Worse case senario for natural 4a that dont trim?

[dlove]

I haven't had a trim in 4 months. I plan on just doing wash and going until my 1 year BC anniversary in May. Then I will straighten/flat iron to see growth. I plan on trimming then.

What is the worse case senario?

Cathy Howse has me believing that you do not have to trim, that your hair will grow long with or without trims, and there is no such thing as "split ends growing/reaching along the hair shaft".


Heres what Kathy Howse Said:

Do we need to trim our hair to make it grow?
NO!! One of the reasons I do not trim my hair is to prove that trimming the ends off have absolutely nothing to do with hair growth. It is surprising how many people believe this myth. I have honestly heard people say "if you cut your hair it grows back faster." This is not true! Hair is not like a rose bush, when you trim off the end another piece of hair does not shoot out!

Trimming the ends has absolutely nothing to do with hair growth!!
Here is the link:http://www.ubhpublications.com/FAQ.html

I would also like to here from anybody out there that went without trimming (4 months or so) and had success and those that went without and had adverse results.

 

[Cheleigh]

I only trim about every six months, but I don't agree with Howse on this one totally. It is true that trimming hair will not make it grow faster. But leaving a load of splits and damaged ends CAN have an effect on your overall hair health if not managed.

I don't do much trimming because I don't use heat and I try to really use technique and product to help my ends. I think each person needs to look at their ends and determine the best time/how often to trim. If my hair becomes excessively knotty and I can't keep them knot free, I know it's time to do a small trim.

 

[PinkSkates]

I partially agree with Cathy; trimming ends has nothing to do with growth. But neat, split-free ends help:
1. natural hair straighten easier
2. Holds curls longer and when curls fall ,hair still looks good
3. Split-free neat ends don't frizz up
4. And I have experienced my split ends traveling up my hair shaft.
I trim my ends as needed; usually twice a year.

 

[JustKiya]

I haven't trimmed my hair since Feb - 10 months. I wear primarily protective styles, and I don't straighten my hair. I find that as far as knotting goes, every other day cowashing does better than trimming as far as getting rid of them.
So far, I've seen no adverse results from not trimming.

 

[glamazon386]

Worse case scenario is that you'll have to cut a lot off next time you straighten. That happened to me last time. I was playing around too much with the blowdrier. My ends are usually good. Just be mindful of your ends when you are styling your hair. Don't tear through them. I think trimming twice a year is reasonable if you aren't using heat on your hair regularly.

 

[nappity]

I think if you are not going to trim just keep the ends moist- I'm sure you do you are a Rock Star at this! Pink skates is living proof that trimming isnt mandatory.
For me, cause I dye my hair if i don't trim split ends- my ends feel drier and I get those pixie knots.

 

[mscocoface]

I have not trimmed my hair in years. Particulary the last two since I am not using any type of heat it is warranted.

If the ends look like they need it I will dust them once in a blue moon, I have not done that in about 6 months, but that is about it.

 

[dlove]

I am convinced that I am due for trim due to the fact that I have straightened my hair 5 times since the last trim in August. I am going to stay away from heat. It doesn't look right straightened because it is too short. I look like old crying Wanda from Good Times/Mary from 227.
(Listen at me trying to convince myself...)

 

[PhonyBaloney500]

I'm down to trimming twice a year now which makes me a bit paranoid that it will ruin my hair but so far so good ...planning my second trim of the year soooon!

 

[Poohbear]

IMO, I think trimming splits only matters if you're going to wear your natural hair straight most of the time.

For me, I wear my hair in it's natural state most of the time so no one is going to be looking all up in my head for splits. My hair is nappy anyway. I wear fros and puffs, and trimming my ends isn't going to make it appear or look any different/better/healthier/whateveryouwannacallit. Hair is technically dead anyway.

(BY THE WAY, I trim my ends every 3-6 months depending on how I feel. And even after trimming, I still have splits, so I've been thinking about not trimming my hair anymore just to grow it out nappy and free).

 

[hopeful]

ITA with PoohBear. I am tired of trimming away my progress. I don't think I really have split ends, but it gets frizzy and dry and thinner at the ends and I end up cutting away and feel good for only a minute because a month later I have the same problem, the frizziness does not travel up the shaft, and in the past, neither did my split ends. I am trying to wait until I reach APL before doing anymore trimming, after that I'm going to try to wait till I reach BSL which means I am probably only going to trim once a year. I rarely where my hair straightened.