10 Signs You Need a New Haircut

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Some of your friends probably have to be dragged to the salon. Others likely tweet 20 photos from the stylist’s chair. Where do you land on the spectrum? Regardless, getting your hair cut isn’t necessarily an act of vanity. When your hair starts to weaken and break, it’s in the best interest of your whole head to schedule a cut.

Of course, you can always take the opportunity to freshen up your style with a totally new ‘do. Keep in mind these 10 warning signs of a style that’s falling flat the next time you’re debating a new cut:

  1. Split ends reign. The easiest way to tell if it’s time to head to the salon? Fan out the ends of your hair and see if it looks like straw. Yes? Text your stylist, stat.
  2. Locks falls flat. If you have curly hair, it might take longer to notice a lack in volume. But for all the straight-haired people out there, adding volume to your tresses is a daily battle. If that battle’s become more and more uphill in recent days, that’s a sign that your style isn’t working any more. Time to touch up those layers.
  3. Curls take on a triangle shape. Now a tip for the curly-haired among us: your hair shouldn’t resemble a triangle. If it does, that means your locks have become too heavy and they’re weighing you down—shear them off!
  4. Styling takes foreverrrrr. As if you don’t already have enough to do when you’re trying to get out of the apartment in the morning, now getting your hair to lay just right is an impossible task. Bad hair days far outnumber good ones, and you’re probably running out of product at a breakneck speed.
  5. You’re your own high school doppelganger. The best part about entering adulthood is that you leave the braces and acne behind. Embrace the process. If you rocked your current hairstyle in senior photos, it’s time to say goodbye. Like yesterday.
  6. Your braid is weaksauce. A braid should be just as thick up top as it is at the bottom. If your braid gets thinner and thinner as you work your way down, that’s a clear cue that your locks are not healthy.
  7. It’s all ponytails, all the time. And why are you braiding your hair all the time, anyway? If you find yourself always throwing your hair back into a ponytail or resorting to a braid (and not just because you’re strapped from time), you’re disenchanted with your ‘do.
  8. Tangles take over. When strands get long and dry, they start to tangle. Prevent this problem by getting a cut before it happens.
  9. You have a case of Velcro-hair. Frazzled manes tend to stick together, creating a Velcro-like effect on your head. When your hair is the proper length and well-nourished, it’ll feel closer to silk than Velcro. If your locks land on the Velcro side of the spectrum, reinvent them.
  10. You just want to. You work hard. You’ve earned it. Go full Miley with a funky short cut or channel Princess Kate with layered, tousled curls. No matter your new look, make sure it suits your unique sense of style.