Sure, your stylist tells you to return for a trim every 6 to 8 weeks, but who actually keeps that timetable? I mean, life is just too busy to keep regular appointments these days. And many people can get by much longer than 6 weeks without a haircut. So, how can you tell when it is time to get a cut?

For many styles, like short and textured cuts, regular haircuts are a must or your style just looks ragged. For others, such as long and sleek cuts, you can get by without a cut for a few months without noticing any change in your style. The key then to knowing when it is time to get a cut lies in knowing your hair inside and out.

It is fairly easy to tell when short cuts need to be revived. It becomes almost impossible to style your hair the way that you like it and it takes more and more spray to keep your style in place. Many people will also experience a style that goes flat halfway through the day due to the extra length pulling their style out.

But when it comes to longer styles, the line of when it is time to get a cut often gets blurred, especially if you don’t do much styling. For these types of styles, you should look for the following clues to know when it is time to get a cut:

·Overall frizzy, dry or dull appearance

·Frayed ends or ends with white colored or burnt tips

·Feeling of roughness close to the ends of the hair

·Change in color on the ends of hair

·Inability of hair to hold curl

·Loss of shape or style of cut

In most cases, the appearance of your hair and style will have you headed to the salon before much damage occurs. That way your stylist can get rid of the split ends by only taking off ½” to 1”. But there are those few that let their hair go without a cut for months and maybe even years. When these clients come into the salon, sometimes the only thing to do to get their hair back into shape is take off several inches. So, if you have long hair and want to keep it healthy and long, be sure to take your hair seriously when it tells you that it is time for a cut.