Is it absolutely mandatory to trim split ends?

[Jewell]

I voted WAY back on this poll, and prolly said "YES" at the time. That's b/c I was a regular trimmer back then! Since '07 it has been my mantra that trimming isn't a requirement for healthy ends, nor is it absolutely necessary to trim if you have splits. A split won't travel all the way up the shaft like people say, as BabyGurlNC stated.

Also, I just keep my ends moisturized and lubricated. Rarely use heat, and keep my hair mainly in PS, because I prefer my hair to be out of the way most days! (My baby is "scared" of my hair when it's down for some reason, and she's scared of people with long, thick hair and braids...it's like she cringes and covers her eyes when I or they get too close with too much hair)!! Weird. I may trim once a year (minimal amount like 1/2"), but since I'm transitioning again, I sometimes trim a tiny bit every few months. (VERY slow transition, no BC here)

 

[Chevelure618]

I don't believe in hairstylist trims. Their definition of "trim" is to cut it to get an even styled appearance, and then secondarily to cut of the split ends in the process. This is why many black women don't make progress.

I believe in dusting the ends, searching and destroying individual hairs under a bright light, and the twist technique to eliminate shorter splits all along the length of the hair. Think about it....trimming the ends is only trimming the long ends...the shorter ones that are split will never get cut if you only trim the ends.

 

[wish4length]

i think the question can't be given just a simple yes or no.
it really depends on your situation.
it isn't mandatory to cut off split ends, if so almost nobody's hair would grow.
based on what you (the OP) have described, I would go ahead and trim, but if you do not want to, I say trim gradually...

 

[SingBrina]

I think it is!!! I mean then the hair is going to be looing a hot mess and unhealthy, just watch them splits become longer and start getting hard to comb off because of tangled ends! Hence, breakage!!!

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

I'M AN END CLIPPING FOOL!!!


but i have noticed a few with the appearance of really healthy ends who advocate not trimming
but I really hope every learns what their hair needs... others need much different types of attention

 

[LovelyNaps26]

as a natural i don't trim for neatness. if the hair has a SSK or i see a split it clip it. i know i have splits and that when i finally straighten my hair i may want a nice 2 inch trim. however, i'd rather get to mbl in 9 months and have to trim to bsl than constantly trip and feel like i'm making no progress just so i can be split free and wait 'til next august for mbl. i want progress NOW. once i see it, psychologically, i'll be fine cutting 2 or 3 inches. i'm weird, i know.

 

[TaraDyan]

I'm natural, and when I don't trim my ends regularly, my hair suffers dire consequences. I didn't have to trim so much when I was relaxed for some reason.

 

[Fine 4s]

In the seminars I attended, the instructors were completely against trimming hair less than the usual 6-8 weeks. When I shared that I do it 1-2/year, the instructor used me as an example of what NOT to do. The look on the audience's face when CLEARLY this hadn't affect my hair health or length...

 

[Nix08]

I don't believe in hairstylist trims. Their definition of "trim" is to cut it to get an even styled appearance, and then secondarily to cut of the split ends in the process. This is why many black women don't make progress.

I believe in dusting the ends, searching and destroying individual hairs under a bright light, and the twist technique to eliminate shorter splits all along the length of the hair. Think about it....trimming the ends is only trimming the long ends...the shorter ones that are split will never get cut if you only trim the ends.

WOW! Light bulb moment - that is so so true!

 

[Nix08]

Really? Split ends don't travel up?

 

[ConstantlyDynamic]

what is the "twist method"? i've come across threads about searching and destroying and dusting though. i need to revisit those

 

[Nonie]

I don't believe in hairstylist trims. Their definition of "trim" is to cut it to get an even styled appearance, and then secondarily to cut of the split ends in the process. This is why many black women don't make progress.

I believe in dusting the ends, searching and destroying individual hairs under a bright light, and the twist technique to eliminate shorter splits all along the length of the hair. Think about it....trimming the ends is only trimming the long ends...the shorter ones that are split will never get cut if you only trim the ends.

That may be so, but it's very unlikely that shorter hair would be split unless you really mistreat your hair like rake seamed combs through or use brushes. The reason trimming is normally done on longer strands is they've been on your head the longest and have therefore endured wear and tear as most things in nature do. The shorter hairs are much newer and tend to be in healthier/stronger state as they haven't been exposed to the elements for as long as the longer strands to experience much damage. Being shorter, they are also somewhat "protected" and as vulnerable due to being "exposed".

