Last Updated on December 23, 2021 by Team THIP
Quick Take
A lifestyle blog on a media website claims that trimming can help your hair grow longer. We fact-checked and found that the claim is mostly false.
The Claim
“If you want to grow your hair long, then you must trim your hair. Doing trimming helps you to remove the split ends that are inhibiting the growth of hairs. Split ends for a long time can make your hair thin and lead to unexpected high breakage. Thus, you must trim hair and look for a salon where you can get trim better as doing it wrong may result worse than you have expected,” claims the blog. The blog can be seen here.
Fact Check
What is the process of hair growth in humans?
A hair follicle goes through phases of Anagen (growth), Catagen (transition) and Telogen (rest) to grow hair in cycles. The anagen phase of hair follicles grows about 1 cm of hair length per month.
The length of human hair is affected by genes and diet. However, it can become vulnerable to daily wear and tear, drug intake, disease and exposure to environmental toxins.
Does trimming make hair grow longer?
No. Regular haircuts do not affect the hair length. The hair growth is predetermined genetically. There is scant scientific evidence that suggests regular trims will grow hair faster.
As the hair grows out from the scalp, cutting the loose end will have no influence on the average rate of growth. It is the hair follicle attached to the scalp that responds to diet, genetics and mental health. This means, if you maintain good health, your hair will be stronger.
Dr Vandana Punjabi, Dermatologist, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, says, “Hair grows on an average of a quarter-inch every month—whether or not you cut it. Cutting the ends of your hair doesn’t affect the follicles in your scalp, which determine how fast and how much your hair grows. Regular trims might make your hair look a little longer, though. Getting rid of split ends reduces hair breakage, and breakage is what makes hair look thinner at the ends and shorter.”
Trimming split ends of hair may prevent undue breakage and help in maintaining hair length but it will no way have an effect on the growth of the hair.
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