How to "Dust" Hair

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: January 4, 2021

Most people recognize when they need a haircut or a trim, but if you're trying to grow your hair out, you may not want either of these. Unfortunately, you need to keep the ends of your hair healthy by removing split ends. Instead of trimming away the split ends and removing length from your hair, try dusting your hair at home. Dusting is simply a way to cut away split ends while leaving the length. Dusting is really helpful for curly-haired people since it doesn't remove too much length from the hair.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Dusting Your Hair

1
Divide your hair into portions. Gather your hair into four large equal portions. Twist each portion and clip them to your head. Each portion should be out of your face and held tightly against your head. If your hair is thick and curly, you can make a lot of two-strand twists or braids. Pin these to your scalp.^{[1]
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- It can be difficult to dust your own hair if it's very short. You may want to ask a friend to help you dust your hair if it's too short to do on your own.
2
Unclip and divide one section of hair. Unclip one portion of hair near your eyes. Divide the hair within this portion into 3 or 4 rows of hair. If you have straight hair, feed one row of hair between your index and middle fingers. Pull your fingers down so that only the ends of the row of hair are exposed.^{[2]
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- If you have curly hair, twist one of the rows so it's neat. You'll probably see some loose ends poking out from the section. These will be hairs that you dust.
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3
Dust just the ends of your hair. Take hair cutting shears and look at the end of each row or twist of hair. If you find a split end or knot, trim less than 1/4 of an inch from the end. You should only cut the split end to preserve the length of your hair.
- Avoid using kitchen or craft scissors which can be blunt and will damage your hair. Professional hair scissors will create sharp clean cuts that can keep your hair healthy.
4
Dust all around your head. Once you've dusted the front portion of your hair, continue dusting the remaining portions around your head. If you're having trouble seeing the split ends, hold a row of hair up to the light. This can make it easier to spot any split ends or knots.^{[4]
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- When you're done dusting, you should see very fine hairs over the floor. If you've dusted correctly, you shouldn't see large locks of hair or curls on the floor.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Determining Your Hair Needs

1
Get a trim if you have healthy hair. Think about how often your hair gets knots or split ends. If your hair is pretty healthy and just looks a little straggly at the ends, you might need an actual trim. A full trim should remove the bottom 1/2 to inch of hair. You should get a trim every 3 or 4 months.^{[6]
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- While getting a trim can remove a lot of unhealthy hair (split ends and knots), it will also remove the most length. Getting a trim can make it difficult to grow your hair out quickly.
2
Trim just the split ends and knots. If you only want to trim the split ends so you keep as much length as possible, use the search and destroy method. To do this, your hair must be long enough to pull in front of your eyes. This way you can look at each strand of hair for split ends and knots. When you find them, cut about 1/4 of an inch above the knot, split end or fray to completely remove the damage.
- This method takes a lot of time since you have to go through every strand of hair. If you find a lot of split ends or knots within a month, you may actually want to get a full trim.^{[7]
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3
Consider dusting if you have curly hair. If you have curly or wavy hair, you've probably had the experience of asking for a trim only to end up with an actual hair cut. This is because curly hair recoils more if it's cut or trimmed when it's wet. Instead, cut, dust, or trim your hair when it's dry so you can see exactly how much length you're removing.^{[8]
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- You probably only need a full trim every 3 or 4 months, if you have curly hair. In the meantime, dust your hair whenever you notice split ends, about every 6 to 8 weeks.

Community Q&A

Question

What is a knot in the hair?

Kate Cronin

Community Answer

When your hair ties together and gets really messy. If you have little knots in your hair, comb them out as soon as you can.
Question

Is the dust in my hair dust mites?

Community Answer

It may be. It could also just be dandruff, so wash your hair thoroughly.