Growing Your Hair? We Asked A Hairdresser How Often You Actually Need A Trim
Melissa Mason is an Australian writer and podcast host. She has also been a beauty journalist for over 10 years. She’s obsessed with the ‘70s (and forever switching between her natural curls and a wavy shag), has a co-dependent relationship with her pinky-nude lipstick collection and is currently living in the Aussie outback battling flies and red dust on the daily. You can find her on socials @melissamason_
We’ve all been there – you get the big chop, enjoy the freedom of wind on your shoulders and diminished styling time, only for your smartphone to deliver a photo memory of your long, luscious mane from two years prior. Bam!
You’re committed to growing your hair again.
The process is always long and arduous. After all, on average, hair takes a full year to grow six to eight inches.
But there are ways you can “speed up” the process – although it won’t fast-track the growth phase, using the right products and going to the hairdresser regularly can prevent damage.
Split ends and unhealthy hair won’t just slow down your journey, you can even find your hair just doesn’t grow at all. This is because as hair splits, the ends weaken and snap off. Ugh!
The way to combat this is regular visits to the hairdresser - they’ll snip off those damaged ends, ensuring that what grows out of your scalp doesn’t get lost from your lengths at the same time.
But how often do you really need to get a trim at the hairdresser? After all, you’re trying to grow your hair, not shorten it.
We asked Sydney hairdresser Amanda Tua for her tips.
How Often Should You Trim Your Hair If You’re Growing It?
Not as often as you may think.
“To allow enough growth between visits, I recommend getting a trim every 12 weeks,” says Amanda.
If your hair is chemically processed or has been bleached, her advice is to get a trim every 8 weeks, since your hair is more likely to be brittle and prone to splitting.
How Much Hair Needs To Come Off With Each Visit?
This is the big question!
We’ve all had a hairdresser who seemed a bit too snip-happy with those scissors, inhibiting our hair growth journey.
Unfortunately, you may need a big chop at first. “It depends on your past colour and chemical history, and the state your hair is in,” explains Amanda. “I recommend taking off all the split hair in that first visit, so you don’t risk your strands splitting up the hair shaft.”
However, once you’ve gotten back to healthy ends, if you’re maintaining your hair’s health, you actually don’t need a lot off with each visit.
“Regular one-centimetre trims every 10-12 weeks is plenty!” says Amanda.
Stressed About Losing Length? Consider Layers For Healthy Growth.
If you really don’t want a big chop, you can chat with your hairdresser about layers.
“I find layers are a great way to remove dead ends without losing lots of length,” explains Amanda.
These don’t have to be short and choppy – long layers will lop off plenty of damage while keeping the illusion of longer hair, and then you can slowly whittle off the more damaged lengths over several visits.
Care Is Crucial.
The golden rule for growing your hair? Consistent care!
Visits to the hairdresser are just one piece of the puzzle – the real key is maintaining your hair’s health so what’s growing from your scalp comes in healthy, and stays healthy.
“I love the K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask for maintaining hair health,” says Amanda. “It prevents further breakage and split ends.”
Her other non-negotiable? “Heat protection before using hot tools!” she says.
Invest in a lightweight mist like evo Icon Welder Heat Protection Spray or a finishing oil with protective benefits like Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil, both of which will combat the effect of heat on your strands.
Make sure your shower routine is also built around encouraging healthy hair growth. Exfoliating shampoos can help create a healthy scalp environment for hair growth, like the Aveda Invati Shampoo, which you can team with a scalp massager to encourage blood flow through your scalp - we love the STRAAND Scalp Brush.
Nourishing masks in place of your conditioner are a great way to keep hair soft and manageable, like Coco & Eve’s Sweet Repair Mask.
There are also sprays and serums these days that can be applied to your scalp to maintain that healthy environment for hair to thrive, like BondiBoost’s Intensive Growth Spray.
Finally...
Yep, growing your hair is definitely a journey.
But if you’re consistent with regular trims and care maintenance, you will see results - and best of all, some seriously healthy hair!
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