Hi everyone! I recently came across someone who trims their locs regularly, and it made me wonder: Is it even necessary to trim locs? Should I be trimming mine? It was the first time I’d heard of someone doing this so I decided to do a little research.
What is trimming?
A trim is done to maintain length and not drastically alter it. If your hair length changes drastically, it becomes a haircut. Trimming is common for unlocked hair. Normally, persons cut off split ends to help with hair growth/retention. But is that necessary with locs?
Trimming beginner locs
When you have beginner locs, your biggest challenge is getting the hair to fully lock together. Budding is an important step in this process. During this stage, little balls (firm sections of hair) form on the ends of your locks, which helps them to lock together. If you trim your locs before they are fully mature, you will be interrupting this process and they will unravel. All that wonderful progress will be gone and the locking process will have to start all over again. So for starter locs, trimming is definitely not necessary, and would in fact be a terrible idea.
Trimming mature locs
It is possible to trim mature locs, but it is not necessary to do so, nor does it provide any additional benefit. There are some reasons why people with mature locs might be motivated to trim them, such as:
- If you want to keep your locs at a certain length, then you’ll need to trim them as you hair grows.
- If your locs are damaged (like from dying them, etc), cutting off the extremely damaged parts might help with the repair process, though I’m not sure how true this is. It might just help with the appearance of the locs.
- If the ends of your locs have a significant amount of buildup or lint you might decide to trim or rather cut your locs. However, I would recommend you first try the methods in my post:Â 3 ways to remove lint/buildup from your locks
Conclusion
So long story less long, it is not necessary to trim your locs like how people with unlocked hair trim their hair; a few split ends don’t matter with locs. If you do decide to trim, be sure not to cut unless you are 100% sure you are cutting fully locked hair. If you aren’t sure, then go to a professional loctician who has experience in cutting locs.
Have you ever trimmed your locs? Let us know in the comments below.
Related posts:
Frizzy locs: should I be loc grooming?
How to repair a hole in your lock
Dos and Don’ts for Locks (Part 1)
Bleaching without damaging your locks
Until next time!
~Jay
I have just started my locing journey 1 weeks ago. I had relaxed hair all of my life. I tried several times to get back to my natural hair but I did not want to start with a chop and even though I got to the point of braiding for a year 3 times so i could have my natural hair grow out, i struggled with managing to style my natural hair daily.
Finally, during COVID I did it. I grew my hair out for a year then chopped off the straight ends. I did a lot of reading and watching videos and finally I started to enjoy rocking my natural hair. I have always wanted locs but i was not ready. Locs are basically permanent and I was not ready for that. However after 4 plus years I am finally ready. I decided to go with microlocs because for most of the time I have had natural hair i was using the two strand twist. After researching the different locing process i decided that was the one that works best for me.
I talked with my family members who have locs for advise and did research to learn what are the dos and don’ts. That is what brought me to this site. Presently I am using aloe in water to moisturize daily. I have some aloe plants in the backyard so i blend that up and spray my hair with it. I also use olive oil, caster oil and peppermint oil for my roots and once per week on the hair after washing.
The oils I started using when i went natural although i also experimented with coconut oil for a while too. My hair got really thick and at this point is shoulder length. The aloe is a new addition to prevent damage to my locs. Whatever I do with my hair going forward I know I want to keep it natural.
I enjoy your tips and I definitely plan to trim my locs. While i think dreadlocks is beautiful I prefer volume over length especially because I live in a very hot country and I do not like too much weight on my head.
Thank you for sharing your locks journey origin story! 🙂 And it warms my heart to know that our website helped you with advice on what to do and what not to do when it comes to locs. Sharing knowledge is so important.
Shoulder length locs are great. I miss my locs being that length and I’m considering cutting them. I used to value length above all else but it’s definitely overrated. Do what works for you!
I’ve had my dreads for almost 11 years. I trim them twice a year taking a total of 10 to 12 inches, my hair grows fast.. When they start to reach my butt crack I know it’s time. #1 they get too heavy #2 I don’t like bending over and they start to get too close to the toilet. I also don’t have blunt ends might make it easier for me? I just comb out the ends a couple inches and moisturize, they’re are a little fluffy for a week or so but it’s no big deal. Tip my dreads aren’t all one length. I take colored small colored hair ties. I put one on each dread at about how much I’m taking off. I use a mirror to see hour they’re laying and adjust as needed. That has really helped. I usually have one of my daughters take a look to making sure I didn’t miss something.
My personal opinion if you have dreads for a good amount of time they’ll most likely need a trim. I guess some people have very slow growing hair that would play into it.
Wow. Cutting 10-12 inches means your hair grows insanely fast! That’s definitely a reason to trim! And thanks for the tips! I’ll keep them in mind for when I ever cut mine.
Mine are 10 years old and I trim them to keep them out of the toilet. I have blunted ends but they are strong dreads so the ends don’t unravel very much. Now I have to adress this stubborn lint!
I didn’t even think of that! Long locs must be so annoying. As for the lint, I struggle with it too. See this post here on what I do to get rid of it and here for how to prevent it.
I have been using only dreadlock spray for my dreads which oil do you recommend I should for it to become think and strong.
Which dreadlock spray are you using? With respect to the oils, I use our Peppermint Rose Hair Oil. Remember that oils don’t moisturize though; they just seal in moisture. If you’re looking for a moisturizer, check out our Rose water Revitalizing Spray.
I work out a lot and recently started going back to the sauna. The first place I sweat is in my head. I use an essential oil mixture afterwards for maintenance. I also use in the morning after a nice hot flash in my sleep. Are essential oils harmful for locs?
Hi Lisa! No, essential oils aren’t harmful. They are very potent though and should never be applied without water or a carrier oil so I hope you’re not applying them alone! And I’m not sure which essential oils you use but I recommend using peppermint oil which helps with itching and keeps your hair from smelling, or better yet our Rose water Revitalizing Spray, which also contains peppermint.
Thanks for this information.
I’ve been trimming mine for sometime now and loving it. 😊
Glad to hear it!
I definitely think trimming helps with the asthmatic. All hair does not grow at the same rate. I think trimmings and even a cut every once and a while can help with a nice even or layered look.
Very true. I love to see a straight edge trim!