positives & negatives of not cutting for a year

[jojo]

OK I am so desperate to get to hip length in 2011, that I am going to try not cutting at all in 2011.

I have gone 2 years in the past, when my hair was cut short and my hair managed OK but 3 years on my hair is obviously longer and I am kind of thinking will my hair suffer in anyway?

I wear my hair up 98% of the time and wash twice a week, was daily but my hair behaves better with just 2 washes.

My positives are more growth, therefore I reach my goal quicker. I can't even think of any others

Negatives- more damage and splits (cannot be mithered with s&d's they send me crosseyed), thinner ends, and breakage

I might be wrong and would love to hear others opinions on not cutting, especially long term non-cutters. TIA:)

[christine1989]

I did not cut or trim at all for over a year and my hair handled it just fine. Sure the ends were a bit dryer and thinned a bit but my hair never looked horrible. Granted I am not prone to split ends so I had no breakage. My rule is if you see splits, start trimming! I don't think it is worth the risk of spreading the damage up the hair shaft just to gain some more length. I started trimming just because I wanted to cut off the dry ends but I'm doing it slowly. I would reccomend micro trims as a healthy middle ground. You still get a significant amount of length but without a huge amount of damage or having to deal with thin ends.

[BellCat]

I'm soooo desperate to reach Hip too!! I think I'll join you in not trimming!!! :D dont know if its possible for me to reach it in 2011 though...but might aswell see!!

oh yeah I have roughly 7 1/2 inches to grow till waist in the front anyway :)

[jojo]

I did not cut or trim at all for over a year and my hair handled it just fine. Sure the ends were a bit dryer and thinned a bit but my hair never looked horrible. Granted I am not prone to split ends so I had no breakage. My rule is if you see splits, start trimming! I don't think it is worth the risk of spreading the damage up the hair shaft just to gain some more length. I started trimming just because I wanted to cut off the dry ends but I'm doing it slowly. I would reccomend micro trims as a healthy middle ground. You still get a significant amount of length but without a huge amount of damage or having to deal with thin ends.
sound advice thank you, yes if i see splits I will dust, unfortunatelly my hair does get splits as its so fine (individual strands) though they have thickened since hennaering, but thanks again xxx

[luluj]

I started with a short pixie and didn't trim until I was past shoulder (14 months) and my hair held up very well. I have no plans to trim until I reach bra-strap. I too wear my hair up most of the time so it is definitely do-able. I think you should go for the length that you are "longing for":D

[Ravenwaves 88]

This January willo be my first time going a year without trims and now I'm going for a second year in a row. I just make sure to S&D often and dust if I really get a bad urge to trim. It usually quells the urge. The only difference I noticed within this year is slightly dryer and more scraggly/clingy ends. I have to take extra care not to rush and just pull my hair apart and I can usually manage just fine. I REALLY want to get to Tailbone so I'm going one more year. I wish you luck on your attempt.

You can do it!!

[jojo]

I'm soooo desperate to reach Hip too!! I think I'll join you in not trimming!!! :D dont know if its possible for me to reach it in 2011 though...but might aswell see!!

oh yeah I have roughly 7 1/2 inches to grow till waist in the front anyway :)

Cool we can be non-cut hair growing to hip sisters! (NCHGTHS club :D) my hair doesnt reach waist at the front either, it would take it forever to get over my lady lumps:D I have 4.5" to hips, which is about what I have been getting a year, though I suspect I get 6" but maybe I have been cutting more than I thought. Ive not trimmed since October, hopefully my hair wont suffer, so want to get to hip!! nice to have you on board! xx

[MClass]

I waited 13 months for a trim and the only thing I noticed but didnt realize until I got my trim was that it tangled more easily and was harder to brush through. I am still glad I waited and am going to do another year!

[Anatheme]

Before joining LHC I didn't trim for about a year and a half, growing from layered waist length to layered tailbone length, and even with care/routine that was far inferior to "perfect LHC care" the quality of my hair is honestly not too bad. I'm going to maintain with trims now before progressing further though, as I've reached my tailbone mini-goal.

