Can someone give me some more in-depth info on trims?

[HazelBug]

When should a person get them? what reasons are there for trims? I've read a lot of info that says to trim your hair every 6 to 8 weeks to avoid damage from split ends. But that's not an issue that I usually have. I would have to perma fry my hair to get a significant ammount of splits. Can anyone direct me to good info on trimming vs not trimming?

[spirals]

All I can tell you is what I do: search and destroy once or twice a month and do a micro-trim (1/16 to 1/4 inch) every 2 or 3 months. My reason for the micro-trim is to slowly get rid of the haircolor damage and the manual thinning I did on it a couple of years ago. Some people trim to prevent fairytale ends, but that's not my reason, as my hair tends to want to be blunt and will even out on its own, even though I prefer FEs and a V-hem.

[Siowiel]

How often you "should" trim, whether by visiting a hairdresser or done by yourself, depends on your hair and your goals.
If your hair is not split-prone, the determining factor for the frequency of trimming is the hemline you have in mind. If you want it to be thick and blunt, or want to maintain a u-shape, you should trim when it's too thin or stopped keeping the desired shape, and only trim as much as to get back to the shape you want. If you like fairytale-ends better... well, without split, it can be a looooong time until the next trim.
Growing your hair longer with frequent trims all 6-8 weeks will only be possible of you dust or have a very careful hairdresser who will nut cut more than the inch specified.
I mean, there#s no magic spell that will automatically make hair stop growing after it hasn't been cut for two years or whatever.

[tlover]

The last time I cut my hair was last march, and I don't have split ends (I do have split hair higher up because of a bad hairstyle I used to wear every day for the last 4 years, but I do search and destroy to deal with that, normal trimming wouldn't)

[restless]

I cant point you in direction for a good source on trimming information but I can tell you how Ive grown my own hair :)

Like the others have already stated there is no magical rule that says hair HAS to be trimmed every X amount of time or it´ll stop growing or something. Its all up to you, the quality of your hair and the desired look of the hair and hemline. The last time I had a big cut (chop) was over 4 years ago at a hairdressers´salon. Since then Ive gone from a heavily layered shoulder lenght cut to almost BCL hair with a U-shaped hemline with some S&D and microtrims (I trim my own hair nowadays- havent had a hairdresser cut it since the chop).

I dont keep a schedule for any of it- there are times when I might S&D several times in a week and then there are times when there are weeks inbetween the sessions. It all depends on how my hair feels; if it tangles or feel rough, its usually time to inspect it closer to see if there are splits (or in my case; bent ends. My hair doesnt do the typical Y-splits very often).

Regarding microtrimming I cut off a few milimeters to a centimeter every now and then for two reasons; 1. to tidy up my hemline when I think its looking a little too uneven/thin for my taste and 2. to slowly get rid of old damage that was caused by pre-LHC abuse. And yes, when the ends tangle and feels velcro-ish and no deep treatment or S&D can help it.

[Tini'sNewHair]

Exactly what restless said! :) Thats how i work to :)

[HazelBug]

Thanks for the info! I think I'm going to put off trims for a bit longer then. I'm not sure what hemline I like, so it's probably best to wait a while. I do have hair dye that I'm trying to grow out. But the damage doesn't feel horrible. I figure I can trim that off after my hair has gotten some real length to it. I do cut my own hair. I have for years. I like my hair to be done simply and don't like having layers. Anyway, thanks again. If anyone else wants to share their experience with trimming, I will appreciate it too.

[Firefox7275]

Trim when your hair needs it: when the ends split, white dots appear, they get Velcro-y or straggly looking (assuming you prefer a blunt cut). Don't stretch trims for the same of it tho, damaged rough ends can catch on healthier hair higher up damaging that too.

'Six to eight weeks' is to keep the shape of a fashionable style or to prevent/ remove significant damage in those that heat style or chemical process frequently or are generally rough on their hair. LHC techniques can keep ends far healthier for far longer.

[Wosie]

I second restless' post! The biggest reason for a trim would be if you've seen an increase of split ends, as they have a nasty way of slowly 'eating' up the hairs, splitting the hair more and more as you go. I personally try to trim rather seldom (every three months), and not much at all, even though I really want to get rid of my 'layers' (I grew my hair out from a really short cut and thus my hair has all different kinds of lengths). I also don't see many splits, but when I do I always have a pair of scissors nearby. :draw: :scissors:
Even though I barely see any split ends in my hair, it still feels noticeably drier and more velcro'y in the very ends, so I will give them half an inch trim in March. I cut my own hair as I don't trust hairdressers from previous experiences.

[lapushka]

If you're not prone to split ends and you don't heat style (no white dot damage), then there's little or no reason to trim at all. You could easily forgo trims for an entire year (look in my sig for a link to the 2014 no trimming challenge). A lot of us occasionally trim, though. Normally I'd have it trimmed 1 to 4 times a year, rather 2 times than 4.

6 to 8 weeks is ridiculous. You'd be trimming your growth right off. Usually hairdressers say that when you need to maintain a style in the hair. This way they can easily see what cut they cut into the hair and maintain it.

[HazelBug]

If you're not prone to split ends and you don't heat style (no white dot damage), then there's little or no reason to trim at all. You could easily forgo trims for an entire year (look in my sig for a link to the 2014 no trimming challenge). A lot of us occasionally trim, though. Normally I'd have it trimmed 1 to 4 times a year, rather 2 times than 4.

6 to 8 weeks is ridiculous. You'd be trimming your growth right off. Usually hairdressers say that when you need to maintain a style in the hair. This way they can easily see what cut they cut into the hair and maintain it.

I don't heat style. I'm too lazy for that sort of stuff. It's probably been 3 or 4 months since I trimmed last. I think I might just not trim at all unless I see some damage or want to change my hemline. I thought that 6 to 8 weeks thing was probably bunk. I just was curious if it had any merit. and it seems it's mostly about maintaining a particular style. I'm a little nervous about a no trims challange though. I'm still on the fence about what if anything to do with my hemline. I've done a blunt straight across cut for the longest time. Now I'm not sure if that's what I want to do, or if I want to stick with the gentle u shape I've got going on.