Here it is. I'm finally getting around to writing the one thing I actually have gotten multiple requests for.
How did I grow my hair so long?
If you know me you'll know that a couple years ago when I first moved to Cheltenham that it was one of my first steps of adult (ish) life and I wanted to do something special to mark that. I've always had long, thick and golden blonde hair. But now I wanted to be elegant, womanly and most importantly in control of my own choices. So, I cut off all my hair.
I got up one day on a crisp and unimportant October weekday and took a stroll down to the nearest hairdresser. Even in the last few seconds before my hair met the scissors the hairdresser kept asking me: 'Really? Are you sure...' Thank you for the vote of confidence.
But anyway I went on and got the cut anyway. For the first few days it was okay but quickly I realised a long bob made me look 12 and awkward again. I grew to hate it and 2 weeks later I was wishing I could make my hair grow 10 inches in a week.
Even these photos are months down the line as it began to grow out.
So how did I get here?
Lets start with the basics. How does hair grow? Why does it sometimes feel like it just won't grow and what can you do about it?
Hair grows from the root, i'm sure i'm not the first person to tell you that. So, now we can see that the problem of hair growth is more to do with the ends of your hair and not the root. This is why the biggest problem many people face is those dreaded split ends.
But why are split ends a problem?
Split ends once you have them will continue to split all the way up the hair strand. Or just cause your hair strands to snap and fall off. So if you're reading this with a ton of split ends you're going to want to book your next appointment to go trim them off. I know it feels counteractive. You want your hair to grow, not to cut it. The problem is these split ends will cause more problems. Your hair may be growing pretty quickly but with split ends causing your hair to break, you wont be able to see any growth.
Now this one hairdressers will probably disagree with me on so don't tell them. Between me and you, there is absolutely no need your hair cut as much as they say to. I personally only cut my hair twice a year when i start to get split ends. Shhh.
The best way to think about it is hair breakage or split ends are your enemy. Avoid them at all costs. This unfortunately means cutting out a bunch of stuff.
1) Bleaching and dying your hair. I know. it's sad, but true. You might have to sacrifice your desired hair colour for hair quality and length. Mostly bleach. Bleach damages your hair strands like no other. That's why people who bleach their hair frequently eventually start to think hair is 'falling out.' Really it's just snapping like crazy because it's so weak.
2) Heat. Again, sorry. You're burning the life out of your hair. Save it for special occasions.
3) Toxic and drying products. Here's the funny thing. Have you ever felt like the more Vaseline you wear the more you need it. The more you use it the dryer your lips become. Well, so many hair products do this to your hair. The chemicals they use to hydrate or clean your hair actually are extremely harsh and drying. In the long run, you guessed it, this causes your hair to break.
If I could tell you one thing it's don't trust these big companies guys.
4) Also if you're like me and obsessed with washing your hair you're going to have to limit that. Again, it's stripping your hair of the oil it needs to be healthy and grow. That's why this is the perfect time to start. While were all in lockdown who cares if you don't wash your hair right?
Onto what you should be doing.
1) Brush carefully and from the bottom up. This is because if you violently rip (like i did) all the way down your hair from root to tip you're going break and rip out so much hair unnecessarily. Go gentle and slowly.
2)Wear your hair up tied loosely. Loose is key! Too tight and you'll cause damage.
3) Wash your hair as little as reasonable and with natural and non-toxic products. Invest in a natural serum or oil for your ends. Or you could just use pure Argan oil or Moroccan oil. They're magic and easy to get a hold of.
4) Get into a routine of once a week wearing a natural and maybe even DIY hair mask. Leave it overnight for the best results. I used to love this and will be getting back into it. There's tones of recipes for natural oil masks online. I will be starting to do this again and will possibly share some of my favourites.
Pro tip: don't forget to add a little peppermint oil to add a minty kick to stimulate those roots. Or a classic head massage will do the job.
To sum up remember anything that causes breakage is the enemy.
Most of all, just forget about it! Seriously, hair doesn't grow overnight so take some time out and let it do it's thing. Everybody's hair grows at different rates so don't think about it too much. Stressing over hair is pointless when life is so short. Embrace what you have.
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