For as long as I remember I always had short hair, this wasn't really my choice, but more because my mum was clueless on how to style hair, (she didn't know how to put it in a hair tie), and as I never had anyone to show me really how to style hair, I never did it either and just left it short.
A while ago I decided to grow it out, and now my hair is the longest its ever been. I do get it coloured every couple of weeks, but my hairdresser ensures me that my hair is healthy.
The first big thing that you'll need to change if you want to grow your hair is heat and the amount of it you use. If you are going to use heat make sure to get a heat protection spray, as these make a crazy amount of difference to your hair, as it will stop the ends from splitting and hair looking dry.
If you're looking to grow your hair you may have to change how often you wash your hair. If you wash your hair everyday; stop! This is something I tell everyone, as washing your hair everyday washes out all of the natural oils that are helping your hair stay strong and healthy, so the hair will just dry out and be prone to breakages and split ends.
I know that everyone loves a nice warm/hot shower, but if you're looking to grow your hair, you're going to need to wash it with the water as cold as you can handle, (that may sound a little bit dramatic, but cold water is better for the hair than hot water). Cold water helps to keep the hair smooth and healthy where as hot water tends to lead to breakages and frizz. I personally think that life is too short to not take hot showers, but if you really want that long hair, I've heard that this is a good way to get it!
Investing in a deep conditioner may also help. I don't use deep conditioner often, but they are amazing for restoring the hair. I'll put this on and then leave it for a couple of minutes before rinsing off with cold water. This doesn't need to be done every time you wash your hair, just once or twice a week.
You can also invest in a purple shampoo, if you have blonde hair. The purple shampoo takes the yellow tones out of the hair and leaves it looking blonde. There are a lot of do's and don't for these, like it is only supposed to be used once a week. I'm new to this, but if it means my colour lasts longer, then I'm all for it.
If you leave your hair to dry naturally then this won't apply, but there are days when there simply isn't time to leave the hair to air dry. Like I mentioned earlier if you are going to use a hair dryer then you are best applying a heat protection beforehand.
I also suggest that you don't brush your hair as soon as you are out of the shower, as dragging a brush through the hair when it is wet can create more tangles, so it is not the best idea. If you really can't resist then gently bring your fingers through it, or use a wide tooth comb.
One of my friends thought that if you tied your hair up it made it grow quicker, but this is not the case. In fact putting your hair up can cause breakages if the bobble is too tight. It is also easy to damage the roots this way, as the hair can be pulled too tight.
A good way to style your hair if you are a lover of curling your hair is to plait it before you go to sleep, as not only will this stop you from using heat, but may also save you time in the morning! If your hair is short and not quite plait ready then you can buy one of those headbands that are on the elastic that go all the way around the head and tuck the hair into it. I'm sure there are plenty of videos of this on YouTube floating about and it is not difficult to do at all!
Drink plenty of water. I am pretty sure that water is the cure for everything, (near enough, you know what I mean).
Some of these things I have done myself and others I have heard from friends that have worked for them, as practically all of my friends have long hair, so I was able to get some more tips from them.
