Growing hair super long!

The only person I know was Wicked Pixie, but sadly she passed away a year or so ago and I'm not sure what her secrets were other than being careful, not changing hair colour constantly and only bleaching roots. I actually think that was about it. I think she did use oils, but only a little bit, like the amount you would use if you used a serum so doesn't need extra washing. I remember her posting about Argon oil (pure of course, not the Moroccan oils you can buy, they nearly always have silicones).

I know jojoba is also good in the same way, small amounts to the ends.

Really, the common thread with people who have super long hair is just being careful with it. I don't think there's any real magic things out there. Your hair can either take it or not. You should probably trim it more often though as split ends are many peoples downfall. It seems like it would be helpful to not cut hair, but it's generally not in the long run (pun not intended!).

The only person I know was Wicked Pixie, but sadly she passed away a year or so ago and I'm not sure what her secrets were other than being careful, not changing hair colour constantly and only bleaching roots. I actually think that was about it. I think she did use oils, but only a little bit, like the amount you would use if you used a serum so doesn't need extra washing. I remember her posting about Argon oil (pure of course, not the Moroccan oils you can buy, they nearly always have silicones).

I know jojoba is also good in the same way, small amounts to the ends.

Really, the common thread with people who have super long hair is just being careful with it. I don't think there's any real magic things out there. Your hair can either take it or not. You should probably trim it more often though as split ends are many peoples downfall. It seems like it would be helpful to not cut hair, but it's generally not in the long run (pun not intended!).

I'm so sorry to hear about Wicked Pixie! I do remember her from when I first joined 😓. Thank you for the advice, I think I'll look into getting some jojoba oil and just using a tiny bit. To be honest I have taken great care of my hair and it's in good condition generally. I am a member on the 'longhaircommunity' forum, but most people on there have natural hair and/or use henna. I'm aiming for mermaid hair myself! 😅😅

I know she also read the long hair community forum, so I assume she was a member. Maybe try searching for the same user name over there? She seemed to use it on other forums so there's a good chance 🙂

Edited to add, I hope this isn't morbid in some way, but here's her post history from the beginning.
http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?action=profile;u=3667;area=showposts;start=2500
Maybe you'll find something interesting and useful.

It was actually quite nice to have a look through some of it just now 🙂

Thank You! I'll certainly look through her posts and I'm sure I will find lots of interesting info. Xx

Hi, I used to have bum-length hair.

General advice is just to physically look after it really well!  Treat it like an antique silk scarf or something - don't let it flap in the wind, get caught under bag straps, tie it up the same way all the time, use loads of heat and damaging styling techniques ... etc etc.
I used to put a few drops of jojoba or coconut oil on my fingers after washing and smooth it through the midlengths-ends.  Maybe an occasional protein treatment & deep hydrating conditioner.

Bleached & dyed hair is a bit more fragile than healthy virgin hair but as long as you only bleach the regrowth each time it should be ok.

Rather than regular trims you can do a "seek & destroy" where you go looking for split ends and trim them off with really sharp hair scissors.  It's best to start this habit after a fresh trim though or it can take ages.  Even if you do 5 minutes once a week you'll catch a few here & there and it saves damage travelling up the shaft and costing you overall length.

Seek and destroy is a good way but you must be absolutely sure your scissors are sharp. If not, you will only end up wit shorter hair with split ends. Another thing, but that's merely my personal experience: good lighting when you seek and destroy, and don't become over-obsessed with it.  😀

For shampoos/conditioners: it really depends on your hair, your preferences and how harsh the water from your shower is. The latter sounds weird but I have to use a way thicker and more nourishing conditioner in Paris than in I use in my own town, for example.

Hi, I used to have bum-length hair.

General advice is just to physically look after it really well!  Treat it like an antique silk scarf or something - don't let it flap in the wind, get caught under bag straps, tie it up the same way all the time, use loads of heat and damaging styling techniques ... etc etc.
I used to put a few drops of jojoba or coconut oil on my fingers after washing and smooth it through the midlengths-ends.  Maybe an occasional protein treatment & deep hydrating conditioner.

Bleached & dyed hair is a bit more fragile than healthy virgin hair but as long as you only bleach the regrowth each time it should be ok.

Rather than regular trims you can do a "seek & destroy" where you go looking for split ends and trim them off with really sharp hair scissors.  It's best to start this habit after a fresh trim though or it can take ages.  Even if you do 5 minutes once a week you'll catch a few here & there and it saves damage travelling up the shaft and costing you overall length.

That's great advice, thank you!! I am very careful with my hair and have learnt a huge amount from the long hair community forum. I haven't tried a protein treatment, but I'll look into that.  I've just invested I  my own hairdressing scissors and have myself a micro trim the other day. I actually did a good job surprisingly! 😅

Seek and destroy is a good way but you must be absolutely sure your scissors are sharp. If not, you will only end up wit shorter hair with split ends. Another thing, but that's merely my personal experience: good lighting when you seek and destroy, and don't become over-obsessed with it.  😀

For shampoos/conditioners: it really depends on your hair, your preferences and how harsh the water from your shower is. The latter sounds weird but I have to use a way thicker and more nourishing conditioner in Paris than in I use in my own town, for example.

Thank you for the good advice. I've just bought some hairdressing scissors of my own and they work well. I know what you mean about the water. I live in a hard water area, so don't get  so much lather and I also wash my hair in cold water to minimise colour bleed. Hopefully I'm on the right path for mermaid hair! 😊

Being careful is key really. Also, I was browsing through the worst hair decisions on the long hair community and some things are really just.... not so smart, to put it nicely. You already know you shouldn't bleach your whole head twice a month, put a box dye over it, bleach it again et cetera, et cetera. You have knowledge! 😀

Of course bleaching/bleach baths are damaging but there's a difference between some damage and frying it because you've been reckless. I love being on long hair fora but in my opinion some people overreact when it comes to funky colours due to their own horrible experiences that could've been prevented in the first place.

That being said: there's always some damage and it is possible we don't get the longest and healthiest hair. I'm cool with that. I might never get knee length hair but A) it isn't said I'm able to grow it that long to begin with (and to be fair: that would be way too long for me, tailbone is max here) and B) I need to like my hair, have fun with it. I've tried the whole natural and health thing and I ended up cutting my hair off as I hated it. It bored me and felt more than a task. It's thanks to going back to bright colours I am again starting to love taking care of it.  ;D

Some other tips that's pretty much always mentioned here: find products that work for you! For my hair, Inecto Coconut and Dr. Organic Royal Jelly work incredible, and my hair adores coconut oil. For you it might be something completely different. Reviews on long hair forums, but also DIY's, methods and other recommendations, are worth checking out to see what might be for you and what not. It is also interesting to look further than the average drugstore and Holland & Barrett. Aphogee for instance is sold here merely in afro beauty shops and I've seen other brands and products as well that I want to try out.

So, in conclusion, there are actually two keys for long hair in my opinion: being careful with it and like it. Hair is fun!