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Essential rules to follow when growing your hair long

It's not as simple as it sounds...

11 August 2016

Growing your hair takes time, effort and patience. But if you do it right, you’ll look like a Greek god/Nicolas Cage in Con Air. So if you think you’ve got what it takes, here are the rules you should be following:

Invest in quality shampoo and conditioner

Yes we know you like your two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, but if you want to keep your hair looking as healthy as Jared Leto’s here, you’ll have to do it separately and with a decent brand every day. We suggest a thickening shampoo, as most guys do not have naturally plump locks.

You should also comb your hair (with a wide-tooth comb) through whilst you’ve got conditioner on in the shower, as it’ll help stop knots, which are painful little bastards.

All beautiful men with long hair are called Jared. Honestly we have Leto and Padalecki #joker #jaredleto #suicidesquad
A photo posted by Suicide Squad (@xsuicide.squad) on

If you have a beard, make sure it’s in sync with your hair

For some reason God has cursed men with beards that are a different colour to their hair. What kind of sick joke is that? Anyways, you have to learn to deal with it. If your beard is bright ginger and your hair brown, choose one. Luscious locks and a clean face or a skinhead and a red face forest.

And either have long hair or a long beard – not both

Long hair and a tidy beard is fine, but when you’re bordering on the messiah look, it’s not good. Unless you’re in a band or work in a forest chopping wood, keep your facial hair kempt.

Take care of your hair by regularly visiting the barbers for trims

It sounds stupid that you have to cut your hair when growing, but it’s true. It won’t help it grow longer, but it will help it grow healthier. Sun, chlorine, hair products, straighteners, there are many elements that damage hair and give them split ends, so unless you want to end up a wispy wizard like Bill Bailey, keep those ends trimmed.

Dry your hair carefully

Roughly towel drying seriously damages your hair, as it tangles and irritates the cuticles, making it frizzy and resulting in split ends. Instead of vigorously drying your hair like you would do with a dog, stroke and squeeze the water out of your hair after you get out the shower, then gently stroke your hair with a towel in the direction it grows.

Discover dry shampoo

Long hair can get greasy pretty quickly, moreso for guys than girls, as they sweat a hell of a lot more, which makes hair oily. So make sure you have a decent dry shampoo, which is a lazy way to keep your hair in check and give it some volume.

Think about what you style with

What you styled your hair with when you had shorter hair most probably won’t look right with long hair - eg. gels, waxes - as they’ll clump your hairs together. If you want to have a natural look that has a bit of depth and texture, try using sea salt spray when you’re drying your hair.