Best trimming schedule for damaged hair: every 3 or every 6 months?

[Fimu]

I had a resolution for myself to postpone my next trim for 6 months (i.e. no-trim 2nd part), but I wonder: have you noticed it works better for damaged ends to split it in every 3 months and do smaller trims? Or did you have good luck with growing for like 6 months and doing a bigger trim in one go instead?

Note: I've read somewhere that monthly microtrimming is the best to grow out damaged and split ends, but I have a hard time trimming just 1 cm off every month because I want to see more rewarding result after a trim and I don't know how to trim just 1 cm with the Feye's self-trim method while keeping my hemline in shape (I trim my hair wet).

[Ylva]

I think it's highly individual. Personally, for example, I don't see any difference between trimming 1 cm per month or 6 cm every half a year, except that I find monthly trims to be a huge PITA.

Damaged hair can also hang in there quite well in some cases. My current ends have been bleached three times (+ at least one permanent colour) and I'm not seeing any meaningful thinning due to breakage anymore. Now, my previous ends with four bleachings did disintegrate, so that's where my limit is I guess!

[florenonite]

I think regular microtrimming is best when your ends are so damaged that they just keep splitting and causing tangling and breakage, because the regular trimming will help remove some of those splits and reduce the likelihood of the problem travelling further up the hair shaft and onto other hairs. With less severe damage, then a couple of times a year is fine.

[Finda]

I don't trim myself, so I don't know about microtrimming, but when I went to the hairdresser every three month they always took off more than the growth. As a result I stopped going but changed my routine by reducing friction as much as possible. This way my hair was findally able to grow. I had breakage within the last 10, 20 cm for maybe another six months after the change, but then it stopped all of a sudden and now these ends that are left make up my "protection zone" where I put my hairtie ;) The damage is not rising luckily. I have lots of split ends I ignore (no S&D), but they also don't tangle so much anymore. One day I plan to trim off the thinned out part. Maybe I draw a line on a shirt when I go the hairdresser ;)
One question is probably what requirements you have for a hemline, because trimming every six months also means it might be less shaped (in a U/V or straight line).

[lapushka]

I had a resolution for myself to postpone my next trim for 6 months (i.e. no-trim 2nd part), but I wonder: have you noticed it works better for damaged ends to split it in every 3 months and do smaller trims? Or did you have good luck with growing for like 6 months and doing a bigger trim in one go instead?

Note: I've read somewhere that monthly microtrimming is the best to grow out damaged and split ends, but I have a hard time trimming just 1 cm off every month because I want to see more rewarding result after a trim and I don't know how to trim just 1 cm with the Feye's self-trim method while keeping my hemline in shape (I trim my hair wet).

I have done both, and to be fair, I have let damage grow out (white dots, half of the head) from shoulder to hip. It went fine. So ever since then I just stopped worrying about it. But it is like Ylva said, highly individual. My hair is F but can take a beating, and I know that. You kind of have to know your hair a little bit for the decision when to trim.

[AutobotsAttack]

Trimming is mostly, if not an entirely aesthetic thing. If you feel you must trim, I see no reason doing so once every 6 months. It’s easy to stay stagnant because you’re trimming faster than you’re growing.

As far as damage goes, split ends rarely have that much of an impact concerning length retention on curlier heads of hair, than they do straight heads of hair. Meaning it’s quite rare to find a split that will travel anything over a few millimeters the curlier your hair is. Mechanical tension tends to be the number one cause of breakage for most curly heads anyways.

To me personally, I feel like 3 months is too frequent, but it’s up to you ultimately.

[Fimu]

Thanks for your thoughts :)

I have many incomplete and mid-shaft splits due to mechanical and environmental damage, some hair care mistakes, and internal weakening from past nutrient deficiencies. The splits are the main cause of my hair being prone to tangles and knots.
My hemline currently looks see-through and has an uneven shape (gaps in the middle), so it would feel more rewarding to me if I trim 1" - 1.25" (3.2 cm) every 3 months so I get closer to a thicker hem. If my hemline wouldn't be so uneven, then I'd have more patience to trim every 5 - 6 months. I schedule my next self trim in October during Harvest moon, but I can always reconsider if I gained more patience and I wear my hair more often up during the chilly months.


Trimming is mostly, if not an entirely aesthetic thing. If you feel you must trim, I see no reason doing so once every 6 months. It’s easy to stay stagnant because you’re trimming faster than you’re growing.

