Having absurdly long hair sounds wonderfully romantic. Think flowing mermaid waves, dramatic braids, and hair that practically deserves its own entrance whenever you walk into a room.
The reality? Long hair can also get trapped under handbag straps, caught in car doors, tangled around necklaces, wrapped around vacuum cleaners, and somehow knotted while you’re doing absolutely nothing.
Once your hair reaches your waist, hips, or beyond, the usual advice to “use conditioner and get regular trims” doesn’t quite cover it. Caring for extremely long hair is less about constantly adding products and more about preventing unnecessary damage to the oldest, most fragile parts of your hair.
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If you’re growing your hair ridiculously long—or you’re already there—these are the tricks I’d use to keep it looking healthy, shiny, and manageable.
1. Detangle From the Bottom, Not the Top
This is probably the most important long-hair rule I follow.
If I start brushing at my roots and drag the brush downward, every little tangle gets pushed into the next one. By the time I reach the ends, I’ve created one enormous knot.
Instead, I divide my hair into sections and start with the last few inches.
Once they’re smooth, I move a little higher.
Then higher again.
Eventually, I can brush from root to tip without forcing the brush through anything.
It takes a little longer, but it’s considerably kinder to very long hair.
If I encounter a stubborn knot, I don’t attack it with the brush. I’ll usually add a tiny amount of conditioner, detangling spray, or hair oil and gently tease it apart with my fingers.
2. Treat the Bottom Half of Your Hair Like Antique Lace
Seriously.
The ends of very long hair can be several years old.
That means they’ve survived hundreds of washes, showers, hairstyles, nights in bed, sunny days, windy walks, brushes, ponytails, and encounters with coat zippers.
I therefore treat the last third of my hair very differently from the hair growing close to my scalp.
I’m particularly careful about:
Vigorous brushing
Tight elastics
Heat styling
Rough towels
Repeated bleaching
Friction from clothing
Sleeping with loose hair
Protecting older hair is one of the biggest secrets to retaining length.
3. Shampoo Your Scalp Rather Than Your Entire Length
Extremely long hair doesn’t necessarily need shampoo rubbed through every inch.
Most of the oil, sweat, and product buildup tends to occur around the scalp.
When washing my hair, I’d concentrate shampoo mainly around the roots and scalp.
As I rinse, the shampoo naturally travels through the rest of the hair.
Unless the lengths genuinely need cleansing because of heavy product buildup, there’s usually no reason to aggressively scrub them.
This can help prevent the ends from becoming unnecessarily dry.
4. Condition More Hair Than You Shampoo
With ridiculously long hair, conditioner becomes much more important.
Rather than applying it only to the very tips, I like to work conditioner through the lengths while avoiding the scalp if my roots become oily easily.
Pay particular attention to the bottom third.
And don’t rush.
Giving conditioner a few minutes to sit on your hair while you finish showering can make detangling considerably easier afterward.
A wide-tooth comb can also help distribute conditioner, but be gentle because wet hair can stretch and break more easily.
5. Stop Piling Your Hair on Top of Your Head When Washing It
You know the classic shampoo-commercial move?
Hair piled dramatically on top of the head while someone massages shampoo into it?
I wouldn’t recommend it for waist-length hair.
Twisting several feet of wet hair into a heap can create a tangled nightmare.
Instead, allow the lengths to hang naturally while you concentrate on washing your scalp.
Your future self will be very grateful when it’s time to brush it.
6. Squeeze Water Out—Don’t Rub
Traditional terry towels can be surprisingly rough on long hair.
And vigorously rubbing your hair dry creates friction exactly where you don’t want it.
Instead, gently squeeze excess water from the hair.
Then wrap it in a microfiber towel or soft cotton T-shirt.
I also try not to twist extremely long hair into an aggressively tight towel turban. Wet hair is heavy, and there’s no need to put extra tension on the roots.
7. Learn the Art of the Protective Braid
A simple braid may become your best friend.
If I’m doing something likely to tangle long hair—gardening, cleaning, travelling, exercising, walking on a windy day—I’d rather braid it first.
