Is it absolutely mandatory to trim split ends?

[SleekandBouncy]

Yes. Two reasons:

1 - Split ends will travel up making it necessary when you do finally cut to trim even more hair than before.

2 - Split ends in great abunance makes the hair look trashy. On dark hair they show in the form of these strange white ends that look almost like burnt ends, they also take away from the luster of hair. There's nothing sleek or healthy looking about long hair that's split or uneven IF you wear it down on. If you're wearing it up or in protective styles then I would still recommending dusting your ends at least, otherwise the splits will travel up.

 

[GoldenBreeze]

My trims are few and far in between. I might trim and inch once every couple of years. I realize that isn't for everyone, but it works fine for me.

 

[AFashionSlave]

OMG!
I swear....
If this thread gets bumped one more time....
I will find that old "Is Jada's hair real - where do you stand thread" and set this message board OFF right!

Ya'll are always bumpin these old @ss threads.

lol: I'm just playin ya'll.)

 

[pistachio]

Clean ends make a world of difference!! I had to learn the hard way. My hair was BSL, and started to break. It started to get thin at 2" above BSL, but I didn't want to cut it. I was stubborn. Eventually, I had to cut it to APL. Lesson learned.

 

[Candy1978]

It is NOT necessary to trim hair in order for it to grow, I have grown my hair to SL w/highlights, and I do not trim my hair. Once I get past SL I am going to trim my ends, but only to make the hair look even and pretty. I know plenty of people who do not trim hair and it is very long, I really think it is a matter of personal choice.

 

[lisana]

I don't trim mine and they don't look bad. They don't look 100% perfect but I don't expect them too and if I wear my hair bone straight it's because I use a flat iron and that really smooth the ends. I plan on reaching my milestones and then cuttings. I may do a 1/4 inch trim at my next touch-up but that's it until I reach APL.

 

[knottyaaverage]

HELL YESSSSS!! TRIM THE SH!TS!!! GET RID OF THAT DEAD WEIGHT! ALL IT'S GOING TO DO IS KEEP SPLITTLING AND MAKE UR HAIR LOOK BAD. DUSTING IF FINE IN U CAN FIND ALL THE SPLITS AND IF U DON'T WANT TO DO A BLUNT CUT, BUT GET RID OF THE DAMAGE. IT'S JUST LIKE HAVING A BROKEN NAIL. EVENTUALLY U'LL HAVE TO CUT IT. AND OF COURSE A LONG BROKEN NAIL WILL NEVER LOOK AS GOOD AS A LONG FILED AND HEALTHY NAIL. SAVE URSELF THE DRAMA HUN

 

[knottyaaverage]

2 - Split ends in great abunance makes the hair look trashy. On dark hair they show in the form of these strange white ends that look almost like burnt ends, they also take away from the luster of hair. There's nothing sleek or healthy looking about long hair that's split or uneven IF you wear it down on. If you're wearing it up or in protective styles then I would still recommending dusting your ends at least, otherwise the splits will travel up.

CAN U POST A PHOTO OF WHAT THESE "STRANGE WHITE ENDS" LOOK LIKE, CUZ I'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS ALOT.

 

[Artemis]

Yes!!! It is mandatory to trim split ends, but it is NOT mandatory to trim uneven ends. There is a big difference.

ETA: This is what S&D (search & destroy) is for ...

 

[NYAmicas]

I'm not going to be trimming my hair any more-that's just me. Right now my hair is airdrying and yeah, the ends look crazy but I cant find a split end to save my life. And seriously, I will fight with my hair and curse it out but I love every strand whether its perfect or not. I was letting a beautician trim my hair whenever she felt it was necessary which was prob every 6-8 weeks and my hair was going nowhere. Plus my hair was still breaking and shedding like crazy even though admittedly it did look neater at the ends.
When I stopped seeing her my hair has grown and that breakage and shedding has significantly decreased. A lot of people have stated that the split hair will travel up the hair shaft and all that but couldnt breaking hair come from just a damaged strand? Who's counting these hairs as original hairs that were split once upon a time? Maybe because I have very thick hair I just dont see this and my hair isnt thin or anything at the ends. And another question, I have an eight year old cousin with almost mid-back length hair that is usually kept in braids (not relaxed!). Should she get trims or only relaxed heads?
Just wondering.