I'd say definitely give it a try! With good care like you described you should be fine. :) And if you do reach a point where you're hating the quality of your ends you could always do a little trim - you've really got nothing to lose by trying, only lots of length to gain if it works out. :)

[bluesnowflake]

I'd like to do the same but I don't know if it's doable for my hair. My hair's at waist length, like yours, and I have 4" to go for the top of hip. I usually trim twice a year because my ends get frizzy, but maybe now that I'm taking really good care of my hair I won't have to trim as often. I get about 8 inches of growth a year so hopefully by next Christmas I'll be a little past hip even if I do trim 2".

[sunshine80]

It seems like you take great care of you hair so you should be fine:) Good luck and happy growing!!

[julliams]

I'm doing a year of no trimming and I know for sure I have quite a bit of splitting. I just want to see how much length I can get in one year without cutting. I started in April and I'll go until April 2010 before I get a cut. My goal is waist and I'm just over an inch away from it so I know I'll be there by April but it will be nice to overshoot it so that when I get my trim I'll have a bit to play with.

Here is my 8 months of progress so far.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4663232204_d9a1208e49.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5243843886_c43dfe0549.jpg

[Masara]

I tested not trimming for a year when I went from a long BSL to waist/hip (there's only about an inch between my waist and my hips)

By the end of the year, my ends were definately looking straggly and uneven (more uneven than usual) and I was really looking forward to trimming. In fact, I've been trimming more frequently this last year which was probably a reaction.

I usually get more or less 6 inches of growth per year and in my non trimming year I got 5.5". This last year, I trimmed every two months until september and every month since then and so far, I've had 4.5 inches. But I think that the more frequent trimming is, in part, because of not trimming the year before.

At this length, it's difficult to know how much dry straggly ends are due to not trimming and how much is just older, dryer hair.

[Lemur_Catta]

I'm joining the no trims in 2011 challenge too :D I was almost at hip last month but I cut on november 22th due to damage. My ends are feeling so soft and they are so much better, that I don't think I will trim again before January 1st, and then I will go 1 year without trim, and I will try to avoid doing a lot of S&D because it makes my ends very uneven (that's because most of the splits are in the sections that were highlighted 2 years ago, before I found LHC).
I am planning on wearing my hair down once per week, and up the other days, and to limit blowdrying to the coldest months and to start taking supplements :D
I will also try not to measure or look at my hair in the mirror for 6 months, but I am not sure I will be able to do that :D
I hope I'll be at hip or longer at the end of the year!

[lapushka]

I haven't had a haircut for more than two years, starting from chin length and I'm half an inch away from WL now. I even had my hair permed twice during this time, and went on growing anyway. I had about 4 small trims in all this time.

I did notice a lot of white dots in the last year, not many split ends, though. The white dots went from an eighth of an inch up to 2 inches upwards into my hair. By S&Ding once in a while, after about 4 months, all the breakage is now gone and so are the split ends. A lot of hairs had to be broken / cut off, though. I think about 25% of my hair had white dots and breakage. Most breakage went up an inch to 2 inches. But then again, I did have 2 major chemical processes done.

Other than that... there's no damage.

I would trim occasionally and have a few S&D sessions in there, but other than that I think you'll be just fine!

[IcarusBride]

I have veeery thin/fine hair, I can't go more than a few months without at least a small trim.

[triumphator!]

I haven't cut my hair in 14 months, and it's holding up just fine. I CO and wear it down whenever I want, wear it up whenever. My hair is pretty indestructible though.

[jojo]

I'm doing a year of no trimming and I know for sure I have quite a bit of splitting. I just want to see how much length I can get in one year without cutting. I started in April and I'll go until April 2010 before I get a cut. My goal is waist and I'm just over an inch away from it so I know I'll be there by April but it will be nice to overshoot it so that when I get my trim I'll have a bit to play with.

Here is my 8 months of progress so far.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4663232204_d9a1208e49.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5243843886_c43dfe0549.jpg

You have convinced me, thats amazing growth!

