Hacks For Keeping Long Hair Healthy
Here are some of my tips to getting those long, luscious locks you’ve always wanted.
I had my hair cut in a bob 4 years ago after Inès was born, and I loved it. Styling was relatively easy (I used a heat protectant spray and a triple-barrel waver once on each section of hair around the head - done in about 6 minutes flat!), and I just loved the freshness of a short-hair vibe.
Then, one day, I watched the romcom “The Idea of You “ with Anne Hathaway and… I fell in love with her long, wavy locks with a heavy fringe. I took a pic of Anne, and one of Dakota Johnson to George Northwood and asked for the same. He pointed me in the direction of Steph Pollard for hair extensions (I needed to wait a few months for my hair to be long enough to take them), and we booked in for a full 8-hour day transformation (which you can watch here).
It was a total transformation, and honestly, I expected to take a minute to get used to the change, especially the fringe. But I instantly loved it: I love how relaxed it feels, and I love having long hair again. Seven months later, my hair is on its way to being as long as my extensions! It has been growing fast, I was shocked. Here’s everything I’ve done to help keep it healthy:
Keep Up With Your Cut
While it may seem counterintuitive, getting frequent trims is an important component to growing your hair long. I try to do it every other month to get rid of split ends and breakages, which prevent hair from looking bouncy and smooth.
Eat Right
Just like our body and skin, our hair responds to healthy eating. Try adding more healthy proteins into your diet, such as avocado (my personal secret weapon), salmon, beans, nuts, and whole grains.
Add Greek yoghurt into your breakfast routine as it contains pantothenic acid that helps blood flow to the scalp, preventing hair loss and thinning. If you’re into porridge, oats are great, as they’re rich in iron, fibre, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids that help stimulate thick and healthy hair growth. Lastly, eat your eggs - they are full of biotin, which strengthens brittle hair and nails.
Turn Down The Heat
It’s no secret that using hot tools like curling irons and straighteners can damage your hair. So be sure to spray your hair with a good heat protectant before you get started! Try this one by Kerastase, or this one by Living Proof.
Take Biotin
Take supplements like Biotin or a “hair, skin and nails” vitamin that promote healthy, strong growth like these by Vidaglow. These contain tons of nutrients that help promote growth, plus, they’re good for your body overall! I also tried Growth Phase by The Neu Co. recently and was very pleased with the result.
Sleep Right
Swap out your cotton pillow case for a silk one. I did this back in LA and kept the habit - it's good for avoiding wrinkles too. The lack of friction helps to prevent creases and reduces frizz and breakage. It has helped me a lot to reduce tangling as well, since I got my extensions. Gingerlily make some cute ones.
Nourish Your Hair
Lastly, treat yourself to a weekly hair mask or deep treatment in the shower, just as you would with your skin. Exfoliate your scalp first (I use this scrub, which you can also use on your body), and then apply a nourishing hair mask. This helps revitalise and rehydrate your hair, it promotes strength and an overall healthier, I-just-got-out-of-the-hairdresser sort of look. Some of my favourite hair masks include this one by Shu Uemura and this one by Oribe.
