How long do you usually go without cutting your hair, and how do you treat your hair?

[Fresco]

Hi, newbie here :o

I'd like to know how long you regularly go without cutting your hair on average, and how long it takes you to get split ends/ breakage?

Also, just to know if there actually is a correlation, how do you treat your hair (what do you put in it, do you use heat tools)?

[Panth]

I S&D occasionally (i.e. if I get bored). I've trimmed twice in the past 4-ish years. I don't have any plans to trim any time soon. I do have splits, but they are fairly uncommon, fairly minor (i.e. usually only about 1mm of actual split, so unlikely to tangle on other hairs) and, IMO, to be expected for my hair as it's knee length and fine.

I have virgin hair, use (light, water-soluble) 'cones and lots of protein and wear my hair in updos every day. For me, the key part is the updos.

[maggiealisa]

Hi! I'm new, too.

I used to be obsessed with getting my hair cut. Last time I tried to grow out from pixie, I was cutting it every 2-3 weeks, but sometimes once every week. And I wondered why I never had progress! I just recently cut my hair to pixie again in order to get rid of dye. When I have virgin hair, I rarely feel the need to cut my hair, maybe 1-2 times a year because my ends are in SO much better condition.

Since I began using natural products, essential oils, and coconut oil and castor oil, I really don't get split ends. I no longer use any heat on my hair either. I am a daily washer, but I do a heavy oiling every night. My hair is in the best condition it has ever been in.

[Madora]

Hi, newbie here :o

I'd like to know how long you regularly go without cutting your hair on average, and how long it takes you to get split ends/ breakage?

Also, just to know if there actually is a correlation, how do you treat your hair (what do you put in it, do you use heat tools)?

The last major cut was 12 years ago. I haven't trimmed in over 2 years. I do S and D daily. My hair is virgin and pretty strong. I try to keep a tight rein on any splits or white dots by S and Ding daily.

How you treat your hair (refraining from unfriendly hair practices like heat/straightening/bleaching/backcombing/teasing/hot irons/Brazilian blowouts, etc. etc.) has a great deal to do with whether you have healthy hair or not. Protecting the ends is paramount if you want to grow long.

[midnight_blue]

Sorry, slight derail but it's been bugging me, what exactly qualifies as virgin hair?

[thirstylocks]

I've gone from going over a year to get it trimmed, to once every two months. I guess it depends on how badly my ends are damaged.

[Seeshami]

Technically it was years from one cut to another with s & d between.

Midnight_blue virgin hair is undyed

[Agnes Hannah]

Sorry, slight derail but it's been bugging me, what exactly qualifies as virgin hair?

virgin hair is hair that has not been chemically treated in any way, so undyed and unpermed hair and hair that has not been chemically relaxed.

[Anje]

Until maybe last year, I was maintaining around tailbone length. I'd do maybe 3-4 trims per year of a few inches each. Somewhere last year, I whacked it off at hip length and I don't think I trimmed again til November, and then just to even up the ends a smidge. Splits need to be dealt with by S&D for me, as they rarely occur at the ends. Trims are just good for keeping the ends more blunt and dense.

ETA: Guess I should answer the rest of it!
Normally, my hair is bunned during the day, sometimes braided. I'll often let it down for a bit in the evenings, then I wear it in a satin bonnet at night. Wash maybe every 3-4 days on average, very occasionally blowdry on warm til it's about 80-90% dry, otherwise I really don't use heat. I use henna on my hair, but mostly just the roots, so the ends don't have constant reapplications to help them along. Even before LHC, I was pretty lazy about haircare -- I washed more frequently and wore ponytails instead of buns, but I wasn't ever into dyeing or heat styling or whatever. Single best change I made was to learn to slow down and comb/brush my hair out gently rather than ripping through tangles.

ETA2: I suppose it's worth mentioning that I have "split end goals", which have changed over time. First, it was less than 10% of hairs at the end split, then it was less than 5%. Currently, I'm desperately in need of intensive S&D if more that about 1% is split, though I don't actually count hairs to calculate this.

[longNred]

much to my hairdresser's dismay, I haven't trimmed in 3-1/2 yrs. I do S&D when I can. I use henna & cassia every 2-3 mths. no heat, no products besides shampoo/conditioner & coconut oil.

[midnight_blue]

I was fairly sure that was the definition, just wanted to double check, thanks :)

[Panth]

Sorry, slight derail but it's been bugging me, what exactly qualifies as virgin hair?


Midnight_blue virgin hair is undyed


virgin hair is hair that has not been chemically treated in any way, so undyed and unpermed hair and hair that has not been chemically relaxed.

