Should You Trim Your Hair Every 6 to 8 Weeks?

[darlingdiva]

Artemis, my lengthy posts are because I don't know how to summarize and get my point across. I am also trying to make it clear that I do understand your point that not everyone will have the exact same schedule, but that a schedule is necessary because change occurs proportionately with time, including wear and tear. I am not forcing anyone to do anything or follow my regimen, but while you simply just say "everyone do what they want", I prefer to provide more guidelines for those who might need them since not everyone is "all set" in their regimen. And because I'm Nonie and love to explain, I go the extra mile of explaining so it can make sense for those who might be like me who like to know the WHY.

I did ask you a question: suppose I had never tried the 6-8 week trimming 1/4 inch schedule and then shared what happened to me between July 2003 and Nov 2003 (that's when my hair thinned) and shared that I hadn't done anything that would explain why my hair thinned, what advice would you give me? I would also like to add that in that time I was moisturizing my hair daily (I joined LHCF in July 2003 and was doing all the good things I found here) and taking hair growth supplements. So I was taking care of my hair more than ever.

If you said to me, "you have to determine for yourself what your needs are", how would I do that? Like, where/how does one start to figure this out?

I am not disagreeing with you at all. I'm just suggesting that the 6-8 week idea seems to me to be a good starting point which can then be tweaked as one sees fit depending on how one cares for one's hair, as you said. And there's really no difference in how much you lose whether you trim every 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks, if the amount you're trimming is proportional to the time you waited to do it. So I am not suggesting anyone sacrifice their length. I just believe you end up having to cut more the longer you wait.

If we go through the forum to find photos of trims, most are at least an inch or more. Trims are usually very noticeable in that the hair appears conspicuously shorter after a trim. Usually they are done after a lot of time has passed. Otherwise those not doing trims show hair that seems to be thin towards the ends. I am just trying to give the point of view that IF you want to see and keep length and fullness, not waiting more than two months but instead clipping this much __ every 2 months might actually help you not only retain better but actually never need to make that length change that a trim done late does, if you're taking good care of your hair. What's more, thin ends would be a thing of the past.

You see, people knock something without even giving it a try if they don't understand it. I am not insisting that anyone make taking 1/4 inch every 6-8 weeks their rule. I even said if 1/8 is what one feels comfortable with--although I find it almost impossible that one can snip this little _ accurately--they can do that. And then see how to change that. I am suggesting dusting every 6-8 weeks can be a starting point for one who finds she needs a trim once in a while; that this may prevent that "need" from ever coming into existence.

I am not suggesting that YOU or anyone happy with their regimen do the 6-8 week trims, but there are people who could use the info I am posting; people who might have been wondering about this and who never gave it much thought. And there might be someone who, like me, could never get their hair to grow beyond 6 inches who might find, like I did, that dusting regularly is the piece that was missing in their regimen. I do go "deep" with this, but that's just to explain the logic behind it for those who care. The real regimen is simpler than the S&D and more effective IMO than any other I've seen.

I think the comment that is italicized in blue really helps to clear up misconceptions regarding a lack of length retention due to trimming or dusting on a schedule. If you're inconsistent with the amount of hair that you trim or if you trim off more hair than you need to trim, then of course you'll never retain length.

I also see nothing wrong with trimming on a schedule. As you pointed out, the hair encounters weathering and mechanical abuses all the time. If you trim or dust every six weeks, think about all of the weathering your hair has gone through in that time. If you trim or dust every six months, think about how much weathering your hair has gone through in that time.

I think trimming or dusting is even more of a pressing issue for those with fine hair because it has fewer cuticle layers (I've read that on here) and it's more susceptible to damage.

Also, natural hair can be quite deceptive. The fros, braidouts, and twistouts can make it seem like our hair is perfectly healthy because the ends blend with the rest of the hair so easily. However, straightening the hair reveals the truth.

I am all about "listening to your hair", but sometimes you don't understand what your hair is saying. That was the case for me regarding trims. Someone has always done my hair for me (my mother or a stylist), so they took care of my trims.
When I started visiting hair forums, I saw so much information about trimming:

-"Don't trim every six to eight weeks because your hair will never grow."

-"Trim your hair on an as-needed basis."

-"Trim more often if you are maintaining a style and want blunt ends, but don't trim (or don't trim so much) if you are trying to reach a certain length."

-"If you don't have split ends, there is no need to trim."

-"If you wear your hair in it's natural state, you don't have to trim (or you don't have to trim as often."

All I know is that I was thoroughly confused, and seeing posts on this issue from members like you and Pokahontas really helped to steer me in the right direction.

 

[MissMusic]

Directly from my blog:
Hanging on to damaged ends only leads to more damage. I dust once in the middle of every stretch and I trim with every relaxer, this ends up being every 6 to 8 weeks. Since I do not relax too often, that may only end up being 3 or 4 times a year, but that is all my hair needs since I do not use heat often.

