How often should you trim your ends is a frequently asked natural hair question. In my early years of being natural I was using the “trim as needed” rule. I can tell you I have since learned my lesson. From one year to the next instead of my hair getting longer it was getting shorter or that’s what it looked like anyway. And my ends were a lot thinner or maybe a better word is frayed. Split ends were to blame for my lack of length retention and damaged ends.
Before I answer this question let’s put a hair rumor to rest. No, trimming your ends won’t make your hair grow faster. That’s a myth and common misconception about growing and maintaining hair. But a regular trim should be apart your healthy hair regimen.
No matter how rock solid your hair regimen is or how much you protective style; you’re not doing your hair any favors by skipping regular trims. By the time your hair is showing signs of needed a trim the damage has already been done. You may end up chopping off my hair than you anticipate by “trimming as needed’.
How Often Should You Trim Your Ends with Natural Hair?
Because your hair is natural meaning you’re forgoing the use of chemical relaxers that weaken the hair’s structure, you no longer have to trim your hair every 6-8 weeks. You can stretch the amount of time in between each trim. Hair naturally begins to split every 3 months. To prevent any permanent damage from these naturally occurring split ends you should schedule a trim with your stylist every quarter. Scheduling a trim every 3-4 months or 12-16 weeks will help to keep your hair healthy and strong.
Scheduling a trim every three to four months will help maintain the shape of your style and remove naturally splitting ends. Hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch a month. If ends are clipped regularly, you will only remove about 1/4 inch or less which will leave you with noticeable growth and length retention. Caring for your ends properly in between trims by sealing your ends with hair butters or oils can prolong the need for a trim but I still would wait longer than 5-6 months.
Should You Trim Your Natural Hair More Often In Winter Months?
Yes, winter clothes and accessories combined with dry air creates more split ends according to Felicia Leatherwood of Loving Your Natural Hair With Care tweeted during the Fall With Eden BodyWork Twitter Discussion. “Trim about an 1/2 in every 8-10 weeks between the months of October – March”. I believe its safe to say this advice is more applicable in some climates more than others. If you live in areas with moderate climates more frequent trims may not be necessary. Just pay attention to your hair it will tell you what it needs.
Additional Reading
Retaining Length
10 Reasons You Should Trim Your Ends
4 Ways To Trim Natural Hair
We Have Moved To Naturalhairrules.com 
In order to get my hair trimmed do i have to add heat (blow drying) to do so?
Yes, its the best way to get an even trim and for your stylist to see any and all split ends.
Lat time I trimmed my hair myself, it was more like I cut my hair. I ended up alot more than I planned to now Im learning from it. Now/ my ends are splitting badly and its time for another. Last time I did it, It was on unwashed hair. This time I olan to wash my hair and while I am doing a protein treatment, to cut it then. Should I do it like this because my hair stretches alot while its wet and I i have a deep treatment in it… or should I wait til after while Im doing the blow drying? Or will I just be doing what I did the last time and end up cutting more than I need to while its wet?
I recommend blowing it out and letting someone else trim it other than yourself like a stylist. Your stylist will be able really see the split ends all around your head. It also makes for a more even trim.
Great article! I have fine natural hair and I have been sticking to every 8 weeks just doing it myself at home. Since I wear it in its natural state, I may up it to 3 months. Recently I went to a salon and they blew out my hair to straighten and then trimmed my ends. I only wanted her to trim 1/8 inch but she insisted that I needed a 1/2 inch. A 1/2 inch wasn’t bad until she showed me what an 1/2 inch was to her. It was more like an inch and then she showed me what an “inch” looked like, and it was like 2 inches. I may find another stylist to go to. My hair is growing and I would like to retain my length. I notice some stylists trim hair to be even. I would think that just because your hair is uneven, doesn’t necessarily mean its split. Doesn’t hair grow at different rates on your head? The front of my hair grows very slow when compared to the back.
Great advice! I’m not sure how it is that people still believe cutting your hair will make it grow faster. It does, however, work wonders on making it look healthier!
Informative post. Thanks for sharing. Braids didn’t make your hair to grow. Braids can lock your moisture. But this makes hair weak and easily can breakable. Oiling scalp cannot make hair growth but it can help in growth by supplying nutrients to the scalp. Too much oiling can make hair to fall.
Great article! This is really helpful! I’ll definitely do the trimming as advised! Thanks for sharing this great tips to us!
Nothing I didn’t already know, just something I have been avoiding because I’m happy with my recent growth. But good point about needing to trim more in the winter!
Ladies (and guys), you do not have to use heat to trim your hair -_- Another option is to stretch your hair first (maybe using a twist out) and trim from there. I usually stretch my hair with a twist out, then put in a hair cream in each section that I will trim. The cream allows me to pull my hair straight and trim the ends that way. The hair cream also allows my hair strands to stick together so that the trim is a clean cut.
That’s a lie trimming your ends will make your hair faster because your ends aren’t slit and it keeps ur hair healthy enough to grow
That’s correct and mentioned in the post.
Trimming helps your hair retain its length–it doesn’t grow hair. Trimming is a maintenance method, and has nothing to do with growth. Growth happens regardless. However, if the hair shaft is split, it will cause the hair to break off at a faster pace than it grows out.
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Hi I got my hair trim 3,times last year 2015 this year I got it trim and February its October now should I got a trim now
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