As far as damage goes, split ends rarely have that much of an impact concerning length retention on curlier heads of hair, than they do straight heads of hair. Meaning it’s quite rare to find a split that will travel anything over a few millimeters the curlier your hair is. Mechanical tension tends to be the number one cause of breakage for most curly heads anyways.

To me personally, I feel like 3 months is too frequent, but it’s up to you ultimately.

Interesting to hear about splits less affecting length retention in curls vs in straight hair. I noticed myself splits don't affect length retention, but my ends get thinner overtime due to broken off splits. I don't notice much splits traveling up, but I have incomplete splits up to 5 - 6 inches above the ends, of which some turn into mid-shaft splits, indicating those last inches are kinda severely damaged.

[shelomit]

I am certain that this would be an individual decision, based on how you want your hair to look and how much it annoys you to trim ( ; When I have been maintaining length, I have usually trimmed about every 6-9 months, but not really because I planned to. More so, it's then that I noticed my hemline getting uneven (I like a U hemline, but my hair grows faster on the left side than the right). My suggestion would be to start off doing a trim, then simply to pay attention to your hair afterwards. Let it go as long as you can, and when it finally annoys you, do a trim. Some of this will depend on how interested you are in growing your hair out longer vs. how interested you are in cutting out the splits.

I have no experience with microtrimming, but it certainly seems to work well for some people!

[Fimu]

I am certain that this would be an individual decision, based on how you want your hair to look and how much it annoys you to trim ( ; When I have been maintaining length, I have usually trimmed about every 6-9 months, but not really because I planned to. More so, it's then that I noticed my hemline getting uneven (I like a U hemline, but my hair grows faster on the left side than the right). My suggestion would be to start off doing a trim, then simply to pay attention to your hair afterwards. Let it go as long as you can, and when it finally annoys you, do a trim. Some of this will depend on how interested you are in growing your hair out longer vs. how interested you are in cutting out the splits.

I have no experience with microtrimming, but it certainly seems to work well for some people!

I do want to gain length, but only if my hemline starts to look somewhat even (my left side looks scraggly, the underneath is lagging behind in length and the crown area is brittle for some reason). I consider doing a trim of about 1.5" in 2 months (last trim was in last month), see how rewarded I feel about my hemline and grow for at least another 3 months.

[sipnsun]

It's definitely a personal decision but I have dry and damaged ends and used to trim regularly, now I'm letting it grow as long as I'm not losing length due to breakage. If I stop gaining length I will cut but until then I'm going to trim once per year until I get to waist. I plan on maintaining at waist for awhile to get rid of the damage. I would say if you aren't gaining length, its a good time to trim.

[ynne]

Trimming is mostly, if not an entirely aesthetic thing. If you feel you must trim, I see no reason doing so once every 6 months. It’s easy to stay stagnant because you’re trimming faster than you’re growing.

As far as damage goes, split ends rarely have that much of an impact concerning length retention on curlier heads of hair, than they do straight heads of hair. Meaning it’s quite rare to find a split that will travel anything over a few millimeters the curlier your hair is. Mechanical tension tends to be the number one cause of breakage for most curly heads anyways.

To me personally, I feel like 3 months is too frequent, but it’s up to you ultimately.
May I ask what you mean by mechanical tension? My hair isn't that curly but I don't have much experience with mechanical damage in general so I'd like to know what to watch out for. c:

[Jane99]

Thanks for your thoughts :)

I have many incomplete and mid-shaft splits due to mechanical and environmental damage, some hair care mistakes, and internal weakening from past nutrient deficiencies. The splits are the main cause of my hair being prone to tangles and knots.
My hemline currently looks see-through and has an uneven shape (gaps in the middle), so it would feel more rewarding to me if I trim 1" - 1.25" (3.2 cm) every 3 months so I get closer to a thicker hem. If my hemline wouldn't be so uneven, then I'd have more patience to trim every 5 - 6 months. I schedule my next self trim in October during Harvest moon, but I can always reconsider if I gained more patience and I wear my hair more often up during the chilly months..

I think you answered your question. I’ve noticed that the no trim challenge pages will start years before the challenge begins, and that some people prepare for the challenge by working towards getting their hair to a state where they feel like they can live with the condition of their hair for whatever the length of time. So you could do smaller trims quarterly until you’re more satisfied with your hemline, and then do the challenge...