How Often Should You Actually Get a Haircut?
“Every six weeks” is the standard answer, and it’s wrong about as often as it’s right. The real answer depends on your hair and your cut.
It depends on the cut, not the calendar
Short, structured cuts — pixies, bobs, fades. Every 4–6 weeks. Short cuts rely on precise shape, and that shape is the first thing to go. A pixie two weeks overdue doesn’t look longer, it looks shapeless.
Mid-length, layered. Every 8–10 weeks. Layers grow out fairly gracefully.
Long hair you’re growing. Every 10–12 weeks — and yes, still get it cut.
Curly hair. Every 8–12 weeks. Curls hide bluntness well but show split ends badly.
Colour-treated hair. Slightly more often, because processed ends are more fragile.
“Cutting it makes it grow faster” is a myth — but trimming still matters
Hair grows from the follicle. Nothing you do at the ends changes the growth rate.
What trimming does is stop damage travelling. A split end doesn’t stay put — it splits further up the shaft, and eventually the hair breaks above the split. Because you’re losing length from breakage at roughly the rate you’re gaining it at the root, hair that never gets trimmed appears to stop growing.
So no, trimming doesn’t speed growth. It removes the thing that was cancelling it out.
Signs you’re overdue
- Your usual style stopped working and you don’t know why
- Ends tangle constantly, especially when wet
- Ends look noticeably thinner and wispier than mid-lengths
- You can see split ends when you twist a section
- It takes longer to style than it used to
That last one is the most reliable and the most overlooked.
Growing it out? Still book trims
The most common growing-out mistake is avoiding the salon entirely for a year. You end up with length and ruined ends, and the corrective cut takes off more than the trims would have.
Tell your stylist explicitly that you’re growing it out. “Just a dusting” and “a trim” mean different amounts to different people — being specific is the whole trick.
Haircuts at InfinityStyles
Women’s haircuts start at $38 and shampoo-blow-dry at $30, at 7432 W. Archer Avenue, Summit, IL. We’ve been cutting hair here since 2013 for clients across Summit, Bedford Park and Bridgeview.
Not sure what your hair needs? Book a consultation — call (708) 594-2050 or see all our services.