In my books, it's no permanent changes done to the hair. So, no bleach, no dye, no chemical treatments (relaxing, perms, Brazilian blowouts, etc.) and no heat (cool/warmish blow drying excepted). Personally, I wouldn't consider deposit-only dye to count as non-virgin, as it is completely non-damaging and (sooner or later, depending on the colour) completely washes out. Some people may consider henna/henndigo to not count as "not virgin" as those usually aren't damaging either. I probably would, as they are permanent.

[meteor]

^ I really agree with the above definition. ^

I haven't trimmed in about 3 years+, and, luckily, my hair is resilient, so I don't see any split ends.
Ever since I became aware and vigilant about damage and started combing my hair gently and putting it up, combining it with oiling and benign neglect practices, I saw a massive improvement in the quality, shine of my hair, reduction of frizz, etc.
TLHC has made all the difference! :love:

[jacqueline101]

I try to avoid trims until necessary. I self trim using the feye method. I don't dye, henna, or casia my hair. Mine is all natural. I weekly wash(wcc) method, caffeine mist as hair growth treatment, 24 hour shine spray, and leave in conditioner. My products are Pantene except the first conditioner I use it's mane n tail.

[swearnsue]

Trimming isn't a bad thing, as long as you know that it's going to shorten your hair. I like trimming the ends just 1/4 inch every 6 months or so. Right now my hemline is even and the ends are good so I'm not going to trim for maybe a year or two.

I never use heat. My hair is thin and dries quickly though. If I want curls, I braid my hair while damp and get braid waves. I found that once my hair reached about 23 inches in length I needed cones to protect my ends from breaking. I, like Jacqueline, use Pantene products and Mane N Tail.

[Ishje]

I think split ends come with length, it is possible to still maintain long hair that looks good with split ends.
But a certain amount of split ends must be accepted when the length grows on.

But yes, S&D helps a lot, as well as oiling, braiding and bunning. I think if you are very sweet for your hair and are careful with it you can go a long time without a trim.
Personally, I trim about an inch every 6 months, more in a preventive way to be honest.

[lapushka]

If you don't use heat or do damaging things to your hair, there really is no reason to trim - at all. You can maintain by doing the S&D method.

It's been since November 2013 that my hair was last trimmed.

[patienceneeded]

I trim once a year, usually in August. I do not use heat or chemical-coloring. I try to be gentle. My hair is pretty strong now, once I cut away the last of the heat and chemical damage.

[lapushka]

I used to have it trimmed 1 to 4 times a year, then I realized that once was enough, and that even that was overkill if I truly wanted it long (and there was no damage).

[darklyndsea]

My most recent trims were winter 2009 and spring 2011. I'm probably going to get a trim this spring or summer since I can't keep up with the splits anymore.

I always wear my hair up when I leave the house and usually cover it when I go outside to protect it from the sun and wind. When I'm at home I have a tendency to take my bun down and just have a braid, which I'm trying to train myself out of doing. I use a satin pillowcase, but most of my hair isn't on it, so I'm not sure how much good it does. No heat, dye, etc.

[Doreen]

On average I usually end up getting about three significant hairtrims per year -- one at the beginning of summer, one at the end of summer, and one in the middle of winter. I get about an inch off each time. In between each I notice a couple of split ends around the 1 or 2 month mark and I will S&D about once a week after I start noticing them.

As far as haircare, I haven't deviated much from the traditional sulfate shampoo and silicone conditioner. In the summer when I have more free time I do a coconut & olive oil treatment every 3-5 weeks, depending on how it feels. In the winter I will occasionally use a silicone-based hair mask if it's particularly dry. I also like to detangle before getting in the shower and put a leave in on it (right before washing it out). I wash every other day, and use a silk-lined shower cap when I don't.

[cathair]

Five and a half years since my last trim now. How times flies :D

Keep it bunned of braided nearly all the time now, even at night. Didn't for the first 3 and a half years though.

I S&D a bit. Need to have decent session every few months. Less so than I did a while ago, before it was up all the time.

I have virgin hair and use tons of coconut oil

[Addy]

I was a once a year trimmer regardless of needing it or not. Never more than an inch. I'm forgoing trimming to gain length for the next year. It will be a year in February since my last trim. I use no heat on my virgin hair and wash it 3 times a week or so and condition daily. I currently have no split ends that I know of.

[chen bao jun]

I go to my son's barber usually 2x a year, on St. John Baptist's Day if I can manage it and also in January. He will cut just 1/4 from everything and not even it up (i.e. cut the longer parts off). I S & D whenever the ends get too tangly (when protein doesn't help, I try that first). I S & D for ssks as I very, very, very rarely get any split ends (yet. Maybe my hair is still too short for them).

