How I Grew My Hair Long and Healthy
(This post contains affiliate links to products I love)
There’s something a little bit fairytale about growing your hair long. It's like tending to a living ribbon that follows you through the seasons.
When I was younger, I'd fantasise about having long hair and all the hairstyles I could do with it. My shorter hair was practical but felt very unexciting. And when it came to growing it all out, I couldn't stand the waiting...
Mine didn’t grow overnight (I promise there was no enchanted forest water involved), but over the years (alongside some blessed good hair genes), I found a rhythm that made it not just longer… but softer and healthier.
Here’s my gentle, no-fuss, almost old-world way of caring for it. It's so simple, this might be terribly boring...
1. No Heat, Just Patience
I stopped using heat almost entirely. No straighteners, no curling wands. Nothing that sizzles. I would barely ever blow-dry it, maybe once a week.
One of my biggest mistakes as an early teenager was the fact that I would not only wash my hair everyday but also blow-dry and straighten it. Every. Single. Day. It was pretty fried and breaking.
I couldn't give up my love of hair washing so I would still wash it every night but then let it air dry while I slept. Luckily, my hair is wavy so this made styling pretty much non-existent in the mornings.
In the end, it started growing as if it took a sigh of relief. Because it stayed healthy, it just grew grew grew.
2. My “Antique Maiden” Hairstyles
This is my favourite part because I'm rather lazy.
Instead of heat styling, I rely on simple, gentle hairstyles:
• loose plaits/braids
• soft buns
• high ponytails
• twists with a giant claw clip
These look romantic without effort and protect the hair at the same time. It’s a small way of carrying a bit of old-world charm with me in the modern day.
3. Coconut Oil: My Liquid Gold
Once or twice a week, I warm a load of extra virgin coconut oil (or olive oil if it's in the cupboard) between my hands and smooth it through my hair and scalp. Coconut oil is hard at room temperature so don't worry if it looks weird, just warm it up. It's too heavy and greasy to do this and go outside so I use this as an intensive mask at night. When my hair was fried- this was the best way to protect what I had. I'll also do this to protect it before swimming in chlorine pools.
This is as close to miracle as I can get while being super accessible and cheap.
4. Brushing Like It’s a Ritual
I brush gently and for a while. Slow strokes, starting at the ends and working upward so there’s minimal ripping, tugging, or snapping. It feels almost meditative, like a nightly ritual. The brushing distributes natural oils and keeps everything detangled without force. I love using a wide tooth comb on wet hair and to keep waves in tact! On dry hair I love the Denman brush!
5. Consistency Over Complication
There’s nothing extreme here. No strict routines or dozen-step regimens. Just small, soft habits repeated over time. It took about 3 months to get used to feeling okay without heat styling- I was that dependent! Soon enough, I was getting it cut only every 6 months.
The Result
After stopping heat styling and doing consistent moisture masks, my hair grew like crazy as it wasn't breaking off. My hair grew longer not because I chased length, but because I treated it kindly.
If you’re dreaming of long, healthy hair with that delicate, romantic feel, this is your sign to go back to basics and let the magic happen quietly over time!
Here's the type of products I reached for back when I started my hair-growth journey (and still use today):
Organic Coconut Oil- https://go.shopmy.us/p-34855799
Coconut Oil (alternative) - https://amzn.to/3XIkJvy
Wide Tooth Comb - https://go.shopmy.us/p-34856353
Denman Hairbrush - https://go.shopmy.us/p-34856755
Claw Clips - https://amzn.to/48qIa2H