How Often Should You Get a Haircut?
There is no magic number. No universal rule. How often you should get a haircut depends entirely on what you are working with and what you are trying to maintain.
A guy rocking a tight skin fade is on a completely different schedule than someone growing out a longer style. And that is fine. The goal is not to follow someone else's timeline — it is to find the rhythm that keeps your cut looking the way it did when you walked out of the chair.
Here is how to figure out what that rhythm looks like for you.
General Guidelines by Style
Every style has a shelf life. Some hold up for weeks. Others start losing their edge after a few days. Use this as a starting point, and adjust based on how your hair grows and how fresh you like to keep it.
| Style | Recommended Frequency |
|---|---|
| Buzz cut | Every 1-2 weeks |
| Skin fade | Every 2-3 weeks |
| Mid or high fade | Every 2-3 weeks |
| Low fade or taper | Every 3-4 weeks |
| Classic cut (no fade) | Every 4-6 weeks |
| Longer styles | Every 4-6 weeks |
| Growing it out | Every 6-8 weeks (for shaping) |
A couple things to notice here. The tighter and more precise your style, the more often you need to be in the chair. Fades are the biggest example — that crisp blend does not stay crisp on its own. On the other hand, if you are rocking a classic cut with a taper instead of a fade, you have more breathing room between visits because the grow-out is more gradual and forgiving.
And if you are growing your hair out, do not skip appointments entirely. You still need shaping every six to eight weeks to avoid the awkward in-between phase where nothing looks intentional.
Signs It Is Time for a Cut
Forget the calendar for a second. Your hair will tell you when it is time. Watch for these:
- Your sides are getting puffy or rounded. That clean silhouette is gone and the sides are starting to push out.
- Your neckline is fuzzy. The back of your neck is losing definition and looking unkempt.
- You can not style it the way you want. If your morning routine is turning into a fight with your hair, it has grown past the point where your cut can do its job.
- You are losing your shape. The overall structure of the cut — the proportions, the contrast between top and sides — is fading.
- Your fade is visibly grown out. That gradient blend has turned into a solid wall of hair. Time to reset.
If you are hitting two or more of these, you are overdue. Get in the chair.
Line-Ups Between Full Cuts
Here is a move that a lot of guys overlook: you do not always need a full haircut to look fresh. A line-up cleans up the edges around your hairline, temples, sideburns, and neckline without touching the length on top or resetting your fade.
Think of it as a tune-up. It extends the life of your haircut, keeps your lines sharp, and buys you an extra week or two before you need a full cut.
Line-ups are especially useful if you are maintaining a fade. That crisp outline around the ears and forehead is usually the first thing to go. A quick cleanup brings it back without starting over.
Service: Line Up / Neck Taper — runs between $20 and $40, takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and costs significantly less than a full haircut. If you are someone who likes to stay sharp but does not want to commit to a full appointment every two weeks, this is the play.
Tell your barber you want a line-up or neck taper, and they will know exactly what you mean.
Factors That Affect Your Schedule
The table above is a guideline, not a rule. Several things influence how quickly your cut loses its shape:
Hair Growth Rate
Some guys can go a month and barely notice a difference. Others look like a different person after two weeks. You know which one you are. Plan accordingly.
Hair Texture
Curly and coily hair can mask grow-out better than straight hair because the texture creates the illusion of density and shape. Straight, fine hair tends to show growth faster — especially on the sides and back where things start looking uneven sooner.
Style Precision
This is the biggest factor. A skin fade with a hard part and a sharp lineup has very little margin before it looks grown out. A loose taper with a textured top? That is built to age gracefully. The tighter the style, the tighter your schedule needs to be.
Personal Preference
Some guys are in the chair every ten days because they want to look like they just got a fresh cut at all times. Others are comfortable letting things ride for a month. Neither is wrong. It comes down to how important that just-left-the-shop look is to you.
Budget
Let us be real — haircuts add up. If every two weeks is ideal but four weeks is what the budget allows, that is completely valid. This is where line-ups come in. Alternating between a full cut and a line-up can keep you looking sharp while cutting your grooming costs almost in half.
Book Your Next Appointment Before You Leave
One of the simplest things you can do to stay on schedule: book your next appointment before you walk out the door.
It sounds basic, but it makes a real difference. You lock in your preferred barber. You do not have to think about it later. And you stay ahead of the curve instead of scrambling to get an appointment when your hair is already past the point of no return.
A lot of our clients set up recurring appointments. Same barber, same time, every two or three weeks. It becomes part of the routine, like going to the gym. You do not have to decide each time — it is just handled.
With 54 barbers across six locations in Sacramento, there is always a chair open at a time that works for you. But the best barbers fill up fast. Booking ahead guarantees your spot.
Find Your Rhythm
Getting your haircut on a consistent schedule is one of those small things that makes a noticeable difference in how you look and feel day to day. You are not scrambling to fix an overgrown mess. You are maintaining something that already looks good.
Here is the simple version: ask your barber. At the end of your next appointment, say "how often should I come back for this style?" They see your hair, they know how it grows, and they will give you a straight answer. From there, it is just about sticking to it.
And if you are between cuts and things are starting to slip, a line-up will hold you over.
