How to Grow and Care for Long Hair

There are many personal reasons why women (and men) choose to have long hair. Great reasons include:

- It's actually quicker and easier to style long hair than very short hair! This is because with practice, an updo can be done in only a couple of minutes, without the need for styling tools and products. Compared to the time needed for example to straighten and style short hair, long hair is actually quicker!

- Long hair allows great versatility and a huge choice of hairstyles, from casual to formal.

- Studies have shown that in general, men are more attracted to women with long hair. A study published in the journal 'Human Nature' found that when men were shown pictures of women with short hair, and then the same women with long hair, they consistently rated the long haired pictures as more attractive. Long hair slims the face and draws attention away from facial imperfections.

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Many people feel that long hair is only appropriate for girls and young women, and that it is not suitable for a professional environment. While loose long hair probably isn't, a neat bun or chignon held with stylish hair accessories (for example hair sticks or hair forks) gives a good impression in a business environment.

Historically, long hair has always been seen as beautiful and feminine - 1 Corinthians 11:15 states,

'If a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her'

Why should women give that up, just because they are no longer young?

People will always judge you, for one reason or another. Does it really matter what they think? Personally, I think it is better to do what you really want to do and be happy, than feel that you should do something just because it is 'expected'.

If you're going to grow long hair, you need to protect and treat the hair you have now well. If hair is damaged, it will split and break. If too many strands break off, it will appear that your hair is not growing, as the breakage will cancel out the length added by new growth. Follow these tips to keep your hair healthy.

Styling
- Heat damages hair, so avoid blowdrying as much as possible, and stay away from the hair straighteners!
- Try to wear your hair up as much as possible, as this keeps hair out of harm's way
- Use hair accessories which do not damage your hair - snag-free hair elastics without metal, hair sticks, hair forks and smooth clips don't damage hair
- Don't always pony-tail your hair - this weakens the area where the band rubs if done every day

Washing
- Try to extend the number of days between washes, as hair can be damaged during washing. If you wash every day, try to gradually stretch this to every other day or every 2 days. Your scalp will adjust and produce less oil, so your hair will not look greasy.
- Don't rub your head when washing - treat your hair gently.
- Don't comb your hair until it is dry - wet hair is more stretchy and delicate. If you comb your hair before washing and wash gently, it should not become too tangled.

Combing
- Use a smooth, wide-tooth comb to comb your hair. This is less damaging to the hair than a brush. Make sure the comb does not have a 'seam' in the middle - if so, sand it down with a nail file.
- Don't comb your hair excessively - too much combing physically wears away at the hair strand.
- Start from the ends of your hair, and comb gently as you work your way up to your scalp.

Every Day
- Try to always think about your hair - don't let it get caught in seatbelts and under bag straps (this is why putting your hair up every day really helps).
- Don't go out in the wind with loose hair - this really tangles hair.
- Try braiding your hair at night, or putting it in a low bun. This prevents it tangling during the night.
- A satin pillow or sleep cap will also reduce tangling at night, as there is much less friction from hair rubbing against it than with a cotton pillow.

Take a look at the ends of your hair. Do you see split ends, or small white dots a little way up the hair shaft? These are damaged hairs. If split ends are left, they will travel up the strand, damaging more and more of the length. Hair will break off at the white dots, leaving a split end. If you really want to have healthy hair, and grow it long, you need to get rid of the damage to maximise your new growth. You have two choices:

Trim
If there are a lot of split ends and breaks, the best solution may be to have a trim. Trim as little as possible - even 1/4 of an inch can make the difference. If you go to a salon, be very clear as to exactly how much you'd like the stylist to cut, or else as a family member or trusted friend to cut for you. Use sharp scissors - you can buy special hair scissors inexpensively at beauty stores.

Cut out the damage
If you only have relatively few damaged ends, you may prefer this method. With sharp scissors, cut just above the damage on each individual hair. This preserves as much length as possible, and is also useful as damage doesn't just occur right at the ends of the strands.

Now that the hair you have is healthy, it's time to encourage hair to grow as fast as possible. Hair normally grows about half an inch a month.

Diet
Make sure you are eating a varied, nutritious diet. Hair is made of protein, so make sure you have an adequate intake. Eggs are a particularly good source, especially for vegetarians. If you are vegetarian, make sure your iron intake is good and you are not anemic. Low-grade anemia is common in women who are vegetarian, so you may need to consider a multivitamin/multimineral supplement or iron supplements.

Scalp massage
Scalp massage helps hair grow by stimulating circulation to the scalp. Gently massage your head with your fingertips, working up from the base of your neck. Head massage is particularly relaxing if you have a partner to do it for you!

Hair vitamins
There are many vitamins marketed especially for those growing long hair. Nutrients that are particularly important for hair growth include biotin, silica and MSM. Hair vitamins are especially helpful if you do not eat a varied, healthy diet or have to follow a restricted diet due to illness.

Long hair is extremely versatile, and can be styled in countless updo's suitable for any occasion, from casual to elegant.

Many long hair styles can be secured and decorated with hair sticks and forks. These hair accessories are used to hold buns, chignons and other long hair styles, and can be used once hair is shoulder-length or longer.

Art for Hair offers a great selection of hand-crafted hair sticks and forks, made from wood and bone and embellished with Swarovski crystals, glass beads and semi-precious stones. All purchases come with step-by-step instructions for a variety of styles!