Trimming: When You Need It and How

People are often skeptical of the fact that in order for hair to grow, you have to cut it from time to time. It's very true, however. Old hair is weaker than newer hair, and the oldest parts of your hair are the ends. These parts are worn and tired. They split and break and knot up on themselves. And if they are not removed, that damage travels further and further up the hair strand. This are not reversible, only preventable.
Trimming the damaged ends from your hair gives you an overall smoother style, improves your length retention, and generally refreshes your hair. So do you need a trim? Keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs.

• Your ends lose their curl.- Let's say you straighten your hair. If the ends have trouble reverting back to curly after you shampoo, they may be damaged.
• Your ends lose their shine.- If your hair is generally healthy and shiny but your ends are very dull, it could be due to splitting strands. Time to trim.
• Your ends are thinner than your roots.- To some degree, this is normal simply due to the age of your ends compared to new growth. But, if your ends are noticeably thinner than the rest of your hair, they need trimming.
• Your ends are uneven.- This is a sign of breakage. Hair doesn't break off nice and neat at a set length. It breaks where it is weakest. You need a trim to even it out, and then some moisturizer to prevent future dryness and breakage.
• The dreaded fairy knots.- grab a section of hair and closely examine your ends. Do you see a lot of individual strands that have tied themselves in knots? This is more prevalent if you wear your hair loose on a regular basis. Fairy knots only lead to more knots and tangled, frizzy styles. Your fastest solution is to cut them.
• Your ends stay frizzy.- If your styles never look smooth anymore and no amount of product or detangling will fix it, your ends are split. This is incredibly obvious when wearing straight styles, but split ends can also sabotage an otherwise fabulous twist-out.

If you've never trimmed before, the first few times may seem more like a haircut when you see how much damage needs to be removed. But once that is removed, you'll find yourself needing only a small trim every few months. If you wear your hair loose on a regular basis, consider increasing the frequency of your trims, since your ends are exposed and wear out faster.

A simple trim can be done easily at home, but you may want to consider a professional if your hair is an awkward length, or you've never been trimmed before. A stylist can evaluate your hair and accurately determine just how much needs to be trimmed.