How do we address our hair - it or them?

Question

So i was talking to a friend and had to mention that this is the first time I have let my hair grow so long and going to cut them/it in summer.

What is the correct(grammatically) way to describe the above sentence?

Answer 1

Always refer someone's hair, in its totality, as a single unit.

I had my hair cut. It was too long.

My hair is getting long. I should have it cut.

Never refer to someone's hair, in its totality, in the plural.

I had my hairs cut. No

My hairs are getting long. No

Your hairs are blonde.

Refer to a subset of someone's hair as hairs, a hair, or as hair.

A hair got in her eye. (just one)

Some hairs got in her eye. (many)

Her hair got in her eyes. (an unspecified amount of hair)

The stylist had to go back and cut a few hairs he missed the first time.

I have a hair that grows faster and is longer than the rest of my hair.

You have some blonde hairs in your mustache. Also acceptable -- You have blonde hair in your mustache (means the same thing).

Answer 2

Your hair is long means all or many of them are long. In the same way you are getting all or many of them cut.

A haircut means having some or all cut just enough to suit the needs of fashion. When telling someone you had a haircut they may attempt a joke by asking "Which one?".

The context will usually make it clear that you are concerned with one or the headful of hair.

Answer 3

The ambiguity is caused by the fact that hair is the word for the singular strand of hair and also for many strands of hair referred to as a group. Although the second case may seem like a plural, in both cases you are actually referring to a single unit, a strand or a group, so it is most appropriate.