 

[sonce]

I remember somebody posting an article where Ouidad said that cutting curly hair because of splits is pointless because splits can occur anywhere along the shaft. You might as well shave your head.

ITA. Hair will always have splits, and curly hair, especially, will have quite a few splits. With proper hair care and gentleness, one can reduce the occurrence of splits, and I think that should be a major focus of a good regimen. However, aiming to cut off every split in sight is an exercise in futility and a great way to get frustrated.

Now with supplements, scalp massages, and drinking lots of water, I'm just hoping that my hair will grow faster than it will split.

It probably will. And most importantly, the hair that grows out of your scalp now that you are on this health kick will be healthier and less prone to damage than the rest of your hair.

I was examining my hair the other day, and saw i have some split ends in the front of my hair and some of them go pretty far up, but i realized they have probably been there a long time and didnt hurt nothin all this time, so im not gonna go cuttin it all off now. i think it just depends, if there is massive breakage, then yeah trim...but a few splits i dont think can even ever be totally avoided. i didnt even know i had them till i really looked and they havent hurt anything so far

This is exactly the case for me. My growth and length retention are both excellent yet I have some splits. I rarely trim yet my ends are thick, even and in great shape--better shape that those of women who I know trim every three seconds. Find me a long head of hair without splits, and I'll show you a pink elephant in the sky.

 

[tenjoy]

I never trim.

 

[DayStar]

my ends never get thin looking..EVER...i trim whenever i want too, which isnt often anymore. I think you should trim your ends if they looked very thin. Other than that....no, dust.

 

[FindingMe]

I think it's necessary to trim them. You can't repair split ends and they have the potential to travel up your hair shaft and get worse. 1/4 of an inch can then become 1/2 of an inch (and so on). I say trim them when needed. (but then, I am also a recovering scissor addict...)

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

I don't think it's manadatory to trim split endz. I will trim them if I want thick blunt ends, but right now i haven't trimme din about 3 months and my ends still look healthy despite the few splits I have. I think it's jsut a styling preference. It depends on what look you're going for

 

[ShiShiPooPoo]

I voted yes...

I noticed two hairs with splits within a months time and just went and got a trim about 3 days ago.

 

[Ericka]

Basically if you want to keep thick blunt healthy ends, then yes you should trim on a regular basics. But if you don't mind having thin ends and a long length then no, don't worry about trimming, especially if you don't normally wear your hair down but up in a bun or ponytail.

 

[gloomgeisha]

Just from my own personal experience, I'd say trim. Even though I'm natural and use no heat- my hair becomes an easily tangled mess if I go to long without a little snip to my ends. Professional Hair Gurus call it "dusting."- whatever it's called, I'd say it's pretty mandatory.

 

[charmtreese]

Before I started really paying attention to what makes healthy hair I would have said "No", now that I know that health should come before length I say "yes".

IMO healthy hair is not riddled with splits and damage. Since split ends are inevitable, the goal is not to try to cut them ALL away at once, but to lightly dust periodically to stop old ones from spreading and causing more damage and to prevent new ones from starting.

 

[clever]

Before I started really paying attention to what makes healthy hair I would have said "No", now that I know that health should come before length I say "yes".

IMO healthy hair is not riddled with splits and damage. Since split ends are inevitable, the goal is not to try to cut them ALL away at once, but to lightly dust periodically to stop old ones from spreading and causing more damage and to prevent new ones from starting.

I remember reading this thread one year a thinking "no,its not mandatory".I was more concerned with length than health.Now I would have to say yes.Mine just kept moving upward and making my head look a mess.Its not even about "thin" ends its about ragged,beat up,abused ends.Holding on to them did nothing benificial for my hair.

 

[crazydaze911]

as a side note - how do you know when its time to trim? i think my ends look bad now, but others would say its just cuz its curly. my last trim was in january, and by march, another beautician wanted to trim it again! my hair grows slow and i did not use any heat in between visits, so i said 'no' (it was only 2 months in between). Plus, the same day i get a trim, i see splits, so i'm totally lost - any advice?

btw - i used to trim with every relaxer (every 3 months) and retained no length. now i am transitioning w/out BC.

Thanks!

