Does Cutting Your Hair Often Make it Healthier?

Whether you’re sporting a sassy bob or growing out your bangs, proper hair care, including regular trims, plays a part in keeping your hair looking healthy. 

Understanding Hair Health and Growth Cycle

Hair growth is cyclical and happens in phases:⁴

• Anagen: A growth phase that lasts 2-8 years.

• Catagen: A transition period that lasts a couple of weeks when the hair follicle thins.

• Telogen: A period of rest that lasts 2-3 months.

• Exogen: The phase when hair sheds.

Healthy hair is smooth and shiny with minimal breakage and shedding. In a typical cycle your hair grows about ½ inch a month and sheds 100-150 strands a day.³ When hair is unhealthy, it looks dry and brittle, has split ends, and there is excessive shedding.

Haircut’s Role in Hair Health

There are benefits to getting your hair cut regularly.

• Prevents Split Ends

The fraying at the tips of your hair strands means weaker that is more likely to be brittle and break. It’s best to trim hair before you get split ends, but if you do get them, trimming your hair stops the damage from spreading further.

• Maintains Hair Shape and Manageability

Hair that is cut regularly has less breakage and is easier to manage, helps your hair keep its style and shape, and minimizes the time it takes to style your hair daily.

• Scalp Health

Regular cuts can help reduce weight and tension on your scalp, which can lead to small bald spots called alopecia. Also, your hairdresser may notice changes to your scalp health before you do, helping you catch conditions like dandruff or scalp psoriasis early.

• Improved Hair Texture

Regular hair cuts give thin hair volume, reduces bulkiness in thick hair, and gives definition and smoothness to curly hair.

Common Hair Cutting Myths Debunked

Don’t let these common hair myths keep you from caring for your hair.

• Myth: Cutting hair makes it grow faster.

Hair growth originates at the root near the scalp so cutting the ends does not make it grow more.¹⁴

• Myth: You don’t need to cut your hair if you are growing it out.

It’s beneficial to get regular trims even when you’re growing your hair. Longer hair is more likely to be damaged by styling with heat, ponytails, aggressive towel drying, and over brushing, leaving you with breakage and brittle ends. Regular cuts keep your hair shaped and managed through the awkward phase of growing out bangs or layers. If your hair is curly, regular cuts keep your texture even.¹⁶

• Myth: Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker.

Shaving blunts the tip of the hair making it appear darker and thicker, but it doesn’t change the thickness, color, or growth pattern.¹⁷

• Myth: Cutting your hair when pregnant means your baby will be bald.

There are several myths around pregnancy and haircuts. Besides causing a bald baby, there are myths that haircuts when pregnant affect your baby’s strength or vision. While pregnancy hormones can change your hair growth, volume, and texture, cutting your hair doesn’t affect your baby in any way. You should, however, avoid using harsh chemicals or dyeing hair while pregnant.¹⁸

• Myth: You should cut your hair based on the phase of the moon.

Despite some cultures' belief that trimming your hair during a full moon makes it stronger and healthier, there is no scientific evidence that this is true. Hair growth is mostly influenced by genetics, hormones, diet, and overall health.¹⁹

How Often Should You Cut Your Hair?

Everyone’s hair is different, but there are some general guidelines you can follow based on style, type, and texture.¹³

• Short hair - Cut every 4-6 weeks to maintain your style

• Bangs - Trim every 3-4 weeks.

• Medium-long hair - Cut every 6-8 weeks to maintain shape; every 8-12 weeks if you’re growing it out

• Long hair - Trim every 3-6 months to minimize damage

• Curly hair - Trim every 8-12 weeks to keep curls smooth and manageable

• Fine hair - Trim every 6-8 weeks to keep hair looking fuller

• Thick hair - Trim every 8-10 weeks to manage tangles and keep smooth

• Color-treated hair - Trim every 6-8 weeks to manage dryness and damage

Maintaining Healthy Hair Between Cuts

Keep your hair healthy between cuts by following these care and styling tips:²⁴

• Avoid using high heat to dry or style hair. 

• Regularly massage your scalp to encourage blood flow.

• Avoid harsh shampoo, hair treatments, and styling products.

• Wash your hair with the right shampoo, no more than once a day.

• Condition your hair regularly.

• Don’t aggressively towel dry or over brush hair.

• Avoid crash diets and too much alcohol.

• Eat a healthy diet, rich in protein, zinc, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Foundation Skincare’s dermatologist-formulated Untangled Essentials Kit helps you nourish your hair by combining our topical serum designed to encourage hair growth for people who can’t tolerate Minoxidil with an oral supplement that gives your body the nutrients it needs to grow thicker, fuller hair.

Regular haircuts play an important role in keeping your hair looking shiny and healthy. Knowing your hair type and texture, choosing the right hair products, and taking care of your overall health helps you keep your hair lush and vibrant. 

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499948/

2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917549/

3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/hair-growth

4. https://www.aad.org/tips-healthy-hair

5. https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/healthy-hair-a-guide-to-getting-full-shiny-and-strong-locks/

6. https://www.creativeimages.edu/the-science-behind-haircuts-how-to-create-the-perfect-style-for-your-client/

7. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/527138

8. https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/hair-before-bed

9. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-often-should-you-cut-your-hair

10. https://www.southernliving.com/fashion-beauty/hairstyles/how-to-grow-long-hair

11. https://www.healthline.com/health/brushing-hair

12. https://www.mydcsi.com/2023/09/27/is-short-hair-better-for-scalp-psoriasis-finding-comfort-and-relief

13. https://aboveshears.com/the-importance-of-regular-trims-how-often-should-clients-cut-their-hair/

14. https://www.oprah.com/fashion_and_beauty/5-biggest-hair-myths-busted/all

15. https://www.rd.com/list/hair-myths/

16. https://www.theatelieracademy.com/should-i-get-a-haircut-if-im-trying-to-grow-out-my-hair/

17. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hair-removal/faq-20058427

18. https://www.momjunction.com/articles/is-it-safe-to-cut-your-hair-while-youre-pregnant_00359547/ 

19. https://oceansalonsystems.com/blogs/news-1/the-influence-of-moon-phases-on-hair-growth-myth-or-reality

20. https://www.cnn.com/2012/01/13/living/hair-myths-o/index.html

21. https://paulmitchell.edu/logan/blog/posts/how-often-do-i-really-need-to-trim-my-hair

22. https://www.health.com/how-often-should-you-cut-your-hair-8691278

23. https://www.healthline.com/health/tricks-healthier-fuller-hair

24. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair/healthy-hair-tips