Signs You Need to Trim Your Natural Hair

Naturals know that trimming natural hair is an important step in a healthy hair care regimen. After months of trying to do it on my own, I finally visited Tamika from Wesley Styles for a much-needed trim and blowout. I had a lot of lengths, but my ends were so bad I had to cut at least 2-3 inches off. There are several factors in our everyday lives such as manipulation, weather, and rubbing across certain material that leads up to needing a trim. Your hair usually lets us know when it’s time to trim but if you have no clue what to look for here are signs you need to trim your natural hair

How Often Should You Trim Natural Hair?

If you’re new to taking care of natural hair or looking to take better care of your hair, the question of how often should you trim natural hair may come to mind. Just like scheduling appointments with the doctor and dentist, trimming natural hair should be an integral part of your hair regimen. While trimming natural hair helps with the potential growth, health, and strength of your hair, it does not make it grow faster. Depending on your hair type trimming natural hair can be done quarterly and semi-annually. I try my best to get a trim every six months and my stylist is encouraging me to visit every 6-8 weeks.

Do You Have to Straighten Your Natural Hair to Get a Trim?

A common myth about trimming natural hair is you need to straighten it in order to get a trim. You DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT have to straighten your natural hair to get a trim. Common methods for trimming natural hair at home without straightening include the search-and-destroy method or sectioning in twists.

Signs You Need to Trim Your Natural Hair

If you’re experiencing any of these issues and have examined your hair regimen, tried different products, and tweaked your techniques to whip your curls back in shape, maybe you’re just due for a trim. Whether you decide to trim your natural hair at home or make an appointment with a professional stylist here are five signs you need to trim your natural hair.

Single Strand Knots

Single strand knots are a process where the stands of your hair essentially tie around each other causing a knot. I love a quick wash and go, but they often lead to a single strand or “fairy” knots. If you notice that your hair is becoming more difficult to detangle when washing or styling, this can be one of the signs you need to trim your hair.  Get a clean pair of hair shears or make an appointment with your stylist as soon as possible. To avoid single-strand knots, seal your hair with an oil to keep the strands smooth, or wear stretched and protective styles.

Lack of Volume

I personally like my hair to look voluminous and flat hair is one of the signs I look for when getting a trim. Look at recent pictures from the last few weeks or months. If your hair is showing less curl definition than usual, your hair shaft most likely has become weak. This can be from heat damage, over-manipulation, or not lack of protein. If you apply a protein treatment and still shows a lack of volume or definition, it may be time to get a trim 

Split, Frayed, and Rough Ends

Split ends create thin ends and actually restrict the hair from growing to its fullest potential. When your hair loses moisture, your ends become dry and weak. Factors like too much heat, not sealing your ends, lack of deep treatments, or excessive chemical manipulation can lead to signs of split ends and frayed hair. Split ends travel and the only way to stop them is to trim them. They can be visibly seen (and felt) mostly when washing, doing a twist-out, or braid-out. Split ends can also lead to stunted growth and breakage which makes your hair look thinner and shorter. If you are someone that is serious about their healthy hair journey, learn to “listen to your hair” and get a trim when you begin to see or feel those split ends.

Rough ends are an obvious sign it is time for a trim in natural hair. Since it is harder for the natural oils in our scalp to travel down to our ends, naturally curly hair is prone to dryness. Using deep treatments regularly helps alleviate dryness, but trimming your natural hair will help your hair look and feel healthy. Another cause of rough ends is the friction of our hair rubbing against clothing. To avoid this, wear hairstyles that keep your hair off your shoulders like protective style buns and puffs

Uneven Layers

Growing out a tapered cut or bob? Sometimes the back and sides of our hair grow at different paces. If you aren’t outgrowing a short style, uneven strands can also be a sign of breakage. In order to get a uniform look, make an appointment with your stylist to get a nice shape.

You Can’t Remember Your Last Trim

If you can’t remember the last time you trimmed your hair, the time is NOW. Try to keep a journal or put a reminder in your calendar to schedule regular trims so you don’t forget.

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How often do you trim your natural hair?