Young beautiful woman having her hair cut at the hairdresser's.
Image: Shutterstock/MilanMarkovic78

If you are interested in growing your hair long, you have probably heard of hair dusting by now.  When I first heard the term, I actually pictured some sort of dust on the top of your head, sprinkled, then, maybe rinsed?  Yeah, sounds silly, especially now that I know the truth. It is basically just a grooming method of frequent tiny trims that result in healthier hair that will grow longer and look shinier.

How does hair dusting work?

Hair dusting works by not getting rid of any hair length, but only the damaged tips. You snip the very bottom of each strand.  The reason for the name is that the hair on the floor looks like dust after a cut because the pieces of hair are so tiny. 

This process has been used for centuries in many cultures (sometimes with fire! Yikes!)  and recently has made a resurgence in top salons.  It can be tedious and time-consuming, making it not something that a lot of hair dressers are going to want to do in addition to your actual hair cut.  But, you can use it as a grooming technique at home.

You smooth the hair out which allows the dead ends to pop up and then you trim them all over the head. Not just on the ends like you are more than likely used to.

Why is it important?

Whether you have curly or fine hair, you will want to strongly consider dusting. Why?

Well for those with curly or wavy hair, you’ve almost certainly asked for a trim and gotten a hair cut. This is because curly hair recoils more if it’s cut or trimmed when it’s wet.  Instead, your hair should be cut when it is dry. With dusting, the damaged pieces are just pruned out so you don’t lose length. You, in all probability, only need a complete trim every 3 or 4 months.

Fine hair needs this type of trim in order to grow long. That’s because it is more prone to breakage and fly-aways. Dusting is almost a necessity if you want long, gorgeous locks.

How to Hair Dust

Make sure you have the appropriate salon quality scissors. First, you will have to ensure that your hair is dry. That is because the fly-aways and ratty ends are much more noticeable when hair is dry.  Then, try and keep it as smooth as possible so that you can see where the breakage is.  Once you have identified the breakages, trim the very, very end.  You should create a dusting on the floor.  That is how you will know you did it right.

Now you know WTF people are talking about when they mention “dusting” their hair, and it’s not a bad idea! So, if you are excited about trying it, talk to your hairdresser or do some research and try it yourself. It should not be terribly difficult and plenty of people do it at home. You may want to start by dusting lightly to see the results, and then gradually cutting more as you see the results.

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