The Long And The Short Of It: How To Grow And Maintain Long Hair

Do you ever feel like your hair won’t grow past a certain length? However much you covet Mermaid-style tresses, do they always seem to grind to a halt somewhere around shoulder length? The key is condition. Pushing past that invisible barrier and getting the show pony glossy mane you’ve always wanted is achievable, but you need to approach your haircare regime with the same steps and care as your skin. We round up all the styling tips and products you need to help you grow those extra inches and keep your new locks in tip-top condition.

Path Of Least Resistance

Silk pillowcases or hair wraps may seem a little high maintenance, but they are key to reducing moisture loss, static and frizz. As we sleep, cotton bedding can wick away the natural moisture in our hair, leaving ends parched. Meanwhile, the friction as we toss and turn can cause breakages and roughs up the hair’s shaft causing frizz and dullness. Silk scrunchies are also great during the day to reduce damage to hair lengths.

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Scalp Skincare

How much thought or care do you give to the skin on top of your head, compared to your face? The overall condition and health of your hair all stems from the roots and your scalp is the foundation of this. Just like your skincare regime, look for scalp serums, toners and exfoliators to soothe, balance and detox your hair follicles for the optimum start to your hair growth journey.

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Mask Up

Once or twice a week, give your hair a deep treatment to see real benefits in the gloss and condition of your lengths. Overnight treatments that are rich on botanical butters and oils are great for those who don’t have time in the day to allow a mask to do its work. Also look for treatment masks rich in protein amino acids (like the Michael Van Clarke one below) that really repair and recondition hair at molecular level, rather than just coating strands in silicones for a superficial fix.?

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First Line Of Defence

If you’re serious about growing your hair out, washing and styling needs to be kept to a minimum to reduce breakages and split ends. When you are heat styling, ensure you are protecting lengths with a dedicated thermo-shield and, come summer, use a dedicated hair SPF that will prevent tresses drying out in the sun and stop colour fade, too.

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Tip Top Condition

Between washes keep lengths and tips in soft, nourished condition with a finishing balm that seals split ends, while delivering shine and taming frizz. It may sound counter-productive but little and often is the best approach when it comes to regular trims; taking out the tips will refresh your style and a blunt cut can help hair look fuller, too.

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By Lydia Mansi
December 2021

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