Here's What Happens If You Don't Cut Your Hair for Six Months

We get it—sometimes when you're on a hair health or growth journey, getting a haircut is probably the last thing you want to do. But taking care of your hair is more than your diet, masks, and deep conditioners. Getting regular haircuts is also a part of that deal—and not cutting your hair for six months might be doing way more damage than good. But we got the experts—hair stylists Halli Bivona and Chase Kusero to give us all the tea on what happens when you decide to stretch out that haircut.

Read on to learn what happens to your hair if you don’t cut your hair for six months.

Your Hair "Stops Growing."

"By not cutting your hair, you are actually risking the length rather than letting it grow," says Bivona. It seems counterintuitive, but by frequently trimming your hair, you'll prevent breakage by removing the dead, fragile ends. When those ends split, they'll eventually travel up your hair and break it off higher, leaving your hair shorter than before—and such was the case with my sad, sad locks.

It Causes External Damage

"Your hair will continue to rub against clothing, get ripped out by sunglasses, and generally get beat up by your day to day life," Bivona notes. "This roughs up the cuticle, which will cause your hair to lose its shine and cause added dryness and weakness. As your hair gets more damaged, unfortunately, it begins to break off and get caught up more often."

According to Bivona, the best way to protect your hair is to use a deep conditioning mask one to two times a week to smooth down the cuticle and infuse moisture back into your hair. You can use a generous amount of Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 Repairing Treatment ($30) twice a week—it promises to work on a molecular level, seeking out broken bonds in your hair that are caused by chemical damage (like color) and working to repair them.

Kusero adds that how often you wash and condition can impact the hair, too. "The best advice for those with long hair is to wash the hair less," Kusero says. And when washing, use a clarifying shampoo and only condition the ends every other time so the hair isn’t weighed down and looks thick."

Your Natural Texture Won't Behave Like It Used To

If you have curly hair that's looking plain and limp instead of full and bouncy, that's a tell-tale sign it's time for a haircut.

"When you don't cut naturally curly hair, the ends become weak and don't hold their natural shape properly. So, by cutting off the dead ends, you bring life back into your curls," says Bivona.

So How Often Should You Cut Your Hair?

"To keep your hair growing, I recommend doing a dusting once a season," suggests Bivona, "that way you stay on top of those split ends, without cutting off your precious length." Hair artist Chase Kusero concurs — adding that a dramatic cut isn't necessary, just thin out the ends for healthy hair. "Get a very loose haircut, only cutting the shape with texture, so the hair appears to be un-cut, allowing the hair to hang naturally," he says.