When was your last haircut? 3 things happen when you haven’t chopped your hair in months.

So, when was it? Go on. Be honest.

Alright — I'll go first. It's been well over six months. Maybe eight? Maybe MORE?

As someone who doesn't get their hair coloured, I don't need to sit in a salon chair every two weeks. In fact, I'll usually go for a really big chop and then just let my hair grow back and do it all again, months later.

Watch: Speaking of hair. Here are 6 facts about body hair that will surprise you. Post continues below.

But apparently, not cutting your hair for a very long time is actually quite bad for the health of your hair — and can actually change everything for the texture to the way it grows.

Eeep.

We spoke to Ali Holmes, KMS Lead Stylist and co-owner of Wildlife Hair Sogo, and asked her how often we're actually supposed to cut our hair — and what happens if we don't do it very often.

1. Your hair texture can change.

While there are a bunch of different things that can influence the texture of your hair (stress, diet changes, post-partum — just to name a few!), if you're a lass who usually has curly hair, but find your texture is looking a little lifeless and... blah... it could mean you're well overdue for a chop.

"Leaving your hair too long can result in split ends, dry ends and breakage," Holmes said. "These things can then affect how your hair sits, i.e. in curly hair the curl will drop. In straight hair the ends will become thin and wispy." 

Cutting off those dead ends will bring life back to your 'do.

2. Your hair won't hold a style.

There's nothing more frustrating than spending an hour on styling your hair, only for it just to absolutely troll you 20 minutes later and go back to what it looks like before.

"When your hair is in need of a haircut, it won’t hold the style you put it in. For example, straightening your hair won’t last the day, curling/ waving your hair, the curls will drop quickly."

See, it doesn't mean you're terrible at styling! It just means you've completely forgotten to look after the health of your hair ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

3. Your hair can 'stop growing'.

Welcome to split ends — which will occur even faster if you have coloured hair or sun-bleached hair. The worst bit about dry, brittle ends? Your hair will feel like it kinda just... stops growing. Not technically, of course. Just because it's literally snapping off at the ends. So.

"Your hair won’t stop growing from your scalp but leaving split ends too long will make the split travel further up the hair shaft creating breakage so it will feel like it’s not growing," explained Holmes. 

"If the split ends have travelled up the hair shaft, you’ll need to get more than just a trim cut off."

Did someone say surprise bob?

How often are you supposed to cut your hair?

TLDR; Regular cuts are a must.

"If you’re happy with your hair length, we recommend getting it cut every six weeks. If you want to grow your hair, we recommend 10 weeks," Holmes said. 

If you want to stretch out your haircut, Holmes you can leave it up to 12 weeks max.

"The way I see it is there’s no point having long hair if it’s wispy and dry on the ends. Long hair is more impactful if it’s luscious and healthy," she explained.

"If your hair doesn’t grow past a certain length (some people’s hairline won’t grow and some people’s hair seems to stop at a certain length) nurturing the hair with oils or moisturisers can get it past its stagnant length."

"Use KERASILK Restorative Balm ($48) every time you wash your hair. It’s a leave in cream, just like moisturising your face and this will hydrate and strengthen your hair. Do fortnightly restructuring treatments like Goldwell DualSenses Bond Pro 60 Second Treatment ($34.50) mask."

Pro tip: Holmes said if your hair is really prone to breakage or has a stagnant length, try using a hair mask as a conditioner. 

"Spend a year getting regular cuts and your hair will be stronger and grow longer," she said. 

Here's to better hair in 2024!

How often do you cut your hair? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Getty.