be trimmed every 2 months or so.

JMHO
{DI}

Thanx Divine for the response...I didn't know any better either when stylist would say you must trim w/ every relaxer in order to have healthy hair...now I know that was all b/s.

I was just so worried that since my hair hasn't been trimmed often for years and i've been doing good so far...that when I do decide to trim it often just to maintain it at mid-back length...and out of the blue, one day, decide not to do it anymore for a while...I would wonder if my hair would have any setbacks...I've been doing a few dustings here and there without any problems/never a trim...I guess as you say it all depends on the right type of products you use...but i'm still confused when ladies on here would say that though they do protective stylings and moisturize their ends every single day...they still need to trim...Ladies is it mostly to even things up? or Do you actually see split-ends?

 

[Candy_C]

Oh yes, i believe they can, theres a good reason why.

i have read many a time, that trimmed hair is more prone to spit ends as the actual end under the horoscope is cut straight like: _ { which is quite obvious after you get a trim }...BUT the uncut end is apparently rounded at the end like a: U shape.
I personally, have noticed after a fresh trim i have seen a few frayed ends. i haven't trimmed for nearly 7 months now, and i dnt have hardly any splits. Heres another take...i remember when i had very long nails, i heard that having them square cut like ___ across, was meant to make them stronger, mine were infact weaker when they were square, when i rounded them off they were much smoother and stronger as the had no "corners" thats my take on it all. i will have to find that thread/site about trims n splits though - interesting stuff!

 

[secretdiamond]

Thanx Divine for the response...I didn't know any better either when stylist would say you must trim w/ every relaxer in order to have healthy hair...now I know that was all b/s.

I was just so worried that since my hair hasn't been trimmed often for years and i've been doing good so far...that when I do decide to trim it often just to maintain it at mid-back length...and out of the blue, one day, decide not to do it anymore for a while...I would wonder if my hair would have any setbacks...I've been doing a few dustings here and there without any problems/never a trim...I guess as you say it all depends on the right type of products you use...but i'm still confused when ladies on here would say that though they do protective stylings and moisturize their ends every single day...they still need to trim...Ladies is it mostly to even things up? or Do you actually see split-ends?

To me, a dusting is a trim, so according to some, what I got in september was a dusting. My stylist barely took anything off. I think it's the same thing. About hair being accustomed to trims? I have to get back to that.....

 

[curlygirl493]

no-hair is dead

 

[Lady_Lioness]

Oh yes, i believe they can, theres a good reason why.

i have read many a time, that trimmed hair is more prone to spit ends as the actual end under the horoscope is cut straight like: _ { which is quite obvious after you get a trim }...BUT the uncut end is apparently rounded at the end like a: U shape.
I personally, have noticed after a fresh trim i have seen a few frayed ends. i haven't trimmed for nearly 7 months now, and i dnt have hardly any splits. Heres another take...i remember when i had very long nails, i heard that having them square cut like ___ across, was meant to make them stronger, mine were infact weaker when they were square, when i rounded them off they were much smoother and stronger as the had no "corners" thats my take on it all. i will have to find that thread/site about trims n splits though - interesting stuff!

Thanx Candy,very interesting...You see that's why i'm so afraid of getting a trim I don't want to end up with split or raggedy looking ends...so basically if it's not broken don't fix it...I haven't trimmed for a whole year and I haven't seen a split end since...so i guess trims really isn't that necessary as I thought...but what if you just want to maintain a specific length and have to trim?...I'm so terrified that this may occur...and then i'm back to square one.

 

[Lady_Lioness]

To me, a dusting is a trim, so according to some, what I got in september was a dusting. My stylist barely took anything off. I think it's the same thing. About hair being accustomed to trims? I have to get back to that.....

Oh ok...I thought by getting a dusting...which is taking a tiny amount of hair off... isn't considered a trim?...Please someone correct me on that?...What is actually dusting?...I may be wrong

 

[Candy_C]

Thanx Candy,very interesting...You see that's why i'm so afraid of getting a trim I don't want to end up with split or raggedy looking ends...so basically if it's not broken don't fix it...I haven't trimmed for a whole year and I haven't seen a split end since...so i guess trims really isn't that necessary as I thought...but what if you just want to maintain a specific length and have to trim?...I'm so terrified that this may occur...and then i'm back to square one.

Hmmmm i understand. but in all honesty, trims are good in the end. without trims my hair would look disastrous. as long as the scissors are super duper sharp you should have no problems. the times I've noticed frays is when the scissors were 1. not my own or 2. basically BLUNT!

 

[Lady_Lioness]

Oh i c...Candy, Do you do your own trims? or Do you let a stylist do it for you?

