There’s nothing quite like the feeling of leaving the barber or salon with a fresh cut. But how often should you get a haircut? Most stylists recommend between six and twelve months; but that’s not a hard and fast rule. Your ideal trim schedule depends on a few key factors and we’re diving deep into them ahead.

Regular haircuts aren’t just for keeping up with the latest hair trends. In addition to helping a style maintain its shape, regular haircuts are a must for strong, healthy hair. A regular trim schedule reduces split ends and damage, improves your hair’s texture and promotes growth. So how often should you get a haircut to keep your strands looking and feeling healthy? Let’s take a look below.

Regular haircuts are an important part of your hair care routine. But how often should you cut your hair for growth? First it’s important to understand that while getting your haircut more frequently will make it appear to grow longer and faster, it doesn’t actually stimulate growth at the root. Trimming your ends (which are the oldest, most fragile parts of the strands) prevents them from splitting and breaking. Split ends and breakage makes your hair look like it’s not growing. So cutting your hair every six to eight weeks will promote longer, stronger hair, which leads to healthy hair growth.

Ok it’s time to get into specifics. How often should you get a haircut based on your hair type and length? Different hair types have different maintenance needs, and this includes your haircut schedule. Here’s a breakdown by hair type and length. 

The shorter your hair, the more frequently you’ll need to have it trimmed to maintain its style. And this includes very short men’s cuts like buzz cuts and fades

 So how often should you get a haircut, men? Unless you’re trying to grow out your short hair (in which case, see above) you should see your barber or stylist between two or three to six weeks.

So how often should you cut your hair if it's medium length? Well how often you cut your mid-lengths depends on your haircut and how fast your strands grow. You can maintain your length by trimming it every six to eight weeks to maintain healthy ends and touch up layers.

If healthy, much less cutting maintenance is needed to keep long hair healthy. But this really depends on the condition of the strands. The older the hair gets, the more susceptible it becomes to split ends and breakage. If your hair is strong and healthy, trim every ten to twelve weeks. If you’re prone to split ends and flyaways, trim every eight to ten.

Because thick hair is so forgiving when it comes to damage from styling, chemicals and heat, you can get away with not trimming it as often. So how often should you get your hair cut if your hair is thick? This depends on the individual style and how long its shape holds- anywhere from three to twelve weeks.

Fine hair is the most susceptible to damage so frequent hair cuts are a must. As soon as fine hair starts to look stringy it’s time for a trim. For short fine hair every this can be three to six weeks; for fine medium strands, every six to eight; and long fine hair, every eight to twelve weeks.

When it comes to curly hair, your length doesn’t matter as much as your texture. Textured hair tends to be drier in general, aim for every six to eight weeks to maintain your curls and reduce damage. As soon as your curl pattern loses its shape, it's time for a haircut.

There are lots of benefits to regularly cutting your hair. But sometimes a cutting schedule isn't enough to keep your strands looking their best. If you're noticing any of the following signs in between your regular appointments, it’s time for a trim.

-You have split ends.

-Your hair snags or tangles easily.

-Your curls are losing their shape or looking less defined

-The ends of your hair are frayed or broken

-Your hair has a gummy or sticky texture.

-You have split ends traveling up your hair shaft.

They're sometimes used interchangeably, but there’s a difference between a haircut and a trim. A trim generally refers to taking a dusting to an inch or two off at the ends. If your goal is to refresh your existing cut’s shape or remove split ends and damage, you want a trim. A haircut is usually more drastic and takes off more than two or three inches, changing the shape of the hair. If your strands no longer hold their style or tangle easily, you have excess hair damage or you want a new style, you should get a haircut.

In addition to helping a style maintain its shape, regular haircuts are a must for strong, healthy hair. But the way you treat your hair in-between salon appointments is just as important. In addition to getting regular trims, your at-home maintenance and the products you use can help prevent split ends from traveling up the hair shaft. These tips will help keep your hair healthy in-between haircuts.

-Use a shampoo and conditioner for your hair type

-Be gentle with your hair, especially when it’s wet

-Avoid heat styling when you can and use a heat protectant when you can’t

-Deep condition with a hair mask regularly

-Avoid ingredients that can strip your hair of natural oils like sulfates and alcohol

-Limit harsh chemical treatments

Regularly cutting your hair not only helps your style maintain its shape, it reduces split ends and damage, improves your hair’s texture and promotes growth. But haircut maintenance isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. So how often should you get a haircut? This depends on your hair type (including texture and length); how often you use bleach or chemicals; how well your style holds up; and the overall integrity of your strands. The ideal trim schedule falls somewhere in-between six and eight months, but there are exceptions to this rule. Very short styles will require more frequent trips to the barber or salon, and longer healthy hair will require less. Ultimately your stylist will give you a recommendation on the upkeep of your haircut. Keep your hair healthy in between haircuts by being gentle with your strands, avoiding heat and chemicals when you can (and protecting your hair when you can’t) and use only the highest quality hair products like the ones from Davines. Each of our products is care-crafted in Italy, using natural ingredients that give your hair the nourishment and strength that it deserves. From revitalizing shampoos to luxurious conditioners and innovative styling solutions, Davines offers a wide-range of professional products designed for hair health.

by Jaclyn LaBadia, featured contributor