Want to grow your hair long? Here's how!

Most women (and many men) aspire to a long, glamorous head of hair. Here's how you can make that dream a reality.

The way your hair looks can make or break your appearance completely. One has to admit that the elegant look of shiny, thick long hair is spectacular. Long hair is a symbol of feminity and beauty.

Practically all women at some point in their lives want to grow their hair really long -- and so do a lot of men. But long hair is also prone to breakage, fly-aways, frizzies, split-ends, dull hair and early hairloss. As a result, although a long mane looks fantastic, caring for it is extremely challenging. In the following pages, we provide a few tips to help you grow it out and maintain it well.

Wash your hair lightly but thoroughly a few times a week. Allow the natural oils on the scalp to condition the hair naturally. Washing it everyday can make hair dry, stripping it of its natural oils. Always remember to detangle your hair before washing it. This makes it easier to dry and style.

Use a top quality shampoo that is specifically designed for your type of hair. Apply it only on your scalp and massage it down to the tips of your strands. Applying it along the entire length of your hair will strip it of its most needed natural oils.

Conditioner is important because it smoothes out tangles in your hair. To keep hair from looking too greasy, use a lightweight conditioner, but don't rub it into your scalp -- apply only to the hair shaft. And be sure to deep condition once a month to avoid dry hair. Rub additional conditioner into the tips of your hair to prevent split-end damage.

Choose a top quality hairbrush with natural bristles and wide-toothed comb to detangle your long hair. Use only this comb on your hair when it's wet, gently going from root to tip. Make sure the ends are completely tangle-free without pulling on the ends to make them so. Avoid back-combing your hair with a fine-toothed comb. Always clean your comb once a week as dirty brushes make long hair dirty. To wash your comb, soak it for five minutes in warm water and shampoo, rinse and let it dry overnight.

Try to avoid hair dryers as far as possible. But if you must, then keep it on a cool setting and avoid pulling long hair while you dry it. With the blow-dryer, concentrate on the middle and ends of your hair first.

Avoid the use of hot air blow dryers, curling and straightening irons and harsh chemicals as much as possible. If you must colour, use non-peroxide colour or 100 percent natural henna colours. Natural products like jojaba oil, aloe vera, and coconut oil work well with long hair.

Hair needs a proper diet to maintain its colour and charm. Proper nutritious meals along with vitamin and mineral supplements are a key factor for healthy hair. The important vitamins are A, B1, B12 and C. Remember, eat well and drink plenty of water.

Trim your long hair every five to six weeks to remove split ends. Split ends should be trimmed off as early as possible because they cannot mended, and can weaken hair and make it look messy.

Protect your hair from the sun and the elements by wearing a hat or scarf. Minimise excessive exposure to sun, salt water, chlorine, sweat or other elements.

The secret behind caring for long hair includes some basics that are simple to achieve. These tips will help you manage a mane of any length. Your hair is a thing of beauty, so take care of it!