Does Cutting Your Hair Actually Make It Grow Faster?

If you've ever had the urge to grow your hair long, you've probably tried every trick in the book. And there's only so many times you can only take fish oil supplements and brush your hair 100 times before giving up (or forgetting). Surprisingly, the only thing that supposedly promotes hair growth, which most experts agree on, is regular trims. But does cutting your hair actually make it grow faster?

Not according to Rihanna's hairstylist Angela C Styles. "There's a common myth that cutting your hair will make it grow faster," she told Glamour. "That's not necessarily true. Cutting your hair makes it grow healthier because it removes the hair that would split. The hair at the root is able to grow and you're able to maintain length and avoid splitting. If you allow split ends to stay on the strand, the hair will continue to split and you'll never see the length."

In other words, your hair will always grow at the same rate at the roots, whether you get regular trims or not. The reason so many recommend regular cuts is so that your strands stay strong and healthy. If there are no split ends, the hair will be longer and fuller because there will be fewer breakages.

So how often should you get your hair trimmed? Despite popular opinion that your hair should be chopped every six to eight weeks, it actually varies based on your hair texture. "People with textured hair should be sure to cut their hair every 2-3 months," claims Styles. "For people with non-textured hair, haircuts vary based on how fast their hair grows. However, most people should cut their [hair] every 6-10 weeks. No one should go no more than 6 months without cutting their hair."