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

I'm one of those ladies whose hair MUST be trimmed every 8-10 weeks. I'm not sure how some of you go months on end without getting a trim but more power to ya, anyway. I never wear my hair down either. I'm always wearing either pin-ups or french twists or some other non manipulation style. Not for the purpose of growth or anything, just because it's easier to deal with. I've tried the trim stretch and the results were horrible. I just figured that some can omit the scissors and others (like me) cannot.

 

[secretdiamond]

Oh ok...I thought by getting a dusting...which is taking a tiny amount of hair off... isn't considered a trim?...Please someone correct me on that?...What is actually dusting?...I may be wrong

No... you're right! I was just saying that to me my trims are usually dustings b/c I think of them interchangeably. To me, a trim is cutting off the right amount of hair to keep the ends healthy. When I go to my stylist, I ask for a trim and she'll cut off the necessary amount. So if she cuts off an eighth of an inch or 2 inches, to me, I got a trim. So technically, I guess, my trims are not really trims, but dustings b/c she always barely cuts anything. Either way, I feel, if used right, and when needed, scissors are my best friend! But that's just me.

 

[Candy_C]

Oh i c...Candy, Do you do your own trims? or Do you let a stylist do it for you?

well i doubt i will ever need another trim, unless i need more layers etc. but i do my own dustings, which is nothing really so i cant really go wrong. trims...hmmm i'd leave the shaping up stuff 2 either my mum or a hairstylist...buttt if i was to have my hair shaped i would ask a trusty family member or talk to someone you see with long hair....i just do NOT trust hairstylists with scissors and my hair! i have considered going to white stylists for a dry trim, but they expensive!

 

[Lady_Lioness]

I'm one of those ladies whose hair MUST be trimmed every 8-10 weeks. I'm not sure how some of you go months on end without getting a trim but more power to ya, anyway. I never wear my hair down either. I'm always wearing either pin-ups or french twists or some other non manipulation style. Not for the purpose of growth or anything, just because it's easier to deal with. I've tried the trim stretch and the results were horrible. I just figured that some can omit the scissors and others (like me) cannot.

Oh Wow thanx alot...I've been without a trim for a year and my hair is so far doing ok...maybe a little light dustings every now and then...Can you please tell me what it is you saw when you tried the trim stretch? Were your ends thin? Split? and How long have you been trimming?

 

[Lady_Lioness]

No... you're right! I was just saying that to me my trims are usually dustings b/c I think of them interchangeably. To me, a trim is cutting off the right amount of hair to keep the ends healthy. When I go to my stylist, I ask for a trim and she'll cut off the necessary amount. So if she cuts off an eighth of an inch or 2 inches, to me, I got a trim. So technically, I guess, my trims are not really trims, but dustings b/c she always barely cuts anything. Either way, I feel, if used right, and when needed, scissors are my best friend! But that's just me.

Thanx 4 clearing that up for me...I thought I wasn't accurate on what dustings and trimmings were...Scissors scares me!!!

 

[Lady_Lioness]

well i doubt i will ever need another trim, unless i need more layers etc. but i do my own dustings, which is nothing really so i cant really go wrong. trims...hmmm i'd leave the shaping up stuff 2 either my mum or a hairstylist...buttt if i was to have my hair shaped i would ask a trusty family member or talk to someone you see with long hair....i just do NOT trust hairstylists with scissors and my hair! i have considered going to white stylists for a dry trim, but they expensive!

You are so right on that...I'm so scared to let any stylist come close to my hair with scissors...they always seem to take too much off...though you specifically suggest how much you want taken off...your hair looks so gorgeous by the way...thanx girl for your advice...you've really been a help.

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

Oh Wow thanx alot...I've been without a trim for a year and my hair is so far doing ok...maybe a little light dustings every now and then...Can you please tell me what it is you saw when you tried the trim stretch? Were your ends thin? Split? and How long have you been trimming?

Okay... I tried stretching my trim about 16 weeks. At first I was ecstatic at what I was seeing, my hair was really taking off. But at the end of those 16 weeks, whoah. I mean whoah. My ends looked scraggly and fuzzy. They were going in a hundred different directions and just looked really unhealthy. Mind you during my stretch I was keeping my ends moisterized with shea butter and the works. But in the end the stretching thing just didn't work. In fact, by my next trim I had a little more taken off than what I would have liked, but I had to just to make up for the trims that I had skipped.

 

[Blossssom]

I think so... anything can become "accustomed".

Understanding that hair is dead, but it's not dead at the same time.

I have a question to pose about our hair, but it has to wait until tomorrow...

 

[MizAvalon]

well i doubt i will ever need another trim, unless i need more layers etc. but i do my own dustings, which is nothing really so i cant really go wrong. trims...hmmm i'd leave the shaping up stuff 2 either my mum or a hairstylist...buttt if i was to have my hair shaped i would ask a trusty family member or talk to someone you see with long hair....i just do NOT trust hairstylists with scissors and my hair! i have considered going to white stylists for a dry trim, but they expensive!

