3 Ways to Trim Your Natural Hair

As much as curlies want to retain length, nothing looks worse than raggedy, frayed, knotted ends that need to go. Dry, porous, brittle, split, and tapered ends need to be cut. When your ends cannot maintain moisture and you notice wisps on your clothes and as you twists, it is time for a trim. Failing to trim your ends will make it difficult to retain length or maintain an even density down the length of the hair shaft. When those ends break off instead of being cut off with sharp, professional shears, the jagged point of breakage keep splitting, making you have to trim more hair over time instead of as the damage occurs. Before you head to the salon you should explore your options.

1. Blow-out or straighten

Going to a salon to get your hair blow-dried is a great choice. If you fear double heat applications from a blow-dryer and a flat iron, then a skilled and experienced stylist can trim your hair while it is in a blow-out state. For the best precision and evenness, have your hair straightened before your stylist trims; this is the most visible and tactile way for your beautician to catch your dry ends. If you have multiple curl patterns with stark differences between them, then straightening may not be the best option, because when you wear your hair curly there will be unevenness.

2. DevaCut

Are you anti-heat? Try a DevaCut. DevaCuts are performed on dry hair to ensure the natural shape of your hair in its shrunken state is in intact. These cuts are intended for those who predominately wear their hair in a wash and go state. Everyone’s curls clump and fall in different ways, so a DevaCut is tailored to your specific style needs. If you prefer to wear your hair stretched or straightened, then this technique may not be the best for you.

3. Two-strand twists

The DIY method that many naturals take is cutting the ends of their hair while in twists. Trained professional highly discourage this approach, since the ends are wrapped around one another in product and not fully exposed, making it difficult to spot the damage. But if you are more concerned about aesthetic than accuracy, you may prefer this method. Most women will twist their hair wet, allow it to dry, and then cut the ends that look frayed and feel dry.

How often should you trim?

There are many “rules” out there, but the best answer is as needed. When you wear your hair loose most of the time it will require trims more regularly because your ends are more exposed. The width of your strands are another variable. Finer strands are not as resilient as coarse strands, so if you are not using low maintenance or protective styles, your hair will need to be trimmed more frequently than coarse hair. Using direct heat (e.g. blow-dryers and flat iron”> consistently depletes moisture from your hair, also making you have to use the scissors more often. Every variable matters.

How often do you trim your hair?