Why You Should Cut Your Hair More Often

Last weekend, I noticed I had split ends, and asked my stylist to give me a trim. It got me thinking: why is a little breakage such a big faux-pas (other than making your strands unsightly)? So, I poked the brain of my hairdresser, Ron Lewis of Prorisma Hair Salon in Plainfeld, New Jersey.

"Having split ends is inevitable," Ron told me. "It's caused by natural things such as combing and heat. It can also be caused by lack of conditioning." That's why it's vital to apply a heat protector whenever you use any hot tool. I rely on TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray.

As Ron snipped my hair, he further explained that it's important to cut off ends if you want to have hair that is not only long, but also healthy. I'm trying to grow out my hair after opting for an impulse pixie cut a year-and-a-half ago, so he suggested I come in for trims as often as I would for relaxers — every six to eight weeks. However, your trim schedule should be based on your hair-growth-cycle.

He also gave me layers to ensure that as my hair grows out, it will have the heft I desire. "It's easy to create volume with your hair if you have layers," Ron said. For any girl who's ever left the salon near tears about losing her precious locks, it seems the answer may lie in layers.

For ladies who want long and strong hair, this is all the more reason to go short as the weather warms up. I went pixie when temperatures rose, and it was the best hair decision I ever made. I've noticed that after snipping off all that "dead" hair, my tresses now grow in healthier and more resilient. Now that I'm trying to upkeep my new long length, I will definitely be getting frequent trims.

Dara Adeeyo is a nail polish junkie who blogs her beauty diary on Dark Berry Beauty.