{"id":679,"date":"2025-05-22T11:00:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T11:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=679"},"modified":"2025-05-22T15:04:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:04:52","slug":"what-a-year-of-no-haircuts-taught-me-about-growing-strong-healthy-hair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/22\/what-a-year-of-no-haircuts-taught-me-about-growing-strong-healthy-hair\/","title":{"rendered":"What A Year Of No Haircuts Taught Me About Growing Strong, Healthy Hair"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Last year I made a pact with myself: I wouldn\u2019t cut my hair<\/a> for a full 12 months in what I came to call a \u201cscientific strike\u201d. Don\u2019t get me wrong. As a beauty writer, I\u2019ve always advised regular trims<\/a> to keep your hair healthy and strong<\/a>, but following a handful of salon appointments with scissor-happy hairstylists, the longest hair I\u2019d ever managed to grow was steadily reduced to a long bob<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My hair went from being 20 inches long to a shoulder-skimming 12 inches in the space of a year \u2014 and I saw red. I know what you\u2019re thinking. It\u2019s just hair. It grows back, right?<\/em> But here\u2019s the thing: I\u2019ve been trying to grow long hair<\/a> my entire life, and rarely has it passed my shoulders. Growing up as a mixed-race girl in a small, all-white town, my desperation for long hair was tied to belonging and so many other complex feelings. I knew I\u2019d never have swishy blonde lengths, blue eyes, or pale skin like my friends. But long hair felt like an achievable way to feel less alien.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to say that beauty standards have changed over the years, but society still puts long hair on a pedestal as the feminine ideal. As such, my desire for flowing locks outlasted childhood insecurities. While I fixated less on length in my 20s, eventually coming to terms with my hair\u2019s limits, a rare occasion where I straightened my hair revealed a dramatic growth spurt. I saw myself with long hair for the first time, and I cried. \u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I was so upset when it was gone. It might sound melodramatic, but the reality is that many of us have deeply emotional relationships with our hair. Every time I hear of a hairdresser taking off more than agreed<\/a>, I understand the frustration. A quick whip round my friends and colleagues proves that no matter how clear they are with their hairdressers, they almost always leave the salon with much less hair than intended. (The phrase \u201chairdresser\u2019s inch\u201d exists for a reason.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

So I decided to take a stand. No scissors were to touch my hair in 2024. Not only that, but I vowed to find out if regular trims actually encourage our hair to grow<\/a> in the long run and whether my suspicions were correct: Hairdressers really do<\/em> take off more than you need.<\/p>\n

Do regular trims really help your hair grow?<\/h2>\n

While trims don\u2019t directly impact actual hair growth from the scalp, they do affect the overall length by improving retention, essentially maintaining a relatively steady length. Sam Burnett<\/a>, owner and creative director of Hare & Bone<\/a> salon, also tells me, \u201cTrimming prevents split ends<\/a> from traveling up the hair shaft, which can lead to breakage.\u201d If your hair is breaking off at the ends or the mid-lengths, then you\u2019re going to lose length, which can counter growth. It all adds up, but seeing as my regular trims had drastically shortened my hair, there had to be an issue with the frequency or the amount snipped. More on that later.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Is it okay to skip trims and haircuts if your hair is damaged?<\/h2>\n

Burnett warns that skipping trims can lead to a \u201cdomino effect\u201d of damage, meaning you might need a more drastic cut further down the line. But knowing you should chop off the split ends doesn\u2019t make it any easier. Where there\u2019s an unpersuadable attachment to length, curl specialist Trina Baranyi proposes a compromise. \u201cIt\u2019s fine if you\u2019re not prepared to lose all that damage,\u201d she said \u2014 but at least meet your stylist in the middle. \u201cLet\u2019s work together,\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019ll put you on a plan, but what I am going to need from you is consistency.\u201d Such a plan involves coming in for more frequent (and therefore less dramatic) cuts over time to gradually remove damage and help prevent it from spreading up the hair shaft. Until the damage is eventually removed, Baranyi also advises against bleach and recommends minimal heat styling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to take off damage while preserving length, hair dusting<\/a> has become a popular technique among hairstylists. Performed on dry hair so that split ends are visible, it involves taking hair section by section and carefully snipping off \u2014 or \u201cdusting\u201d \u2014 any split ends that stick out from the mid-lengths down to the ends. While hair dusting is mostly suited to straight hair, it\u2019s not impossible on curly hair with the right expertise. A qualified hairdresser will talk you through the process and explain whether it\u2019s right for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How often should you get a trim if you want to grow your hair?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

How often you need a trim can depend on your hair type. For those with fine hair, Burnett recommends a snip every four to six weeks as split ends tend to be more obvious. For thick or curly hair, you can push it to every eight to 12 weeks. When it comes to textured hair, Baranyi suggests a trim every 12 weeks for loose curls and every 16 to 20 weeks for tighter textures, mainly because it\u2019s harder to see growth.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Following my experiment, some of these recommendations seemed excessive. Sure, my hair was in need of a trim (it was uneven with split ends), but the condition wasn\u2019t drastically worse than usual. If it hits 12 weeks and your ends look fine to you, I\u00a0personally\u00a0think it\u2019s a good idea to use your initiative, and that might mean waiting a little. It seems Burnett agrees. \u201cUltimately, it\u2019s about listening to what your hair needs,\u201d he told me. If you notice that your hair is breaking off in places, for example, or it feels very dry, you\u2019re overdue a trim.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What causes slow hair growth?<\/h2>\n