I have already decided to skip January trim this year and try just going with the June one. It's sentimental with me (silly!) because my dad always used to cut my hair once a year on St. John Baptist Day (which is basically the summer solstice), I have no idea why, but the story was that it would grow if you cut it on that day. I decided that my fairy tale ends are okay with me now, if not with anyone else. Otherwise, I treat my ends very very carefully and wear my hair up most of the time, spritzing the ends and sealing with a castor oil/burdock oil/EO mix 2x a day, because my ends get very dry, although most of the damage I had when I started is gone.

[CurlyCap]

I trim 1" on July 1st and January 1st, without fail. Have been for 4 years.

I don't get split ends, but towards the end of the "trim cycle", I do get velcro-y ends that can lead to breakage bc the strands refused to come apart during detangling.

Never S&D. I have too much hair and so I find it maddening. If I did S&D it would be for fairy knots (also known as single strand knots). Basically, I've come to the compromise that if I see them and scissors are handy, I'll cut them out, but not before that.

For care: Co-wash as often as possible (compromise is usualy every 3 to 4 days), ACV rinse after co-wash, set with conditioner/oil/butter/flaxgel as needed dependent on hair needs.

[Sunny_side_up]

I have two people i trust to trim my hair, last year had quite a few snips to even up my hair and get rid of dyed dry ends. I felt an urge to get a lil snip beginning of january, however that passed and its now been a couple months no trim. Ive been wearing my hair down more last couple months, winter hat flattness too. i oil when its slightly wet and no combing or brushing when my hairs wet. This has shown to be good on my growth journey.The ends are doing well.

[arr]

I trim once or twice a year depending on my hair goals at the moment. As far as care, i wash it every other day to every 3 days using conventional but silicone free products, use tiny bit of oils as leave in, inverted BBB brushing regularly, no heat styling and wear it up most of the time.

[Fericera]

Well, the longest I went without cutting it was from birth to age 9 or 10, but that probably doesn't count. Since then I've cut it every year or two. Right now I'm doing the no trimming in 2015 challenge, so by the time I finish that it'll have been two years.

I don't find splits to be a huge problem, but I still am gentle with my hair to keep it that way. I always braid it or have it up and safe somehow. The less your hair can blow around in the wind and get caught on things, the better. I use hair safe accessories so as not to snag my hair, and ribbon elastics for ponytails, since I find them to be gentler than regular thin ponytail holders. I deep condition and do homemade protein/shine treatments occasionally, mostly for the fun of it, but it also benefits my hair and keeps it strong and shiny.

One thing to keep in mind is that many, many women in history grew hair out to their knees, and I attribute that to the fact that they regularly wore it up. Also women in many religions nowadays (Amish, mennonites, Sikh) don't ever cut their hair, and it often looks surprisingly nice. Constant hair cutting, washing, etc. is a very modern idea.

[blue_eyes]

My last cut was in the summer of 2013 after a bleaching fiasco, and from that moment on I stopped using bleach & dye and I also stopped cutting it because I really wanted to gain length.
I've done tiny trims maybe 2 or 3 times a year whenever I think my ends are getting too unkempt.

I don't use heat tools often, I do coconut oil treatments once a week, and I don't use any chemicals. This combination seems to have nearly stopped me from getting split ends, but since my ends are already damaged from bleach & dye I do see them every so often. I just S&D to get rid of them, rather than have a trim or cut.

[MINAKO]

my last cut was in september 2013, like 6 inches or so. after that i did just stick to microtrims or dusting off a few hairs that were not looking nice. im too lazy to s&d but thankfuly i dont get as many fairy knots anymore like i used to.

[meteor]

my last cut was in september 2013, like 6 inches or so. after that i did just stick to microtrims or dusting off a few hairs that were not looking nice. im too lazy to s&d but thankfuly i dont get as many fairy knots anymore like i used to.

Not to side-track the thread, but I'm curious: what helped you get fewer fairy knots, MINAKO? I know tangles and texture-related issues can be persistent, so any advice is very useful. Any changes to routine/products? :)

[skeletonous]

I personally try to S&D at least biweekly, otherwise I hardly ever get trims, and I don't usually track how long it's been since the last one :lol: I know I've gone at least a year without trims before, and this year I'm officially doing the No Trim Challenge. I do find what I call dead ends (hairs with white tapered tips...yes I know hair is already dead :P) other than that I haven't found a split in years *knock on wood*.

Oh, also I pretty much never use heat on my hair. I try to keep it in a claw clip or some kind of style that's out of the way and doesn't cause much if any damage; before I got my pixie cut I would wear it down pretty much all the time and it seemed to do ok (I got to my longest length that way too), but now that I'm growing it back out I want to prevent as much damage as possible by wearing it in protective styles and using thinks like seamless combs and my silk pillowcases. I also use SLS free shampoo if possible and stretch my washes.

