How Often You Should Trim Your Hair, According To A Hairstylist

There’s a long-standing debate within the hair community over how often you should cut your hair. Some people swear by getting a trim every six weeks; others think you should wait at least 12 weeks before getting your next trim.

So when’s the right time to trim your hair? For expert insight, we turned to Emily Heser, a hair professional and stylist at Cutler Salon in New York City.

When it comes to trimming frequency, it turns out there’s not one set rule. For most people, getting a trim every one to three months is standard, but Emily says it all depends on a person’s hair length, their haircut, and their styling routine.

“I recommend four to 12 weeks depending on length, style, and whether the hair is colored or heat styled regularly,” Emily advises.

Certain styles require more maintenance. “[For example], my bangs need to be trimmed every one to two weeks,” Emily explains. “If someone has a pixie cut, every three to five weeks could be necessary.” The same goes for men with buzz cuts, skin fades, or crew cuts, which are shorter styles that may need a trim roughly every two to three weeks.

People with longer hair can space out their trims. “For someone with long and healthy hair, I recommend 12 weeks,” Emily says. But if someone exposes their hair to dyes or heat often, then they should up the frequency of their trims. “If the person uses a curling iron or flat iron more than twice a week, or if they have color-treated hair, they’ll need to consider a trim every eight weeks to keep their hair healthy,” she notes.

If growing your hair out is the main goal (not just maintaining your current length), increasing the frequency of your haircuts may be necessary. While cutting the ends of your hair doesn’t affect the actual hair follicles (which determine how fast and how much your hair grows), getting frequent trims does encourage hair growth by getting rid of any damaged, broken, or split ends. That means that even if trimming doesn’t directly make your hair grow, it does help ensure that the hair you’re growing in is healthy and less likely to break.

For an extra hair-growing boost, you can take hair wellness supplements like Nutrafol in addition to getting frequent trims. “Since I began taking Nutrafol last year, my hair grows very quickly,” Emily says. “I try to keep my trims to every six to eight weeks, maximum.”

Some people have trouble deciding whether they should cut their hair every two weeks or every 12 weeks — but what happens if you don’t trim your hair at all?

Many hair professionals advise against skipping trims. If you don’t cut the ends of your hair, you run the risk of split ends. Your hair may even split up the length of the strand, leaving you with a full head of brittle and weak hair.

Depending on your styling habits and hair type, you still might be able to get away with waiting longer than 12 weeks between trims; however, when you start noticing you have more split ends than healthy strands of hair, then it’s time to get a cut. “If in doubt, ask your stylist what they recommend,” Emily says.