How Often Should You Cut Your Curly Hair? Here’s the Real Answer

One of the most common questions I get behind the chair is: “How often should I be cutting my curls?” And the honest answer is... it depends!

Let’s break it down together—no fear, no judgment, just real talk for real curls.

First, Let’s Clear Something Up: A Trim Is a Haircut

There’s a big misconception floating around that trims and haircuts are different. But the truth is, if hair is being cut—no matter how little—it’s a haircut. So yes, this post applies whether you’re thinking about a big shape-up or “just a little dusting.”

Things to Consider Before You Book That Next Appointment:

When deciding how often you should be getting a curly haircut, I look at three things:

1. The health of your hair

2. The shape of your haircut

3. How much you’re willing to let go of

Let’s dig into each of these factors and figure out where you fall:

1. If You Regularly Heat Style, Swim, Wear Braids or Color Your Hair (Every 8–10 Weeks)

Do you use a flat iron often? Swim in chlorinated pools? Love a slick ponytail or tight protective style? Maybe you’ve been lightening your curls or doing fun fashion colors?

All of these things can compromise the integrity of your hair—creating tension, breakage, and split ends. If left uncut, split ends can continue to travel up the hair shaft, leading to even more breakage and harder-to-style hair.

There’s no shame in any of these styles or activities—you just need to balance them with regular cuts. I typically recommend every 8–10 weeks if you fall into this category.

2. If You Have a Short or Structured Haircut (Every 6–8 Weeks)

Short cuts like pixies, angled bobs, or asymmetrical shapes are beautiful—but they also have a shorter “lifespan.”

These cuts don’t always grow out gracefully. After a few weeks, you might notice:

• Uneven weight distribution

• Flipping or awkward bends

• Your once-sharp shape becoming more work than it’s worth

If this sounds like you, 6–8 weeks is a safe bet to keep your shape fresh and your styling easy.

3. If You're Dealing with Long-Term Damage but Want to Keep Length (Every 8–10 Weeks)

For clients who haven’t had a haircut in a while—or who are holding onto damage from heat, color, or breakage—but want to maintain their length, I suggest a gradual approach.

I’m never going to pressure you to cut off more than you’re ready for. But if you’re not quite ready for the big chop, you’ll want to come in every 8–10 weeks to chip away at the damage and stay ahead of future breakage.

This keeps you on track to healthier hair without sacrificing all your length in one go.

4. If You Have a Balanced, Low-Maintenance Haircut (Every 12–14 Weeks)

If you’re not coloring, flat ironing, or doing styles that pull on your curls—and your current haircut has a forgiving shape—you’re probably safe getting a cut every 12–14 weeks.

This schedule helps maintain your shape, remove light breakage, and keep things feeling fresh and manageable.

5. If You're Focused on Growing Your Hair Out (Every 16 Weeks)

For my clients on a length mission, we can stretch it a little further.

If your hair is generally healthy, you’re not doing anything that causes tension or damage, and you're okay with a longer gap between shape adjustments, we can schedule a cut every 16 weeks. We’ll just remove the amount of accumulated breakage so your curls can grow, grow, grow between appointments.

How Often to Cut Curly Hair by Type

Hair Situation	Recommended Cut Schedule
Frequent heat styling, swimming, color, tight styles	Every 8–10 weeks
Short, structured cuts (pixies, bobs, etc.)	Every 6–8 weeks
Transitioning out of damage, slow-trim approach	Every 8–10 weeks
Balanced, low-maintenance cuts with minimal styling	Every 12–14 weeks
Growing out curls with minimal damage or styling	Every 16 weeks

Final Thoughts: Your Curls, Your Schedule

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. Every curly head is different, and that’s the beauty of it. What matters most is understanding your hair’s needs, your lifestyle, and your goals—and building a haircut routine that works for you.

If you’re not sure what timeline fits you best, that’s okay! Let’s talk about it during your next visit, and we’ll come up with a plan together.