What Happens If You Never Cut Your Hair?

We all know that cutting our hair regularly helps with split ends and healthier locks but what would actually happen if we decided to stop trimming it? For answers, we turned to Penny James, board-certified trichologist and owner of Penny James Trichology Center. "In humans, the main function of hair is for appearance, therefore, cutting and styling hair is part of our identity," James explains to Glam exclusively. "Yet, in some cultures, they see their hair as a sacred part of their religion and never cut their hair." However, James clarifies that just because someone might manage to have healthy long locks, chances are a majority of us would end up with a frizzy and dry mess. "Never trimming your hair makes it fragile the longer it gets," James adds. "The ends become frayed due to years of exposure to the environment, toxins, and styling tools." Anyone who has long hair certainly knows what James is talking about — after a while, those split ends become very noticeable. 

A common misconception that James cleared up for us is that longer hair grows slower. "Hair will always grow at the same rate, even though it might feel like it has slowed down," James tells us. "Our hair grows in a continuous cycle throughout our lives." However, as some of those ends are breaking off on their own, it might appear as if one's hair is growing slower, but in reality, it's just getting shorter through breakage. 

It's not surprising that longer hair equals more haircare. "Super long hair needs a lot of work — if the hair is in locks, this takes a few hours per week," Penny James tells Glam exclusively. Of course, just because long hair needs more work, that doesn't mean keeping it very long isn't possible. "The key to keeping your extra-long hair as healthy as possible is a clean scalp and hydrated ends," James explains. "Regular shampooing of hair and scalp, even with very long hair, no matter how you wear it, is essential for the scalp's health and keeps the hair shaft clean and hydrated."

After all, a healthy scalp equals healthy hair, and it is only healthy hair that will end up growing without much breakage. "This involves using a gentle shampoo and the correct conditioner to enhance your long hair's beauty," the hair professional adds. "A detangler spray is used to help comb the hair. Drying the hair must be done in many sections so as not to burn the hair." Basically, if you are intrigued and want to see just how long your hair can grow, get ready to minimize the use of heat tools, amp up your haircare routine, and dedicate more time to keeping your locks healthy and long. Figuring out what products are the best for your scalp and hair might take some trial and error, but once you know what works for your hair, all that stands between you and the longest hair of your life is consistency. 

As Penny James explains, there are various reasons one might decide to grow super long hair. However, if you just want long hair for the sake of long hair — regular trimming is still recommended because not getting any split ends is impossible.

"The whole idea of super long hair is for it to look thick and healthy, not frayed, thin, and straggly," James shares exclusively with us. "Once the hair splits, the fracture will work its way up the hair shaft. To prevent this from happening, I recommend a nice little trim on the ends every 12 weeks. This keeps the hair looking its very best." And with regular trims, you can avoid the aforementioned appearance of slower hair growth because of breakage. After all, split ends cannot be repaired. 

Now, if long hair is your thing, check out these long layered hairstyles that will certainly freshen up your look!