Does it matter if you don’t get your haircut?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Daft question probably but I’ve got it in my head that you should get your hair cut fairly regularly so it looks and stays healthy. I’ve not had my haircut for about 18 mths - it’s fairly long but not crazy long. It’s fine and a bit wavy and limp. I can’t be bothered getting it cut really or spending the money as I’d just get it trimmed for the above reason. Is that an urban myth or true? If I want to keep it long, will I regret not keeping it trimmed?
I’m not after an immaculately styled look in life but don’t want to look like some crazy haired person either :)

I get mine trimmed roughly every 12 weeks as its longish / past shoulders to get rid of split ends and to tidy it up. DD has hers done every 6 weeks as she likes her hair short it needs more regular trims to keep it's shape.

I should say that my hairdresser is cheap (£22 for wash, cut and blow dry) compared to other areas, my mum tells me she was paying more for her hair to be done when we lived in London 25 years ago.

I'd imagine if a basic hair cut was much more expensive I would go less often as it doesn't seem to make much difference.

I think it depends on whether you want to maintain a specific hairstyle or just let it do its own thing. I don’t cut mine unless I want a change of style or if I notice that the ends are starting to look a bit damaged. I take good care of my hair though with good quality products and regular deep conditioning.

I think it depends on your hair and hair cut. My DM looks terrible if she doesn't get it cut regularly and her hair is in pretty poor condition (probably because of 40 years of dying it). I never get mine done more frequently than every 6 months or so, often much longer. Despite blow drying and straightening it every day, my hair is generally in pretty good condition. I don't seem to get split ends or dry fluffy bits or anything and it's loosely styled in a layered bob with some framing round the face and it just sort of keeps on in that style but gets longer.

Hair that is never trimmed looks straggly and limp. It won't make it any healthier but it will look a lot better. You can trim it yourself though

I had mine done recently, after 2 years without... covid related delay...ish... always have a long bob, so it doesn't need regular styling, just trims.

Looks nicer now, was getting wispy with split ends, but not entirely sure it was "worth" it.

Every 6 weeks. I have short hair and love to have it looking good. Stopped dying it recently and I think a great cut is even more important now

I get mine cut regularly can’t stand it being untidy

It’s about £30 here - I hate going as can’t stand small talk and feel a bit ripped off. I don’t mind if they’re styling it but they’d literally be taking a centimetre off the bottom. Is it easy to do that yourself? It doesn’t look awful right now - it generally looks a bit wispy and flyaway anyway so straggly ends don’t make much difference. But it’s hard to judge when it’s been a while since a cut as well

I have thick curly hair so get it cut more to take weight off than length.
I got very negative reactions from hairdressers the first few times I went as a teenager so didn't go from about 15 to 21. My hair was fine, very long and thick but healthy.
And I used to straighten it with an iron on an ironing board

😅😅😅I do use the hairdryer a few times a week and then straighten maybe once a month. It definitely needs no weight out, it’s crap.

I've never been happier with my hair than when I started cutting the ends myself in lockdown. My hairdresser is always wanting to take weight out of it, put layers in, shaping around my face. I'm never delighted with it, and I usually pay about £75 a visit.
Now I just blunt cut the ends. I'm happy with it. Maybe I'm at an age where I dgaf anymore. Husband says it looks good. That's good enough for me :)
Have a go yourself. Just get a pair of sharp scissors and a straight comb, watch some YouTube videos. Only take off a little at a time. Best case, you like it and save money. Worst case, the hairdresser can fix it.

Good point Oak. I always end up getting layers cut in and they make my hair look limper I think. I never am particularly pleased with it when it’s long and been done by a hairdresser. I like it when it’s cut short by them or into a Bob but just find long haircuts disappointing generally as there’s only so much they can do.

I can count on my hands how many times I've been to a hairdresser and I'm mid-4os.

So, no, I don't think you need a haircut ever. You might want one.

I had cropped hair most of my life which needed maintenance at least every 8 weeks. Now it's long I have it trimmed twice a year, when it gets to a point that I find it too long and it annoys me!

Won't need it for a while though, as asked DH to cut it at Christmas and he managed to lop it off to just over my shoulders rather than collarbone length (though given I've had it cropped most of my life I didn't mind other than the fact I couldn't tie it back properly for ages).

I get mine cut a lot less than I used to. It was half an inch off every three months or so, but it obviously wasn’t cut at all during COVID and has got really long. Some of the ends are a bit split so I’ll get more trimmed next time I go for a colour but as I’m no longer heat styling every day, the general condition is better.

I have spent the last 15 years alternating between a pixie then growing it out on approx a two year cycle. I’ve decided to not do this any more as love being able to tie it back and hate going to hairdressers every 8 weeks or the awful grow out stage. Even in grow out my hairdresser has told me to go every 12 weeks it maintain the shape or something. She would tho, I’m paying her. Is there nothing in the health/look of your hair than it maybe getting straggly then?

Have you ever tried trimming your hair yourself? There are some good tutorials on YouTube. Why spend £30 when you can do it yourself so easily. I’ve been doing my own for years now.

Ditto Oakpine. Buy some decent hairdressing scissors and trim the ends yourself or ask a family member to trim the bits that are harder to reach. I've been doing this for past 18 months and wonder why I didn't do it earlier

A family friend hasn't had her hair cut for at least 3 years. It's long, thin, straggly and looks awful.

I also started cutting my own hair during lockdown and will probably continue. It started as an emergency situation, but I’m genuinely pleased with how it looks. I wouldn’t personally attempt it with shorter hair, but it’s easy on anything past about shoulder length.

I have long, thick, wavy hair and have been using the unicorn method for years.

I also do the unicorn method for trimming the ends. My hair is curly so it doesn't matter much if I make any minor mistakes.

I absolutely hate going to the hairdresser and as I get older I can't seem to find one that actually listens when I say 'just the tiniest of trims please'
They all seem obsessed with getting the choppy scissors out or cutting it shorter!!
I've come to realise that once you're over 40, the expectation is you will want hair like Ruth Langsford and while she's lovely, it's not for me!!

I now do it myself, I have a very thick (Claudia Winkleman style) fringe and wear my hair in a messy ponytail or bun everyday, so as long as my fringe is looking good I manage to look pretty groomed.
I trim my fringe myself every weeks and that's it!

*few weeks