From Rapunzel-esque braids to cascading curls, super long hair has a princess-like quality that's unique it in its elegance and sophistication. Whether you're trying to grow much longer locks, or just speed up the growing out stage of an ill-advised bob, waiting for your hair to grow can feel painfully slow. Luckily, there are a few secrets, from diet to supplements that some of our favourite stars use when they want to give their locks a boost. There's no fighting it - the seemingly endless mops of Cara Delevingne, Elle Macpherson and Sofia Vergara have started to inspire some serious hair envy in us.
[Getty]
The Victoria's Secret Angel Must-Have:
Our first tip comes from the Queens of Excellent Hair: The Victoria's Secret Angels. Lots of Team VS are known to pop a pill to boost their hair growth - Viviscal. (£49.95 for a month's supply, Viviscal). This supplement is clinically proven to speed up hair growth, and is enduringly popular in a market that's ever more saturated. Viviscal tested their product in a seriously scientific double-blind study, and found an marked increase in hair thickness and depletion of hair falling out. Hero ingredients include AminoMar C™, a rich marine protein complex. It also contains organic soluble silica, a rich source of Vitamin C from Acerola Cherry, millet seed and iron, plus zinc and biotin - all of which encourage healthy hair growth. It's popular with beauty industry insiders, too.
The stylist to the stars advice:
On top of that, Carly Smith, a senior stylist at FOUR London (who look after a handful of A-List clients, including Amber Le Bon's long locks) told us "The best way to grow your hair is to have regular trims! We call it the pretend haircut. You need to get rid of split and dry ends to keep the ends of the hair strong and sharp. Keep the condition of your hair at its best - a weekly treatment will help. We use La Biosthetique Long Hair Treatment in the salon, it's fabulous for maintaining long hair. Limit your use of heated styling appliances such as straighteners which might weaken the hair." Carly then added from a dietary perspective, "Opt for iron rich foods such as spinach and foods with high protein, zinc and vitamin B."
[Cara Delevigne via Getty and Liz Hambleton]
A beauty director recommends:
And finally, who better to advise on growing longer, stronger hair than our Health & Beauty Director, Liz Hambleton, who's the proud owner of almost waist-length hair? "I avoid heat tools like the plague - I only blow dry if it's freezing, and then it's a quick blast - as well as using a hair oil like Kerastase Elixir Ultime (£28.40, LookFantastic.com) every night. For washing, always go for something very gentle - I like Klorane's shampoos and conditioners. Also, I eat loads of brazil nuts which have magnesium and selenium for hair growth, and I also use coconut oil on my hair sometimes. Adding flaxseed oil to food is a great tip - and don't wash it too often!"