Does trimming your hair regularly make it grow faster? addresses the "trimming the hair makes it grow faster" myth, noting that the hair outside of your scalp is dead, and has no awareness of what is happening at its ends. When I've pointed that out to those who keep insisting that I need to have my hair trimmed if I want it long, their next argument is almost inevitably that trimming off the split ends will increase hair durability because, if not addressed, the split will travel up the hair, and damage the non-split parts. That feels a bit more rational, much like how fixing the frayed end of a string might help prevent the fray from continuing to unravel the string, but since it's coming from the same people who were claiming that the hair "knows" about the split end, and will refuse to grow (and also have a significant financial interest in suggesting frequent haircuts), I'm skeptical.
Claims
Mentions of splits spreading from this page on when to trim split ends:
"When they split they continue to unravel up the hair shaft, and it will split much more rapidly if you don’t cut those ends off," celebrity hairstylist and the star of L.A. Hair Kim Kimble tells SELF.
"You want to cut it before it splits. Once it splits, it rides up the hair shaft," says Pullan. "And you end up with two fine wispy pieces that eventually break off."
Keep in mind that split ends can progress and split up the hair shaft. So you’ll have to trim or cut off damaged hair to prevent further damage.
Keep in mind that split ends can progress and split up the hair shaft. So you’ll have to trim or cut off damaged hair to prevent further damage.
