This question. That right there – I can’t say how many times I’ve been asked that! Random strangers stop me in the street to ask if they can touch my hair (which, btw, is kind of creepy, so don’t do that, please!). I figured with so many curious people, maybe i should do a little post on the topic. There is no big secret, actually. I let my hair grow, and then it got around 1 meter long! But what to me seems obvious, might not be to others, so here’s a list of my advice for long hair – it works for me, but it doesn’t mean it does for other. Only trying will tell you!

• Washing your hair – you don’t need to do this every day! It’s possible to shower without washing your hair, and you should once in a while. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. As long as it doesn’t look or feel greasy, there’s no need to wash it. Washing wears on the hair and also removes the natural oils that help keep the hair smooth and non-tangling.

• Shampoo choice – I don’t go to a hairdresser, so I have not been told to buy the most expensive brand – and it’s not necessary! When I pick my shampoo, I usually go for price and smell. I have a few brands I tried that I know will make my hair look bleak, so I avoid those, otherwise it’s whatever I can find. I try to change my brand often, as I find sticking with the same one makes my hair feel greasy faster somehow.

• Drying – Air dry that stuff! Blow drying is really unhealthy for the hair (you might disagree, but that is my experience). If it’s winter and you can’t go out with wet hair – wait until after work to wash it! I try to do it in the middle of the day, as my hair takes 3-4 hours to dry. If you must MUST blow dry, at least use cold air.

• Hair Dye – I have never tried other hair colours than semi-permanent, and these don’t stay in my hair at all, but if you MUST dye your hair, stick with those. Permanent colour is very unhealthy, and it also looks stupid with the grow-outs. It’s fine for short hair, but if you’re aiming at 1meter+, just stick with your natural colour.

• Styling – I usually don’t. A ponytail or a braid what I usually use, when I need to get my hair out of the way. I’ve found that hair spray makes my hair tangle a LOT, meaning untangling, meaning loss of hair. So I only do that on special occasion. Same with almost any other products.

• Oil – If you have trouble with hair getting tangled or dry, I can recommend using hair oils and serums. Sometimes, I have trouble with dry ends, and my hair gets frizzy (mostly during wintertime with changing temperatures). Hair oil can help get rid of static and keep the hair smooth and not-tangled.

• Brushing – Don’t start at the roots and go all the way down! Start about 10 cms from the bottom, brush the hair ends, when they’re not tangled anymore, go 10 cms higher and so on. I have very smooth hair, so I prefer using a brush with metal teeth (or whatever they’re called). I find plastic brushes make my hair static.

That’s about all the tips I can think of! If you want to know more, don’t be afraid to ask! Oh, and one last thing: Yes, I do sometimes sit on my hair, get it stuck on door handles or even slam it outside the car door. It’s not so bad, and you get used to moving in a way so it doesn’t happen much, and now I don’t think about it anymore 😀

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”