It turns out there is no one-size-fits-all standard answer when asking the simple question: “How often should I cut my hair?” It’s all down to your own hair and its specific needs. “It’s all relative,” says Irinel de León, celebrity hairstylist and global styling ambassador for Dyson. “It all depends on your hair texture, the integrity of your hair, and how often you colour or double process your hair.”
Regularly trimming or cutting your hair does offer benefits: De León says that it can improve hair growth, create natural thickness, prevent hair from over-drying or breaking off, and keep the hair healthy overall. So you want to be sure you’re making your salon trips at the right time. To figure out how often you should be cutting your own hair, here are the basics that you need to know.
When to pick a trim vs cut
Though we often interchange the words “trim” and “cut” when talking about hair, they do mean different things. A trim, as De León explains, is when an inch or two is taken off at the ends, while a cut is a bit more drastic, with more than two to three inches being chopped off. They’re also used in different circumstances.
Celebrity hairstylist Laura Polko says that a trim is best for getting rid of split ends and for when you’re starting to notice breakage. If you notice your hair looking drier or starting to lose its shape, you’ll also want a trim to revive it all.
Signs you need a hair trim
Signs you need a cut, according to De León, include the hair looking limp, hair not holding any style, hair tangling easily, or hair having severe damage. If you’re just looking for a change in style or want to add movement and body to your hair, she says that a cut is necessary to achieve either of those things.
When to trim based on length…
Short hair
While it sounds counterintuitive, the truth is that the shorter the hair, the more upkeep is needed to keep it healthy. “Short hair takes a bit more maintenance because of its length and shape,” says De León. “For example, when someone has a bob that sits right below the ear, it will be more obvious when the hair grows because it can easily pass the shoulders after six to eight weeks, and it will completely change the style.”
“Shorter haircuts often require more frequent trims to maintain their shape and style,” agrees celebrity hairstylist T Cooper. “If you have a pixie cut [for example], it may need to be cut a little more often to maintain the shape of the sideburns and the nape of the neck.”
Both experts agree that you should trim hair every six weeks, at a minimum.