[suicides_eve]

No trimming wasn't my cup of tea.. I went a while with only S&D and it turned into a ratty mess. I have about 2" taken off and my hair look and feels alot better. It just depends on how you care for it.. I wear mine down all day and put it up only at night.

[princessp]

I'm debating this now. I don't think my hair is suffering from the fact I haven't cut it since last February, but i wonder if it will grow better if I give it a wee trim. I am leaning toward a micro trim after the new year. But I so want to reach tailbone.....

[Florida Mom]

My hair didn't respond well to no trimming for a year. By the year's end, I ended up 'trimming' about 5 inches to get rid of the ratty, stringy mess the ends became.... it was awful. I felt like I wasted the year. On the plus side, I know my hair better and have been steadily growing it longer and healthier. I envy those who are able to not trim!

[JuneBride]

Great thread, I have often thought of or wondered about the pros and cons myself. But then I think back to my first year if law school - I didn't even know it then but I was practicing begnign neglect and my hair never looked so good or grew so much!!! I think you'll find you'll get some splits but as ling as your wearing it up a lot and doing all of your other good practices, you Hould not cause significant damage and you will see massive growth!!! Good Luck!!! I am not doing no trims - instead I'm cutting down on trims from once every 3-4 months to once every six months, maybe after 2011 and getting rid of the last of the bleach I can them go trim-less in 2012!!!

[Roseate]

I'm thinking of doing another no-trimming year. I did one ending in March 2010, and got some good growth (for me anyway, I'm not a fast grower). I got split ends, which I had literally never gotten before, even when heat styling regularly. However, there weren't really all that many; I feel like it was worth it.

I'd really love to power past my bra strap and get a good start on waist this year, so maybe I'll go for it again!

[luckyduck]

Haven't cut my hair since January of this year. My hair is in good shape with no chemical or heat damage, so I plan to keep going and see how far I can go! I am at waist right now, shooting for classic in 2 years.

[Avital88]

Right now i havent had a trim for 7 months and i manage better than the last time,when i trimmed in may it was aswel after 7 months.My ends are much better now than before, i think because of henna glosses and less heat styling.(i used to be a flatiron junkie)
So if your not gonna do any damage to your hair in the next year and your ends are in a good shape now,there shouldnt be any problems!
Im also reaching for hip asap, i thought i would get there in june but last months i had supergrowth so i might be there before spring!!
good luck and love your color!

[squiggyflop]

ive tried not trimming i really have.. but my hair is f/m so when the ends are damaged it easily moves the damage up the length.. my best advice is to self trim and when you do self trim just dust the ends..

people with type C hair seem to be able to go forever but not my hair.. my hair is not made of steel like some other ladies

not trimming for 4 months turned my hair into a mess at the bottom.. i ended up having to cut off 3 inches

[AnnaJamila]

I'd like to do that, but while I don't get splits/tons of damage I just love having a perfect hemline! seriously, you have noooooooooooo idea how obsessive I am about it... >.>

[Yozhik]

I haven't trimmed since October 2009, so it's been over a year for me, and I've made a lot of progress -- please feel free to look in my album. :)

The one downside is that I've also been aggressively (perhaps over-aggressively) S&Ding, which does seem to have taken a toll on the last 1.5-2 inches of my hair.
I'm contemplating trimming around New Year, or perhaps I'll also try to hold out until waist . . . I haven't decided yet.

One thing I think that made it easier for me was that my ends are wavy/wurly, so my hemline is naturally not very even, so the difference doesn't really show up. In fact, my year+ of not trimming is giving me quite a nice U-hemline. :)

[GrowingGlory]

I'm doing a year of no trimming and I know for sure I have quite a bit of splitting. I just want to see how much length I can get in one year without cutting. I started in April and I'll go until April 2010 before I get a cut. My goal is waist and I'm just over an inch away from it so I know I'll be there by April but it will be nice to overshoot it so that when I get my trim I'll have a bit to play with.

Here is my 8 months of progress so far.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4663232204_d9a1208e49.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5243843886_c43dfe0549.jpg
OMG! Looks fabulous!

