Trim your split ends off so that your hair can grow faster....(Rant)

[seraphim712]

Where in the heck did this myth come from ? How did it get started?

While I do understand that trimming the split ends will prevent them from splitting up the hair shaft and breaking off and to just give the hair a nice tidy appearance, I know that it doesn't help the hair grow faster.

I guess I'm just pissed off because my friend kept saying this to me as she trimmed my ends off. I don't think she understands that her hair grows faster after she trims is due to the fact of her being biracial (black and white) in comparison to my hair which grows at a slower rate because of my genetic makeup (and bad health habits). I know this isn't the case for everyone who's either biracial or AA.

I'm probably just irritated that I have a small setback and will have to retrace my steps back to APL and that I should have waited until Balisi handled my hair. *sigh* I think I'll start using Moe's recipe to get me started.


Could anybody give info on the split ends myth/theory?

 

[gymfreak336]

I think the whole saying is trying to say that if you get rid of visibly damaged split hair, you can retain your growth faster. You will get less breakage and tangling which leads to better length retention.

 

[doll-baby]

I'm no expert but I think that the idea behind keeping your ends trimmed is to prevent the splits from traveling up the hair shaft and causing major breakage. With that said I only trim my ends every 6 months to even things up. My ends aren't too bad because I don't use heat often and I keep my hair moisturized. I think that if you are trying to grow your hair out you should trim only when absolutely needed because routine trims can take away your progress making it longer until you reach your goal.

 

[kooskoos]

Yeah I agree with the other ladies. People who claim that trims make their hair grow longer are usually growing more hair than they are trimming, so they assume the trims are making their hair grow faster. I can't be mad, 'cause I used to believe the same thing, but I can't wait until everyone realizes that once your splits are gone, just taking care of your ends can make trims few and far between, and you'll retain much more growth that way. I have a friend who JUST TODAY told me that she's growing her hair out, so she's getting trims every 4-6 wks!!!! Needless to say I told her about this really great website that she should visit...

 

[mariofmagdal]

I don't trim my ends at all, but I do take good care of them.

I used to be a seasonal cutter every Spring, from WL to just above shoulder length, and by the fall my hair was back to WL. I don't think I had damaged hair, from spring to fall I would wear wash N go's due to my constant travel and the hot weather. My hair grows faster in the warmer months. I can't wait for the fall to see my new length. ;0)

 

[thebraudgroup]

I agree with the others - I keep my ends dusted just to be sure that there are no splits. You can't maintain your growth if the split ends are moving up the hair shaft. I don't think it makes your hair grow faster, you just retain what you're growing. Has nothing to do with your type of hair, I think hair is hair. Some people's hair just grows slower or faster than others.

 

[doll-baby]

I don't trim my ends at all, but I do take good care of them.

I used to be a seasonal cutter every Spring, from WL to just above shoulder length, and by the fall my hair was back to WL. I don't think I had damaged hair, from spring to fall I would wear wash N go's due to my constant travel and the hot weather. My hair grows faster in the warmer months. I can't wait for the fall to see my new length. ;0)

oke:Honey chile, what type of hair do you have and how can I get mine like yours ?

 

[*Michelle*]

oke:Honey chile, what type of hair do you have and how can I get mine like yours ?

Ummm...yeah.

And where are the pix, do you have a Fotki, hair album etc?

 

[mariofmagdal]

oke:Honey chile, what type of hair do you have and how can I get mine like yours ?

Well, I was in my twenties, and built for speed. I was in tip top shape, heavy on the nutritional kick, healthy foods and vitamins. I recently started back on the healthy kick and taking good care of my hair. Back then I didn't really take care of my hair, and probably was using pink hair lotion! (can't tell me it wasn't the truth!)

Now I know diet and good hair care really equals growth.

 

[*Michelle*]

Well, I was in my twenties, and built for speed. I was in tip top shape, heavy on the nutritional kick, healthy foods and vitamins. I recently started back on the healthy kick and taking good care of my hair. Back then I didn't really take care of my hair, and probably was using pink hair lotion! (can't tell me it wasn't the truth!)

Now I know diet and good hair care really equals growth.

Those things will def benefit the hair and skin!

OP, I forgot to say I'm sorry to hear about your mishap! I agree with what the other ladies have said.

 

[mariofmagdal]

Ummm...yeah.

And where are the pix, do you have a Fotki, hair album etc?

Sorry ladies, no pics of those days. The best comparisons of my hair are on my blog, click that link. My regi is simple. I co-wash every wednesday with a cheapie. Sat is full wash and DC day. Now that it's hades hot, I do wash more frequently. I whole head baggy every night with aloe vera gel. I have been wearing a signature bun for many moons now! I use no heat, and I airdry, and am natural. I mostly use Hairveda, although I recently discovered Aphogee and Joico. In my signature are the supplements I use, and I follow a flexitarian diet debating becoming full Vegan.

