How Often to Trim Hair if You Are Growing Your Hair Out
This blog post is about hair trims and how often you should get your ends clipped. I am on a quest to grow my relaxed hair out, and I have learned a few things so far. I also thought it would be a good idea to share with you all.
Recently, I gave myself a good trim and almost a haircut. However, after viewing my hair from the back, I noticed that neglect caused damage to the back of my head. I also figured out what I was doing wrong the whole time, styling my hair in a low bun when it was wet.
Your hair is the most fragile when wet, but little did I know that it would damage my hair over time. So I went in and trimmed off a good 1 ½ from my ends. So if you notice in my most recent pictures that my hair is shorter, then the cut will explain why.
My Story
Although I was disappointed that I had to lose some length, I am so happy to trim or cut my hair to get a fresh start. So now my hair is even for the most part.
Trimming my hair was not accessible, by the way. It takes some time to adjust because you can’t just cut straight across from the back as a hairstylist would. But there is a method to the madness.
I found a great video tutorial on YouTube on trimming your hair to save money from getting it professionally done. I also don’t have to worry about getting a scissor happy stylist and loose hair that did not need to be lost.
What I am learning in my hair journey is about the length of time you should wait until you trim your hair and how to space your trims out. So let’s dive into the topic of cutting your hair at home.
What are some common mistakes people make when cutting their hair?
One of the topics that I wanted to touch on regarding hair trims is people’s mistakes when cutting their hair. So far, I have found three mistakes.
1. Cutting bangs too short
I had to learn the hard way, and I was going for a look for my curly wash and go that had bangs in the front (with the curly hair). I ended up taking too much off, and I wouldn’t say I liked how it made me look.
Fortunately, I was able to grow my bangs back out in minimal time, but my suggestion to use it is that if you are cutting curly hair short for bangs, you may want to add more inches/length to the cut to avoid cutting off too much length.
2. Using the Wrong Scissors
When I first embarked on my hair growth journey, I must admit that it would be good to cut my hair with my craft scissors. But, of course, this is a huge no-no to use any old scissors lying around in your home.
Your best bet would be to invest in a good pair of hair-cutting shears. You can find them relatively cheap and even at Walmart. I bought my first pair of cutting shears at Walmart by Goody.
If you go to the hair section in Walmart, you will most likely find hair-cutting shears by goody. What I like about these shears because they are priced so low compared to other hair-cutting shears.
I bought my pair of shears for $14, and I have yet to buy any other as the one that I have by goody is doing a great job at trimming/ cutting my hair.
3. Not Cutting the Hair Evenly
This mistake is bound to happen when cutting your hair. Because you are cutting your hair, it is almost impossible to cut your hair as a stylist would in a straight line in the back because you are cutting your hair. Although cutting my hair blunt in the back has been a struggle, there is a method to the madness that I have learned.
I found an excellent tutorial on youtube on how to trim your hair. However, the Youtuber doesn’t go over trimming it yourself and shows you what she does to trim your hair. You can find the demonstration here.
On to the next topic, and that would be:Â why is it essential to keep up with frequent trims and what can happen if you don’t. For myself, I had to learn the hard way and kept styling my wet hair in a bun. The elastic ended up chewing up a large portion of my hair in the back, and I suffered from hair damage. Finally, I had to cut my hair.
Tools You Can Use
At first, I never thought that I would need a trim any time soon, until I bought a handheld mirror. Then, I cringed at the appearance of my damaged hair.
I also realized that it wouldn’t have been so bad if I had seen this earlier on. So now I have an even cut, and it is also shorter. But you need to address the issue before it becomes a significant problem
The first tip I have for you is to invest in a handheld mirror. You can also find these at Walmart by the same company that sells the scissors I mentioned earlier. That is the brand “Goody”.
Take the mirror and examine the back of your hair by having your back face the front of your bathroom mirror. You should see and determine if your hair is damaged and if it is due for a cut.
You may also be asking about the benefits of trimming your hair, and I have a few points that you might find helpful.
4. They eliminate scraggly ends
If you are into hair care and want healthy hair, then the first thing you must do is start with a fresh cut to eliminate scraggly ends that hang on to dear life. You may not notice, but all it takes to have healthy hair is to get the appearance of healthy hair. So you might want to get a trim and ax those dead ends.
Don’t make any excuses for why you should hold on to those ends. But, again, it’s health over length if you are serious about this hair journey.
5. Promotes Healthy Hair Growth
Now that you have cut off those dead ends, you can now focus on keeping your hair healthy by deep conditioning it and taking measures to protect your hair from heat damage.
As for myself, I will no longer be styling my hair when it is wet and applying tension to it. Instead, I will more than likely style in a curly wash and go. Which doesn’t involve any stress and is healthy for my hair.
When you start taking care of your hair, you will see that you are gaining length, and in the end, you may still have to trim your ends after a certain amount of time. But probably not as much length as you would if you were not taking care of your hair. So, therefore, cutting or trimming your hair promotes hair growth.
6. Makes Styling Much Easier
I don’t know about you, but I notice that my hair is much easier to style after I trim my hair. I usually use the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer Styler and Volumizer when I style my hair. This tool has been a godsend for me. But I would notice that my hair would get stuck in the bristles when running the dryer through my hair.
Whenever it is cut and clarified, I notice that my hair glides through this styling tool, which is going to lead to less breakage in the long run.
How often to trim hair for maximum growth
And now for the main reason for this blog post is to determine how often you should be trimming your hair. This topic is relatively new to me as I learn that trimming more often will lead to healthy, beautiful hair.
You may want to factor in a few things when determining how often to trim hair. First, I think it depends on your hair’s state and if you are natural or relaxed.
I am finding that chemically treated hair must be trimmed more often than natural hair.
I plan to trim my hair every 8-12 weeks since it has chemicals. So if your hair is chemically treated, you should aim to trim it once every 2 or 3 months. And that would be approximately 4-6 times a year.
If you are natural, you can extend the number of times you trim to every 4 months, three times a year. The reason why is because your hair is less prone to damage since there are no chemicals on the hair shaft.
Wet Hair or Dry Hair?
Finally, I wanted to touch on how to go about trimming the hair. Should it be wet? Or dry? It depends on the individual, and you would probably have to use/learn a different technique on how to cut wet hair.
I would only consider cutting my hair when it is when if your hair is relaxed bone straight. I remember when I was fully relaxed and had a hairstylist. She would cut my hair when it was wet. So I thought it would be a good idea to mention this because this is another option that you can consider.
These days, I am a massive fan of trimming my hair when it is dry. Although my hair is chemically treated, it is not bone straight and curls up when wet. So when my hair is blow-dried and flat-ironed, is when I like to trim my hair.
I’ve also seen some stylists or hair gurus trimming their hair only when blow-dried, but I am kind of Leary about this, and I don’t think that I would be able to get my hair as straight as it would be if it were flat- ironed.
Conclusion
I hope you found this blog post on how often to trim your hair helpful. It can be challenging for some people to keep up with the daily upkeep of their locks, especially if they have lots of thick or curly hair. But it’s worth taking care of yourself and ensuring that your mane is always looking its best, so you feel confident in all situations. If you want more information about other styles or tips for maintaining healthy locks, please let me know! Just leave a comment below, and I will respond as soon as possible.
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