Been told trims make hair grow faster?

[BlackfootHair]

I agree that it's likely due to the fact it prevents your hair from breaking off more if there is damage and therefore allows the hair to grow longer...but also, when you get a trim, they are combing your hair over and over...like a mini scalp massage...so that could be the reason for the boost in growth.

[rockkcor]

No way that trims make your hair grow faster!

It may be that one should take more care about the general condition of hair – but trims they don’t help faster grow!

[MsBubbles]

My very unscientific observation:

I recently had about 1/4-1/2 and inch trimmed and a week later is appeared to be back to the same length is was before the trim. I think it's unlikely that it grew 1/4-1/2 an inch in a week. My GUESS as to what happened is that the damaged untrimmed ends didn't lay as smoothly as the newly trimmed ends, so the newly trimmed ends appeared longer because they weren't as tangly. Just a guess though.

Yes! I was thinking something along those lines. Also I'd like to see a quantifiable study done on this, er, hypothesis (?), to see if there's any truth to it. I can't imagine there is. All I know is that my trimmed bottom, non-split layer keeps growing like crazy and I'm waiting for my damaged canopy layers to catch up.

[LaurelSpring]

I was just told this last week and was pondering it myself. I am in the no trim camp right now but I do remember awhile back having got a trim and feeling like it had a growth spurt but then again it moslty just replaced what was cut.

Somewhere, and I dont remember where or when I saw or read something about the energy of your hair. It was something along the lines of your hair maintaining balance so that if some hair was cut shorter (like bangs or layers) that the energy went to the cut areas to even them out with the rest. I think this explanation was given as to why bangs seem to grow so fast.

Given the overwhelming LHC experiences of growing without trims I tend to not give that theory alot of credence at this point. What little growth it may incur would not be worth the loss for me right now. I wonder if micro dustings would have the same effect without the inch loss. Maybe a tiny trim to jump start a stall? I dont know. I guess I would have to try it and really pay attention.

[yogachic]

Yes by the hairdresser.

[spidermom]

I am not making any assumptions about whether or not the hair follicle knows the hair has been cut and in some way compensates. The world is a mysterious place, and often what seems intuitively obvious is completely wrong. I've grown my hair with frequent trimming until July 2008. I decided to grow for one year without trimming until July 2009 so I have a basis for comparison.

[Sissy]

I've heard it and used to believe it. However, I am now interested in S & D method and looking to give that a try once I get a quality pair of hair scissors.

[LaurelSpring]

It would be interesting to pay attention and have the data to back it up so that when a hairdresser makes the comment you can say, no that isnt so because my hair grew x amount with trims and x amount without.

[Shannon4J]

I have been told that a lot. Funny thing, I haven't trimmed in almost a year and it has grown a LOT!

[Chanterelle]

Yes by my mom.
At first I thought it was absurd but now I think it might be true because she had hip-long hair most of her life so I admit she might know better. And then, last year I had 3 or 4 cuts to make my hair look nice while it grows and noticed quite a huge progress. Now that I don't cut that often it doesn't seem to grow this fast.