The One Mistake When Growing Out Long Hair For Men That Is Keeping You From Fast Results!

If you dream of having long, flowing hair in the wind or you're simply just tired of always having the same short hair as all your coworkers, then you're definitely at the right point in time. Long hair for men is having a resurgence in popularity in the post-pandemic era and has become more widely accepted in various workplaces and among different age groups. So much so that more and more barbers are learning how to do proper scissor cuts for medium to long hair because of how often they’ve gotten that request over the past 2 years. So, if you're thinking of ditching the short back and sides to grow your hair, then now is the best time for it!

But if you're growing your hair out for the first time in your life, you don't want to make one common mistake that I see a lot of my clients making. This advice floats around the internet with many people mentioning it in "hair growth hacks" videos, but I honestly don't agree with it and think it sets you back on your hair growth journey.

(Unsure about growing out your hair? Here’s why I think you should!)

The "Maintenance Trim"

You may have heard of going in to see your barber/stylist regularly for "maintenance trims" to ensure that your hair grows out well and stays healthy. My unpopular opinion is that regular maintenance trims aren't as necessary as people think they are and as a barber, I'd prefer seeing you in my chair as little as possible if I knew you were growing out your hair.

Let me explain by first going over what a maintenance trim even is compared to an actual haircut. A maintenance trim is when you come in to take off some length to preserve the already existing style. A haircut is when you are drastically changing the style in one appointment from one shape to a completely new one. The definitions for both come from Clique Organic Salon [1], and both apply more to people who already have long hair to begin with!

These terms float around all corners of the hair industry but I think started more so in salons that catered to women's hair and you can see from Clique Organic Salon's definition that the timeframes for each term reflect longer hair, with a trim being recommended as something you get every 8-16 weeks and haircuts being something you get every 3-4 MONTHS.

If you're already starting out with short hair, you may be used to going to your barber every 3-4 weeks, so these timeframes just don't apply to you the same way! For you, there is virtually no difference between a trim and a haircut, and these terms are interchangeable when your hair is short and you come in regularly.

"Getting rid of split ends"

One argument for maintenance trims that I hear often is that guys growing out their hair for the first time should get a maintenance trim every 6-8 weeks (or any other random number) because they'll want to maintain the health of their hair.

There is a bit of truth to this, as hair will eventually get damaged due to heat, chemical, or physical damage, which may lead to split ends (fraying of the tips of the hair strands), and the only way to get rid of split ends is by cutting them off [2]. If you are experiencing split ends, then you may want to go in and get a haircut to get rid of them to maintain damage-free hair, but I think there is a bit of confusion around this whole concept.

Honestly, you should worry about split ends only if you actually see them.

I think there is a misconception that hair automatically gets damaged because we've decided to stop getting regular haircuts. This isn't necessarily the case as long as you follow simple steps to prevent any damage to your hair [3].

Overall, be gentle with your hair (especially when it is wet, the weakest state of hair), limit the use of heat or use a heat protectant product if you are using high-heat tools, and use quality products to maintain hydration in the hair, such as a leave-in conditioner. As long as you take preventative steps, your hair should stay healthy as you grow it out without needing to trim off split ends regularly.

So if you're taking care of your hair, then do you ever need a maintenance trim?

This is where it becomes much more subjective. If you're able to keep your hair healthy, then in theory you should be able to grow your hair out without ever getting it cut. If you're someone who wants to grow out your hair to tie it up into a man bun, then this is the way to go. You're someone who just wants to get your hair as long as you can as fast as you can, and by focusing your efforts on building a strong haircare routine, you can skip getting a haircut altogether. I've had several clients that disappear for months and come back with long, luscious locks and no issues whatsoever! If they can do it, then you certainly can without ever coming in for a "maintenance trim".

What if you're not interested in a man-bun? Some guys go into a hair growth journey not 100% sure of the destination and just want to try it out. If this is you, then you're probably more open to some experimentation and you don't want to struggle through the awkward phases of growing out your hair just for the sake of growing it. You want to find out what hairstyles at what lengths suit you best, in search of a new look. For you, the maintenance trim is less about keeping your hair healthy but is meant to "maintain" an actual style at every point of the journey (not necessarily the same hairstyle).

There are many styles and cuts for any length of hair, but you also need to keep in mind that you have to grow enough for your barber to work with if you want to achieve a proper look. This approach, in my opinion, is a bit more fun for me and for my clients as we get to play around with new styles that may never have been thought of before and sometimes the results can be a pleasant surprise for everyone!

So how often should you be getting a haircut when growing out your hair?

If you're open to trying new styles as you grow out your hair then my general recommendation is to go as long as you can between haircuts. Once your hair starts getting too heavy, floppy, or unflattering, then you should come in to refine the shape and thin it out to keep it light and manageable. I'd say this could be anywhere between 6-12 weeks for those starting from shorter hair.

Any timeframe under 6 weeks won't be long enough for your hair to have grown to a point where a new shape can be created. It may feel heavy, floppy, and unflattering to you if you're used to regular haircuts every 3-4 weeks and you may be tempted to get it cut, but that would be no different than cutting your hair back to your usual style.

The longer you can wait, the more your barber will be able to work with you to ensure the hair is cut in a way that can be styled differently than what you had before, even if slightly. The whole point of growing out your hair is to do something new after all.

I have even gone so far as to turn away clients who have come in for a haircut while growing it out but had no issues with their hair at that moment. If you’re not struggling with styling and if things are just a little unkempt around the ears and on the back of the neck, then there is only so much I can do for you and it honestly won’t make a significant difference. It does you no favours to come in just because you’ve been told that you should after ‘x’ amount of time, and I don’t think it’s right for me or any barber to charge you just to tidy things up a tiny, little bit.

Although hair grows about half an inch per month, on average [4], that doesn't mean yours will grow that fast or that consistently. That's why you need to get rid of the mindset of having a consistent haircut schedule if you want to grow your hair successfully and adopt a more flexible approach. This will require patience, especially if you're going into this for the first time.

If you have a good relationship with your barber, then you may want to message them every couple of months to see what they think and if it is even worth it for you to come in for a cut. You may also want to scroll through Instagram or Pinterest and save images of hairstyles at different lengths that you like and would want to try for yourself. That way you can have a goal in mind for when you hit a certain length and have something to look forward to when you're feeling extra tempted to cut it short again.

It can be that simple!

Growing out your hair for the first time isn't easy, but it can be a really fun way to change things up and try something different. If you're thinking of finally committing to the hair growth journey, then my number one advice to you is to forget about maintenance trims as something that is regularly needed. Focus more so on keeping your hair healthy and only see your barber when your hair is unbearable or if you really want a specific hairstyle. For healthy hair products that will make growing your hair out that much easier, I have in-depth and honest reviews for products that I recommend to my very own clients for you to check out here!

If you're looking for haircut ideas at different stages of growing your hair, then check out my portfolio here!