Men’s Guide to Growing Long Hair

Proper Hair washing 

Understanding techniques and good practices to keep your hair healthy will help immensely while trying to grow out your hair. With a short haircut the hair is the healthiest as it hasn’t been exposed to as much damage from the sun and styling as long hair has. To prevent damage to the ends of your hair and to keep your roots healthy the first step is in the shower. Most hair stylists recommend washing your hair with shampoo as little as possible. However that isn’t always do-able for someone with noticeably greasy hair after a day or two of washing. Try going every other day and progressively wash less (hair is like a muscle, you have to train it). The best solution for greasy hair is dry shampoo which can absorb excess oil from the scalp and put some volume back to the roots. Another important care measure for long hair is using conditioner! Shampoo is meant for the roots and conditioner for the ends. Rinse with cool water as it helps to stop the conditioner from rinsing away its benefits. Always use shampoo and conditioner that is sulfate free, doesn’t have to be a men’s brand either.

Proper Hair Care

Regular visits to your barber will ensure that any split ends are taken care of before they can result in more hair damage. This will also help with the “awkward” stage that is inherent to growing out your hair. To avoid this as much as possible, regularly have the sides and back cut shorter, while you grow out the top of the hair to avoid the mullet look (if this is what you’re going for, rock on). 

Another beneficial tip is to switch up your products. Most pomades and waxes have a lot of hold and are required to be washed out daily. When growing out your hair, consider switching to a lighter product that will help with styling but won’t weigh down your hair such as some grooming products like creams, serums, or leave- in conditioners. 

Once your hair has reached a length that could hold even the smallest man bun it’s important to use hair bands that don’t cause breakage and tears such as a scrunchie, hair clip, coiled hair ties, any silk hair tie. This will prevent more fly aways, baby hairs, and split ends. 

Lastly, using a proper comb or brush with the right technique will gradually help your hair grow to your desired length. Try using a brush with bristles that are further apart like a wooden comb or a bamboo hair brush. It is helpful to brush your hair against something as well like your hand, back, or shirt. This will prevent tugging at knots, worsening split ends and hair loss.

Patience

Lastly, it is so important to practice patience while growing out your hair. On average we grow about 1/2 in. of hair each month, 6 in. of hair in a year, which means if you’re starting from a buzzcut, it may take awhile to get your desired length. If you follow the steps above, your hair has a much better chance of growing quicker and looking healthy as it grows!