[dreamer152]

I get one to two small trims a year. Usually only one though. I seem to get damage within a few months of a trim, but I'm pretty hard on my hair. I use a flat iron, and occasionally curl it. I let it air dry most of the way, but then blow dry the last bit. The one thing that's helped me is stretching washes. I go 3-4 days without washing my hair. So that means no blow dryer or flat ironing every day. I also use a serum in my hair after I shower, that's helped as well.

[mzlbcmami]

I have not cut my hair since March 2012 and that was my "big chop."

Now I just use my split ender once in a while, but I mostly just cut single split ends that I happen to find. It's kind of relaxing in a weird kind of way LOL odd huh? I also like to do hair oiling with coconut oil or different oils that I like to experiment with at the time. I really do need to get into a routine of using a deep conditioner but haven't found one yet. But so far that's what I do.

[cat11]

My ends are quite damaged by bleach that I did 3 years ago. I cut every half a year to get rid of it, between 1/2 an inch and an inch. It really helps retain length but keep them from getting too bad to the point they might hinder growth.

I baby my hair, for real. Silk sleep caps, protective dos, never really wear it down, gentle products and oiling every time i detangle. Sectioning and oiling when I detangle, going fingers first, then wide tooth comb. Once in a blue moon I finish it off with a gentle wooden brush.

Edit: I personally can tell the difference between heads of hair that aren't regularly trimmed (or even microtrimmed) and those that are. Generally, trimmed hair looks neater and has a more defined hemline without fairytailing. It's a look I prefer, but some others like the untrimmed look better, and to each his own. I guess what i, saying is it doesn't surprise me seeing who trims and who doesn't. You end up with different style of hair.

[picklepie]

I shaved my head in Dec 2009 and haven't trimmed since. I've S&Ded probably three times-- I'm not patient enough. Oh! I did, at some moment early on, cut off a tiny tuft less than 1" long that formed the "point" of the hair that grew down from the nape of my neck. Maybe that counts as a trim? Anyway. I finger detangle, have never used heat, wear my hair up in a LWB or milkmaid braids every day, and wash 1x/week. My hair is in my siggy-- I don't feel like it looks like it needs to be trimmed.

I have some tiny split ends now at hip, but not enough to bother with.

[Lauraes]

I do small trims twice a year because my hair grows out so unevenly, lol. I don't S&D because I'm too impatient and I always accidentally cut healthy stands of hair along with the splits. As fair as hair care:
I wash my hair 3 times a week because I have an oily scalp, using sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. Sometimes I use a coney leave in conditioner or a dry oil spray, other times I just use a small amount of coconut oil. Once a week I do a heavy oiling with a 1:1 ratio of coconut oil and olive oil (now that I've finally got olive oil again!) that I apply Saturday night and wash out sometime on Sunday. I only use heat a few times a month and usually wear it in a braid because buns hate me (I'm just really bad at them honestly). The oil treatments have made the biggest difference for me out of everything I've done so far.

[picklepie]

I personally can tell the difference between heads of hair that aren't regularly trimmed (or even microtrimmed) and those that are. Generally, trimmed hair looks neater and has a more defined hemline without fairytailing. It's a look I prefer, but some others like the untrimmed look better, and to each his own. I guess what i, saying is it doesn't surprise me seeing who trims and who doesn't. You end up with different style of hair.

I wonder if this applies more to straight hair? I think with curlies, especially with layers, it's just not that clear. My fairytailing is minimal despite very close to zero trimming, from scalp-length to hip-length. My ends are full, more full than I'd prefer, actually. I don't know what trimming would do for my "look", really.

[curlylocks85]

Hi, newbie here :o

I'd like to know how long you regularly go without cutting your hair on average, and how long it takes you to get split ends/ breakage?

Also, just to know if there actually is a correlation, how do you treat your hair (what do you put in it, do you use heat tools)?

I usually go about 2 years before I think about getting a trim. I see a lovely woman and she always does what I ask of her. I usually ask for a 1" trim to even up my hemline, other than that I only do search & destroy (S&D) missions. My hair does get brakeage and I think it takes about a few months, 3 or 4, before my hair starts to get splits, white dots on the ends, and knots. I S&D everyday to keep up. I will always have breakage of some kind because that is the nature of my hair, but it is not a lot and I love doing it. :)

I no longer use heat tools because when I did, my hair was damages from root to tip. it took me 12 years to finally embrace my hair as it is and not what I wanted it to be. Since I have stopped using damaging items, my hair is feel softer, and is healthy. I have less breakage and I am very happy with my hair now. Before, I wasn't because it was so damaged it would not grow properly due to the damage. I use Pantene conditioner, as well as, Nexxus conditioners and coconut oil. I have about 5 or 6 bottles I use every time I wash and I do not rinse it out: This helps my hair to be soft and defines my curls. Thus, I believe there is a correlation between using damaging items and non damaging items on my hair and its being healthy. :)