 

[BillsBackerz67]

as a side note - how do you know when its time to trim? i think my ends look bad now, but others would say its just cuz its curly. my last trim was in january, and by march, another beautician wanted to trim it again! my hair grows slow and i did not use any heat in between visits, so i said 'no' (it was only 2 months in between). Plus, the same day i get a trim, i see splits, so i'm totally lost - any advice?

btw - i used to trim with every relaxer (every 3 months) and retained no length. now i am transitioning w/out BC.

Thanks!

my hair gets super tangly and dry...the ends also start to curl awkwardly.

 

[godsflowerrr]

If I don't trim on a regular basis, my ends start to look like a hot mess so I have to trim.

 

[Neith]

I've given this a lot of thought... I even wrote a little bit about it in my fotki!

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/album.php?albumid=495&pictureid=2525

Unless your hair is very damaged, then no... I don't see the reason for cutting splits off healthy hair.
​

 

[naijamerican]

my hair gets super tangly and dry...the ends also start to curl awkwardly.

This is EXACTLY what happens to me, too. My ends get so tangly that it hurts to comb my hair, even when it's saturated in conditioner. It neither looks nor feels right. I have decided that I probably need to trim more often. Thankfully I did get an aggressive trim last night and I deep conditioned overnight to get a good start on taking care of my hair.

 

[SoCalli]

Yes, it is mandatory. I know a girl that refused to cut her ends. Needless to say, her hair starting breaking up to her roots. Her hair is so damaged. It will take years to fix. I told her to cut it, but she didn't want to. I don't understand the fear of cutting your hair. It will grow back.

 

[crazydaze911]

Yes, it is mandatory. I know a girl that refused to cut her ends. Needless to say, her hair starting breaking up to her roots. Her hair is so damaged. It will take years to fix. I told her to cut it, but she didn't want to. I don't understand the fear of cutting your hair. It will grow back.

Just playing devils advocate here - after 15 years of trimming and being stuck at armpit, the 'it will grow back' excuse doesnt hold as much weight. Im still trying to recover from my 2004 'trim' that was really a cut

BUT, at the same time, you can tell when ur hair is getting REALLY damaged and should def do SOMETHING about it before it travels up to your roots. Guess it depends. dont beat me up for this one, but i think when ur hair is fully natural, trimming becomes less important - the woman from that bi-racial website with the long curly hair says she hasnt trimmed in 8 years!

 

[JustKiya]

I don't trim my splits. I haven't touched scissors to head in.......18 months, now. I check my shed hairs, and sometimes 90% of them won't have a split, and the rest will. *shrug* Yesterday, I looked at a shed hair, and it had 5 splits on the one strand - like Nonie said, for my curly hair, I'd have to shave my head to get rid of the splits.
If I ever wore my hair straight, it might matter more to me to have fewer splits, but right now? It's not worth the headache to find JUST the split hairs, and it's not worth the sacrifice to cut off perfectly fine hair for the sake of a few splits.

 

[Sunshine0801]

I trim my splits by using the search and destroy method, since I am natural and don't care about my hair all being one length. I don't need to do it regularly because I don't have that many splits.

 

[SoCalli]

Just playing devils advocate here - after 15 years of trimming and being stuck at armpit, the 'it will grow back' excuse doesnt hold as much weight. Im still trying to recover from my 2004 'trim' that was really a cut

BUT, at the same time, you can tell when ur hair is getting REALLY damaged and should def do SOMETHING about it before it travels up to your roots. Guess it depends. dont beat me up for this one, but i think when ur hair is fully natural, trimming becomes less important - the woman from that bi-racial website with the long curly hair says she hasnt trimmed in 8 years!

I think it depends on the frequency and how much you trim off. I get my hair trimmed every three months. The stylists take half an inch off. My hair was approaching mbl until I got my tail cut off (hated it). It is bsl now. My sister does the same thing and her hair is growing just fine.

Instead of retaining all six inches, I retain four inches of healthy hair. My hair is natural as well. To be honest, most of the heads of hair that I see on this forum that don't trim regularly, don't look good. To me, they are avoiding the inevitable especially if they plan on wearing it out straight. For the people who wear their hair in its naturally curly state, it is probably less important, but eventually those hairs will snap off and break just from the detangling process. I used to have major split ends, but since I've started my regular trimming schedule they have reduced greatly.