How Often Should I get my Hair cut?

When it comes to how long you should go between haircuts, there’s no one rule that will work for everyone, after all, your hair is as unique as your personality. However, if you’re looking for a general rule of thumb, many stylists agree that most people should have regular trims between every 6 weeks and every 12 weeks. 

However, these timings might need to be adjusted according to many different hair situations, which you can learn more about below.

What good does a trim do?

Hair grows at an average of one inch every month, so if you have short or layered hair, leaving a long time between trims can mean you quickly lose the definition in your style.

However, the most important reason to get frequent trims is that it helps to keep your hair healthy. Hairs develop split ends over time and, left unchecked, these splits will break off or, worse, travel all the way up your hair. This can lead to frizz, tangles, reduced shine, and hair colour fading earlier than normal. 

Early warning signs that it’s trim time

About a month after your last cut, it’s a good idea to start looking out for clues that your hair is in need of some more tlc. Some common warning signs that it’s time for a trim include:

·       Coarse hair texture

·       Difficulty styling your hair as normal

·       Visible damage at the end of your hair

·       Hair that “puffs out” on the ends

·       Hair that appears thinner and duller than normal

·       More tangles than usual

What affects how long I should go between cuts?

A few different factors depending on your preferences, hair type, and styling plans for the future. 

Curly hair

For natural hair, stylists recommend about 12 weeks, or three months, between trims. This is because this type of hair generally grows more slowly than other types. If your hair is chemically relaxed or if you have thinner curls, you may need to visit the hairdressers closer to every 8 weeks. 

For all types of curls, learning how to maintain your hair between cuts can also make a huge difference in how many trims you need. This hair type craves moisture, so using oil hair treatments and leaving some time between washes can mean it takes longer for split ends to appear. If your curls start losing their definition or changing in pattern, it’s probably time to get a haircut.

Layered Hair

If you’re trying to maintain a layered style, you might not be able to delay visits to the salon as long as your friends can. Not only can layers easily grow out or lose their framing qualities if you leave too long between trims, but the puffy effect of dead ends can be even more obvious when they’re layered. Aim to get a trim about every 6 weeks.

Treated Hair

Hair which is chemically treated, dyed, or frequently heated to high temperatures for styling is much more prone to damage. This means that you might start to notice split ends sooner after a cut than those who don’t treat their hair. Trimming it about every 8 weeks is recommended to keep your hair as healthy as possible.

If your hair is significantly heat damaged (for example, through using hot tools without effective heat protectants) it can be managed but the existing hair won’t return to its former state, no matter what your newest conditioner says on the bottle. 

The only way forward is to regrow a healthy head of hair. This is best managed with regular trims which help promote healthy hair growth, and mean you can watch the damaged hair disappear snip by snip, month by month. 

Hair Length

Maintaining a pixie cut, bob, or other short hairstyles means a shorter amount of time between trims than most, usually 4-6 weeks. An extra inch or two can make a huge difference to how these styles appear and behave, and no one wants dead ends framing their face. 

If you have medium length or long hair which is straight or wavy in texture, you can wait between 8 and 12 weeks for a cut.

Thin Hair

As a general rule, the thicker your hair, the longer you can afford to go between cuts before your hair starts to show signs of damage. 

Thin hair breaks and splits much more easily, which may sound like bad news, but there’s also some extra benefits of getting frequent cuts if this is your hair type: Not only do trims take dead weight off your hair, meaning it’s less likely to break than normal, but they also often make your hair appear thicker and fuller.

How often should I trim my fringe?

Most people trim their bangs about once per month, or whenever they reach an undesirable length. Their prominent position means it’s much easier to spot early warning signs of any damage in a fringe, so most people manage to monitor this fairly well themselves.

Growing your Hair out?

There’s an old wives tale that cutting your hair makes it grow back more quickly, which isn’t exactly true. However, removing split ends does mean your hair can grow back healthier and appear thicker and shinier. 

You might not want as many trims while you’re growing your hair out, and may want to cut back on how much hair you have taken off, but having your ends snipped at least every 3 months is recommended.

Looking for some expert hair care, styling, and advice?

If you’re in the Bristol area, why not drop into NOCO or book a session with one of our stylists? We’re on a mission to make every single one of our clients look and feel their best selves, and we tailor all of our advice to your hair type and history.