When dusting and trimming, I cut about an 1/8 of an inch off of the ends of my hair as a preventative step. This is not a necessity, but it does keep my ends happy and I do not have to do drastic trims (1 or more inches). Instead, I can control how much hair I loose each year which means that I retain more length in the end. You can just do a trim once or twice a year and you will probably end up cutting the same amount of hair off each year as I do, however the appearance of your hair might not be as healthy and smooth throughout the year.

Dusting is a must because you give close attention to every part of your hair strand. You are policing your hair by getting rid of any splits further up the strand and making sure you end up with a smooth result. Dusting ensures that the comb has nothing to snag on except dead hair and tangles, which will prevent hair loss and ensure the thickness of your hair remains constant.

You do not need to trim an inch or more off of your hair with every relaxer because you may be cutting all of your progress. However, if you only trim a 1/4 of an inch with every relaxer and you retain 2 inches, you have just gained 1 3/4 inches for that relaxer cycle. In my opinion that is better than retaining 2 inches, but having to cut off an inch due to damaged ends.

You DO NOT have to trim and dust like I do, but do not be afraid to cut your hair. Nobody wants long hair with chewed off ends.

I do not trim my hair every 6-8 weeks for growth, but instead for retention. I used to trim every six months, but I realized that I could trim less hair off in a year if I trimmed every six months. Every six to eight weeks I dust and trim 1/8 in. to 1/4 in., off of my ends, so in a years time I only trim about 1 inch of hair off of my ends. If I retain 7-8 inches of hair in a year and trim only a total of 1 inch each year, I have gained 6-7 inches in that year. However, if I trim every six months and trim 1 inch or 2 inches each trim, I am close to trimming off half of my retained length that year. I am not saying one way is better than the other, but that instead its a choice that may end up in the same result. Evaluate your progress, if it seems that you have to cut off a lot of split ends at the end of the year, then maybe you should trim more often.

 

[Artemis]

I did ask you a question: suppose I had never tried the 6-8 week trimming 1/4 inch schedule and then shared what happened to me between July 2003 and Nov 2003 (that's when my hair thinned) and shared that I hadn't done anything that would explain why my hair thinned, what advice would you give me?

Two things:
1) I never said don't trim on a schedule. I advocate trimming on a schedule--I do so myself, in fact. Further, I endorse more so the importance of being consistent with a trim schedule and thusly one's hair routine in general. There are a lot of assumptions that trimming on a schedule means that everyone is doing the same schedule, irregardless of what their actual hair regimen is (or if they even have one). Some folks are starting out with fairly healthy hair (some know it, some don't) and others are starting out with crap hair (again some know it, some don't).

Rather than confuse people further, my point was to say that if you start out at the "guideline" not rule of trimming 6-8 weeks and it works in moving you towards whatever "healthy hair" goal you have as an individual, then fine. But if after a while, this period of time no longer works for you, then it is okay to consider changing trim frequency. Don't think you must stick to every 6-8 weeks if it does not work for you. For some people as their hair gets healthier, or their styling habits change, or their goals change, and trimming that often is no longer necessary. I am not advocating "do whatever you want". I am simply saying that there aren't any hard-and-fast rules, and that you have to pay attention to what you are doing regardless. At the end of the day it is your responsibility to make the decision (based on what knowledge you have gained about your own hair, hair care routine or lack thereof, and hair styling habits) or not. Not some random article or some poster in a forum. What is confusing about this??

2)To answer your question: The advice I would give you in your posited scenario would be to learn about your hair type (fine/medium/coarse, wiry) evaluate your regimen, make sure that you are not causing any unnecessary damage to your hair, and then begin to get regular trims. As it has been stating exhaustively in this thread by many people, regular trims on a consistent basis are very important. Because in your scenario, you ends are thin, I would recommend cutting the thin ends and then monitoring the integrity of your hair on a weekly basis [depending on your styling habits]. Check at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, but no longer than 10-12. By then, of course there is some wear and tear to the ends and a trim is due. Take notes, hell, take pictures if that's your thing. Whatever you want to do to pay attention to your hair's behavior. Take this time to learn what wear and tear your hair goes through on a regular basis. Determine a trim schedule based on real data monitoring, not some random article. After a few cycles of regular trimming you will be able to determine if your proposed trim schedule fits what you are trying to do, or not. This is a logical way if you just have absolutely no idea where to start.

The point is if you are paying attention to your ends from the beginning, you will know how long it takes for your ends to get ragged, so if you want to prevent it, then you will know when to trim to do so. Not because someone else told you to, but because you have the mindset to take care of your hair yourself. I really hope this makes sense, as I had no intentions whatsoever in having to type so much on this topic. And I hope that I won't have to again

 

[CurlyMoo]

I detest blunt ends. Small trims 2x a year is fine for me. Everyone should just do what's best for them.

 

[Artemis]

Also, I need to say something in regards to explaining for those "who just don't know" or who might want to know "why?"...

