We all know trimming should be part of a healthy hair journey. However, it’s one of those things we tend to push aside because it feels like we are going backwards. When one of your hair goals for your child is long hair, trimming can feel counterproductive. But we promise it really is not! Here are tips for deciding when is the best time to trim your child's hair:
If you’ve never trimmed before: When is the best time to trim?
If you’ve never trimmed your child’s hair before and your little one is at least 5 years old, you might want to consider the first trim. Even if your child’s hair is on the shorter side, the ends can be weakened by manipulation when styling or combing. For a first trim, we recommend twisting the hair in small to medium sections. Then, trim off the very last part where the twist gets thinner. This way you are not overwhelmed with a particular cut or length. All you need to do is follow the natural twist and cut off the thinning part.
If your child’s hair is breaking off
Breakage is a strong indicator that ends need to be trimmed. The ends being the oldest, and therefore, weakest part of the hair, rough and split ends are inevitable. If not taken care of, rough ends continue to split upwards, causing fragility and breakage. Your wash and hair care routine might be consistent, but if split ends are not cut off, they continue to cause damage.
This can cause growing your child’s hair to become a real struggle. Cutting off those rough ends, will give the hair a fresh start. Strong ends will be able to withstand manipulation and environmental changes. You will start seeing the hair being able to retain length as it is stronger.
As a regular routine
Trimming your child’s hair should be part of a regular routine every couple of months. There is no exact time-lapse that you should stick to, even though we do recommend not to go longer than 6 – 8 months without a trim.
It's important that you stay vigilant and do not hesitate to feel for rough ends and single strand knots while styling, for example. The hair might need a trim earlier or later than the last time.
So, it's more effective to check yourself for rough, split ends and single strand knots and decide when the best time to trim the hair is. This is more effective than waiting for the 6 months mark only to find the hair in a worse state.
Trimming is not the enemy. It is a powerful tool to achieve not only hair length goals, but also to keep the hair striving and full. This might seem like a step back, but best believe; it will help you move 5 steps forward in the long run. Don’t be afraid of letting go of some of those longer ends that are stringy and lifeless. Give your child’s hair a fresh start and the opportunity to grow strong hair that doesn't break at the slightest amount of manipulation, styling or combing.
Trimming is a tool; you should implement it and it will help you achieve those hair length goals you have for your little one.
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