If the shorter hairs really used to have splits as some may think, then you wouldn't only have ends being see-through from splits ripping off. And those who trim regularly wouldn't have thick hair (Sorry Spring, I'ma use you as an example AGAIN--check her hair out) all through but would have holes where the shorter splitting hairs have thinned from splitting. This isn't something I've ever witnessed. It's always the longer hairs that shows signs of having lived a rough life.

 

[Embyra]

what is the "twist method"? i've come across threads about searching and destroying and dusting though. i need to revisit those

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3C0ndGIZpg

 

[Nonie]

what is the "twist method"? i've come across threads about searching and destroying and dusting though. i need to revisit those

Just found the thread where someone posted a video about it, but I don't believe in it. I think you end up cutting good hair strands coz what sticks out is not a piece of a strand (which would indicate the other piece fell off or is caught in the bunch you've twisted--which would just be silly to get rid of a part of a split) but you actually see whole strands. If you were to hold the strands sticking out and drop all the rest, I bet my bottom dollar, you'd be able to trace a whole strand to the roots and see that is just shorter than the others but otherwise intact.

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=472152

 

[Nonie]

Really? Split ends don't travel up?

They do and then tear off. Think about a flower stalk or green twig and imagine it having a split (or even a blade of grass). If you were to pull the two parts apart, the tear would travel up the length but one side might get so thin that it just tears off, leaving a very thin part. If splits didn't travel up the strands, then there would not be see-through ends or skinny ends. But the truth is they do travel. The misconception is that they travel the entire length to your scalp to leave two long part strands. That does not happen, otherwise the fullness of your hair would not change. But because the split travels as far as it can before one section tears off, hair that isn't trimmed ever tends to have see through ends and looks like the top pics in this set:

The pics at the bottom show how neat the ends look after you get rid of the thin ends.

BTW, that thinning of ends happened after I went from regularly dusting every 2 months, to not trimming at all in only 4 months. So I lost about 2 inches or so of hair because I was trying to follow Cathy Howse's and some people's belief that trimming isn't necessary. Prior to that, when I was dusting every 2 months, I had retained growth well and went from 1 inch to about 5-6 inches of length in one year and then to 9-11 inches by the second year anniversary. Then 4 months of trying to hold onto ends led to the setback you see above.

So split ends do travel, but not all the way; just part of the way coz the tear is usually uneven so one part will thin out and tear off, leaving the thin ends that stylists are only too happy to free you from. Holding onto those makes no sense coz they are so weak that even if they were not cut off, they'd probably break off on their own. So I still maintain that dusting regularly so that the ends are fray-free, then sealing and PSing is the secret to having hair that is full from base to ends and that seems to retain well.

 

[newbeginnings2010]

I have a hard time agreeing that you HAVE to trim split ends often. There was an album that I saw a while ago (I would have to find it) of a relaxed girl that didn't trim for about 1.5 years, and she reached her goal and THEN started trimming. Her hair wasn't damaged or chewed up. Although she also didn't use heat on her hair. Maybe that was what made the difference?

 

[newbeginnings2010]

I'M AN END CLIPPING FOOL!!!


but i have noticed a few with the appearance of really healthy ends who advocate not trimming
but I really hope every learns what their hair needs... others need much different types of attention

I think this is true. It just depends on what a person's hair needs.

 

[Nonie]

I have a hard time agreeing that you HAVE to trim split ends often. There was an album that I saw a while ago (I would have to find it) of a relaxed girl that didn't trim for about 1.5 years, and she reached her goal and THEN started trimming. Her hair wasn't damaged or chewed up. Although she also didn't use heat on her hair. Maybe that was what made the difference?

Also if she was sealing and protecting ends it might have minimized split ends. I don't do any of that but I dust regularly and it does make a difference. If I were PSing and sealing, maybe I'd need to do it less, but I don't mind doing it every 2 months.

The person you are referring to might've reached her goal but I would bet she'd have reached it sooner with regular dusting. Also when you say you have a hard time agreeing you HAVE to trim split ends often, I guess it's really up to the person. If you like split ends and want to keep them, it's up to you, but I can bet my bottom dollar if you aren't doing everything else perfectly, you will end up with long hair I have seen on this forum that tapers to a point. Which I do not find cute at all. Coz hair will wear out regardless, and splits only make the wearing out go faster and in a sad way.

