Basically, if you don't have a trim, your split ends will run riot and likely split further up the shaft eventually snapping and making your hair short, which stops it from growing long. This way, your hair can continue to grow healthily from your roots, but the ends won't fray and snap shorter.
Ultimately, the best thing for damaged hair and split ends is to get that trim. If that's not possible, you can combat some of the signs of damage with products. “For instance, if your hair is looking dull, consider getting a shine spray to help infuse shine back into the hair (shiny hair = healthy hair).
The answer is no, regular trimming will not grow your hair, it does not stimulate hair growth, as cutting your hair doesn't affect the follicles of your hair which in reality affect the growth of your hair.
Cutting off damaged hair prevents further damage unless the factors that led to the damage in the first place continues unabated. Hair grows at a genetically determined rate. Removing damaged hair makes the healthy hair look and feel better even if growth does not happen faster.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, you can eventually grow the damaged hair out as long as the follicle itself has been preserved. The most common causes of damage are below. Damaged hair can still grow eventually, but routine damage can result in negative consequences for your hair.
If your hair is slightly damaged, it is usually dry with less shine, the colour is duller and have a thinner hair ends. If the situation becomes more serious, it will have a rougher texture and a dull appearance, the colour balance is more uneven and a more serious split ends.
Once your hair starts growing past the follicle, it's made up of dead cells. Because of this, the cells can't adapt, and when they're changed, it's permanent. There are no active cells that can be sent in to repair the damage.
Because hair is not a living tissue with regenerative ability, it cannot heal and repair. You can use oils, conditioners, hydrolyzed proteins or other ingredients to disguise the issues temporarily but it's akin to using makeup on the face.
Damaged Hair
Collins agrees, suggesting a trim every eight weeks if your hair is chemically damaged, especially fine, or frayed at the ends. More frequent haircuts can help prevent over-drying and breakage.
Once the end of your hair is damaged, it further moves to damage your hair roots. These frayed hair become the reason for countless hair problems such as brittle, broken, and unmanageable hair. Simply cutting down the split ends will not prevent further fraying, but also help to avoid unnecessary hair woes.
The moral of the story—your hair won't stop growing if you skip regular trims for a while, but it will appear thinner and frayed, create split ends, and increase tenfold the likelihood that you'll pick them (maybe, maybe not).
Using products that are designed to nourish the scalp and hair can definitely speed up this process, but on average you'd be looking at six months to a year to fully see a difference in your hair's condition.
But we can all probably agree no one wants dry, brittle strands that split and break off, no matter your hair type, color, or cut. Unfortunately, it's your daily haircare routine that often causes the most damage to your mane — think heat-styling, aggressive brushing, sun damage, and improper washing.
Marina Hodgins, owner at Fringe Benefits Gloucester, agrees that clients will be looking at six to twelve months for their damaged hair to grow out, “It is advisable to use a professional hair care routine to nourish the hair and scalp which will speed up the growing out process.
“Hair can become over-processed for a few reasons," reveals Friese. "Damage from chemical services and overuse of heat tools are the most common." Avoid or minimize the use of straightening, curling, or blow-drying your hair to prevent heat damage.
While the term hair damage is pretty broad, the five most common forms of hair damage include split ends, heat damage, color damage, chemical damage, and hair loss.
What does unhealthy hair look like? Your hair may be unhealthy if it is particularly dry, brittle, thinning, falling out in clumps, shedding profusely (more than 100 strands a day), or contains dandruff.
While these terms are often used interchangeably and have similar symptoms, there is a common misconception that frizzy hair means damaged hair and this is simply untrue.