Is A Trim Every 6 Weeks Too Much?

[eilz90]

I have been getting my hair trimmed every 6 weeks since I was 13. I got my hair cut short, just below my ears when I was 12 and I started getting these regular trims after I turned 13. My hair got to BSL last year, I'm 19, so effectively it took 6 years to get my hair from above chin to BSL <--- Is it just me or is that ridiculously long time to get my hair to that length? Here's the thing. In those 6 years my hair has been every colour under the sun so I decided to get a good bit chopped off a couple of weeks ago so its now shoulder length. I want my hair back to BSL but I am absoloutely dreading the fact it may take me yet again 6 years to get it back there. So it a trim every 6 weeks too much?

[ItalianFlower]

I would reckon that it probably is. The average hair growth is apparently 1/2 inch a month and hair dressers are not normally prudent with cutting... I usually go four months or more without a cut; that's about when my hair starts needing it. I've also gone a year without it so it really just depends. My advice is to a) go only when your hair starts feeling 'bad' (and bad can often be fixed with clarifying or one of the other many tricks here) or b) start measuring your hair and do something like cut one inch for every two you grow (arbitrary numbers; the point would be to cut less than you've grown). Hope that helped!

[prettydark]

If you want to grow it, yes stop trimming.

You should also stop colour treatments, perming, and heat styling as these are the main culprits of the damage that makes regular trims necessary.

[TXbarbie]

Maybe your hair just grows slower... or you're trimming too much. I get my hair cut and colored every 6 weeks as well, but I only get very little trimmed and I haven't seen any problems in my growth.

[spidermom]

Try stretching out the time between trims and see how your hair does. I used to get mine trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Now I get it trimmed every 3-4 months. I also tried no trimming, but I got a lot of traveling splits that way and I wasn't doing perms, colors, or heat styling at the time. Some hair, like mine, is split prone, and not trimming such hair does it no favors.

[harpgal]

Try stretching out the time between trims and see how your hair does. I used to get mine trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Now I get it trimmed every 3-4 months. I also tried no trimming, but I got a lot of traveling splits that way and I wasn't doing perms, colors, or heat styling at the time. Some hair, like mine, is split prone, and not trimming such hair does it no favors.I could not have said it better! Trimming is a good thing, but trimming only a small amount every 3-4 months is even better. You'll gain length that way and keep a nice hemline.

[Carolyn]

The average person grows at a rate of 1/2" per month. That means in 6 weeks you could grow 3/4". If you are having your hair trimmed every 6 weeks, it's likely your stylist is cutting off most of your new growth. Skip a trim and see what your hair is like in 12 weeks. I think I'd find a new stylist too. If your old stylist is used to cutting your hair every 6 weeks she will probably chop off all your new growth. Go as long as you can and then find a new one. Explain that you want to grow your hair longer.