A loose braid keeps hundreds or thousands of individual hairs neatly contained.
It’s particularly helpful for:
Sleeping
Travelling
Windy weather
Wearing coats and scarves
Household chores
Outdoor activities
The important word is loose.
A braid shouldn’t feel as though it’s pulling on your scalp.
8. Protect Your Hair While You Sleep
Eight hours of tossing your hair against a cotton pillow can create an enormous amount of friction over time.
There are several ways to protect it.
You could loosely braid your hair before bed, wear a satin or silk bonnet, or switch to a smooth pillowcase.
If your hair is extremely long, simply leaving it loose can result in waking up with hair underneath your body—or your partner.
I’ve also found that loose nighttime hairstyles make morning detangling far easier.
Just avoid fastening your hair tightly in exactly the same position every single night.
9. Stop Wearing Tight Ponytails Every Day
Ponytails are convenient, but repeatedly placing an elastic in the same spot can cause mechanical damage.
With very long hair, there’s also considerably more weight hanging from that ponytail.
I like to rotate hairstyles instead.
For example:
Loose braid
Low bun
Claw-clip twist
Side braid
Loose ponytail
Braided bun
Changing the position of your hairstyle reduces repeated stress on one particular area.
Choose soft scrunchies or hair-friendly ties rather than thin rubber bands.
10. Discover the Magic of Claw Clips and Hair Sticks
When your hair becomes extraordinarily long, some regular hair accessories start looking hilariously inadequate.
That’s where large claw clips, hair forks, and hair sticks become useful.
A well-made bun secured with a hair stick can comfortably hold an impressive amount of hair without needing multiple elastics.
Large claw clips are equally useful, although you’ll need one designed for thick or long hair.
The aim is to secure your hair without pulling it painfully tight.
11. Oil the Ends—But Don’t Drown Them
Hair oil can be fantastic for very long hair, particularly on dry-looking ends.
But more isn’t always better.
I usually think of oil as a finishing product rather than something that literally moisturizes hair.
A few drops smoothed over the ends can help reduce friction, add shine, and make the hair feel softer.
Some popular choices include:
Argan oil
Jojoba oil
Coconut oil
Avocado oil
Sweet almond oil
Different hair types respond differently, so experimentation helps.
Fine hair may only need a tiny amount, while coarse or curly hair may tolerate considerably more.
12. Trim Damage Instead of Automatically Chopping Off Inches
There’s no magical rule saying everyone needs several inches cut every six weeks.
If you’re trying to grow extremely long hair, that strategy could remove new growth almost as quickly as you produce it.
Instead, I’d pay attention to the actual condition of the ends.
Split, wispy, badly damaged ends may benefit from trimming, but healthy hair doesn’t necessarily need a dramatic cut simply because a particular number of weeks has passed.
Some long-haired people also use a technique sometimes called search and destroy, where individual split ends are carefully snipped rather than removing length across the entire hemline.
If you try it, use proper sharp hair-cutting scissors rather than kitchen or craft scissors.
13. Watch Out for Everyday Hair Traps
Once your hair becomes really long, the biggest threats aren’t always hair products.
They’re everyday objects.
I’ve learned to watch out for:
Handbags: Straps can trap and snap hair.
Seat belts: Pull your hair out of the way before fastening them.
Coat zippers: Long hair somehow finds them every time.
Office chairs: Hair can become trapped behind your back.
Car doors: Yes, it happens.
Necklaces: Fine chains can create tiny tangles.
Velcro: The enemy of long hair everywhere.
Backpacks: Hair gets trapped underneath the straps.
Simply becoming aware of these little hazards can prevent a surprising amount of breakage.
14. Be Sensible With Heat
You don’t necessarily have to give up your hairdryer or curling iron forever.
But when hair is extremely long, repeated heat damage can eventually become very noticeable.
The hair near your ends has already experienced years of styling.
If I use heat, I’d generally:
Apply a heat-protectant product.
Avoid unnecessarily high temperatures.
Keep dryers moving rather than concentrating heat in one place.
