methodology: growing long, healthy hair.

Lately, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from people about my hair.

What’s my secret? How do I get it to grow so long?

I wish I had an answer for everyone, but the truth is that there is no magical solution. I’m afraid that much of it is genetics – some people have hair that just grows. Like a weed. And I happen to be one of those people.

Please don’t be mad.

Because while there’s no top-secret magic pill you can take, there are things you can do to help speed the process along. And the longer it grows, the more you’ve got to take care of it – if you want it to look halfway decent – so here are my tips for doing so!

Trim regularly, but not too much and not too often. You’ve likely heard people tell you that if you want long hair, you need to trim it regularly. This is partly true and partly false. No one wants raggedy ends – so when they start to split, you should get a trim. Otherwise, you could end up with hair that’s difficult to brush or comb, which may result in losing hair. Not a good look. However – and this is a big however – you don’t want to trim too much hair off at a time, and you don’t want to trim too often. Hair is already dead, if that makes any sense, and so cutting it is not going to change whether it grows more or not. The trimming is just about keeping it healthy. Frazzled ends, no matter how long your hair is, aren’t sexy on anyone. My hair grows fast, but I still only trim every 12 weeks, when I do my color.

Deep condition once a week. I’m talking a full treatment here, where you first towel-dry your hair and then let it sit with the conditioner for at least 20 minutes. I love to do this and lay by the pool, so that the heat from the sun activates the conditioner even more. You can also wrap your hair in plastic wrap (or use a shower cap) and then wrap a warm, damp towel around it for the same effect. I love the Moroccanoil Restorative Hair Mask, and my favorite cheap find (less than $5!) is Aussie 3 Minute Miracle (which I often use as a regular conditioner).

Diet and vitamins play a key role in the health of your hair. Biotin (often found in those “hair, skin, and nails” formulas) is one vitamin in particular you may want to try. Though I don’t take these specifically, I do take multi-vitamins as well as fish oils and other health supplements that surely have a positive effect on my hair. Your body needs nourishment for your hair to be healthy, just like your skin. You can imagine that a healthy diet full of nutrients is going to impact your hair; think of the case of the anorexic whose hair falls out. Protein and iron are especially important for strong, healthy hair.

Keep the heat styling to a minimum. I know this is going to be a hard one for some of you who like to have perfect hair everyday. I only blow-dry my hair about once a week – seriously! Mayyybe twice. Usually, once over the weekend is good enough for me. Because not only is it damaging to your hair, the longer it is, the more of a pain in the ass it is to blow out. Learn how to work with the natural texture of your hair. My hair is naturally wavy, so I generally blow-dry my bangs and apply whatever styling product I’m currently obsessing over (right now, it’s Fekkai Glossing Cream - it seriously makes my hair feel like silk) or a leave-conditioner (this one by AG is my fave) and call it a day. If you need more polish, you can wrap it into a bun. And you’d be surprised at how much men prefer a natural look; Dan always tells me he likes my hair when it dries naturally (yes – frizzy, imperfect waves, and all) more than when I curl it with a curling iron – which he thinks can look fake if it’s overdone. The other plus side of this is that when you actually do spend the time to do your hair, it makes it that much more exciting. Think of it like applying false eyelashes – if you did it everyday, would it still have the same effect? Kim Kardashian, for example – she looks exactly the same no matter what she’s doing, whether she’s going to a red carpet event or going to the gym. Where’s the fun in that?

Got your own healthy hair tips? Share away, please!