Your best tips for growing hair long, and keeping it looking nice, please!

[Jacksmania]

My hair is long, to the tops of my shoulder blades, but I want to grow it down to my bra strap. Just for fun. If I don't like it, I'll cut it again :)

How can I keep it looking nice? It's a bit dry and rough, starting about half way down. I use conditioner, and then spray detangler on it, use a wide tooth comb to detangler, or a set angling brush.
I brush it at night and put it in a braid or doubled-over tail with a soft elastic or ribbon to sleep.

What else can I do? I don't want to get it to bra strap length and find it looks crappy.

What are your best tips for conditioning treatments (I read coconut oil is good - is it?) and just in general?

Thanks :)

[dumbelina]

Don't wash it too often. My hairdresser advised me to cut down from washing my just past shoulder length hair from every other day to every 3-4 days as he said it is too regular washing that causes a lot of dry ends etc. He was right too, my hair is in great condition since I cut down to twice a week hair washes. It took a while to re-train my hair so it doesn't get greasy by day two, but it's fine now and has saved me hours!

[ProtectiveMother]

Going for a wash & blow dry at a salon :-)

[Sunshineonsea]

Marking place, have stopped straightening and blow drying my hair so often and the condition is slowly getting better

[dreamingbohemian]

Yes to washing hair less

Also, brush and comb it as little as possible. I winced just reading that you brush and braid it every night! Don't use the hairdryer too much.

I usually wash my hair at night (not every night), let it air dry a bit, I don't comb it at all. I roll it in a very loose kind of chignon and sleep on it that way. In the morning I shake it out and kind of finger comb it to fluff it up (my hair is slightly wavy).

Basically just try to do as little as possible to it.

[Financeprincess]

Sea kelp tablets. My hair and nails both grew at twice the speed when I was taking them.

[Butterytoast]

Regular trims. Avoid using hair dryers and straighteners

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Avoid hairdryer/straightners and the vast majority of hair products.

Use a sulfate and silicone free shampoo/conditioner

Argan oil ( pure, 100% cosmetic not food)

Regular trims

[maillotjaune]

I only wash mine once every 4-5 days. I usually let it dry naturally (it is very very thick) but do straighten it. I don't usually use any product but it is in good condition - the only bit of me that is!

Not sure if I'm just lucky or the heat is infrequent enough to be ok.

[custardo]

top tip

use cheap shit shampoo - tesco own brand or similar - it is mainly water based

wash only 3 times a week and condition ( i use dove)

dont plait it regularly, you might think you are keeping it tidy but you are putting stress on your locks

dont blow dry except for special occasion - dont straighten ditto

dont put product on it except special occasion

[PurpleWithaBlueBun]

Extra virgin olive oil is my best friend!
Cover all your hair massage into scalp and leave overnight once a week. Wash out in the morning.
Also coat tips of hair regularly throughout the week in the morning.
And put a teeny bit through mid lengths before you blow dry.

Regular trims are important I wouldn't go longer than 10 weeks before having any damaged hair removed, however I usually only have the tips taken off because my hair is very healthy thanks to EVOO.

When you start using it I would gradually apply it to your hair and work it in but by bit, rather than drowning yourself in it and struggling to wash it out and it being just too much, as that can be quite off putting!

[Jacksmania]

Thanks all for your suggestions!

Unfortunately, not brushing or combing my hair isn't a viable option (to the poster who winced at my description, I do it as gently as you'd brush a baby's hair, with a natural bristle brush to smooth it ), because I have medium-fine straight hair that would provide me with a lovely set of dreadlocks if I left it alone! Sadly, I'm not joking although I know it sounds like I am.
I wish I had wavy hair, I think it would be quite a bit easier to manage, but it's straight - but not a nice straight, IYSWIM. If I let it air dry and don't put it in a tail or a bun or something, it just looks crap and stringy :(

I have been washing it less frequently as it's grown longer, and I get it trimmed about every 8 weeks.

Will try the olive oil. Do I put it on dry hair? Then wrap in a towel? And the next morning, shampoo only, or shampoo and conditioner?

Thanks all .

[HelloBoys]

Wait my hairs highlighted and a mousy/ash blonde colour otherwise so roots can be noticeable. Hence why I wash the bastard hair every other day. Can I leave it? I've always thought it'd look yuck.

Any ideas?

[PurpleWithaBlueBun]

Hello boys you could tie your hair up and see if it gets you an extra day? I colour my hair and wash 3x a week and blow dry it so I am horrid to my hair.. But you know what! It is past my shoulders and fab condition!

jacks there are loads of different ways, what works for me is putting it on dry hair and sleeping with it once a week, the warmer your hair the better, so some cling film and warm towel and warm the oil too! I just whack it on lol

Then shampoo, possibly twice and. Then I will still condition mid lengths and tips. And I will put a bit of extra virgin oil in the tips before I blow dry. Really you just need to trial and error and find what works for you :)

[Corygal]

Leave in conditioner for the ends only (I use Aussie) does the trick too.

[Featherbag]

Aussie heat protect shampoo and conditioner, only washing hair every 5 days or so, and paying for a decent haircut. I started going to Toni & Guy after I finally got fed up of my utterly dull regular hairdresser,and I found that although it costs twice as much I only have to go half as often, if that makes sense? So I'd usually pay £22 every other month to get my hair cut, but now I've just booked to get it done next week and the last time was right at the start of August. My hair still looks fine, but I'm having a baby the next day and want to look vaguely presentable in the obligatory hospital photos!

[JoanRanger]

www.longhaircommunity.com

[HelloBoys]

Not entirely related but thought I'd share.

Have been using Daniel Galvin Junior's Hangover Hair shampoo but changed to Philosophy Christmas Cookie (love it can be used as shower gel, shampoo etc).

What can I say? My hair is glossy and bouncy and I KNOW it's not the conditioner (I used the same before). will repurchase this.

[FiscalCliffRocksThisTown]

do as little as possible to it.

Shampoo every other day or less.

Use silicon free conditioner (bet the "detangled" is full of silicone too, it is on ingredients as dimethicone, cyclomethicone or some other …..ticone)

Leave to dry by itself, don't use dryer, straightener much.

Less is more with long hair.

[Shruti04]

Use herbal shampoo as well as herbal products for hair. You should oiling your hair with sesame oil and apply heena, awala, ritha on hair. Stop using chemical sustain products on hair because chemical makes hair dry and rough.