Growing Your Hair Long(1)
August 26th 2006 11:20
Major changes of style are exciting, but that excitement is dulled, to say the least, when you grow your hair from short to long. It seems to take forever and, in fact, it can take several years.
For a while now, I’ve had waist length hair. I’ve often had girls comment that their hair just won’t grow that long. Indeed, if you have very thin and super fine hair, it is unlikely to get to that length because of breakage. It probably wouldn’t look great even if you could get it that long, as the length tends to drag the hair flatter, and make it appear thinner, than it really is. But if your hair is relatively robust, it will grow. All it takes is patience. Here are a few things to bear in mind.
Naturally curly hair takes longer to grow than straight hair, because the strands of hair are growing around in spiral rather than straight down. But long curls or waves look so beautiful, so persevere! If you have ‘afro’ hair, growing it long can be especially tough, but the tips below may help.
Fine hair is prone to breakage, so make sure you use highly protective products. Most importantly, never comb your wet hair without first applying a leave-in conditioner and invest in a Mason & Pearson brush (or other boar bristle brush). You may initially be surprised at the price of these brushes, but believe me they last. I’ve had the same small one since I was about five years old. They are really gentle on your hair and cause less breakage and split ends.
Look after your general health and eat well – including some good fats like olive oil, oily fish and avocado. If you are unhealthy or malnourished, your hair will be too.
If you are pregnant, or planning to be soon, it’s probably best to wait before growing your hair – and not just because babies love grabbing hold of it! Some women experience a degree of hair loss and subsequent regrowth after the birth as a result of the sudden change in hormones. If your hair is already long, you may even have to lose some length at this stage to avoid a “mullet” style. (Mullet styles are currently quite popular but, even so, they’re not for everyone.)
As I said last time, you don’t need to have your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks and, no matter what your hairdresser (who is trying to make a living) tells you, you won’t grow your hair much if you do.
This may be an old wives tale, but try massaging rosemary oil into your scalp for 15 minutes and then wrapping your hair in a warm towel before you wash it. The rosemary oil and massaging action are supposed to stimulate hair growth. Even if it doesn’t make your hair grow much faster, it will make it shine, make it smell great and keep it strong! I had great success with this – it’s especially good for making dark hair shiny and smooth.
I grew mine from a short bob and then from a shag cut. At times it semed like it would never grow past my shoulders (the absolute worst length for frizzy hair!), but eventually it did, and it was well worth the wait.
A few more tips on this still to come and then we will look at going from long to short.
For a while now, I’ve had waist length hair. I’ve often had girls comment that their hair just won’t grow that long. Indeed, if you have very thin and super fine hair, it is unlikely to get to that length because of breakage. It probably wouldn’t look great even if you could get it that long, as the length tends to drag the hair flatter, and make it appear thinner, than it really is. But if your hair is relatively robust, it will grow. All it takes is patience. Here are a few things to bear in mind.
Naturally curly hair takes longer to grow than straight hair, because the strands of hair are growing around in spiral rather than straight down. But long curls or waves look so beautiful, so persevere! If you have ‘afro’ hair, growing it long can be especially tough, but the tips below may help.
Fine hair is prone to breakage, so make sure you use highly protective products. Most importantly, never comb your wet hair without first applying a leave-in conditioner and invest in a Mason & Pearson brush (or other boar bristle brush). You may initially be surprised at the price of these brushes, but believe me they last. I’ve had the same small one since I was about five years old. They are really gentle on your hair and cause less breakage and split ends.
Look after your general health and eat well – including some good fats like olive oil, oily fish and avocado. If you are unhealthy or malnourished, your hair will be too.
If you are pregnant, or planning to be soon, it’s probably best to wait before growing your hair – and not just because babies love grabbing hold of it! Some women experience a degree of hair loss and subsequent regrowth after the birth as a result of the sudden change in hormones. If your hair is already long, you may even have to lose some length at this stage to avoid a “mullet” style. (Mullet styles are currently quite popular but, even so, they’re not for everyone.)
As I said last time, you don’t need to have your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks and, no matter what your hairdresser (who is trying to make a living) tells you, you won’t grow your hair much if you do.
This may be an old wives tale, but try massaging rosemary oil into your scalp for 15 minutes and then wrapping your hair in a warm towel before you wash it. The rosemary oil and massaging action are supposed to stimulate hair growth. Even if it doesn’t make your hair grow much faster, it will make it shine, make it smell great and keep it strong! I had great success with this – it’s especially good for making dark hair shiny and smooth.
I grew mine from a short bob and then from a shag cut. At times it semed like it would never grow past my shoulders (the absolute worst length for frizzy hair!), but eventually it did, and it was well worth the wait.
A few more tips on this still to come and then we will look at going from long to short.
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