A few summers ago, I tried to grow out my bob and failed miserably, because I didn’t just want length, I wanted hair that was an event, a mane, hair that swished. For that, you need not only length but heft, and heft relies heavily on health.
I decided to embark on my growing endeavour for a second time with an eye on the health of my hair. Inch by inch, I turned my bob into shoulder-skimming, then modestly long hair. I kept going and currently it settles between the bottom of my shoulder blades. It’s taken a full three years, but I’m nearly there now at the holy grail: hair that’s long but also shiny, without frayed and damaged ends.
After extensive research, and many failures, these are the tips and products which really, really work. They will help you achieve your healthiest hair, whether you’re after bum-skimming locks this summer or simply want to join the A-listers in the pursuit of 2025’s biggest hair trend: an ultra-glossy look.
Sort out your diet
It’s easy to forget hair is affected by our diet, but it truly is. The key is avoiding extreme and nutrition-poor diets, with Caroline O’Brien, colourist at Nicola Clarke Salon, saying “fast weight loss has a disastrous effect on hair, causing dullness and loss”. Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley, explains this is because “hair is a dispensable tissue which isn’t needed for survival, so even small dietary inadequacies can affect it”. Her advice? “Eat three balanced meals a day containing proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and a variety of vitamins and minerals.”
Never rub your hair dry — squeeze it
The more gentle you are with your hair, the better it’ll fare. I think about this throughout the stages of washing and drying my hair, never pulling at its lengths, or rubbing it dry (I also ask hairdressers not to do this when I visit, and have noticed top salons now squeeze gently instead as a rule). O’Brien hammers this rule home by saying it’s important not to rub hair when it’s wet during washing: “I think most people don’t realise that you only need to massage your scalp and not the lengths. Remember to use a wide-toothed comb if needed to avoid breaking the hair when it’s fragile.”
Use lightweight serums and oils
This tip comes courtesy of Sam McKnight, stylist and founder of Hair by Sam McKnight, who knows a thing or two about making frazzled hair look better. He is an advocate of using nothing that’s too weighty, saying “super shiny hair is all about using light products that feel almost like a serum; you want to be able to add more if you have to, rather than having something that’s going to deposit in your hair”.
Wash your hair every other day
Forget all that business about letting oils build up: not only does not washing your hair mean you’re far more likely to have skin that breaks out, but it’s also bad news for your hair. Kingsley says: “If your scalp isn’t clean, it simply won’t produce hairs of beautiful, strong quality, and shampooing is a good thing for your scalp health, as well as being generally important because your scalp is a living tissue which sweats, produces oils, and sheds skin cells — all of which you don’t want to build up.” Keep an eye on how long you’re massaging that shampoo in, too: she suggests a full 60 seconds.
Turn down the temperature on tools...
You knew this one was coming — but it is essential to do it for hair health, with Hair Stylist and Expert Tom Smith explaining that “high temperatures can burn moisture out of the hair, so blow drying on a medium heat setting rather than the hottest is helpful, as well as keeping direct heat from irons and curling tongs to a minimum”. If you must style on occasion, opt for tools that control temperature so you don’t end up singeing your lengths and ruining your hard work.
… but style with a view to shine
While you need to keep the heat down, hair that’s been blowdried well will always look more lustrous. O’Brien is emphatic on this, telling me that “in my opinion you can use every treatment shampoo and conditioner under the sun, but most people’s hair needs good styling to look healthy and shiny”. She also encourages a gentle approach, suggesting using a medium heat with a natural bristle brush to gently smooth and dry the hair without overworking it or causing damage.
Get it cut regularly
I was right to book in for a regular trim while growing my hair, with Ronnie Woodward, stylist at HARI’s King’s Road, suggesting a trim every six weeks. If hair is heavily bleached, it may need more frequent trims to prevent the ends breaking. The trick here is to find someone you really trust to take only the dust off the ends, so you can book in confident that you won’t lose too much length.
