10 Things No One Ever Tells You About: Cutting Your Hair

The big chop seems all the rage during the warmer months, but whether you’re thibking about a pixie or you’re just trying to take a few inches off your locks, there’s a thing or 1o you should know about cutting your hair. Below are 10 little known facts about cutting your hair, and some tips to help you get the best out of your cut.

1. Cutting your hair more often doesn’t make it grow faster:
Getting rid of the ends of your hair doesn’t directly effect hair growth. The ends of your hair don’t effect the follicles in your scalp, which determine how fast and how much your hair grows. Trimming simply keeps hair more healthy as it grows.

2. Skip the trim:
Give yourself some time in between each trim instead of going with the typical 6-8 weeks. Hair begins to split around the 3-4 month mark, which is when you’ll actually need a trim.

3. Layer accordingly:
When cutting your hair, you should layer it according to your hair texture. Tighter curls work best with layers that aren’t perfectly even, while straighter hair works best with more even layers.

4. Skip the shampoo:
Before cutting hair, skip the shampoo. You’ll be having your hair washed anyway, so there’s no need to dry out the cuticle twice.

5. It’s best to trim natural hair when dry:
For girls with natural hair, it’s important to know that hair should be cut when dry. Head to a salon that specializes in natural tresses so you know you’re getting the best cut possible.

6. Search salon apprentice websites first:
Looking to get your hair cut for less money? Try  where you can volunteer to be a hair model for already licensed stylists who need to clock a certain amount of hours cutting hair. You’ll be in good hands for half (or less!) the cost.

7. All bangs aren’t cut equally:
 If you’re thinking about getting bangs, know what works best for your face and for your hair texture. Long, wispy bangs usually work best for a square face, while softer, shorter bangs work best to frame a round face.

8. Short hair takes work:
Cutting off your hair doesn’t make hair care any easier. To keep them maintained, shorter cuts usually require more frequent trips to the salon to keep the shape and style fresh, which ends up costing more money (and time).

9. If you don’t trim, split ends will travel:
Split ends will continue to split up the length of the hair if you don’t trim them, making your hair brittle and weak. When you start seeing split ends more often than non-split ends, it’s time to get a cut.

10. Bring options:
Sure, we’ve all got our Pinterest boards full of haircut inspiration, but make sure you bring multiple options. When you get to the salon, your stylist may explain that a certain cut won’t work with your texture, or that it will actually require much more maintenance than you originally thought. Bringing options will leave you multiple routes for a happy cut.