Does Cutting Your Hair Make It Healthier?

When it comes to haircare, one of the most debated questions is whether cutting your hair actually makes it healthier. With so many conflicting opinions out there, it's no wonder that people find themselves second-guessing whether regular trims are the key to healthy, growing hair. If you're hoping for long, luscious locks, it can be hard to know whether the best route is to keep trimming, or to leave your hair alone and just let it grow.

To help shed light on this age-old question, we asked SILKE London co-founder, Maria Sotiriou, who has over 37 years of experience working with clients on hair care challenges, to give her expert insight. Maria's wealth of experience can offer a more clear path for those looking to optimise their hair health and growth. In this post, we’ll dive into the science of hair growth, bust some common myths, and share tips for improving hair health through proper care.

Understanding How Hair Grows

Before you decide whether or not to trim your hair, it’s important to understand how hair actually grows. Despite misconceptions, hair doesn’t grow from the ends - it grows from the scalp. This distinction is vital to understanding whether cutting your hair can impact its health or growth.

According to Maria, hair growth occurs in four distinct phases:

1. Anagen Phase: This is the active growing phase, where hair grows at an average rate of half an inch per month. The Anagen phase can last anywhere from three to seven years, with some people being able to grow their hair longer than others. For example, people of Asian descent often experience the longest growth cycles, with hair growing to its full potential before it naturally sheds.
2. Catagen Phase: In this phase, hair stops growing for a period of one to two weeks. During this time, the hair follicle shrinks and detaches from the blood supply, preparing for the next phase.
3. Telogen Phase: The hair is still attached to the follicle, but it’s no longer growing. This phase typically lasts for around three to four months before hair enters the final phase of the cycle.
4. Exogen Phase: The hair finally detaches from the follicle and falls out, making way for new hair growth. On average, 50 to 100 hairs fall out per day during this phase.

It's important to note that not every hair on your head goes through these phases simultaneously. If this were the case, your hair would all shed and regrow at once — which clearly doesn’t happen! Instead, hair growth is a continuous cycle where different hairs are in different stages at all times.

However, Maria points out that hair growth can be impacted by factors like illness, stress, pregnancy, hormonal changes, and even diet. For example, imbalances in these areas can cause your hair growth cycle to shorten, leading to premature shedding and hair loss.

How Cutting Your Hair Affects Its Growth

Now that we’ve covered the hair growth cycle, let’s dive into the real question: does cutting your hair actually make it grow?

The short answer is no — trimming your hair doesn’t directly impact its growth rate. However, it can have an indirect effect on the overall health of your hair. When you trim your hair, you're cutting away the oldest, most damaged strands. Over time, hair can become dry, brittle, and prone to breakage, particularly at the ends. This damage can prevent your hair from reaching its full potential, both in terms of length and overall health.

Maria explains: “As hair grows, it gets older and more susceptible to damage. The older hair becomes, the more likely it is to lose moisture, which can cause split ends and breakage. If you allow these damaged ends to remain, the split will travel up the hair shaft, causing further damage and breakage.”

By regularly trimming your hair, you eliminate the most damaged parts, which can help prevent the breakage that inhibits growth. Regular trims, about every 8 to 12 weeks, will ensure that your hair stays healthy and doesn’t suffer from excessive damage that could otherwise hinder its growth.

It’s important to note that cutting your hair won’t make it grow faster — hair growth is determined by your hair follicles and the length of the Anagen phase. However, trimming hair regularly will help avoid unnecessary breakage, giving the appearance of faster growth since healthy hair is less likely to snap or break off. If your hair is healthy, trimming will not only remove the damaged ends but will also help maintain a fuller, thicker look by preventing excessive breakage.

Protecting Hair to Encourage Growth

While trimming helps to maintain healthy hair, the real key to encouraging hair growth lies in how you treat your hair day to day. Maria recommends focusing on protecting your hair to keep it strong and healthy, particularly during the crucial Anagen phase when new hair is being produced.

“New hair growth needs to be protected and nurtured. This is the most delicate stage of hair growth, and if it’s not cared for properly, it can be damaged before it even has a chance to grow to its full potential,” Maria says.

There are several ways to protect new hair growth and prevent damage. First and foremost, using the right tools and techniques when caring for your hair is essential. Hot styling tools like straighteners, curling irons, and blow dryers can cause irreparable damage if not used correctly. It's important to always use heat protectant sprays and to avoid over-styling your hair with damaging tools, instead choosing heat free tools like a silk heatless curler.

Another often-overlooked source of hair damage is sleep. Maria points out that we spend a third of our lives in bed, and friction caused by rubbing your head against an abrasive pillowcase can result in breakage, especially when hair is wet. To prevent this, she recommends using a silk pillowcase or, even better, a silk hair wrap to protect your hair while you sleep.

“We don’t realise it, but so much of the damage happens while we sleep. Cotton pillowcases can suck the moisture out of your hair and create friction that leads to breakage. Switching to a silk pillowcase or wearing a silk hair wrap, like our SILKE London 100% Mulberry Silk Hair Wrap, helps reduce this friction, keeping your hair safe and protected overnight.”

The silk material helps to retain moisture, preventing your hair from drying out and becoming brittle. By incorporating a few simple swaps like this into your routine, you can significantly improve the health of your hair and give your hair follicles the best chance at healthy, strong growth.

The Takeaway

In conclusion, while cutting your hair doesn’t directly make it grow faster, it does play a key role in maintaining the overall health of your hair. By trimming damaged ends, you reduce the risk of breakage and split ends, which can prevent your hair from reaching its full growth potential. Along with regular trims, protecting your hair from damage — both through careful styling and protecting it at night — can make a significant difference in achieving the healthy, strong hair you desire.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to hair care, as everyone's hair growth cycle and needs are different. However, with the right care and attention, you can help your hair grow strong, long, and healthy.

Happy hair growth!

Love, SILKE xo