[spidermom]

Anxious to reach classic length this year, I haven't trimmed since January. I've got a lot of damaged hairs (negative), but I'm only one fly fart (thanks for that one) away from my goal (positive). I don't plan to trim until after my Caribbean trip in Feb/March. I figure it's better to destroy old ends with sunning and swimming rather than new ones.

Overall, I prefer the look of trimmed ends more than untrimmed ends (another positive). But growing both ways has been a learning experience.

[luxepiggy]

I should preface this post by saying that I do not seem to get splits. Thus, I almost never cut my hair more than once a year. When I do cut, it's because my hair is getting too long, not because the ends are showing damage per se. While I'm sure there is at least a moderate amount of damage towards the ends, especially since I do use a hair dryer, it doesn't seem particularly noticeable to me.

*Digs for photographs*

IIRC, these were taken after about a year and a half with no trims (naturally, since I don't get splits, I also don't S&D). They are pre-LHC, excuse my dry ends :o
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6020&pictureid=78659

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6020&pictureid=78658

Bottom line, I think unless you have a lot of existing damage, you'll probably be fine not cutting for a year or so (^(oo)^)

[tinti]

I'm doing a 1 year without trims myself, ending in may 2011. I'm wondering if I'm going to continue to december 2011 but I have'nt decided yet. My hair is in really good shape, no splits or damage.

[Smile4Kiki]

I havent trimmed for 8 months and was planning to go until April so that it would be a full year but my ends have gotten really dry and crunchy lately. Plus I've noticed a lot of splits and old heat damage from when I would flat iron (gasp) everyday. My bday's this week and my mom offered to take me to the hair salon as a gift but I'm undecided. If i do trim I can get rid of the old damage and attempt the 2011 without trims challenge, especially since I'm not using heat anymore. What to do, what to do:confused:

[JuneBride]

I havent trimmed for 8 months and was planning to go until April so that it would be a full year but my ends have gotten really dry and crunchy lately. Plus I've noticed a lot of splits and old heat damage from when I would flat iron (gasp) everyday. My bday's this week and my mom offered to take me to the hair salon as a gift but I'm undecided. If i do trim I can get rid of the old damage and attempt the 2011 without trims challenge, especially since I'm not using heat anymore. What to do, what to do:confused:

Not to tell you what to do but I was gaining some great growth from using monistat but I had a lot of splits!!! and I was so torn about cutting or not. I did trim at a salon and it was the best decision for me. See my profile for pics. You just don't want to run the risk of the splits traveling up the lenght. And...sometimes its better to get healthy before you continue with your growth. It was for me. Just sayin'

[frizzinator]

After growing 6 inches without cutting for a year, I measured the circumference of my ponytail at the top, middle and bottom. The circumference was an inch less in the middle and another inch less at the bottom.

Because I really wanted a thicker hemline, I eventually cut off the same amount of hair as I would have if I had done a micro-trim every couple of months.

[Arctic_Mama]

I went about two years before a trim about two months ago, almost to hip, and my hair looked fine (this is with the ends having color and flatiron damage!). The ends were a little uneven and brittle, sure, but nothing that looked really ratty or unkempt. Trimming made it look a ton better in terms of evenness, but going over a year without a trim was no problem.

[Anisaa]

Ive gone 15 months with out a trim!! and I am noticing lots of split ends, I feel that my hair looks uneven due to all the S&D that Ive done. I have been tempted to go get it trimmed professionally but I just cant get myself to the salon. The thought of losing any type of length freaks me out!! and it scares me that the stylist I go to will damage my hair (I think I have salon phobia) I am not planning to get my hair trimmed in 2011 either, instead I am going to condition, condition and condition!! Good LUCK <3

[Anisaa]

OMG!! YOU have GORGEOUS hair... Please share your hair care routine!!! <3

[monsterna]

Not to tell you what to do but I was gaining some great growth from using monistat but I had a lot of splits!!! and I was so torn about cutting or not. I did trim at a salon and it was the best decision for me. See my profile for pics. You just don't want to run the risk of the splits traveling up the lenght. And...sometimes its better to get healthy before you continue with your growth. It was for me. Just sayin'

I'm noticing a lot of splits, as well. How much did you get trimmed at the salon when you went?

