I'm A Beauty Editor & Here's How I Finally Got The Long, Healthy Hair Of My Dreams

Recently I saw a friend I hadn't seen since, well, last year. This was an unfortunate side effect of COVID-19 and quarantine since we're all seeing fewer people and with less regularity. While it was certainly not on the top of the list to chat about, she promptly brought up how long my hair was. 

She's not wrong: My hair—through a combination of the tips below, as well as just fewer trips to the salon—is the longest it's ever been. For a visual: When I wear it down, it reaches the small of my back. I am normally one to default to long hair, as I think it works with my wavy-curly hair type and usually requires less day-to-day styling. But in the past year, I have quite literally reached new lengths. 

But that's not all: It's also shockingly healthy. Usually when I attempt to add inches, I don't reach my end goal because the ends are tattered and dry. So when I make it back to the salon, my hairdresser is there with shears at the ready. 

As part of my daily coffee routine, I add two scoops of mindbodygreen's grass-fed collagen+. Collagen supplements are beloved in the wellness space for their skin and hair-healthy benefits.* For hair, this is primarily due to the fact that the powders are made of short-chain amino acids that provide our body with the nutrients we need to support keratin production, the primary protein in hair.* 

I have long been an advocate of scalp massages—not only because I find them to be a delightful way to end the day but because they are so good for your scalp and hair health. In fact, several studies have shown that regular scalp massages can help promote thickness and regrowth1. They do so, researchers believe, because they promote circulation to the scalp, and with circulation comes oxygen and nutrients carried by the bloodstream. 

And while I've long believed in the benefits of scalp massages—I hold tension in my scalp, because apparently that's a thing!—I haven't always been as diligent about my habit. Often, I'd skip it for sake of time and energy. But in the past year, I decided to make it a new habit that I stick with every evening. And the messages are nothing fancy either—clock five or so minutes a night before your shower or while watching TV, or even enlist your partner in the action. (Personally, I DIY it before bed, and I handle it just fine.) It takes a while—hair growth isn't immediate after all—but you'll notice a difference. 

Finding a shampoo schedule that works for you isn't an exact science—it's an art that involves a delicate balance between your scalp, hair type, lifestyle, and just general preferences. But when you do, you can really reap the benefits of a clean (yet hydrated) scalp; conditioned, damage-free strands; and ideally minimal upkeep for you.