I\u2019d had my previous trims around the 20-week mark, which is frequent enough for my hair texture. Something still wasn\u2019t adding up, though. I asked a trichologist to tell me more about what might cause slow hair growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The speed at which hair grows varies from person to person and throughout our lives, said consultant trichologist Eva Proudman of UK Hair Consultants<\/a>. While growth can be impacted by nutrition, wellbeing, and health (such as an underactive thyroid, poor diet, or low levels of vitamins and minerals like ferritin, B12, vitamin D<\/a>, and zinc), your baseline is mostly genetic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHair growth is determined by the length of the growing cycle, which can last two to seven years,\u201d Proudman continued. During this time, your hair goes through various stages: anagen (the growth phase), catagen (where hair growth slows down slightly), telogen (where hair doesn\u2019t tend to grow for a few months) and exogen (where new strands grow, replacing old ones that have fallen out naturally). Proudman added that the hair growth rate is between 0.5 and 1 centimeter per month. Growing your hair long could take up to five years, said Proudman.<\/p>\n

To further encourage growth, Proudman said that good hair care is essential. \u201cThe longer and older the hair, the more it is prone to damage,\u201d said Proudman, \u201cso a good shampoo and conditioner<\/a> are a must.\u201d Proudman also suggested dialling down the heat on hairdryers and straighteners (happily, lots are now capped at 180\u00b0<\/strong>C) to avoid damage. Lastly, washing your hair regularly<\/a> will keep your scalp healthy and well-balanced, said Proudman.\u00a0And a happy scalp equals healthier hair.<\/p>\n

Why do some hairdressers take off more than you ask?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Suppose you\u2019re taking good care of your hair, but your hairdresser is still cutting off more than you\u2019ve agreed. It can be an accident,t but Baranyi said that sometimes it can be deliberate. \u201cSome hairdressers don\u2019t listen,\u201d she told me. \u201cThey think, I know best.<\/em>\u201d While Baranyi advises clients on what needs to come off and explains that they might not get the exact results that they want, ultimately, she only cuts what they agree on. \u201cIt\u2019s horrible for you to sit in my chair, trust me, and then for me to go, Oh, f*ck it. I\u2019m doing it anyway<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hearing this from Baranyi is vindicating. If you feel as though you aren\u2019t being listened to, it might be time to find another hairdresser. I\u2019d recommend reading as many reviews as you can, and asking your friends and family who they trust to do their hair. I had a great experience at London\u2019s Hare & Bone, where the stylist listened to my request to compromise some damage to maintain length. We discussed my self-imposed heat ban (not using heated tools more than six times a year) and my strict use of silk pillowcases and scrunchies<\/a>, which he said were great steps to protect damaged hair from getting worse. For these reasons, he was happy to leave a little damage. It\u2019s also recommended to book a consultation<\/a> (usually free) before your actual haircut. If you feel like you aren\u2019t being heard, it\u2019s okay to walk away.<\/p>\n

With all this in mind, I have another theory as to why my stylists were cutting so much of my hair off. Curly cuts don\u2019t tend to translate well when straightened, so as I wear my hair both ways, it made more sense to have it cut when straight. This meant I didn\u2019t feel the need to seek out texture-experienced stylists. Also, curly hair requires more moisture, so when I\u2019d say, \u201cTake off what needs to come off,\u201d were stylists seeing the naturally drier texture of my straightened curls as hair damage?<\/p>\n

Baranyi, who also has curly hair, justified my suspicion. \u201cWe naturally just have a drier texture on the ends of our hair,\u201d she told me. She has witnessed stylists perceive healthy curly hair as dry. \u201cIt\u2019s not damaged and it\u2019s not broken,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s because [lots of stylists] are used to feeling a silky, smooth texture, [especially if they are] not working with curls often.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

What I learned from a year of no haircuts\u00a0<\/h2>\n

I want to say that my hair is sailing down my back again after a year of no cuts, but actually the growth has been moderate. Taking a leaf out of the experts\u2019 book, I\u2019ve decided to\u00a0return to 20-week trims in 2025 so that my hair remains healthy and strong. <\/p>\n

Choosing stylists who weren\u2019t experienced enough to work with my texture is probably most crucial to understanding why I struggled to grow my hair. If I\u2019ve learned anything from this experiment, it\u2019s that it\u2019s so important to find a hairdresser who respects your wishes and understands your texture. <\/p>\n

Funnily enough, I didn\u2019t need to stop cutting my hair for a year to figure that out. Maybe I just needed 12 months to cool off before I faced the scissors again.<\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

How Are We All Budgeting On Hair Color?<\/a><\/p>\n

This Hair Mask Gave Me Shiny \u2018Glass Hair\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGhost Layers\u201d Is My Most Complimented Haircut<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year I made a pact with myself: I wouldn\u2019t cut my hair for a full 12 months in what I came to call a \u201cscientific strike\u201d. Don\u2019t get me wrong. As a beauty writer, I\u2019ve always advised regular trims to keep your hair healthy and strong, but following a handful of salon appointments with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=679"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":685,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions\/685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}