How often should I trim my hair?

It depends on your goal. To maintain length, trim every 6-8 weeks. To grow hair longer, trim every 10-14 weeks (or get dustings). To keep a shaped style fresh, trim every 6-8 weeks. Damaged hair and heat-styled hair need more frequent trims.

How fast does hair grow?

Average hair growth is about 1.25 cm (half an inch) per month, or roughly 15 cm per year. Growth rate varies by genetics, age, health and season. Some people grow as slowly as 0.8 cm/month while others reach 2 cm/month.

What is a dusting trim?

A dusting removes only the very tips of the hair — about 3-5 mm. It removes split ends without sacrificing length. Dustings are ideal for people growing their hair who want to maintain healthy ends without losing progress. Ask your stylist specifically for a dusting.

Does trimming make hair grow faster?

No. Trimming does not affect the rate of hair growth, which happens at the scalp. However, regular trimming prevents split ends from travelling up the hair shaft and causing breakage, which means you retain more of the length that grows. Healthy ends retain length better.

CutCalcs

Trim Schedule Calculator — Optimal Trim Frequency

Calculate optimal trim frequency based on hair goals, growth rate, and damage level.

Hair Goal

What are you trying to achieve with your trim schedule

Growth Rate

Average hair growth rate (1.25 cm typical)

Damage Level

Current condition of your hair ends

Hair Type

Curly and coily hair can often go longer between trims

Heat Styling Frequency

How often you use straighteners, curlers or dryers on high heat

Colour Treatment

Chemical processing increases trim frequency

How We Calculate This

Trim Interval

Interval = Base weeks x Damage factor x Heat factor x Colour factor x Hair type factor

Net Growth

Net growth per trim = (Growth rate x Interval weeks / 4) - Trim amount

A positive net growth means you gain length each trim cycle. A negative value means you are trimming more than grows — appropriate for maintaining a shorter style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Split End Trim Calculator

Calculate how much to trim based on hair length and split end severity.

Protein-Moisture Balance Calculator

Assess protein/moisture balance and recommend treatment schedule based on hair characteristics.

Porosity Test Calculator

Score hair porosity from float test, spray test and feel assessment with product recommendations.

Scalp Treatment Calculator

Calculate scalp treatment product amounts and application time based on scalp condition.

Last updated: March 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always perform a strand test before chemical services.