With the change of season comes the natural desire to switch things up above the neck. For those rebelling against the ubiquitous bob, looking for easy long hairstyles becomes more and more appealing as the temperature drops.
Forever synonymous with untamed beauty, long hair is simply an iconic look. Just ask Stevie Nicks, the good witch of rock ’n’ roll, who entered the collective consciousness in 1975, dressed like a modern-day Lady of Shalott—her draping, heavily fringed blonde hair cutting an image as striking as her draping, heavily fringed dresses. But regardless of how you wear your long hairstyles, the most important thing is to keep strands healthy.
How to care for long hair
According to celebrity hairstylist and founder of Roz Haircare Mara Roszak, who counts Zoe Saldana and Anne Hathaway as regular clients, hair health is the number one thing to consider when you think about growing out your hair super long. “This will ensure your hair looks beautiful and strands don’t break or split,” says Roszak. “The key is to keep your hair healthy, shiny, and looking its best self.”
There are a couple of easy options for you to give your hair some needed T.L.C. and protection to do that. She recommends using deep treatment oils or masks regularly to provide moisture and fortify your strands. Something like her RŌZ Willow Glen Treatment Oil Mask works great as a weekly overnight deep treatment to hydrate and treat damage in the hair cuticle.
Andrew Fitzsimons, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Andrew Fitzsimons, agrees and adds that you’ll want to get regular trims to keep long hair looking fresh. “While it sounds totally counterintuitive, regular trims will actually help you grow longer, healthier hair,” Fitzsimons says yes. “Because your hair at the end is the oldest [part], it’s the most prone to breakage and split ends, which can work its way and actually impede your maximum hair length.”
Lastly, both experts say that you have to protect hair when you choose to style it with hot hair tools and when you style hair in tight dos that might cause strands some tension. Something like the Andrew Fitzsimons AF 10-in-1 Leave In Conditioner, will provide a barrier against high heat and work to nourish hair and keep it strong.
Ways to wear long hair
Carrie Bradshaw may have lamented that she’d “never be the woman with perfect hair,” but when the power of waist-skimming lengths is in effect, perhaps you don’t have to. One of the best things about keeping your strands long is that there are many ways to wear it. Think Kim Kardashian, who, no matter what color her hair happens to be at the moment (Jet Black! Silver Platinum! Raspberry Pink!), is keen on channeling Cher with an extreme, down-to-there mane. And so much more. Here, a look back at the men and women who will make you want to cancel your next haircut and order Viviscal in bulk.