7 Signs It's Time To Trim
If you’re longing for length on your natural hair journey, trimming could be a touchy subject for you. But it doesn’t have to be! What would you say if I told you that trimming your hair as and when needed could actually promote length retention? While trimming your ends won’t make your hair “grow”, like with many situations life throws at us, getting rid of dead ends can actually be the best thing for you but sometimes we miss the signs. Here are 7 you should look out for:
Your ends feel dry and crispy
No matter how much you deep condition or how much shea butter you slather on your ends, they still feel parched and rough. As I’m sure you’re aware, deep conditioning regularly is an important part of a healthy natural hair regimen, as is sealing your ends to lock in moisture; but when neither one can improve the condition of your dry ends, it might be time to give them the snip.
Your ends look scraggly
If the tatty texture of your ends wasn’t enough, then their wild and scraggly appearance should be enough to show you that it’s time to get rid! This will be more obvious if you’re a fan of wash and go styles or twists outs as you may start to notice that you’re no longer achieving your usual results. You can also tell with protective styles such as mini-braids if you can no longer twirl and seal the ends of each braid. These scraggly ends need to go.
Your detangling sessions are getting longer
Regardless of whether you finger detangle or use tools to tackle your tangles, if your detangling sessions are getting longer then it could be that knots, tangles and split ends are slowing you down.
Single strand knots are formed when a knot is formed on single strand of hair. They can be reduced but not avoided or “fixed”. The best way to get rid of them is to trim them when you see them. Type 4 naturals like myself are more prone to getting single strand knots if we wear our hair loose or skip stretching on wash days.
Split ends are formed when a single strand of hair splits into two or more pieces. This can occur anywhere on a hair strand but is most often found at the ends of your hair. Despite what a variety of products on the market would have us believe, split ends can’t be mended or reversed and to avoid splits from getting worse, the best thing to do is cut them loose. Split ends can form for a number of reasons but one of the most significant is if heat styling tools feature frequently in your hair regimen.
Your ends are snapping
Many of us detangle our hair in the bathroom over the sink. If you look down and see your ends scattered in the sink like confetti then this could be a sign that they need to go. My advice to you would be to use cling film over your sink to avoid them clogging your drain and also to trim them. Both single strand knots and split ends create an area of weakness on your hair strands so if you’re experiencing a lot of your ends snapping off then this could be the cause. This will also create the illusion of “stunted” growth because your ends are snapping off at the same rate as they are growing.
You can't remember the last time you trimmed you hair
Personally, I don’t have a strict timeline for when I trim my own hair but I listen to my hair and pay attention to any changes I can see and feel and then take it from there. I trim my hair 3-4 times each year but only as and when needed. If you can't remember when you last trimmed your hair, chances are that it's been long enough to be due another trim.
These signs are common indicators of ends that need trimming. However, some situations can be avoided or improved with a change of regimen, technique or product so be mindful of this when deciding whether or not it’s time to trim. Have you experienced any of the signs mentioned above? When was your last trim? Let me know!
Love, Chlo xx