If you want to go to a white stylist for a cheap trim try a chain like SuperCuts or JCPenney.

 

[Candy_C]

I think so... anything can become "accustomed".

Understanding that hair is dead, but it's not dead at the same time.

I have a question to pose about our hair, but it has to wait until tomorrow...

I believe this too, you can train your hair to be less porous, stronger, more moisturised, softer...its endless. like any part of your body, hair may be "dead" but its only dead protein, if it was so dead i dont think we could alter its structure to a healthier one

 

[Lady_Lioness]

I think so... anything can become "accustomed".

Understanding that hair is dead, but it's not dead at the same time.

I have a question to pose about our hair, but it has to wait until tomorrow...

Excellent point...This is also what I believe...I hear so many ladies on here say that they would often have to switch products...in order to prevent their hair from getting used to it...most claim that it wouldn't work as well for them anymore...If hair is "dead" shouldn't we be able to use any product without our hair getting "used" to it?

 

[NoNapNique]

...If hair is "dead" shouldn't we be able to use any product without our hair getting "used" to it?

Yes we should... What most people mistake as "hair getting used to" something is actually buildup from the products that *prevents* their favorite products from working - and they need to get rid of that buildup. That is why clarifying is so important. I don't think it is possible for hair to "get used to" anything, because hair is "dead" once it pushes out from our scalp.

In response to the original post....
Hair cannot "think", it can only "react". If hair is dry it will eventually split at the end if you're not constantly putting in moisture - not because you missed getting a trim. I had to learn this myself about my naturally dry hair. I have to moisturize and use a leave-in twice a day in order to keep it healthy. I had not trimmed or relaxed since Aug... I relaxed last night (at 12 wks post) and noticed I STILL had a blunt shape from when I trimmed in Aug. and my see-thru ends are filling in nicely

 

[Mahalialee4]

IMONo. I do no think hair gets accustomed to trims. But people do and so do the stylists which translates into mo money honey. Another thing. This is a "modern" approach...the trimming....bkntheday this was not demanded and if it was done not in the ......manner that it is today. On natural hair since it does not hang straight, why would it really matter? And the urban myth about splitting all the way up the shaft? Some of the most lovely long hair I have ever seen and there are several...even to calf length...has never been touched by the scissors. I do not believe trimming makes the hair grow either. I believe that hair that has been damaged by chemical abuse, rough handling, and poor daily care, could need some trimming though. And people who grow their hair long with braids to their waist and then have to chop it to their shoulders, something is very wrong with that picture. Bonjour

 

[Lady_Lioness]

IMONo. I do no think hair gets accustomed to trims. But people do and so do the stylists which translates into mo money honey. Another thing. This is a "modern" approach...the trimming....bkntheday this was not demanded and if it was done not in the ......manner that it is today. On natural hair since it does not hang straight, why would it really matter? And the urban myth about splitting all the way up the shaft? Some of the most lovely long hair I have ever seen and there are several...even to calf length...has never been touched by the scissors. I do not believe trimming makes the hair grow either. I believe that hair that has been damaged by chemical abuse, rough handling, and poor daily care, could need some trimming though. And people who grow their hair long with braids to their waist and then have to chop it to their shoulders, something is very wrong with that picture. Bonjour

I couldn't agree with you more...I've also seen ladies with hair extremely long and they've never once used a pair of scissors in their life...and still have healthy hair...so basically it's more of a vanity thing?...I guess for some...

I've also heard the saying that you should trim often so that your hair wouldn't split all the way up to the shaft (heard this from my stylist)...Can this really happen or as you say it's just a myth?...I would like some insight on how this happens if it's true?

Thanx so much ya'll...i'm really learning alot from all of you plus taking notes...very interesting!!!

 

[Mahalialee4]

Speaking as a licensed stylist who worked primarily with long hair, the hair splitting up the shaft thing is mainly urban myth: partly, a fear tactic to establish dependency---something I have never practiced. Partly true, but not the way it is told. Meaning: If you have damaged -relaxing-backcombing, and there are some people that abuse by peeling the ends of their own hair, using razors to slice their hair-letting their dry,moisture starved hair practically dry rot before they take it down to do it all over again until the hair shaft strands become like velcro, yes it can split, tear, and peel. Another thing, sometimes the ends are just dry, and natural hair will bush and crinkle up at the ends BUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY SPLIT ENDS or damaged ends, Natural hair does not end straight! curly hair has curly ends! frizzy hair has frizzy ends!...So when it is proposed to you that unless you allow the stylist to regularly cut your hair, as in 1-2 inch trim OR ELSE, you need to be careful. Best thing is, REALLY KNOW YOUR OWN HAIR AND YOUR HAIR ENDS! especially if you wear your hair natural. Now if you are relaxed and you want you hair to look completely sleek as in European etc. then you may not feel comfortable with the African American ends. Hope this helps. Bonjour