Is a trim really necessary?

[yokoyokogirl]

Everytime I get my hair done (about 3x a year) the stylist says I need a trim. I feel like I'm always growing my hair out to have it hacked right back off. Is a trim really necessary ant that often?

 

[glamazon386]

I don't think that's often at all considering most stylists want to trim with every relaxer, every 6 to 8 weeks. I don't think 3 times a year is bad. I usually try to trim once every 6 months - so twice a year. I notice a difference in my hair when it's time for a trim. I hate the way raggedy ends look on straight hair.

ETA: It also depends on how much she's trimming. If she's just snipping the ends, it's no big deal. I think I got maybe an inch or an inch and a half trimmed last time and it had been almost 10 months because I had been slacking. If I had gotten it trimmed on a regular basis, more than that would have been trimmed over time.

 

[chasturner84]

Well during my last "trim" the stylist cut off 3 inches because she thought I needed a blunt cut. Umm I should say that I haven't let another stylist "trim" my hair since (April 2009) because I started doing it myself. I would suggest that you start trimming your own hair. That way you get exactly what you want and it eliminates the unnecessary loss of otherwise healthy ends. We have some really great tutorials on this board...check them out. I TRIM (1-1.5 inches) my ends about twice a year but I dust/S&D every month or so.

 

[glamazon386]

Well during my last "trim" the stylist cut off 3 inches because she thought I needed a blunt cut. Umm I should say that I haven't let another stylist "trim" my hair since (April 2009) because I started doing it myself. I would suggest that you start trimming your own hair. That way you get exactly what you want and it eliminates the unnecessary loss of otherwise healthy ends. We have some really great tutorials on this board...check them out. I TRIM (1-1.5 inches) my ends about twice a year but I dust/S&D every month or so.

And that's where the problem comes in. I don't blame people for not wanting stylists to trim their hair in this case. I'd be pissed if she chopped 3 inches off. Getting rid of bad ends is one thing but a cut I didn't authorize is something different.

 

[Kurlee]

girl, just trim your hair yourself. Anyone who trims your hair on a schedule without actually checking your ends for breakage or splits is just scissor happy and will screw up your progress. Stay AWAY. Check out the tutorials for self trimming. This is the one I use:

http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim

I learned to trim myself and my hair took off after that and i realized the constant cutting wasn't helping. I cut a maximum of 2 times a year. Also, realize as your hair grows out, it WILL NOT grow even and constantly cutting it even every few months is a complete waste of time. I just trim each section until the majority of my hair is at the desired length; THEN i cut it into a style.

 

[Nonie]

I personally believe that if you're not dusting regularly, a trim is necessary. The oldest parts of your hair wear and tear with time, just like anything else in life, and the longer you hold onto the ends, the more that is transferred up the strand...so that you find you have more that needs to go. This was discussed in this thread: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=451518

 

[Meritamen]

Every time I get my hair done (about 3x a year) the stylist says I need a trim. I feel like I'm always growing my hair out to have it hacked right back off. Is a trim really necessary ant that often?

How much is your stylist cutting off when you get a trim? I think a trim is 1/4 a inch of hair which isn't a big deal and a dusting is less than that. If she is cutting more than that than she is giving you a haircut and you won't retain much length if you have a stylist who keeps chopping it off every three months.
I completely agree with Nonie. If you are not regularly dusting your hair than you need to get regular trims.
I trust myself even less than a hair stylist to do my own hair trimming but I have a new hairstylist who is awesome! Just make sure when you get you hair cut, trimmed or dusted that you tell you stylist exactly what you want and that she shows you the amount she will be cutting off before she even reaches for the scissors. And she should never turn you away from facing the mirror!!!

 

[LadyRaider]

My hair is not long enough to self-dust.

 

[charmtreese]

I have my hair trimmed at every touch up (12-14 weeks). My stylist knows to trim only the bare minimum which is usually about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. My ends are much better when I trim regularly!!!

 

[hillytmj]

I have my hair trimmed at every touch up (12-14 weeks). My stylist knows to trim only the bare minimum which is usually about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. My ends are much better when I trim regularly!!!

ITA...I don't think regular trims are a bad thing, and do they help me retain length better. The key is that a trim shouldn't be very much hair. Most stylists go for the gusto and try to cut 1-2 inches and if they do that, you won't see progress.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

I've come to find trims completely unnecessary. Now I'm all about search and destroys. I do them once a month to every two months and my ends look great for it. PinkSkates was the one that sealed the deal on this for me because this is her method of choice for maintaining healthy ends.

When I really sat down and thought about the process of trimming....the fact of the matter is alot of perfectly healthy ends are sacrificed because of a few bad apples.

My process is I straighten my hair (pin straight) and just grab bunches of my hair when I'm watching tv or surfing the net and just knock out my splits one by one. You'd be surprised how few there are when you stay on top of it and do it fairly regularly.

I got a trim at a trusted salon in January and that was the last straw for me. The stylist just kept cutting and cutting away and going over the same sections for the sake of "style" I really wasn't with it....and I came to realize that this is the way the vast majority of stylists have been trained. If I want to retain the most length I can while maintaining healthy ends I need to do it all myself.

OP I really think you should consider self-relaxing, and doing search and destroys and evening out when you feel its appropriate.

 

[Kurlee]

^^^ sooo on point

 

[yokoyokogirl]

Thanks for all the info. I decided to start dusting myself because it seems as though that works for a lot of you ladies.