Hello Lovelies!
I’m so excited for today’s post because I’ll be answering our second reader submitted question. I just love these because it lets me know that you all are really reading and challenging your minds about what you’ve been taught in regards to hair growth and growing long hair. Today’s question comes from a reader by the name of Lindsey S., and Lindsey asks:
I always hear the same cut your hair every so and so weeks to make it grow, but it makes no sense to me that I should have to cut my hair to get it to grow longer. So what’s the truth? Will cutting my hair really make it grow?
I have a little secret for you Lindsey and all of the other readers out there, cutting your hair has absolutely nothing to do with hair growth. So. then why all the advice from every magazine to every celebrity hair stylist to trim your ends every 6, 8, or however many weeks if you want your hair to grow? I presume most people give that advice in regards to trimming off damaged ends that could stunt how much hair growth your retain, but not how much or how fast your hair grows.
The ends of our hair is the oldest part of our hair at any given moment in time, and because of that, they have sustained the most abuse and everyday wear and tear. If your ends are damaged, your hair is more susceptible to breakage, which translates into hair that never grows beyond the points of damage. Cutting the ends of your hair will not transmit some magical response to your body that it’s okay for your hair to grow longer now.
To be honest, the whole trim your hair every “x” amount of weeks thing is a commercialized message to get you into a stylists chair more frequently. In my humble opinion, this advice is mostly cosmetic and just another way to fatten your hair stylist’s pockets. There has never been a peer-reviewed study that has proven cutting your hair will make it grow. However, keeping your ends in good shape by regular trimming may help you slow down the occurrence of split ends and damage that could affect your overall length retention. So, the advice that purported hair gurus should give is that cutting your hair may help you retain more length, but frequent trims will not make your hair grow faster.
If you don’t want to cut your hair on a frequent basis, avoid doing things to damage your hair in the first place. That means stay away from chemical and heat styling products and tools as much as possible. Ensure that your hair is always properly conditioned and wear protective styles that allow you to treat the ends of your hair with the tender love and care they deserve.
Realize that split and thin ends are the result of damage, not the cause itself. If you’re suffering from less than desirable ends, there was or is something you’re currently doing to your hair that led to that result. Your job is to figure out the hair care practices that are causing your hair to break and nipping them in the bud as soon as possible. This is the key to avoiding unnecessary trims and retaining more of the hair that you grow.
If you have a hair growth or general hair care question you’d like to ask, feel free to submit your question here.