I took a photo for another thread where I showed what a hair end that LOOKS like it doesn't have a split looks like magnified. It's tapered to a point, and that's because a split tore off leaving part of a strand. Because I dust regularly, what you see is only a small section of my hair, but it probably might've looked better if I used to seal, which I don't, nor do I use leave-ins. I also took a photo of the hair after I trimmed off a piece so you could see what a good end looks like.

​

I guess the proof is in the pudding: everyone I have seen who dusts/trims in addition to practicing good hair care has nice full/thick hair that is beautiful to behold.

 

[jupitermoon]

Noni, what do you think about Teri from www.tightlycurly.com ? She states that she hasn't had a trim in about 10 years and mentions that if one is natural and using no heat, etc. then trimming isn't necessary.

Personally I think trims should be done at least once a year bare minimum and at least 1-2 inches should be taken off. If you're growing your hair out then trimming every 6 weeks may be too much but trimming once a year isn't so bad. To each his own though.

 

[SingBrina]

I'm natural, and when I don't trim my ends regularly, my hair suffers dire consequences. I didn't have to trim so much when I was relaxed for some reason.

I noticed that I need to keep up with trimming my ends or likewise

 

[aymone]

I don't think that trim split ends is necessary. Now from my own experience, I have noticed the foolowing

(1) When you stretch your relaxers, it is so much easier to detangle when you don't have split ends. Otherwise you get these very evil knot as you detangle. And then the hair just snaps. I hope the ladies here know what I'm talking about.

(2) When you hair is thin like mine, it is really nice to have that blunt look because it does make the hair seem more thick with more volume.

I appreciate my strecthes and everything else more when I trim than when I don't. But i think that it is important to learn how your hair reacts to not being trimmed and to being trimmed.

But it should be done maybe 1 or 2 times a year, not more.

 

[dancinstallion]

I never trim my ends and my hair has always been below my shoulders and has always been thick. That being said I have always had breakage and my hair never grew to any new lengths. Why? because I had/have split ends all over my head that have broken and left thin strands throughout my head. The more it grew the more it would break. So now I am a firm believer that you have to trim split ends. Or else it will just get worse.

Everyone's hair is different and some people may not have to trim but 1-4 times a year. I on the other hand need to trim every 4-6 weeks. to correct the damage and to prevent future damage. My hair is prone to breakage most likely caused by split ends.

 

[jupitermoon]

Here is what Teri Laflesh says about trimming:

If your hair isn't being damaged any longer, and all of it is healthy, then it doesn't need to be trimmed. Trimming's main purpose is to remove damaged ends. But if you don't have damaged ends, you will just be cutting off perfectly good hair (and potential length). So if you are wanting longer hair, and your ends are healthy, you do not need to trim your hair, ever.

I don't trim mine because it isn't being damaged, and it's grown down to my hips because of it (so I've gone about 12 years without a trim). If, however, your hair has some residual damage (like from flat irons and blow drying), you might want to trim about 1/2 inch a month or 1 inch every two months until the damage is gone. Then you can totally stop trimming. The great thing about following my techniques is that if you follow all of them, you will no longer be damaging your hair. And only damaged hair needs to be trimmed.

But do keep an eye on your ends (another good thing about defining our curls after washing, conditioning, and combing is that every time we go through this process, it gives us a chance to look over our ends to see if any new damage is occurring.)

But do keep an eye on your ends (another good thing about defining our curls after washing, conditioning, and combing is that every time we go through this process, it gives us a chance to look over our ends to see if any new damage is occurring.) With this method, there should be no split ends (unless it was already damaged). If you see lots of split ends, then you do need to keep trimming your hair until you don't see them any longer.

If, however, on your normally healthy ends you suddenly start seeing split ends, it means you just started doing something in your routine that's damaging your hair. Either that, or something slightly damaging you are doing has started adding up, and finally your hair is starting to show the accumulated damage. At that point it's good to think through every single thing you have done to your hair, to be sort of a detective. And remember, there are some things you can do to your hair only once, and you will have damaged it until it grows out again, like flat ironing, rough, dry combing, and especially chemical processes like relaxing or coloring.

I've read that split ends will travel all the way up the hair shaft, but I doubt it's true. The split usually splits off somewhere, and you are left with ragged, damaged ends. It is true that you get a new head of hair every six or seven years, and if you aren't damaging your hair, you don't need to trim at all. But if there are split ends, it means hair is still being damaged, and it's best to trim off the damage until it's gone, or just keep trimming forever if damage is still being done. Hair generally looks better when the split ends are trimmed off. If the splits stay, your ends will keep looking worse and worse (the splits do travel, just not all the way up) is the reason people say you should trim. But again, if you aren't damaging your hair, you don't need to trim.

