7 Tricks For Growing Your Hair Really, Really Long

Lob? Never heard of her.

- Nicole Catanese

1 Always condition.

Do it every single time you get your hair wet in the shower, says Mark Townsend, a celeb hairstylist for Dove. “Over time, coloring and heat styling cause strands to get thinner at the bottom,” he says, and that can lead to breakage. Loading up on conditioner helps strengthen hair by replacing the lipids and proteins along the outer shaft and sealing the cuticle. That’s all fancy expert-speak for: This is your first line of defense against the stuff that mercilessly kills your long hair dreams.

2 But don’t shampoo every day.

“It’s shocking to me how many women skip conditioner when in reality, it’s shampoo you should be avoiding as much as possible,” says Townsend. Its purpose is to wash away dirt (duh), but most shampoos are filled with harsh surfactants called sulfates, which can strip the natural oils you need for healthy hair. When you do really need to shampoo (we’re talking post-Spin class levels of gross), choose a sulfate-free formula and lather up only at your scalp.