Haircut : the necessary evil

So I just got a haircut 2 days ago. I ended up chopping 10 inches of my crowning glory. It’s no longer very long, just long. It reaches my lower abdomen/waist level now; but it used to be way below hip level before. Considering hair grows about 6 inches a year on average, it should take me over 2 years with a teeny trim to get back to my original length 😦 The last time I got a haircut was about five and a half months ago due to split ends. Of course I cut my bangs every month or so. But ideally, one must get a haircut or just a trim every two to three months to maintain healthy hair. And if you have bangs that grow out too soon, two weeks for just the fringe maybe. But if you love long hair and want to grow it out, why do you ever need a haircut, right?

Well, a haircut is that necessary evil that will help you maintain healthy hair. A lot of people will tell you that hair grows faster after a haircut. But, that is completely untrue. Hair grows as per the hair cycle. Unless you take medications that alter the hair cycle (anagen, catagen and telogen phases), your hair growth rate will be completely unaffected by a cut. But, remember the ends of your hair are the oldest and have endured a lot more trauma and damage, more exposure to the elements and tend to become drier and frizzier as compared to the hair at the root level that is still in its nascent stage. Hair ends are prone to splitting and it is extremely difficult to rectify a problem when it begins to travel upwards towards the roots. It is heart-breaking to chop off those tresses, but it must be sacrificed for the greater good of the hair that survives the trim. If you subject your hair to dyes and colours, styling products, chemical treatments, heat styling, the elements – you must take care of it and also cut it regularly to maintain it.

If you really want to grow your hair, eat right. That way the newer {unborn} hair that has not yet exited the scalp will eventually be healthy because of the nourishment you provided it earlier. Hair is nothing but dead cells; that is why there is no pain. The health of your hair is largely dependent on the nourishment you provided before it died and grew out. Of course, how you treat it thereafter also matters a great deal, but the structure of your hair is determined by your past. So, you must plan ahead. What you eat and drink today will affect your hair tomorrow.

Take care,

RUELHA