Avoid repeatedly running straighteners over the same section.
Give the hair heat-free days.
Heatless curls and braids are especially handy when you have very long hair because the length can create beautiful waves naturally.
15. Prevent Tangles Before They Happen
This may be the greatest long-hair trick of them all.
It’s far easier to prevent a monster knot than spend 45 minutes trying to remove one.
Before doing anything that usually results in tangled hair, think ahead.
Going outside on a windy day?
Braid it.
Going swimming?
Secure it and consider wetting your hair with fresh water beforehand.
Sleeping?
Braid or protect it.
Wearing a wool coat and scarf?
Put your hair up.
Cleaning the house?
Bun it.
Driving with the windows open?
Definitely braid it.
Eventually, protecting extremely long hair becomes second nature.
Bonus Trick: Keep a Long-Hair Emergency Kit
If your hair is truly absurdly long, I’d keep a few essentials in my handbag.
My little emergency collection would include:
A scrunchie
A strong hair tie
A small detangling comb
A couple of bobby pins
A compact claw clip
A tiny bottle of hair oil
You never know when beautiful loose hair will suddenly become completely impractical.
One strong gust of wind is usually enough.
What Should You Avoid With Very Long Hair?
Growing long hair isn’t only about what you do. Sometimes it’s about what you stop doing.
I’d be particularly cautious about repeatedly:
Ripping brushes through knots
Sleeping with wet hair loose
Using extremely tight hairstyles
Bleaching already fragile ends
Straightening the same sections every day
Wearing rubber bands
Roughly towel-drying hair
Ignoring split or badly damaged ends
Leaving hair loose in strong wind
Allowing handbag and backpack straps to rub against it
None of these things will necessarily ruin your hair overnight. It’s repeated damage over months and years that matters when you’re trying to maintain exceptional length.
How Often Should You Wash Extremely Long Hair?
There’s no perfect schedule.
Your scalp type, activity level, hair texture, styling products, and lifestyle all matter more than the actual length of your hair.
Someone with an oily scalp might feel best washing frequently, while someone with dry or curly hair may prefer washing less often.
I wouldn’t deliberately leave the scalp uncomfortable simply because someone online insists that long hair should only be washed once a week.
Wash when your scalp and hair genuinely need it.
The bigger trick is washing gently.
Should You Brush Long Hair Every Day?
Again, it depends on your hair type.
Straight and wavy hair can usually benefit from gentle regular detangling.
Very curly or coily hair may be better detangled while damp and conditioned rather than brushed dry.
The goal isn’t achieving a certain number of brush strokes.
It’s preventing large tangles without causing unnecessary breakage.
The Real Secret to Growing Absurdly Long Hair
Hair growth gets most of the attention, but length retention is just as important.
Your scalp may be happily growing new hair every month, but if the ends keep snapping off, gaining visible length becomes difficult.
That’s why the boring little habits make such a difference.
Protect it while sleeping.
Don’t rip through tangles.
Keep it away from handbag straps.
Be gentle with the ends.
Use heat sensibly.
And put it up before opening the car window.
Once your hair gets exceptionally long, caring for it becomes almost like caring for a delicate piece of fabric you’ve spent years creating.
It takes a little extra effort—but if your dream is spectacularly, dramatically, perhaps slightly impractically long hair, I think it’s absolutely worth it.
Resources
Byrdie – Waist-Length Hair: How to Get It and How to Care for It
Covers gentle shampooing, conditioning, detangling, reducing heat damage, silk pillowcases, trims, and preventing breakage in very long hair.
https://www.byrdie.com/waist-length-hair-8757915
Good Housekeeping – 12 Healthy Hair Habits
Offers expert-backed advice on detangling, conditioning, brushing, heat styling, and maintaining stronger, healthier hair.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/a28494129/healthy-hair/
Allure – How to Grow Out Your Hair
Particularly relevant for very long hair, with advice on shampooing mainly at the roots, concentrating conditioner on the lengths, deep conditioning, and minimizing breakage.
https://www.allure.com/gallery/how-to-grow-out-your-hair-by-summer