If you just have a split end here and there, but most of your hair is fine, and you aren't perming it, or using heat or color, and combing very gently, then don't worry about those at few split ends all. You don't have to trim all your hair for an occasional split end. One here and there happens even to the healthiest hair. It's only bad if you see lots of split ends. If you want to, you can snip off that one split end.

I got the above quotes from Teri's website at www.tightlycurly.com in the Answer Bank section. Just type in the word "trim" in the search to pull up the questions and her answers. I find her views on trimming interesting. I do agree that those that are natural and don't use any dye or heat and also practice low manipulation can get away with not trimming as much but I still feel uneasy about the no trimming at all thing.

Nonie, you are a wealth of information and are so knowledgeable. That's why I'm asking your opinion about this. I know you believe in trimming too just like me, but Teri's hair doesn't look bad despite not having been trimmed in 12 long years, lol. It does make me wonder. I think trimming once or twice a year is good for someone that is natural and rarely uses heat but more frequent trims are needed for someone that frequently uses heat, relaxes, dyes, or uses drying hair products such as gels. So I can kind of see where Teri is coming from. The less you alter your hair, the less damage; thus, the less it needs trimming. But no trimming at all sounds a bit extreme to me.

 

[Nonie]

Noni, what do you think about Teri from www.tightlycurly.com ? She states that she hasn't had a trim in about 10 years and mentions that if one is natural and using no heat, etc. then trimming isn't necessary.

Personally I think trims should be done at least once a year bare minimum and at least 1-2 inches should be taken off. If you're growing your hair out then trimming every 6 weeks may be too much but trimming once a year isn't so bad. To each his own though.

Here is what Teri Laflesh says about trimming:

I got the above quotes from Teri's website at www.tightlycurly.com in the Answer Bank section. Just type in the word "trim" in the search to pull up the questions and her answers. I find her views on trimming interesting. I do agree that those that are natural and don't use any dye or heat and also practice low manipulation can get away with not trimming as much but I still feel uneasy about the no trimming at all thing.

Nonie, you are a wealth of information and are so knowledgeable. That's why I'm asking your opinion about this. I know you believe in trimming too just like me, but Teri's hair doesn't look bad despite not having been trimmed in 12 long years, lol. It does make me wonder. I think trimming once or twice a year is good for someone that is natural and rarely uses heat but more frequent trims are needed for someone that frequently uses heat, relaxes, dyes, or uses drying hair products such as gels. So I can kind of see where Teri is coming from. The less you alter your hair, the less damage; thus, the less it needs trimming. But no trimming at all sounds a bit extreme to me.

I don't know many people with Teri's story and I can't knock her coz her hair is proof that she doesn't need to trim. She might have magic hair.

I've also been thinking about this and from my own experience, trimming once or twice a year would've left me with short hair for life. (I'll post pics in a bit to demonstrate why I say so.) That said, I was not coating my hair with anything. I just was not manipulating it. So I got length. It just wasn't the sort I was proud to have when I wasn't trimming regularly. And my ideal schedule is 6-8 weeks. Either Wanakee or Brenda (www.blackwomenrejoice.com) put that in my head and 1/4 inch is so little to lose in 2 months that I am very comfortable snipping away. And for those who think trimming that "often" would lead to hair not growing, let me correct the myth by showing you some pics.

Keep in mind I was not applying anything to my hair once it dried. I would shampoo twice a week, condition (I didn't know about deep conditioning or protein conditioning--learned that later in 2003 just before I joined the forum from Cathy Howse; nor did I know about ACV rinsing--learned that in 2004 on LHCF). So once I rinsed out conditioner, I just let my hair airdry and went about my business. I was in braids so manipulation was kept to a minimum, coz I wasn't using a comb even when I undid and redid one braid at a time. You can see there are a lot of things my regimen was missing that might have made a difference but what did I know?

In August 2001, I was relaxed with about an inch of new growth. I decided to transition because my hair was damaged and I wanted to prove to the new stylist I had found that my hair wasn't "the kind not meant for relaxing" as she had claimed. I planned to grow a new head of virgin hair and then go back and show her what my hair was made of and impress her with how good it looks relaxed when one starts from healthy hair. So I followed the regimen I just stated in the previous paragraph (which really initially was to wash my hair whenever it felt dry, and that eventually worked out to be twice a week). I also baggied nightly--something I have done since jherri curl days. I was cutting off a 1/4 inch of my ends every 6-8 weeks, by undoing a braid, snipping then rebraiding it before moving on to the next one to do the same.

