How Often Should You Cut Your Hair?

If you read my hair journey article from a few weeks ago, you would know that I have been trying to grow my hair out for quite some time now. To make a long story short, I cut all my hair off to shoulder length and treated my hair pretty poorly, to the point where all of my ends were split ends and my hair become very coarse. Which was over two years ago. 

A little over a year ago I decided I was going to treat my hair better so that it would actually grow. I began using hair masks weekly, not using as many heat products, combing through my hair in the shower and possibly getting more haircuts/trims. 

I used to get my hair trimmed or cut every six months when I would visit the salon to get highlights. Since trying to grow out my hair, I have decided to do some research as to how often one should get their haircut. Here are my findings:

I began my study like any other, typing, “How often should you cut your hair?” into Google. 

According to a Women’s Health Magazine article, getting haircuts often “encourage[s] hair growth by getting rid of any damaged, broken, or split ends.” Even if you are trying to grow out your hair, getting a haircut can help your hair grow out longer and stronger by getting rid of split ends. If you don’t get rid of those split ends by getting them cut, they will end up either breaking off and causing your hair to be shorter, or the split end will unravel further and further up your hair until it inevitably breaks off. 

The article also mentioned that chemically treated hair, such as dyed hair, tends to get split ends more easily and should therefore be trimmed more often in order to keep its longevity. 

So, how often should you get your hair cut?

Short answer: Depending on your hair type and how prone you are to getting split ends, you should get your hair cut every six to 12 weeks. 

Long answer: Whether your hair is short, medium or long in length, you should get your hair cut at least every three months (oops!). If you have thicker hair or tend to not use heat products on your hair, you can probably opt for a trim every three-ish months. If your hair is finer, or you tend to use heat on your hair more often than not, then you might want to consider getting a trim every six to eight weeks. 

Of course, everyone’s hair type if different and some people are more prone to split ends than others. No matter your hair type, it is always a good idea to get a fresh cut in order to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy, shiny and beautiful.

Photo credits: Cover photo, 1, 2, 3 by author, 4, 5.

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