How to grow long lustrous hair
If you have ever wanted to have hair that a Victoria Secrets model would be envious of follow our top tips and with a little bit of patience you’ll achieve just that:
1). Do not colour your hair
Colouring your hair will damage it more than anything else and attempting to grow damaged hair is an uphill struggle; it will take a lot longer and the results will not be worth it. The best thing to do when attempting to grow long hair is to grow out and cut off all damaged parts so you can start with a healthy head of hair.
2). Brush hair before shampooing
Before you shampoo your hair give it a good brush so that it is knot free which will reduce the amount of tangles when you get out of the shower therefore you won’t be yanking at and pulling out any hair when you brush it out afterward.
When brushing the hair post shower use a wide toothed comb.
3). Opt for combs rather than brushes and use repeated gentle strokes to untangle hair
Combs are underrated and actually much better for your hair than brushes as they do not get entangled as often.
When you do encounter a knot take your time to untangle it and gently brush over it repeatedly until the knots loosen. Even if it takes you a number of minutes remain patient and do not rip at the hair. The aim is to keep the hair as undamaged as possible.
This is especially true for curly hair as knots form more often and curly hair takes much longer to grow.
4). Avoid using excessive heat on the hair & stressful hairstyles
We want to limit the amount of damage to the hair so it is advisable to avoid using heat on the hair and wearing wildly crazy hairstyles which can pull at and weaken the hair.
You can of course use heat and have fun hairstyles from time to time but avoid when not necessary because you must keep in mind that long hair is also old hair and has been growing for a long time so it needs tlc.
5). Do not wash your hair every day and avoid blow drying
It is not necessary to wash your hair every day unless you hit the gym like a fiend. Every alternate day is good enough and if possible even try and leave up to two or three days in between if you are not planning on going out.
The natural oils that are produced are good for your hair. You’ll be surprised but hair is actually self-cleaning although don’t go too long without giving it a wash because you don’t want it to smell.
After shampooing don’t blow dry your hair, again there is no need and the heat just damages the hair. Instead let it air dry naturally.
6). Cut split ends when it is absolutely necessary and cut only about 1cm
Cutting off split ends is a must however most people get overly zealous in their attempts to get rid of them and cut hair too frequently.
Cut off split ends when absolutely necessary and when getting rid off them cut off about 1cm rather than 1 inch.
7). Be Patient
Growing hair is a matter of patience. If you have hair past your ears it will take you around two years for the hair to grow past your shoulders and if you have hair past your shoulders your hair should be at your waist in two years. The times stated are for straight hair, curly hair takes approximately double the time as straight hair to grow.
It can be easy to lose patience and get fed up and go for a new hairstyle but don’t give up as introducing a new hairstyle will only set you back. By all means cut some bangs or feather your hair to frame your face but leave the bulk of your hair alone.
Unfortunately not everyone can have Rupunzel-like hair as we all have a hair growth cycle, which determines how long your hair grows before it falls out. Shorter cycles means you can’t grow your hair past a certain point and that can even be shoulder length. But follow the tips above and keep your hair healthy and you'll be rocking some beautiful locks no matter what length.
