By Jc of The Natural Haven Bloom
Trimming is an important part of a natural hair routine helping to keep damage at bay and allowing the hair to keep gaining length. Your routine could be as simple as trimming half an inch every 4 months, regularly dusting the ends (cutting off a quarter inch or less of hair) or the more time consuming but more hair preserving ‘search and destroy’ where only damaged strands are targeted. Some naturals, however, can fall into the trap of trimming too much. Here are 4 instances when trimming is not necessary and possibly counterproductive.
1. You trimmed it last week
If you have recently trimmed your hair and you spot split ends soon after it may be the case that you need another trim, however it could also be the case that you missed a few damaged strands. Wait for at least two months before you pick up the scissors again. Constantly cutting your hair may lead to very slow or no progress. Do not obsess about having no split ends, for some hair, this is just not possible.
2. You notice one side is longer than the other
The purpose of trimming is to get rid of split ends and old damaged ends. You can also use it to even up hair length but for some people one part of their hair can grow faster than the other. Sometimes it is the front that grows longer than the back or the left side faster than the right or the crown faster than all other areas. In whatever case, it can be very counterproductive to keep evening out the length if all that is happening is that one part of your hair is growing faster. Natural hair worn in a curly or stretched style really does not require even length. As long as the ends are free of split ends or obvious damage, keep the uneven lengths and grow all the hair to your desired length before choosing to even it up.
3. Your ends appear thin/ see through but you regularly do search and destroy trims
If your chosen method of trimming is only cutting off damaged ends, it is highly likely that your ends may appear much thinner than the bulk of the hair. In this case, it is not necessary to trim your hair to get rid of the see through ends. Since you are only cutting damage, it is always the case that some strands will be longer than others. As long as you are able to keep on top of damage and split ends, you do not need to trim the hair any further.
4. Your ends are dry or do not curl like they used to but you cannot see split ends
As hair gets older, it will be more difficult to maintain moisture simply because the cuticle layers are depleted and it is easier to lose moisture. Dry ends or ends that are not able to curl are not necessarily signs that you need a trim. Examine the hair and see if you can see visible signs of damage such as split ends. If you do not see damage, all those ends require is a little more water, oil and/or moisturiser and spending a lot time in tucked in styles to conserve moisture.
Are you scissor happy? When do you decide it’s time to trim your hair?
This is quite a timely article. Especially now that’s it’s winter time. I, too, equated even hair with healthy hair. But I’m learning that that’s not true. My left side grows longer than my right – and my bottom right hand side is what I believe to be 4B, which looks, acts and grows completely different than the rest of the hair on my head. But when it’s stretched, it’s just about in line with the rest of my hair. The SSKs and splits happen all over, but I only get rid of the obvious ones, and try not to obsess over what I can’t see. I’m believing to see the fruits of that non-labor next spring :-).
Hi, I have fine, relaxed hair, what can I do to both strengthen and thicken it?
Stop relaxing! Go natural. Strength and thickness returns with healthy hair.
Try stretching your relaxers.
Relax less, roller sets to avoid damage caused by heat, and protein treatments. Be blessed.
I use Doo Gro Mega Thick Lotion To Thicken My hair,I use the Doo Gro Anti- Breakage Lotion on my ends. I do this everyday before i get in the shower and after I get out to moisturize my sides back, I put this on while it is damp on the sides that seals the moisture. I also us a product called Just natural, I Have found that the more natural product i use on my hair the better it is. I also keep my hair tucked in a ball it tends to hold moisture well that way. I don’t comb my hair but once a week and that is to wash it only, I use my hands to press it down. this has cause major thickness to my hair also. love it. I had a major problem with thin hair too. I am trying to get away from any products that are not natural feel free to email me for tips anytime.
I get my hair trimmed at the most twice a year when my ends starts to feel very dry and crispy and don’t stay moisturised I know it is time for them to go. I’m not bothered by split ends or SSK I don’t do search and destroy, life is way too short.
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I feel like my mom is scissor happy concerning my own hair… I’m 14, and so she basically pays for me to get it trimmed every 4-6 weeks. This involves flat ironing, blow drying, and all the works. I don’t feel as if I need to go this often, but is trimming a bit more objective than I’d believe?
This could be true about your .mom. Ask her could you go every 8 to 10 weeks this spring to fall.. Do a length check at every trimming. Before and after trimming. Give the results to your mom. If your hair is growing, ask her to keep this schedule.