“Shorter haircuts often require more frequent trimming to maintain their shape and style,” adds the celebrity hairstylist T. Kuiper. “If you have a pixie cut [for example]it may need to be trimmed more often to maintain the shape of the sideburns and neck.”
Both experts agree that you should cut your hair at least every six weeks.
Medium hair
When it comes to cutting medium hair, both Polko and De León agree that it depends on a number of different factors, such as your hair texture and how fast your hair grows naturally. But if you want to maintain this length and keep the locks looking healthy, De León recommends getting your hair trimmed every six to 12 weeks.
Long hair
Rodney Cutler, owner of Cutler salons and Redken ambassador, says the frequency of trimming long hair will be determined by how healthy it is to begin with. If you’re prone to split ends or have loose ends, he says you should schedule a hair appointment every eight to 10 weeks. If your hair is healthy and strong, you can get away with a haircut every 10 to 12 weeks.
When to trim based on hair type and texture…
Fine hair
Polko explains that fine hair tends to grow a little slower, but is also more likely to look damaged, so she cuts it off when it starts to look stringy. De León adds that it can depend on both the length and the desired hairstyle you’re aiming for if you want to maintain fine hair, but generally believes that frequent trims are necessary to maintain health and shape. For short, fine hair, she recommends trimming every four to six weeks. Medium hair, six to eight weeks. Long fine hair, eight to twelve weeks.
Thick hair
Both Cutler and Polko agree that you can get away with not cutting your hair as often if you don’t experience major damage. “Because there is so much more hair… it can withstand more heat than thin hair or fine hair,” says Polko. “It can really handle the heat [and] higher heat settings, [tolerate] bleached more than fine hair can, [etc.].” Cutler says eight to 12 weeks is a decent amount of time between hair appointments, but be sure to keep an eye on split ends.
Curly, curly, textured hair
T. Cooper recommends regular trims every six to eight weeks to maintain the shape of the curls and prevent damage. She explains that length doesn’t matter much because textured hair is generally drier, no matter how long it is. “Don’t skip the decorations,” she says. “I often see that people with curly hair don’t wait that often before cutting their hair [and] I understand; the curl pattern makes the hair look shorter and they want to keep the length. But when it ends [of your hair] dry out and become brittle, you will still lose length.”