[JuneBride]

I'm noticing a lot of splits, as well. How much did you get trimmed at the salon when you went?

I begged her, nearly cried in her face to take ONLY ONE HALF of an INCH off...and of course she took a WHOLE INCH :( But it was necessary! Look in my Progress Album, there is a pic of before and after the trim on November 1, 2010. I think, as I sit her today on December 13, 2010 its almost all grown back (I had a spurt...coule be the MN?!) and its in much better condition and it appears thicker. Good Luck :)

[jojo]

Thanks for everybodys replies, it seems the majority have encountered no problems other than an uneven hemline, thats fine as my hairs up most of the time.

I think the secret is in keeping the hair, especially the ends conditioned and keeping the hair up. Ive noticed a huge improvement in weekly DC's and daily light oilings.

Thanks again xx

[BeccaAngel]

I'd like to do the same but I don't know if it's doable for my hair. My hair's at waist length, like yours, and I have 4" to go for the top of hip. I usually trim twice a year because my ends get frizzy, but maybe now that I'm taking really good care of my hair I won't have to trim as often. I get about 8 inches of growth a year so hopefully by next Christmas I'll be a little past hip even if I do trim 2".

How do you get two more inches a year than average? your hair must grow fast.

[ddiana1979]

I just went exactly 11 months to the day without a trim, and went to my stylist yesterday to have my bangs cut. He said my hair was in such good condition, he only had to take 1/4" off my length. I was very pleased. :) The only thing "wrong" was that the right side of my hair grows slightly faster than the left. So he evened it up & started the U shaped hemline I want to end up with at goal.

[Shanazel]

My hair is very fine. Even with good care, if I went a year without a trim I'd have serious end frizzies. Good luck to all who can make it work for them, though. My hairdresser cuts a bare eighth to quarter inch off which makes a huge difference in how my hair looks and feels while still allowing it to grow. He has as much invested in seeing how long my hair will get as I do.;)

[jojo]

How do you get two more inches a year than average? your hair must grow fast.
I used to get 7.5" a year when I didnt trim before and I believe our very own Sqiggy gets nearly 2" a month, look at her progress photographic evidence, she went from shoulders to waist in a year, her grow is phenomenal, it is very possible just as some have very slow growth patterns of just a couple of inches a year.

[patienceneeded]

I am hoping to need a trim only once this year, right after getting my hair dyed back to my base color. After that, I am swearing off the hair color (hello Renegrey!) and going to see how long I can go before needing a trim. I plan on getting a pair of hair scissors and starting my own S&D as soon as my hair is long enough for me to get at by myself...

[BeccaAngel]

I used to get 7.5" a year when I didnt trim before and I believe our very own Sqiggy gets nearly 2" a month, look at her progress photographic evidence, she went from shoulders to waist in a year, her grow is phenomenal, it is very possible just as some have very slow growth patterns of just a couple of inches a year.

that's neat to know, i only grow about 6 inches average a year. which is why sometimes i lose patience with waiting on it to grow, then i cut it off. but I'm trying to quit that habit because i really want to have a lot longer hair than i have had. so lets hope i figure out another way to change my hair other than cutting it off, maybe styling differently or just making myself busy so i do not have to worry about it.

[Jen123]

I really needed to read this thread today. My hair just gets to a point and I want to cut off several inches. Now it is even worse because I can see a difference in the hair quality from before LHC and now, so the check mark part of my personality wants to cut my hair all of the way to that line. If I can just hang on I'll make it to at least waist this year. Count me in as a non trimmer.

