Grow Long Hair And Keep it Healthy

Growing long, beautiful and healthy hair is not an extremely difficult process. It does not require the upscale hair products hawked by salons, handfuls of expensive vitamins, or any sort of sacrifice to the long hair gods. What it does take is common sense, dedication, and a lot of patience. Indeed, growing long hair is more a question of what you shouldn't do rather than what you should.

If you make the commitment to closely follow the twenty steps below, not only will you grow long hair but your hair will be in beautiful condition throughout the process. This guide was written specifically for the person who wants to grow extremely long hair - waist, hip, knee-length or even longer, but it will benefit anyone who is seeking longer locks. Keeping hair in excellent condition at extreme lengths takes more caution and conscious effort than may be necessary if you intend to keep your hair shorter... at mid-back length, for example. If your goal is to encourage healthy hair growth but not to the extreme, then certain modifications may be made to a few of the steps below and still maintain successful results. If you use common sense and don't allow damage to occur, you know you're doing the right thing. It is also important to know that just about everyone has a "terminal length" which is the longest your hair will grow based on the active growth period of your hair follicles (the growth cycle of individual hair follicles turns on and off as determined by your genetics). Nothing here can help you alter your genetically predetermined terminal length.

Hair loss, extreme dryness or any sudden change in your hair's condition may be due to a medical condition. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is imperative that you seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner rather than from this guide.

First Step !!

1. The first step to growing long, beautiful hair is by far the most important. It is absolutely non negotiable for anyone who wants healthy hair at any length, but it is also by far the hardest step you will have to follow. In order to have long healthy hair you absolutely have to start with healthy hair. You must cut off every inch that is damaged. If you are going for extreme length, from that point on you will have to treat your hair like delicate, antique lace at all times. Remember, once your hair is at your waist the ends can be as many as six years old. Your hair will go through a lot of trauma in six years no matter how careful you are with it. You *must* start out with healthy hair to have healthy hair when it's long, there's no way around it.

Sec0nd Step !!

2. Trim your hair often. Damage to your hair will move up from the ends and the only way to stop the damage in its tracks is to remove it as soon as it happens. Trim hair a half inch every month or so (the average rate of hair growth) if you are maintaining your length. If you are actively growing your hair, trim it a half inch every three or four months. In between trims it is beneficial to sit in bright light and snip any splits off the ends of individual hairs with a good pair of hair cutting scissors that you explain to the men in your house are absolutely not to be used for anything else, especially prying off bottle caps when they can't find the bottle opener, which is of course in the drawer where it belongs if they'd just look. I digress. If you are persistent with this method, regular trims may be able to be postponed even longer. If your hair begins to show damage, it is important to trim it more often! Damaged hair doesn't grow, it breaks, and damage will only increase with time.

ThirD Step...

3. If you don't have someone you trust implicitly to trim your hair for you, find a salon that caters to long hair or at least has a long hair specialist. Remember, it is not in the best interest of most salons or stylists if you rarely make visits to their salon! If your hair is short and styled, you are always there spending money for maintenance. If your stylist tries to convince you that your long, healthy hair should be cut, run screaming from the salon immediately! Make sure that anyone whose advice you consider, be it a stylist, friend or family member, has only the best interest of YOUR acknowledged hair growth goals in mind. Otherwise smile politely and ignore every word they say. You absolutely are not too old, too thin, too short, too gray, too anything to have long hair.

4th Step..

4. Avoid using any heated appliances whenever possible. No blow drying, no curling irons, no hot rollers, and especially no flat irons or crimpers! If you absolutely must blow dry, do so minimally. If you must use hot rollers, use flocked or soft rollers, not spiked plastic rollers. If you insist on using curling irons, flat irons or crimpers on a daily basis, really long healthy hair isn't in your future.

Good Luck!!