The average person experiences about ½ inch of hair growth per month. Moreover, people can lose more than 100 individual hair strands every month.  It’s important to determine which type of hair you have in order to decide whether you should be doing a regular trim.

If the ends of your hair tend to break off regularly or you experience damaged hair, you are part of the group that should spend some quality time with some hair scissors. When hair is not healthy, split ends happen easily and often. These ends will break off, causing your hair to seem as though it’s never growing. Ask your hair dresser to use high quality professional hair scissors to trim only the very ends of your hair and this should encourage healthy, happy growth. These are the people who view the “trimming will help your hair grow faster” idea as fact.

However, if your hair is healthy, you may being doing more damage than good with your trims. If you have few split ends and little breakage, trimming the hair will likely cause more harm than good in your hair growing efforts. These are the people who view the “trimming will help your hair grow faster” idea as a myth.

If you and your hair dresser decide that you have split ends with lots of breakage, then regular trims are right for you. Talk to him or her about “micro-trimming” or “dusting” your ends. This is a process that can be done with an extremely sharp pair of hair scissors. The key is that they are very, very sharp and that they are scissors designed specifically for hair.

This trim removes less than ½ inch of hair with each snip. It is the best method available for trimming split ends without losing length No type of trimming will actually make hair follicles grow faster, but in some cases it can improve the appearance of hair and help extend the length by preventing breakage.

That said, what are these manufacturers really charging you for?  Are you making an investment in a quality hair styling tool that offers all the best features or are you just shelling out your precious dollars to pay for the hair straightener brand name?  By that, I mean are you spending the extra money because it’s a worthy tool, or are you spending your bills to get a product with a well-known name?

After the astronomical popularity of CHI flat irons in the past 3 to 5 years, I began to wonder what the big deal was.  Many of my friends have purchased this brand of product with little to no satisfaction.  I, being the frugal shopper that I am, bought a less-known brand because I thought it was a better value.  Boy, was I right!  I ended up getting a Karmin G3 Pro Styling Iron primarily for the adjustable temperature and extensive warranty.  After a little more than a year, my straightener was still goin’ strong while my friends’ were suffering from cord problems and broken plates.

This caused me to do a little research (mostly to back up my “I told you so” to my CHI purchasing friends) and found that a lot of people have suffered from similar problems.  As soon as the 1-year warranty expires, the CHI tends to go south.  And comments and forums about these problems are all over the internet.  This begs the question “WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE STILL BUYING THIS PRODUCT?”  My Karmin was a 3-year warranty and after 2 1/2 years I have yet to encounter a problem.  I told you so!

The only answer is that people are purchasing the name.  They are either uninterested or unaware that there are much better, if lesser-known, products that will work better and last longer, but for a lower price.  Just the other day my roommate (and friend) borrowed my Karmin, realized I was right, and ordered one online right away.  I told you so…

For those interested in being a part of this trend, keep in mind that a bob, and a growing out bob, looks better with an asymmetrical cut. Ask your stylist to cut it slightly longer in the front and a bit shorter in the back.  This hair cut is really the best of both worlds.  It’s short enough to be trendy, but long enough to wear in a casual pony tail or a fancy up-do.

To achieve this look at home, be sure to invest in a pair of very high quality hair scissors.  A pair of cheap shears from your local discount store isn’t going to cut it (pun intended).  This particular hair cut tends to be easier to do when the hair is damp, but not dripping wet.

Starting with small sections, comb out your hair and grab a part of your hair between your index and middle finger.  Measure your hair to the desired length and carefully snip off the excess using extra sharp hair scissors.  Repeat this process until you have cut all of your hair.  To make sure both sides are even, part your hair and carefully pull section that are directly across from each other on either side of your head and compare their length.

For those of you who are a little more daring, you could try a more complicated technique.  Comb all of your hair forward and cut it to the desired length, doing small sections at a time.  Be sure you keep a spray bottle filled with water nearby to use whenever you hair starts to dry out.  You may need to enlist the help of a friend to trim the back of your hair, but this technique will help you achieve the “shorter in the back” look that is so popular in bobs.

Of course, you can always visit a stylist and have him or her do the cut, then maintain it on your own at home, or revisit the salon every 4-6 weeks for upkeep.