I hope I said it all, I am no pro at this, and am not stylish when it comes to hair, just plain lazy, so I try to keep it simple. I do take my bun down daily, and I do use a wide tooth comb, and yes I use a boar bristled brush, sorry but I don't do tangles and matted hair, that takes too much of my time, I avoid that at all cost.

I hope I have helped, and I don't mind questions. I dabble in other products, but I can't testify, don't use them regular, just trying to get rid of the things purchased as a wannabe junkie.

 

[*Michelle*]

I do agree with the things you have in your siggy! I may have to try Aloe Vera...I used it many moons ago when I was natural.

I can attest to the benefits of eating well. I eat a decent diet...but have pledged to eat better. I have added a green drink to my daily diet...anyways I accidentally jacked this thread. Sorry OP!

Thanks Mariofmagdal!

 

[Nice Lady]

I know trims suck but I think it is best to get them because you don't want to reach your goal length and have to cut it back from BSL to APL because of excessive splits. I just trimmed my hair on July 3 and I am still heated. I didn't have a trim for 8 months. I try now on my HJ to trim every 6 months. I was trying to wait until December 2009 and live off dusting but it didn't work out. I am still kinda of sad b/c I lost 1.5 inches to 2 inches.

 

[msa]

Everyone else already answered your question but the bold jumped out at me.

I guess I'm just pissed off because my friend kept saying this to me as she trimmed my ends off. I don't think she understands that her hair grows faster after she trims is due to the fact of her being biracial (black and white) in comparison to my hair which grows at a slower rate because of my genetic makeup (and bad health habits). I know this isn't the case for everyone who's either biracial or AA.

The difference in you and your friend's growth rates is not a direct result of your racial makeup or hers. Her hair grows faster than yours because she just happens to have a faster growth rate. (I've only seen one website that says growth rates are different across races and I haven't seen it backed up from any other source.) She may also be better at retaining her length than you are and that may make it look like it grows faster. And as you said, your growth rate may be impacted by your health habits.

I know you said it isn't the case for everyone who's biracial or AA, but I just wanted to point out that race has nothing to do with it. And if it does, there's not much research that supports it.

 

[Ronnieaj]

I agree with the rationales given by everyone else, but I've noticed since I've been natural that my splits don't necessarily occur at my ENDS. In the places where my hair bends, I'm likely to get splits there as well. So trimming the ends doesn't always do me any good anyway. I trim 1-2 times a year to deal with the SSKs if they get out of hand, but other than that I tend to just leave the hair alone.

 

[mariofmagdal]

I do agree with the things you have in your siggy! I may have to try Aloe Vera...I used it many moons ago when I was natural.

I can attest to the benefits of eating well. I eat a decent diet...but have pledged to eat better. I have added a green drink to my daily diet...anyways I accidentally jacked this thread. Sorry OP!

Thanks Mariofmagdal!

You have some beautiful hair!

 

[skegeesmb]

If you think about it, the argument seems plausible. You go to the salon, you get a trim (i.e 1/4 of an inch) every 8 weeks or so. In 8 weeks your hair should have grown by average standards an inch. So it would appear that your hair is growing because you still have retained 3/4 of an inch of growth in 2 months. Of course the salon is going to say your hair is growing faster.

This isn't true though because you are just retaining growth. Your hair is always growing, always...unless you have a medical condition, or if something in your life is affecting you so much that your growth is stunted.

They should change that saying to: Trimming your hair (the key operative word hair NOT cut lol) can help you retain more of your growth.

When I bun my hair I don't usually have to have those trims. I remember I had done a self-trim and bunned my hair for 3 months. I did not have any new split ends.

 

[gissellr78]

Trimming does not make your hair grow fast lol...but trimming prevents split ends from going up the hair shaft and causing your hair to break so you do retain more lenght when you dust/trim.

 

[WantNatural]

I think this is another myth that we believe until we learn more about hair growth and retention. I do not think that most people that do not visit hair boards even think about or understand retention. They are focused on growth only, and look at the growth of the bottom length of your hair and not the growth of the hair growing out of your scalp. We know that someone with a faster rate of growth may retain less than someone with a slower rate of growth, making the person with the slower rate of growth look like their hair actually grows faster, when it doesn't. Of course trimming the split ends is necessary to prevent further damage, but by taking better care of our ends we can avoid the need to trim split ends altogether, thereby retaining all of our growth and proving the myth wrong. Being on LHCF has helped me to understand the difference between growth and retention, and while I am happy with my growth rate, I'm more interested in retaining it!

 

[HoneyA]

Trimming doesn't help increase your growth rate but from personal experience, it eliminates my split and jagged ends which snag each other leaving my hair a tangled mess. Every 6 months I have to trim. If I leave it, I'll end up losing a lot of hair and length.