[DARKMARTIAN]

Ive now gone probably two years with no trim. One of the worst effects of that though was not the state of my hair for not having done so but rather the sense of complacency that I began to feel in regards to my procrastination.
I'm not blind however to the fact that I could really use a trim badly. I do tell myself that once I get my next chop, im going to adhere to a more stringent regimen of hair care. i.e.....shorter intervals than two years between cuts. :o
Im sure its an intention though that will never be realized....:p

[BeamingBrunette]

I have gone almost a year now with out a trim and just did extra leave-in conditioner. My hair is healthy, even & fine ;)

[jojo]

that's neat to know, i only grow about 6 inches average a year. which is why sometimes i lose patience with waiting on it to grow, then i cut it off. but I'm trying to quit that habit because i really want to have a lot longer hair than i have had. so lets hope i figure out another way to change my hair other than cutting it off, maybe styling differently or just making myself busy so i do not have to worry about it.
6"is average growth its good, one year I got 2 lousy inches due to stress boy was I pissed!

[jojo]

Hair today but gone tomorrow
Is not the way to be
Keep it up and outta sight
and longer lengths will be

Snip the splits
dust the ends
add oil for good measure
wear a hat to keep it safe
and protect it from the weather!

ha ha just made that up!

[jasper]

positives:
no cost!
saves time and effort (no making or keeping hair cut appointments- or no time or effort spent on self trimming )
longer hair

negatives:
hemline may get uneven due to uneven growth patterns

[bunzfan]

I went nearly 7 months without a trim but as i have joined "the no trim till dec 2011" i thought i better do a light dusting i don't think my hair could go 15 months without a trim, i had no splits the ends felt a bit dry though.

I did a micro trim today using Frey's method and evened up my hemline and it now looks twice as thick so i am ready for the no trim challenge.

[heidi w.]

In my own opinion, of all the mistakes I've made, trimming too infrequently remains my largest regret, although it's not too bad as it turned out.

If you have overall relatively thick volume of hair, then I would trim, not regularly, but somewhat regularly. I would not wait a total of a year and go without.

Hemline in my opinion matters.

Beautiful hair is not JUST about length. It's about condition. It's about its stunning appeal from top to bottom.

It's a dichotomy to have this beautiful thick hair that on the bottom thins a bit, is maybe dry a bit, kind of looks brittley or overly thin, perhaps string-like.....comparing to the rest of the head. I like the look of a wall of hair from top to bottom.

I did, however, trim very regularly at one point, every 10 weeks, and my hair barely grew. I then went on a spree of a few years and no trim, and then decided to trim back to knee length and keep it there for about 2 years while a "weak spot" got a chance to catch up.....it sort of worked.

My ends aren't thin as in see-through, but they are less volume because I'm in the zone of my maximum genetic potential of length and now at 50 hair is thinning in general in terms of volume. Not a lot, no baldness or anything, but I notice the difference.

Truthfully my hair would look a lot better at knee length for that kind of nice look from top to bottom, the wall, as I refer to it.

I would aim to keep a decent hemline. I like that kind of gentle smile as it mimics the way hair naturally grows for most. Not literally straight across. I think that demands even MORE attention to maintain and is a difficult standard and mostly, actually cuts off more hair. Hair grows its longest, for most, at the center of the back of the head, a kind of width around 5 inches wide.

Mostly I would give some attention to what's known as horizontal volume.....I would trim at least twice. If you wait too long, it'll thin out a bit, possibly, and you'll end up cutting too much back. Unless you like that look, and some do. They call it fairy tale ends here.

heidi w.

[thatjengirl1]

Ive never gone more than about 6 months without at least a small trim.
my advice would be to just go with it, and if your hair is splitting really bad or something, i would trim it. Having a couple split ends really isnt a big deal. Everyone has a few. But you know what i mean, just cut it if it really needs it. :) i think you can do it.

[Lianna]

This past year I was growing out a pixie, so I didn't trim much length, but I did trim often. I trimmed 2mm (0.08 inch) every month, which is less than 1 inch a year. A positive thing about it is that my layers weren't too shaggy or chunky (I cut at an angle). I plan to do this next year, but less often (maybe 3-4 times).

A positive thing about trimming less (not cutting for a year) is that you have less chances to lose hair if you accidentally cut too much in a snip. Some of my 'snips' were/are a tiny bit more than 2mm (that's VERY little), some were 3 or 4mm.