how long should I go without trims at least? to see a big enough difference

[stephy190]

whilst preventing damage?

So far I went four months then trimmed then three months so far(still going)
I'm thinking every four months +
Before this I used to trim every two or so months and I didn't notice much of a difference in growth.
Now I'm noticing a lot more difference in growth but just wondering if I should go longer than four months?

How long do you all go without a trim ? I know some people go a year but I don't think I can do that as I use blow dryer and straighten about twice a week so I'd be scared to go too long (although my hair is really soft and healthy/thick and can handle some heat)

[lapushka]

I went two years (November 2013-January 2016) and reached classic length in September 2015 thanks to no trimming. It depends on your goals and how fast you want to reach them. If you don't heat style and have virgin hair (no bleach, no dye), then you really don't need to trim that often. But every 3/4 months sounds about great if you straighten 2 times a week.

2 times a week! OMG. That's a lot, though!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I am trimming a quarter inch every three months and it's working very well for me. As long as you are trimming less than the amount you are growing, you will continue to see growth.

[stephy190]

I went two years (November 2013-January 2016) and reached classic length in September 2015 thanks to no trimming. It depends on your goals and how fast you want to reach them. If you don't heat style and have virgin hair (no bleach, no dye), then you really don't need to trim that often. But every 3/4 months sounds about great if you straighten 2 times a week.

2 times a week! OMG. That's a lot, though!

yeah I used to not use much heat on my hair at all but I've noticed I don't get a lot of damage from it and I prefer the way it looks ..

[Sarahlabyrinth]

yeah I used to not use much heat on my hair at all but I've noticed I don't get a lot of damage from it and I prefer the way it looks ..

Not a lot of damage....yet. Do be careful.

[meteor]

Let your ends guide you, stephy190. :) The thing is, everybody's hair is different and even if in the past you felt like you needed to trim every 2 months, it doesn't mean that that's what you'll need in the future. A *lot* depends on how you take care of your hair and what you do to it.

Personally, when I used bleach and bad brushes on my hair, I needed frequent trims (maybe every 2-3 months) to keep the ends looking nice. Now I go for years, easily, and haven't encountered a split end or a white dot in years. Hair tends to thrive on simple protection and avoidance of all damage. But trimming is still pretty YMMV, even if you don't get damage, since a lot depends on the specific kind of cut and shape you want your hair to have while growing it out. ;)

The best things I know for reducing the need for trims are:
- keeping hair in a bun with ends tucked in most of the time;
- sleeping on silky smooth materials (pillowcase/scarf/bonnet);
- oiling and/or conditioning ends / braid tassel every now and then, whenever the ends are feeling dry;
- using sunhats/buffs/scarves if it's sunny/windy outside.

If you plan to grow much longer with minimal/no trims, I'd highly recommend ditching the flat-iron. :flower: There are lots of heatless straightening techniques out there (check YouTube for hair-wraps, etc).

[MlleMC]

I went three and a half years without trimming, and using a flat iron once/twice a week at the beginning. I slowly reduced my use as my hair grew - I can't remember when I last flat-ironed, but it wasn't this year. My ends didn't really look good though, I had to have 3 inches cut last October, and I still have about 4-6 inches of damaged hair.

I'm still unsure about trimming myself, and I don't trust many people with it, so I haven't trimmed since October, but I'll probably ask my mother to do it when I visit in a few weeks.

Overall, most of the splits I see are not at the very end though, so it's no use to trim to get rid of them, I'd much better do S&D. I only need to trim the ends to thicken them due to the previous heat damage.

[stephy190]

Not a lot of damage....yet. Do be careful.

Yeah like I don't dye my hair/bleach it..I might cut down on heat though for a few months whilst it grows more..

[pinutzz]

it can be helpful to take progress pictures, maybe every two months or so. that gives you better feeling for how much your hair has grown and if you want to trim or not.

[lapushka]

yeah I used to not use much heat on my hair at all but I've noticed I don't get a lot of damage from it and I prefer the way it looks ..

Have you ever examined your hair for white dots specifically?

[Lavendersugar]

Everyone is different and a lot depends on their hair and hair care.
I trim just tips 1/4" unless stylist gets handsy and does 1/2" every 6-8 months.
Straight hair that is air dried most of the year. Hair up in high loose pony at night, my hair dislikes oiling so I just do deep moisture once a week. I am a daily washer so often I'm just scalp washing and conditioning the ends. I use a wooden brush and horn comb.
Try to adjust everything as needed to what my hair needs. This helps limit trims.

[Stepo_NiNha]

Hi

I trim 1/2 inch - 1,25 to 1,50 cm every 3 months because I have old damage and fragile hair and I dont use heat (i used to do heatstyle everyday 2 years ago, hence the damaged parts)... But this is very personal. If you have coarse, thick or virgin hair with no damage, you can grow with almost no trims. Trimming every 3 months has been helping me a lot in my growing process because it prevents your hair from breaking at the ends, where most splits and white dots are. If you use heat tools then Id recommend 3 or 4 month small trims like 1/4 or 1/2 inches. But keep the eye in your ends and lengths to see how your hair is reacting to the heat. Be careful with heat tools anyway. They can create a lot of white dots and they are true length killers. Id also recommend using them only at special events like wedding parties or something like that. Hope this helps.