By August 2002, I no longer had any relaxed hair and my hair was about 5-6 inches long stretched, having grown to that from one inch with me cutting off 1/4 inch every 6-8 weeks throughout the year:

Continuing with that regimen, trimming 1/4 inch (aka dusting) every 6-8 weeks, by August 2003, a month after I joined LHCF, my hair was about 9-11 inches stretched:

But now I was on a forum where I was discovering new ideas like trimming not being necessary and that moisturizers had to be used without fail. The idea that my hair would be longer w/o trimming and with keeping it moisturized was exciting. So I tried to adopt these new ideas...and by November 2003, my hair had thinned like crazy.

...which did not appeal to me at all. I had to cut off quite a chunk to get it back to what I considered "normal"

...which IMO was a loss much greater than if I had just kept on with my regular dusting.

I don't believe using moisturizers were the culprit. I believe it is the lack of trimming that allowed my splits to get longer and tear off higher up the strand leaving skinny ends.

So for those who believe that taking off this much__ every 6-8 weeks would stop you from having long hair, ^^there is proof that it isn't true. And I got that, when I was leaving out important things like moisture, sealing, DCing, protein treatments...all the things we know make hair grow well.

 

[KhandiB]

Personally I do because I am a heat user. But I only trim every 4-6 months.

 

[grow]

i was really hoping that after having trimmed my bangs in november of 2009, they would grow back in much healthier and thicker.

instead, they grew back just as thin as they were when i had first trimmed.
and i also had stopped using all heat at that time.

when will my bangs ever be full....other areas filled right in after the trim.

can someone please explain why this happened like this to me, yet again?

 

[jupitermoon]

Nonie, trimming 1/4th inch off every 2 months isn't bad. That only adds up to about 1.5 inches total taken off within a years time. That's a good regimen.

I prefer a good 1 to 2 inches off with my trims. I can't imagine never ever trimming at all.

 

[southerncitygirl]

my expierience:

this past june without realizing it or doing it intentionally i went nine months without dusting....i went to get my hair flatironed by my stylist and after blowdrying my hair was almost an full inch below bsl (pretty good growth,9 months earlier i was apl and i have a very long torso and am tall, 5'11), but my ends were raggedy/thin. in fact they were so much so she had to cut me back up to apl ....as a natural and with my hair type the moral of the story is that i have to be dusted at least every 6 months or i can expect to get a haircut. trimming is a must, i think the more heat and chemicals you use require trims/dustings more often....for naturals who wear their hair textured ( wng's, twist/braid/knot outs) i think every 4-6 months is good. split ends are the debil,lol. no you can't avoid ever getting them but trimming/dusting along with proper maintanence keeps them at a minimum.

 

[jupitermoon]

Hmmm, I think so many factors determine how often someone needs to trim including the thickness of the hair strand, dryness, and even the environment in which one lives. Hard water can also contribute to splits and hair dryness. So does gels and other hair stylers. A lot of naturals dry comb too. This also contributes to splits.

I guess trimming is like diet and exercise. No one regimen works for all people. There is no one size fits all schedule for how often and how much a person should trim but trimming should be done at least sometime.

Ever since reading Teri's book Curly Like Me I've thought about this. I find her views on trimming radical but interesting. She states if you follow her regimen you'll never need to trim. I don't follow her regimen exactly but I've noticed since using conditioner only for the past few years along with co washing and air drying my hair has grown longer than it's ever been in my entire life. I guess that's due to good retention which equals healthy hair. So she may have a point.

 

[dancinstallion]

Nonie, trimming 1/4th inch off every 2 months isn't bad. That only adds up to about 1.5 inches total taken off within a years time. That's a good regimen.

I prefer a good 1 to 2 inches off with my trims. I can't imagine never ever trimming at all.

I can because I did and my hair was constantly in protective styles, but when ever I would not wear a ps than I would get breakage. I don't think it is work it not to trim. Now That I started trimming I don't think I will stop.
I do agree that healthy ends don't need to be trimmed. So if you know how to keep your hair 100% healthy 24/7 then no you don't need to trim. I have yet to learn how to do that. Plus I relax so I think it is essential to trim at least every now and then.