by Erin Blubaugh

Created on: October 17, 2008

"But if you cut your hair, it'll grow faster," said my client to her resistant daughter. "Isn't that right?" she asked me. She raised her eyebrows to indicate that I should play along.

We both knew it was a lie. But it was one of those white lies we tell people every day to make sure they are taking proper care of their hair. Still, I had to dispell the myth without undermining my client's parental authority.

The truth is that trimming hair regularly only appears to make it grow faster, especially when refreshing bangs, angling around the face, or trimming layers because of the lines that create the optical illusion of length. Even when the style is not altered with a trim, hair seems to grow faster because it is healthier and the ends remain blunt from the trim, rather than drifting into a frayed, straggly look that hair takes on when it hasn't been cut in a long time.

Hair needs to be trimmed every six to eight weeks when it is growing out, particularly if it is straightened, permed, tinted, or exposed to heated styling tools. Considering that hair grows, on average, only a half-an-inch per month, frequent trims would seem to defeat the purpose of growing hair out. But this is not necessarily the case. Even trimming just one-eighth of an inch from the ends will keep hair healthier and more vibrant. Add to that a monthly conditioning treatment-whether at home or in the salon, and clients will experience hair worth showing off. In addition to keeping hair healthy, regular trimming helps clients retain style.

Think of the flip side of regular trimming. Hair goes flat and limp when style is lost. Hair may become harder to work with. Stylists can recommend new ways of styling to keep hair looking gorgeous. In addition, if hair is let to grow without regular trims, problems with split ends and breakage arise. Obviously, breakage goes against the point of growing hair out; split ends can only be rid of by cutting. The longer split ends are ignored, the worse they become, requiring more length removal in the long run.

Not only am I a stylist, but I am also a veteran at the game of cutting off and growing out my own hair. Trust me, if it has been more than six weeks since your last trim, make that appointment now. Tell your stylist you need a trim to keep your hair healthy, but you'd like to take very little off so that you look as though you hadn't had a haircut. S/he might even recommend ways to make growing out your hair easier and better suited for your lifestyle and looks.

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