When it comes to a woman’s outward appearance, hair can make all the difference. Hair color, styles, cuts, and dos say a lot about a person and can be significant indicators of personality and style preferences. In fact, your hair can be your best accessory—or your worst. For many women, the thought of getting a haircut is a painstaking process. First, you have to find that one trusted hairdresser who will actually listen to what you have to say about your desired look. Then, you have to hand over all control and allow her to take scissors (or clippers) to your locks.
The good news is that hair grows back. If you get a terrible haircut, you can rest assured that in just a few short weeks or months—depending on how fast your hair grows—you’ll be able to undo anything that you don’t like.
How Often Should You Get a Haircut?
The question, however, is how often should a woman get a haircut? For men, who typically keep their hair shorter, a haircut becomes a priority every 6-8 weeks when pieces start sticking up rather than lying flat. But for women, determining when to get a haircut is not so clear-cut.
If you have a short hairstyle that you love, chances are you will need to have your locks trimmed every 4-6 weeks in order to maintain the style. One of the biggest hair misconceptions is that short hair is easier to maintain. The truth is that when you have a shorter, distinct haircut—such as a pixie cut—growing it out can be a frustrating experience. To keep it looking clean and well-groomed, your hair will have to be cut more frequently. For those with generally standard shoulder-length or long hairstyles, the need for a haircut can be pushed back for months without compromising the overall look. When your hair gets too long, it’s easy to simply pin it up or pull it back and still pull off that ‘put-together’ look.
According to experts at the trendy Aveda salon, most stylists recommend that their clients get a haircut—meaning at least a trim to remove dead ends—every 6-8 weeks. This depends on the health of your hair and the rate at which it grows. For women who use a lot of chemical processing on their hair, such as color, perms, or straighteners, having your dead ends clipped every 6 weeks will keep your hair healthier in the long run. Once hair has frazzled or developed dead ends, the hair sheath will continue to break up the length of the hair, which may require several inches to be trimmed if you wait too long between haircuts.
With the common use of high-heat hair straighteners, which undoubtedly damage hair at the ends quickly, keeping the ends of your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks ensures healthier hair.
Unfortunately, very few women actually follow this advice. It seems that, as women get busier with work, raising families, and managing day-to-day life, finding time for a hair appointment has become a luxury. In a Cosmopolitan poll, the average woman aged 25-37 admitted that they often go more than 4 months without getting a haircut. One of the reasons was the lack of time. Another reason was dissatisfaction with their hairdresser, while many others cited the struggling economy as a factor for delaying haircuts.
If you have very long hair and don’t want to change to a shorter, sassier look, then you should commit to a haircut at least every 12 weeks. Each time your hair is cut, ask your stylist to trim off the dead ends and the splitting hair follicles—even if it means getting a few inches cut off rather than just ½ an inch. The reason is that once hair experiences breakage, growth will be stunted. Even though your hair may appear longer, the damage to the hair shaft will continue to worsen.
Getting a haircut doesn’t have to be painful, filled with anxiety, or expensive. The best rule of thumb to follow when it comes to haircuts is that once you notice hair damage, breakage, or the inability to keep your hair styled properly, you should visit a salon. If you haven’t found the perfect stylist yet, ask someone whose hair you admire who they use, and schedule an appointment with that stylist. Also, remember that for a stylist, they prefer getting a haircut right the first time rather than having to redo it or earn a bad reputation for providing a bad haircut.
Before they start clipping, make sure to set clear expectations with your hairdresser, and even bring along pictures to show her what styles (or colors) you like. Be clear and concise with your instructions. Many women are afraid to sound demanding when it comes to services they are provided. And although your hair will grow out, being miserable in the meantime is not a good way to spend your time. The bottom line is that your hairdresser wants to please you! This is why sometimes they will recommend cuts or services based on the “condition” of your hair.
In the end, the goal of a haircut and style is to walk away with healthy, vibrant hair. Making sure you get your hair cut at least every 8-12 weeks (and more if you have shorter hair) is the best rule of thumb to follow when it comes to how often you should get a haircut.