If you see my join date, I have been here a long while. I have gone through multiple journeys and have done countless hours of research for myself and for this board. After posting buckets of information with Gymfreak and other members over the years, I have come to realize that while there are a good decent amount of people on this board who do generally "want to know", a lot of them just want the quick fix, or if you tell them the truth about how it takes patience and learning for yourself, they just don't want to hear it. They'd rather just go out and buy the next product and never get it right.

Spending all this time on here made me realize that for those who want it bad enough, they will be willing to put the hours in like we did. That's why the Search function exists. I'm not for spoon-feeding people anymore. Like I said, practicing proper hair care is actually really really simple, though you can easily spend hours discussing the nuances of every aspect. But most people don't want the easy, they think they have to have convoluted regimens and spend thousands of dollars on the next hot product or technique. I just don't subscribe to that anymore. I'd much rather focus on more important aspects of life.

 

[Nonie]

The point is if you are paying attention to your ends from the beginning, you will know how long it takes for your ends to get ragged, so if you want to prevent it, then you will know when to trim to do so.

I think we are on the same page now, except for this^^ point. If you wait until you ends look rugged, you've waited too long IMO. My belief is you must avoid letting your ends ever look rugged by striking while the iron is hot.

There isn't any rational in thinking that your hair can go through any grooming process or even just existing w/o splits developing at some microscopic scale AT LEAST. It's not realistic at all to think like that. All organic matter wears and tears with time...so splits are there even when you can't see them. So as MissMusic wrote, dusting regularly ensures you keep the splits from wrecking havoc on your hair. Don't wait to see them . The image I posted in this thread showing about 1/8 of an inch of a strand of my own hair thinned out because of a split having broken off shows you just how tiny a scale splits can start damaging your hair. That hair is not just split. It is what is left after hair gets to the stage shown in the photo below and then half or more of that split breaks of:

And I doubt folks are straining that hard to study every 1/8 strand of all the 100,000 strands. And en masse, that teeny bit of damage you see in my strand would not stand out. But it is there. And if it is there, then you know there are more because all those ends have endured the same elements on my head.

So I still say, don't wait till you see damage; trim a tiny bit after 2 months or so have gone by...and see if your hair still looks good after 2 more months. If it does, then you know you saved splits from happening. Then you can decide to keep that schedule or trim a little less than before and see how your hair looks 2 months later. If that still looks good, then you will realize that you can get away with trimming less on that schedule and thus keeping more of your length while still keeping splits at bay. Then if you like you can push the envelope a bit and try waiting 3 months. (Hoping you took a photo of your hair after the 2-month windows, take a pic after 3 months of waiting.) Have you gained the same amount of length per month in the 3 months as you did in 2 month windows? In other words, is your retention still good? Do you think your ends look as good? Do you prefer one of those over the other?

If you find your ends look thin, then you waited too long so go back to 2 mths. If your ends look great, then stick to that schedule. In other words, don't fix what isn't broken, unless you want to see if you can still have such good ends by dusting off a smaller amount than you did.

But DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR ENDS LOOK RUGGED. That's just like waiting for a tumor to take over your whole body instead of having it removed before it invades all your organs.

As for spoonfeeding, I usually try not to (I give links if information has been shared before), but since this trimming question seems to pop up all the time, it is obviously one that still boggles people's minds and with there being so many suggestions that seem to contradict each other (As darlingdiva pointed out), I don't think it's spoonfeeding if you provide a starting point on a topic that even the gurus cannot agree on. Otherwise, what's the point of even saying anything when you're not helping clear the cloud of confusion. I recently saw someone asking about the twist and cut S&D method. I personally think that's hair homicide not very unlike using thinning shears. And the person who was posting was echoing my sentiments when she said she felt like she was cutting her hair unnecessarily. I agree she was. But there are many who swear by it. More power to them. But for those who feel, like me, that it isn't a good method, and need a different method, I hope my posts are helpful. (DarlingDiva, I appreciate the feedback you gave that my ramblings on this topic have served you well. )

 

[Rocky91]

i just thought of sparklingflame's thread about not reading extra long posts.
no shade, but there sure are some thesis papers up in heah.

 

[mscurly]

@rocky91 this is a long read

I just skimmed through this and it's something to think about. I haven't trimmed my hair in almost 2 years. I only search and destroy, if the end isn't split I leave it alone. Honestly I don't think it's effected my growth. But I wonder if I did trim if I would see more growth. hmmmmmmm

 

[.:Eden:.]

Nonie I think your explanation is spot on. I to have been confused about how often to trim, but I now feel comfortable with the idea of dusting before my splits and knots take over. The image of your hair after wear and tear at 4 months of no trimming compared to the thickness you had when you were on your schedule is great evidence. Even with low manipulation our hair still is susceptible to damage Thanks for clearing the air, it helped a lot.

Oh, and personally I don't mind a lengthy read, if the information provided is informative.

 

[Spring]

Cosign...

Nonie I really appreciate that you're thorough in your post....

..... The Upper Layers erplexed

I have to agree with both Nonie and Artemis on the points they've made... because I'm one that has to do the larger trim/cut vs the smaller .25 inch because of the upper layers... they just can't keep up